Jakarta to host Islam seminar

JAKARTA: A number of experts on Islam, cultural identity, multiculturalism and politics from Indonesia, the United States, Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore and Pakistan will gather here for a four-day international conference on Islam, which begins on Sunday.

Organized by the International Center for Islam and Pluralism (ICIP), the event will discuss the future of Islam, democracy and authoritarianism in the Muslim world.

Canada will be represented by Judith Nagata, a professor of anthropology at Canada's York University. Other speakers will include former Indonesian president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, Azyumardi Azra, Datu Michael O. Matsura, M. Khalid Masud, Amin Saikal and Patricia Martinez.

In a press statement responding to Nagata's participation in the conference, Canadian Ambassador Randolph Mank said the event would contribute a lot to the dialog and exchange of ideas on pluralism, tolerance and democracy, which the embassy had long been promoting. -- JP