Institute of Islamic Studies, University of the Philippines-Diliman

Facebook Facebook Youtube
Menu

Month: May 2018

Categories
Events News & Archives

Ramadan 2018: UP IIS holds Iftar Program

Ramadan 2018 started last May 17, 2018. It is considered most sacred month of the year. Ramadan is full of sacrifices but most loved by the Muslims. During Ramadan, Muslims experience two occasions of joy – first, during the time of Iftar  (breaking of the fast) when one completes his day of sacrifice putting in control his personal desire over ibadah (worship) and second, when the fasting person meets his Creator and eternally enjoy the reward of his/her good deeds in jannah (paradise).

With renewed spirit to promote solidarity and camaraderie among Muslims and Non-Muslims in the Campus, the UP Institute of Islamic Studies continues to offer iftar program. This has become a tradition of the UP Muslim community through the Institute to gather Muslim Faculty members, staff, students, guests, non-Muslim friends and visitors from neighboring Muslim communities around Quezon City to partake iftar as one family. This year, the UP IIS iftar program is realized through various sponsorships who are taking turn from Monday to Friday of the entire month of Ramadan.

Embassies Sponsor Iftar

The Royal Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is sponsoring iftar for the 4 Mondays of the Month. Apart from the iftar, there is an ongoing series of Islamic lecture before the Monday iftar program where students can attend and learn the significance of Ramadan from invited lecturers recommended by the Religious Attaché Sheikh Faris Almutairrey, KSA Embassy. Another significant event happening at the IIS is the two-hour Qur’an studies offered every day before the iftar. IIS students Ahmed Salidin and Abdulrahman Talusan are facilitating this activity.

The Qatar Embassy, Philippines is taking care of the Iftar meals of May 17, 18, 22, 23 and June 1.

Another significant partnership forged between the Research Association of Islamic Social Sciences , Inc. (RAIS), UP-IIS and the U.S. Embassy Philippines is the launching of the project: “Suara Muslim Initiative for Leadership Empowerment (S.M.I.L.E) with its kick off activity – the hosting of “Iftar for a Cause: Round Table Discussions on the Rehabilitation of Marawi City” on May 30, 2018. The RTD is organized by UPIIS in collaboration with the Center for Integrative and Development Studies-Islamic Studies Program (UPCIDS-ISP). Muslim lawmakers, leaders, experts, members of the academe and stakeholders are expected to attend.

Al-Rabah

May 25, 29, June 5, 6 and 13 are enthusiastically marked for the M. Al-Rabah iftar sponsorship. The M. Al-Rabah has been a longtime IIS partner in implementing projects in the past like the World Hijab Day, previous Istiqbal Ramadan program and providing scholarship grant to five IIS students for the last two semesters.

Feta Restaurant

And unique to the usual iftar sponsorship, instead of providing iftar at the IIS, the Turkish FETA Restaurant located at Greenhills, San Juan invited 22 students to partake iftar at their restaurant last May 18, 2018. The students were treated with the best Turkish food offered by the restaurant. The place is very cozy and ideal for family iftar as they served guaranteed 100 percent halal food.

Generous Individuals

For the remaining days of Ramadan 2018, some generous sponsors take turn in sponsoring iftar at the Institute, namely:  Jonty Biona for May 24, Atty. Mehol Sadain for May 30 while May 31 is sponsored by Ustadz Abdulhadi Daguit.  Mahmoud Ismail with Sarah Ibrahim (MISI) and an anonymous donor will take care of the remaining unsponsored days.

Camp Karingal

As part of our extension services, UPIIS has also been doing Iftar program for the Muslim inmates at Camp Karingal.  Worthy to mention is the continuing effort of the Australian Muslim Community since 2006 facilitated by Bro. Saleem Habibullah in providing iftar for 4 Fridays of the entire month of Ramadan for the Muslim women inmates at Camp Karingal, Quezon City. Likewise, Qatar Embassy is taking care of the following days: May 22, 24, 31, June 5 and June 6.  The month of Ramadan provides opportunity to everyone who wishes to share their blessings as an act of ibadah.

Fasting in the month of Ramadan is prescribed to Muslims to make them learn self-restraint, piety and righteousness and that they may strengthen their taqwah or fear to God. For many years since its iftar Program, the UPIIS has been the venue for the promotion of the spirit of fasting and has fostered love and understanding not just among Muslim constituents of the university but also among Non- Muslim friends.

