Religions in the 21st Century

Dar Al Hadi is hosting a discussion on the Challenges posed by extremism on religion and society with:

Dr. Ahab Bdaiwi is an Assistant Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Leiden University. He studied Middle East History and Islamic Thought at the University of Exeter (UK). He received his PhD (Exon) in Arabic and Islamic Thought in 2014. He taught Middle Eastern and Iranian History at the University of St Andrews (UK) between 2013 and 2016. His research interests at Leiden University focus on medieval Arabic and Islamic thought, Shiʿism, religious establishments and clerical networks in Iraq and Iran, and Islamic political theology.

Dr Chris Hewer is a Christian, who began his academic career by studying Christian theology, then educational studies and became a teacher. Thirty years ago, he began his study of Islamic religious thought and went on to work in the field of Christian-Muslim relations as a teacher, researcher and consultant. He was attached to the post-graduate Centre for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations in Selly Oak, Birmingham, from where he helped to develop a Muslim teacher training programme and researched and wrote a monthly survey of Muslim affairs in Britain. For six years, he was the Advisor on Inter-Faith Relations to the Anglican Bishop of Birmingham.