This is according to Hojat-ol-Islam Ali Akbar Attaran-Tousi, head of the Tehran branch of the university that is hosting the short-term course.
He told IQNA that the program is part of short-term series on “Islam and Contemporary Issues”, which began last year.
“In each of these short term courses we investigate special issues related to contemporary man’s questions about Islam. The scientific committee of Al-Mustafa International University reviews the subjects and then announces the subjects of the courses for those interested in taking part.”
Hojat-ol-Islam Attaran-Tousi noted that the theme of last year’s course was “Intellectuality and Spirituality and Relation between Intellect and Religion”.
“This year, the course is being held with the theme of ‘Intellect in the Quran and Islamic Civilization’. It began on February 2 and will last for two weeks. The closing ceremony will be held in the presence of Grand Ayatollah Javadi Amoli.”
He said PhD scholars or students from 10 countries, including the US, France, Russia, Sri Lanka, Serbia, and Malaysia are attending the scholarly program.
“The course has been organized under the scientific supervision of Grand Ayatollah Javadi Amoli and with the cooperation of institutions such as Isra Foundation for Revelational Sciences, the Iranian Wisdom and Philosophy Institute, and the Qom-based Wisdom and Philosophy Forum.”
The official noted that two of the instructors, Mohammed Rustom, Islamologist at the Islamic Studies Center of Carlton University and Christian Yahya Bono, academic board member of the Iranian Wisdom and Philosophy Institute, are the two non-Iranian instructors in the course.
He added that the course is aimed at clarifying the status of intellect in the Quran and Islamic heritage, as well as the position of intellect in different philosophical, theological, mystical, ethical, political and jurisprudential schools.
Hojat-ol-Islam Attaran-Tousi said that there will be sideline programs for the participants such as visits to cultural and academic centers in Tehran and Qom.
He went on to say that the scientific committee of Al-Mustafa International University is reviewing different subjects including the relation between the intellect and God, man’s freedom, man and God, women’s freedoms, human rights, and women’s rights in Islam, as the possible themes of the future series of the scholarly course.
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