We are thanking IIS staff especially non-Musllims in preparing the iftar and staying beyond office hour, a sincere gesture of love and service.

 

Categories
Events News & Archives

Suara Muslim Initiative for Leadership Empowerment (S.M.I.L.E.)

We are pleased to inform you that the University of the Philippines Diliman- Institute of Islamic Studies (UPIIS) in collaboration with the Center for Integrative and Development Studies- Islamic Studies Program (UPCIDS-ISP) will facilitate the kick-off activity of the project titled “Suara Muslim Initiative for Leadership Empowerment (S.M.I.L.E.)” dubbed as “Iftar for a Cause: Round Table Discussion on the Rehabilitation of Marawi City.” The RTD will be participated by Muslim leaders, experts and stakeholders to discuss ongoing rehabilitation programs in Marawi on May 30, 2018 from 3:00PM to 8:00PM at the Teodoro Room, E. Virata Hall, UP Institute for Small-Scale Industries Building, E. Jacinto Street, Diliman, Quezon City. The output of the RTD will be used as baseline data for the project’s component on community engagement.

 

Categories
News & Archives

Call for Book Proposals: Islam in Southeast Asia Series (Palgrave Macmillan)

The official Series website is available at https://www.palgrave.com/gp/series/16079.

The Series Editors

Nassef Manabilang Adiong
Institute of Islamic Studies, University of the Philippines Diliman

Imtiyaz Yusuf
International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC-IIUM)

Lily Zubaidah Rahim
Department of Government and International Relations, School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Sydney

Maznah Mohamad
Department of Malay Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore

Nadirsyah Hosen
Faculty of Law, Monash University

The series publishes academic and policy research on historical and contemporary Muslim communities, both in the region and in the diaspora, and on all aspects of Islam in Southeast Asia. It concentrates on theoretical, methodological, empirical, religious, spiritual, and critical studies of Islam, including mundane praxes and lived Islam. We encourage interdisciplinarity and eclectic contributions from scholars and practitioners (e.g. preachers, spiritual/religious leaders, and policy makers) to facilitate a holistic approach towards the study of Islam. The series particularly welcome topics on: 1) Islam and Politics 2) Islam & Ethnicity; 3) Islam and Modernity; 4) MENA Influences in Southeast Asia; 5) pre-Modern and Contemporary Islamic Thought; 6) Sunni and Shia Relations; 7) Islamic Studies and Area Studies; 8) Canonical and Periphery Islam; and 9) Relations between Muslims and non-Muslims across the region. Contributions are welcome from across fields and disciplines including politics, international relations, sociology, humanities, the arts, anthropology, comparative religion, cultural studies, economics, history, law (jurisprudence), philosophy, mysticism (Sufism), and theology. The series will include original monographs, Palgrave Pivots, edited volumes/collections, and handbooks.

Correspondence regarding book proposals should be addressed to Vishal Daryanomel (vishal.daryanomel@palgrave.com).

The Advisory Board

1. Afifi al-Akiti, University of Oxford, UK
2. Chiara Formichi, Cornell University, USA
3. Deina Abdelkader, University of Massachusetts at Lowell, USA
4. Eric Tagliacozzo, Cornell University, USA
5. Howard M. Federspiel, The Ohio State University, USA
6. Iik Arifin Mansurnoor, University of Brunei Darussalam
7. Jeffrey Ayala Milligan, Florida State University, USA
8. Joseph Chinyong Liow, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
9. Kamaruzzaman Bustamam-Ahmad, State Institute of Islamic Studies, Indonesia
10. Ken Miichi, Waseda University, Japan
11. Kerstin Steiner, La Trobe University, Australia
12. Kevin Caffrey, Harvard University, USA
13. Kevin W. Fogg, University of Oxford, UK
14. Khairudin Aljunied, National University of Singapore
15. Kikue Hamayotsu, Northern Illinois University, USA
16. Martin Slama, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria
17. Max L. Gross, Georgetown University, USA
18. Muqtedar Khan, University of Delaware, USA
19. Omar Farouk Bajunid, Hiroshima City University, Japan
20. Osman bin Bakar, University of Brunei Darussalam
21. Patricia Sloane-White, University of Delaware, USA
22. Raffaele Mauriello, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Iran
23. Ronit Ricci, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
24. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, The George Washington University, USA
25. Sven Schottmann, Griffith University, Australia
26. Syed Serajul Islam, Lakehead University, Canada
27. Thomas Gibson, University of Rochester, USA
28. Timothy P. Daniels, Hofstra University, USA
29. Vedi Hadiz, University of Melbourne, Australia
30. Vivienne SM. Angeles, La Salle University, USA
31. William Gervase Clarence-Smith, SOAS, University of London, UK
32. Yon Machmudi, Universitas Indonesia

