Seminars on "Ethics in Islam" in Tajikistan

This was the fifth annual seminar organised by the IIS to engender a dialogue on topics of common interest between Tajik scholars and those from abroad. The year 2000 has been officially declared the “Year of Peace & Reconciliation” in Tajikistan and, as such, examining the relationship between ethical issues and contemporary social problems was seen as an appropriate theme for this year’s seminar.

Two sessions were held in Tajikistan. The first was a one-day seminar in Dushanbe at the Union of Tajik Writers, which was attended by about 80 people from all walks of life including Tajik scholars, poets, writers and students, as well as several official and diplomatic representatives. The second session was a three-day seminar held at the Khorog State University that was attended by a total of 680 people over the three days.

Papers on a wide range of themes were presented during the sessions by scholars trained in different academic contexts and disciplines. Among the topics presented were: “Spiritual and Social Values in Islam”; “Nasir Khusraw’s Ethics”; “Islamic Ethics in the Qur’an”; and “Youth, Ethics and Civil Societies”.