Islamic Studies / en U of T conference on Ibadism highlights pluralism within Islamic tradition /news/u-t-conference-ibadism-highlights-pluralism-within-islamic-tradition <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T conference on Ibadism highlights pluralism within Islamic tradition</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Ibadi-conference-group-photo-weblead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7nhPvVC3 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Ibadi-conference-group-photo-weblead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=KFrtOguf 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Ibadi-conference-group-photo-weblead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=YMlBje1b 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Ibadi-conference-group-photo-weblead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7nhPvVC3" alt="Group photo of conference attendees "> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-08-19T14:12:58-04:00" title="Monday, August 19, 2019 - 14:12" class="datetime">Mon, 08/19/2019 - 14:12</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">The 10th annual Conference on Ibadi Studies welcomed a diverse range of global scholars to discuss historical and contemporary topics in Ibadism (photo by D. Olms)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jovana-jankovic" hreflang="en">Jovana Jankovic</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-law" hreflang="en">Faculty of Law</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/history" hreflang="en">History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/humanities" hreflang="en">Humanities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/islam" hreflang="en">Islam</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/islamic-studies" hreflang="en">Islamic Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">U of T Mississauga</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Ibadism is a theological sect within Islam that stands alongside the more widely practiced Shi’a and Sunni traditions. But it isn’t nearly as well known in North America – a blind spot a recent conference at the Ƶ sought to rectify.</p> <p>The conference, titled “Ibadism and the Study of Islam: A View from the Edge,” brought together a diverse range of global scholars to discuss historical and contemporary topics in Ibadism, from the preservation and study of ancient manuscripts to questions of ethics, language, community-building, religious and legal traditions and more.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>It was the first time the annual conference has been hosted in Canada.</p> <p>“Thinking from the edges allowed us to examine the presumptions that animate most studies of Islam and Muslims today,” says Professor <strong>Anver Emon</strong>, a scholar of Islamic legal history appointed to the Faculty of Law and the department of history who is also the director of the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science’s Institute of Islamic Studies.</p> <p>&nbsp;“When we think of the term ‘Muslim’ we might think of certain ethnic groups, language groups and so on. We also might think of sectarian conflict between Sunnis and Shi’as – the dominant sects within Islam. But Ibadi Muslims offer us a third sectarian group that highlights an oft-ignored pluralism within the Islamic tradition.”</p> <p>While there are Ibadi Muslims living all over the world, Ibadi communities are largely concentrated in Oman, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, and North Africa.</p> <p>The institute hosted the 10<sup>th</sup> annual Conference on Ibadi Studies this past June with support from the country of&nbsp;Oman’s Ministry of Endowments &amp; Religious Affairs. The conference looked at the movement’s position on the margins of the larger study of Islam, whose adherents make up an estimated 24 per cent of the world’s population. &nbsp;</p> <p>Speakers at the conference included Ayman Shihadeh, chair of the British Association for Islamic Studies and a historian of Islamic philosophy and theology,&nbsp;and U of T’s <strong>Ruba Kana'an</strong>, an assistant professor of Islamic art and architecture at U of T Mississauga’s department of visual Studies.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The conference also offered us an opportunity to get to know Canada’s own Ibadi community,” says Emon,&nbsp;“many of whom joined us from Montreal.”</p> <p>As the conference’s host, Emon says Canada presented an interesting parallel to the country of Oman, where the majority of the population is Ibadi.</p> <p>“Both have neighbouring countries that can sometimes be challenging to engage with. Both often play important behind-the-scenes roles in fostering peace and prosperity regionally and internationally.</p> <p>“To be the first Canadian host of the Ibadi conference illustrated the shared sensibilities regionally and globally that both countries play.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 19 Aug 2019 18:12:58 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 157565 at New U of T building to create a cultural and intellectual gateway between university and city /news/new-u-t-building-create-cultural-and-intellectual-gateway-between-university-and-city <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">New U of T building to create a cultural and intellectual gateway between university and city</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2019-02-21-building-new-second-full-shot-resized2.