 

Categories
Events

International Seminar-Workshop on Madrasah Education

The Islamic Studies Program of the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies, the UP Institute of Islamic Studies, and the Embassy of Indonesia in Manila will organize an international seminar-workshop on Madrasah Education with a theme,  Exploring Best Practices in Madaris and Islamic Studies Education between Indonesia and the Philippines, on July 4-5, 2018 at Balay Kalinaw of the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Since 2015 there are strong moves across the regions to promote the seventeen (17) targets in order to achieve  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),  such as quality education,  reduced inequalities and  peace, justice and strong institutions. In order to support these three targets in the field of Islamic Education, the Indonesian government through the Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Phillipines through the UP-CIDS -Islamic Studies Program, UP Institute of Islamic Studies and the Office of the Education Attaché organized this International Seminar Workshop on Madrasah Education  seminar-workshop with the following objectives:

  1. To gather experts to  share best practices on Madrasah Education between Indonesia and Philippines;
  2. To conduct workshop that can provide assessment on gaps and areas for development on Madrasah pedagogies, curriculum, teachers’ support system and instructional resources such as books, textbooks etc.;
  3. To plan out future activities and areas for further collaboration to enhance the quality of madrasah education in the Philippines;
  4. To strengthen linkages and sharing of experiences between Indonesia and the Philippines;
  5. To produce and publish discussion and policy papers in compliance with the UPCIDS-ISP requirement.

The organizing committee believes that education (Madrasah Education) is one of the indispensable tool in promoting moderate Islam to prevent extremism and terrorism (“counter extremist narrative through education”) in some vulnerable areas in the country.

poster

Categories
Events

The Message of the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Faiths

It is an honor for the graduate students of History of Islam and Islamic Political Thought facilitated by Asst. Prof. Dr. Nassef Manabilang Adiong to invite everyone on May 16, 2018 (Wednesday) at 1:00 PM at the Bulwagang Salam of the Romulo Hall, UP Diliman for an open forum lead and lectured by three prominent intellectual and pious speakers of their respective faith traditions:

Programme
  • 01:00–01:10 – Opening Remarks and Introduction of the 1st Speaker by Asst Prof. Dr. Nassef Manabilang Adiong
  • 01:10–02:10 – The Jewish Faith by Rabbi Eliyahu Azaria
  • 02:10–02:15 – Introduction of the 2nd Speaker by Mr. Simon Peter D.L. Ramos
  • 02:15–03:15 – The Christian Faith by Rev. Fr. Rolando V. Dela Rosa, O.P., SThD
  • 03:15–03:45 – Muslim Prayer and snacks for Rabbi Azaria, Fr. Dela Rosa, and their fellows
  • 03:45–03:50 – Introduction of the 3rd Speaker by Ms. Jonty F. Biona
  • 03:50–04:50 – The Islamic Faith by Dean Macrina A. Morados
  • 04:50–06:00 – Open Forum by the three speakers moderated by Asst Prof. Dr. Nassef Manabilang Adiong
  • 06:00 onwards – Iftar, the main meal of the fasting day, which occurs at sunset every day of the holy month of Ramadan.
Interfaith Poster (1)
Profiles of the Prominent Speakers

 

