Dr. Abdou Filali-Ansary is the Director of AKU Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (AKU-ISMC), London, UK. A scholar of Islamic studies and philosophy, Dr. Filali-Ansary was the Director of King Abdul-Aziz Foundation in Casablanca for 17 years, where he helped develop an internationally renowned library and research centre.

Dr Filali-Ansary obtained his PhD from the Faculty of Letters, University of Dijon, France. His work centred around two important European philosophers, Baruch Spinoza and Henry Bergson. This was part of his lifelong interest in ethics and the foundations of social order. After a brief detour into public administration, he returned to his academic interests with a translation of Ali Abdelrraziq's work, “Islam and the Foundations of Political Power”. His present interests span from issues in Muslim education to concerns of global significance such as pluralism, democracy and civil society.

With what objectives was AKU-ISMC established?

AKU-ISMC was established to answer a need within Muslim societies for modern scholarship that takes into account the ideals and aspirations of contemporary Muslims as well as their lived and historical experiences. Muslim thinkers of the twentieth century have all unanimously stressed the critical importance of educational reform as a move towards societal and cultural rejuvenation. AKU-ISMC will attempt to contribute towards filling this gap by offering some practical programmes that may address these needs. It is in this context that AKU-ISMC will seek to strengthen the study and research in all aspects of Muslim societies and their heritage. It will be, at the same time, concerned with the issues of governance, social order, poverty, gender and education.

How will AKU-ISMC serve as a bridge between the East and West, tackling contemporary issues facing Muslim societies? What challenges do you foresee?

Although I understand the purpose of your question, I would like to start by questioning the notions of "East" and "West" as they are commonly understood. The growing interconnectedness and overlapping of different cultures and traditions is an undeniable fact; we are all in conversation with each other. Today, for example, there is a very significant presence of Muslims in Europe and North America, and from that fact alone, we can no longer talk about "East" and "West" as forming separate spheres. By building on existing modern scholarship accumulated by Muslims and non-Muslims and through adopting a scholarly approach, AKU-ISMC will attempt to shed new light on some of the most hotly debated issues in the contemporary "shared" world. In this way, it will act as a crucible that would bring together reasonably minded people who respect ethical principles taught by all world religions. While doing so, we expect to face many challenges, the first and foremost of these being our own desire to be a creative institution. The second important challenge will be to find adequate ways of communicating with Muslims and non-Muslims in a manner that would show that through seeking knowledge and a better understanding of Islamic traditions, we come closer to the ideals of Islam and universal ethics.

What do you think are the key intellectual, cultural and social challenges faced by Muslims?

It may be fruitful to appreciate that such challenges exist at three levels: the most universal of these is the level at which we confront issues of global significance; these include, for example, developmental and environmental issues and concerns of war and peace. At another level, we face issues which are of particular relevance to us as Muslims; these are to do with meaningful interpretations of the Quran, the rethinking of Muslim legal traditions and a coherent and rational understanding of our traditions. The third level is local, where one has to recognise diversity within the Muslim Ummah itself; and the problems faced by people in their particular geographical contexts. Confronted with these challenges, what we are seeking here is a new way of thinking, which mobilises adequate resources from our cultures and societies and responds to the needs of the time.

What innovative activities and programmes will the Institute provide?

We are currently conceptualising and designing various programmes. Based on the recommendations of the Task Force which provided an overall direction for the Institute, as well as deliberations with various consultative groups, we have identified three areas of intervention. The first of these are educational programmes, where we will seek to offer innovative courses on Muslim civilisations. These courses will cater to the needs of a wide range of audiences including early and mid-career professionals. The second area is that of research and publication where AKU-ISMC will engage in analysing issues of significance, some of which I have mentioned earlier. The third area of focus will be the dissemination of knowledge about Muslim civilisations beyond the circles of 'formal education'. In this manner AKU-ISMC will seek to generate discussions among scholarly audiences as well as the general public in various parts of the world.

In the context of the challenges we discussed and the activities of AKU-ISMC, what emphasis would there be on the notion of pluralism?

Pluralism is an attitude towards diversity and difference of opinions which values the plurality positively instead of "tolerating" it or even rejecting it. It has emerged as one of the most adequate ways of facing realities of human facts and ambitions. Now, in what may be described as a post-ideological era, it is no more possible to stick to monolithic views in situations related to human affairs. How to adopt pluralism as a value is a challenge for Muslims and non-Muslims nowadays. AKU-ISMC will contribute to the thinking about the benefits as well as challenges of pluralism by harnessing some of the best minds in the scholarly world and organising programmes that will creatively explore the notion of pluralism. Furthermore, all AKU-ISMC's activities will have the ideals of pluralism embedded within them, which means that they themselves will reflect a diversity of views and interpretations.

What are your future challenges both as Director of the Institute and as a scholar?

One of the most important challenges for me as the Director of AKU-ISMC is to bring together the best available professionals and have them work together. I will also have the challenge of following the works and debates that are emerging in various fields of relevance to AKU-ISMC and keeping informed of the intellectual and cultural evolutions in Muslim societies.