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7hxVATEu 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2019-02-21-building-new-second-full-shot-resized2.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=E0LzaaxB 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2019-02-21-building-new-second-full-shot-resized2.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=QLEB_rMR 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2019-02-21-building-new-second-full-shot-resized2.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7hxVATEu" alt="Rendering of 90 Queen's Park"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Romi Levine</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-02-21T00:00:00-05:00" title="Thursday, February 21, 2019 - 00:00" class="datetime">Thu, 02/21/2019 - 00:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">A rendering of the new U of T building located at 90 Queen's Park (rendering by bloomimages, courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/romi-levine" hreflang="en">Romi Levine</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/anne-tanenbaum-centre-jewish-studies" hreflang="en">Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/archeology" hreflang="en">Archeology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/school-cities" hreflang="en">School of Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/astronomy-astrophysics" hreflang="en">Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-law" hreflang="en">Faculty of Law</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/history" hreflang="en">History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/islamic-studies" hreflang="en">Islamic Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/john-h-daniels-faculty-architecture" hreflang="en">John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/meric-gertler" hreflang="en">Meric Gertler</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/near-and-middle-eastern-civilizations" hreflang="en">Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A proposed new Ƶ building at 90 Queen’s Park Crescent will bring together academic and public spaces to create a hub for urban and cultural engagement.</p> <p>The proposal will come forward&nbsp;for consideration by university governance.</p> <p>The nine-storey building will be designed by world-renowned architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the firm behind New York City’s High Line and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. The New York-based firm is working with Toronto’s architectsAlliance. ERA Architects is serving as the team’s heritage consultants.</p> <p>“This stunning architectural landmark will provide the Ƶ with an invaluable opportunity to create a meeting space for scholars and the wider city around us,” says U of T President <strong>Meric Gertler</strong>.</p> <p>“It also gives the School of Cities a permanent home for its urban-focused research, educational and outreach initiatives.”</p> <p>In addition to the School of Cities, the&nbsp;building will house a number of academic units from the&nbsp;Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, including&nbsp;history, Near and Middle Eastern civilizations, as well as the Institute of Islamic Studies,&nbsp;an arm of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies and the Archaeology Centre. It will also provide facilities for the&nbsp;Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Music.</p> <p>There will also be space designated for classrooms and public spaces, as well as for the Royal Ontario Museum.</p> <p>“It will be a building that brings a diverse grouping of folks together to advance knowledge around cities and how they can work successfully, contributing to a positive impact here in the city but also more globally,” says <strong>Scott Mabury</strong>, U of T’s vice-president, operations and real estate partnerships.</p> <p>As design architects, Diller Scofidio + Renfro will draw on their experience designing cultural and academic spaces to create a building that will inevitably become a Toronto landmark, says <strong>Gilbert Delgado</strong>, U of T’s chief of university planning, design and construction.</p> <p>&nbsp;“They're very provocative and thoughtful architects,” he says. “This dramatic building expresses the very special role of the university within the city.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Among the building’s showpieces is a&nbsp;music recital hall, with a large window serving as an exceptional backdrop to the stage and providing the audience with south-facing views of the Toronto skyline. Above the hall will be a 400-seat event space with similar skyline&nbsp; views. There will also be a café on the ground floor and a multi-storey atrium leading up to the recital hall.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__10254 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2019-02-21-building-new-recital-hall-resized_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>The music recital hall, with its large window as a dramatic backdrop (rendering by bloomimages, courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro)</em></p> <p>“Because the building is a large and complex site, the experience doesn't just play out on the ground floor, it climbs through in a kind of spiral up until the performance space," says <strong>Richard Sommer</strong>, dean of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and&nbsp;Design and a member of the university’s Design Review Committee.</p> <p>And the views will be just as impressive from the exterior of the building, says Delgado.