Rabbi Eliyahu Azaria is the head of the Bait Yaacov Synagogue of the Jewish Association of the Philippines, the only synagogue in the country that houses a large function room, a spacious kosher kitchen, a library, classrooms, a mikveh and offices. The community owns a Jewish cemetery as well. Rabbi Azaria, a native of Chicago, and his family moved to the Philippines in September 2004, after his rabbinical studies and ordination at the Midrash Sephardi Yeshiva (Shehebar Sephardic Center) in Jerusalem. A graduate of the Joseph Straus Rabbinical Seminary’s Amiel Program (Straus-Amiel), Rabbi Azaria underwent training to meet the challenges of serving different communities, whether within monolithic religious communities, in mixed congregations with religious and secular members, or communities seeking to find their way back to Judaism. Straus-Amiel training covers understanding Diaspora communities; professional leadership; communications and public relations; family counseling, rhetoric and public speaking; guiding families through life-cycle events; the structure and management of the synagogue throughout the Jewish year; and contemporary questions in the Jewish world. After several years, the Jewish community in the Philippines has grown, their membership has almost tripled and they now have more visitors. The Friday night meals that they used to host at the Rabbi’s home were moved to the Social Hall because of the increase in the number of people coming that now ranges between 40 to 50 at night and 80 to 100 in the morning. With the help and support of their community, they have established a minyan on Mondays, Thursdays, Rosh Hodesh, Holidays, Shabbat and any other time that they have a special occasion like a Brit Milah, burial, wedding, etc.

 

Rev. Fr. Rolando V. Dela Rosa, O.P., SThD is the former Rector Magnificus of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome and the University of Santo Tomas (UST), the oldest and the largest Catholic university in Asia. In 2004, he was appointed by then Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education. Reverend Father Dela Rosa was born in Legazpi City, Albay in 1953. He finished his primary and secondary education at Aquinas University Rawis in the same city, while he earned his BA degree in Philosophy at the Dominican House of Studies graduating Magna cum Laude (with great distinction). In 1980, Fr. Dela Rosa completed his second bachelor’s degree (with great distinction as well) in Sacred Theology at UST. Three years after, he was ordained to the priesthood and completed another two degrees from the same university, these are, Magna cum Laude in Licentiate in Sacred Theology and Summa cum Laude in the Master of Arts in Higher Religious Studies. By 1985, he attained full Professorship at the UST Ecclesiastical Faculty, and subsequently thereafter, he earned two highest Doctoral degrees from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. From 1990 to 1998, he was the President of the Association of Catholic Universities of the Philippines, and in 1995 he founded the Network of Dominican schools, colleges and universities in the country. In addition, he also served as the President of the International Council of Universities of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Over the years of his illustrious scholarly life, he has published books, journal articles, Manila Bulletin’s editorial pieces, and received several national and international awards, including the 1991 National Book Award in History, 1995 Outstanding Manila Award in Education, 1996 Medal of Highest Honor from South Korea’s Kyung Hee University, 1997 Catholic Authors Award, among others.

 

Asst. Prof. Macrina A. Morados is the 8th Dean of the Institute of Islamic Studies of the University of the Philippines Diliman. She finished her Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies and Bachelor of Laws at the Mindanao State University in 1991 and 2001, respectively. She earned her Master’s Degree in Islamic Studies at the UP-IIS in 2003 and presently pursuing her PhD in Philippine Studies at the UP Tri-College majoring in Philippine Culture and Society. She passed the Shariáh Bar Examinations and granted license to practice by the Supreme Court on November 7, 2006.  Her field of expertise include:  Muslim Personal and Family Relations (PD 1083), Muslim Women and Children’s Rights in Islam, Interfaith Relations, Islamic Civilization and History of the Muslims in the Philippines. She is co-author with Dr. Carmen A. Abubakar of the book titled: “CRC and Islamic Law Divergences and Convergences: The Philippine Case” (2007).  In 2008, she was recipient of a Cultural Exchange Program granted by the US Department of State and Purdue University. Her recent published articles include topics on Theocentricism and Pluralism. She was Shari’ah Bar Examiner in 2008 and recently in 2013 for the subjects in Islamic Inheritance Law and Persons and Family Relations, respectively. For this year (2016), she is hoping to finish her second book titled: “Islamic Adab (Ethics) in the Context of Filipino Values,” a UP-IIS book project funded by Zayed University, Dubai, UAE. Recently, she was tapped by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) as Lecturer on the Islamic perspective during the National Gender and Development (GAD) Orientation Seminar conducted by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) held in various divisions particularly in the cities of Cagayan de Oro City, Davao, Cebu and Quezon City, Metro Manila She is also a member of the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) under the Historical Injustice Study Group (2015). Also team leader of an ongoing research engagement (for Caloocan City Cluster) on the study: “Children and Harmful Work in the Philippines: A Child Rights Situational Analysis” in collaboration with Prof. Rufa Guiam of Mindanao State University, General Santos City and Save the Children International.