Ink and Intellect Reading Club - Modernity and Islam - The Left

About this Club

This is a reading club that is meant to help us engage in the history of ideas that are pervasive in the modern world and are relevant for our understanding of reality and Islam. The facilitator Dr. Sinan will present on the topic after which participants will be drawn into group discussions based on the readings provided (to those who sign up).

About this Session

The left is one of the strongest political forces that exist in the world today that is effective in diagnosing the various ills of Capitalism and keeping the right in check. Yet, we dont fully understand where the origins of the ideology stems from and how it has evolved in time. There also tends to be a lacuna in our understanding of how this dieology generally intersects with Islam and Muslims across the left. Against this backdrop, this reading session is a continuation of various sessions done before where we engaged with topics such as liberalism, nation states and nationalism and secularism (You do not need to have attended the previous one to be here). We will 

• Explore the origins of left wing ideology and its big thinkers
• Understand some of the main tenets of the movement 
• Differentiate between Socialism, Marxism and communism 
• Map out of the interactions between the Left and Islam/Muslims

In addition, we look at some bonus aspects including

• How we should engage with the Left
• A case study of the Left and Muslims operating electorally in parts of the Muslim world
• Islamophobia within the Left

As usual, the session will consist of pre-readings, a presentation, and group discussions.

Meet your Facilitator

This session will be led by Dr Mohammed Sinan Siyech, a Lectuer of International Relations at Wolverhampton University. He has previously taught at King’s College London (KCL), the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), and the University of Edinburgh. He has written extensively focusing on political, religious, and security issues on various countries and societies. Beyond academia, he has contributed to global think tanks like the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) in London and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore and Equi, a think tank focused on British Muslims.

Light snacks to be provided.

Kindly note: No refunds will be given in case of cancellations.