</p> <p>“The building is very engaging,” he says, adding that it will be particularly striking when driving or walking northbound along Queen’s Park Crescent.</p> <p>Delgado says the building’s location will serve as a gateway that connects Toronto’s cultural corridor with the university. “It represents an important new addition to the cultural corridor with the Gardiner Museum, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Faculty of Law and Queen's Park.”</p> <p>It's important for the university to have public-facing buildings that sit on the borders of its downtown Toronto campus, says Sommer.</p> <p>"The edges of the campus and its borders with the city are the places where you engage the community and the vibrancy of the city of Toronto," he says. "When you have buildings that are at these edges, it's particularly important that they have programming that produces a platform for public exchange."</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__10247 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2019-02-21-building-new-site-map-resized.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="701" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>A site plan for the building, which is located on the west side of Queen's Park (copyright Diller Scofidio + Renfro)</em></p> <p>The building will also honour U of T’s history and heritage, carefully incorporating the 118-year-old Falconer Hall, part of the Faculty of Law, into its design.</p> <p>“Falconer Hall provides an opportunity to integrate the old and the new in an exciting way,” says Delgado. “As opposed to an addition to an historic building, what we see here is a novel and creative way of having a historic building influence a new building.”</p> <p>Charles Renfro, partner-in-charge at Diller&nbsp;Scofidio + Renfro, says the building is designed to encourage individual scholarship, while fostering collaborative discourse and public engagement.</p> <p>“This 'campus within a campus' is revealed in the building's dual identity&nbsp;–&nbsp;a smooth cohesive block of faculty offices and workspaces gives way to a variegated expression of individual departments as the building is sculpted around Falconer Hall, the historic home of the law department. Several public programs are revealed in the process.&nbsp;At the heart of the building is a dynamic central atrium and stairs linking all floors with clusters of lounge spaces, study spaces and meeting rooms, mixing the various populations of the building with each other and the general public,” he says.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__10249 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2019-02-21-building-new-full-shot-resized.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="603" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>(Rendering by bloomimages, courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro)</em></p> <p>As part of U of T’s commitment to sustainability, the building will adhere to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers’ (ASHRAE)&nbsp;sustainability standards.</p> <p>“It will use roughly 40 per cent less energy than a&nbsp;conventional&nbsp;building of this type,” Delgado says. “The dominant issue right now in terms of sustainability is minimizing the carbon footprint of our buildings and our facilities.”</p> <p>The new U of T landmark will be built on the site of the McLaughlin Planetarium, which was closed in 1995. The university’s department of astronomy and astrophysics has included a&nbsp;state-of-the-art planetarium theatre in its plans for a proposed new building&nbsp;at 50 St. George St.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__10250 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" src="/sites/default/files/2019-02-21-building-new-interior-shot-resized.jpg" style="width: 419px; height: 453px; float: left; margin: 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image"></p> <p><em>Inside 90 Queen's Park&nbsp;(rendering by bloomimages, courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro)</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 21 Feb 2019 05:00:00 +0000 Romi Levine 153884 at U of T's Shafique Virani on CBC, talking about fighting Islamophobia with “weapons of mass instruction” /news/u-t-s-shafique-virani-cbc-talking-about-fighting-islamophobia-weapons-mass-instruction <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T's Shafique Virani on CBC, talking about fighting Islamophobia with “weapons of mass instruction”</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-04-06T15:58:20-04:00" title="Thursday, April 6, 2017 - 15:58" class="datetime">Thu, 04/06/2017 - 15:58</time> </span> <div class="field field--name-field-youtube field--type-youtube field--label-hidden field__item"><figure class="youtube-container"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TtXCJ6NQwSY?wmode=opaque" width="450" height="315" id="youtube-field-player" class="youtube-field-player" title="Embedded video for U of T's Shafique Virani on CBC, talking about fighting Islamophobia with “weapons of mass instruction”" aria-label="Embedded video for U of T&amp;#039;s Shafique Virani on CBC, talking about fighting Islamophobia with “weapons of mass instruction”: https://www.youtube.com/embed/TtXCJ6NQwSY?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </figure> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/islamic-studies" hreflang="en">Islamic Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/islamophobia" hreflang="en">Islamophobia</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 06 Apr 2017 19:58:20 +0000 ullahnor 106541 at