Harvard Divinity School Muslims host Islamic Jurist, Professor of Law, and founder of the Usuli Institute, Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl, for a questions-and-answers session for affiliates across schools at Harvard University. Recorded on 30 March 2023.
This program was focused on navigating the Academy as a Muslim student. Topics discussed include: the relationship between accountability and privilege; activism efforts in academia; cultivating a moral internal guide; the distrust of scholars online, the etiquette of criticism and the crisis of authority; the question of inclusive spaces for all Muslims in Islam; organizing Muslims beyond professions; de-Arabizing our practices as Muslims; nativizing Islam; maintaining a love for knowledge; teaching as a Muslim in secular settings; and more.
Some reflections from the audience after the program:
After Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl's talk, I find myself reflecting on the relationship between Arab culture and Islam. As a Pakistani-American Muslim, "De-Arabizing" and nativizing Islam has emerged, for me, as an inspiring project -- a pursuit of confidence in how I have practiced and continue to practice Islam. My religion was initially taught to me by my South Asian family members, influenced later by the writings of Malcolm X, then later influenced in graduate school by the West African Islamic traditions that my Harvard professors and peers generally shared with me. Furthermore, my Muslim experience is and has been perpetually lived out in an American context, featuring a constant engagement in politics and with a non-Muslim, often-times-Islamophobic majority community on my part. Following the talk, I accept that my multi-dimensional religious experience is not an Arab experience -- but is nonetheless a valid Muslim one. I also appreciated Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl's reflections on queerness in Islam, especially 1) that we must speak to queer people in order to build understanding and 2) that we must criticize those who wrongfully take intellectual refuge in extremist Islamophobes like Jordan Peterson out of a fundamentally colonized mentality that creates an impulse to one's homophobic beliefs validated by the conservative political establishment in the West.
Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl is one of the most brilliant scholars of our time. The breadth and depth of his knowledge coupled with an incredible ability to beautifully, clearly, and concisely explain very complex ideas are what have made him such an important intellectual figure in my life. While I've been lucky enough to come across his lectures online and read many of his books, experiencing his brilliance live (or at least in real-time over Zoom) was just the highlight I knew it would be. At the HDS Muslims event, Dr. Khaled made himself available for a full 2 hours despite an insanely busy schedule and feeling unwell. He answered a variety of questions with the wisdom I have come to expect from him, and he reinvigorated in me and the audience the ultimate goal of the Islamic project: to instill and inspire a powerful moral compass in each and every one of us as individuals to pursue truth, justice, knowledge, and beauty in all its forms. To wrap it all up, he still manages to keep such a humble, friendly, and light demeanor. One feels truly light and enlightened after being in his presence and engaging with his ideas. I wish him a long, healthy, and happy life, and I wish the best for him and the Usuli Institute and their incredible work insha'Allah khair!
I really loved Dr. Abou El Fadl’s highlight of being a Muslim in academia and getting involved in activism work. This is something I think about often, because I receive a lot of questions about why I am so involved in activism. Some, even in my community, have told me, “Hey, don’t get involved in activism. Rather, focus on academia or your research. Otherwise you will not find jobs in the future.” As a young activist, my personal takeaway is no, I have to speak up and get involved. So, I also really appreciate Dr. Abou El Fadl sharing his anecdotes of how people, who he met in the past said “I will get involved when I get tenure”, but they don’t end up getting involved. By hearing this I feel more motivated and energized about what I’m doing being right - rather than leaving everything to the future, to get a job.
Dr. Abou El Fadl’s Q&A was so refreshing and empowering. His wisdom and kindness came through with every single reflection he had on the important questions our colleagues raised. As a Muslim graduate student, it was inspiring to hear from such an important Islamic scholar who had incredible advice for us on how to navigate the challenges in the Academy and beyond. Dr. Abou El Fadl’s compassionate boldness and eagerness to encourage us to de-colonize Islam was the exact motivation I needed to reawaken the passion I have for pursuing a career in academia teaching Islam.
Recorded on 30 March 2023 at Harvard Divinity School.