MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, LEEDS — Muhamad Rofiq Muzakkir, Secretary of the Muhammadiyah Council for Religious Opinion and Tajdid, discussed the military coup during the Arab Spring in Egypt. as analyzed by early 20th-century Muslim scholars at the 3rd International Conference on Critical Muslim Studies: Re-Orienting the (Global) South” conducted on Monday to Wednesday (June 24-26).
In his paper, Rofiq examined the perspectives of renowned scholars such as Rashid Rida, Abd al-Razak al-Sanhuri, and Ali Abd al-Raziq, each of whom offered distinct viewpoints on the legitimacy and potential consequences of military coups. Rofiq’s analysis strategically employed the works of Carl Schmitt, a controversial German political theorist, to explain the underlying arguments presented by these scholars.
While some participants expressed reservations about the use of Schmitt’s works due to his association with Nazism, Rofiq emphasized the importance of engaging with diverse perspectives, even those that may be considered controversial. He pointed out that many Western thinkers, including Immanuel Kant and John Locke, also held problematic views, such as supporting epistemic domination or condoning slavery.
Rofiq stressed the significance of international conferences like this for Indonesian scholars, providing a platform for them to share their expertise, engage in global discourse, and build valuable networks with colleagues from around the world. He lamented the limited participation of Indonesian academics in such international events, despite the immense potential and contributions that Indonesian Islamic universities can offer.
“Engaging in dialogue with the global academic community is crucial. It allows us to build networks with international colleagues, share our own ideas, and learn from the ideas of others. Universities need to allocate sufficient funds for conference participation, enabling us to actively participate in global networking and contribute to the advancement of Islamic knowledge and thought,” said Rofiq.
