Centre For Contemporary Islamic Studies
(C.C.I.S)
http://www.ccis.org.sg/ccis-web/web/index.aspAddress: 32 Onan Road, The Galaxy, Singapore 424484
Telephone: 6440 7723
Facsimile: 6440 6467
Email: c_c_i_s@yahoo.com
Introducing the Centre
Islam, rejecting the notion of withdrawal from the world, seeks to strike and maintain a creative and dynamic balance between the demands of the material world and the need to prepare for the Hereafter. In the several ayats of the Qur'an and in the ahadith of the Prophet (p.b.u.h), Muslims are enjoined to work for material betterment as well as seek Allah's guidance and forgiveness for the Hereafter.
The Islamic Renaissance In the same spirit, Islam again emphasizes the need for education, for the acquisition and continual improvement of knowledge and for reflection on the nature and mysteries of our environment, both physical and social. The Qur'anic teachings and the example set by the Prophet (p.b.u.h) and his companions were primary factors which made Muslim societies and scholars leaders and trail blazers in the world of learning and sciences from 8th to 14th centuries.
Science in Muslim societies developed in an atmosphere of relative tolerance, patronage of research and innovation, and with considerable movement of ideas and people. Muslim scholars in the Middle Ages indeed constituted an international intellectual community who worked with Jewish and Christian scholars.A renaissance of Muslim societies in the modern age would require birth of that spirit of enquiry and innovation that fired the Muslim imagination in the first century of Islamic history and kept it burning bright for the following six centuries. Since the 19th century, the overwhelming impact of the West and modernization has created a deep schism in most Muslim countries. This divide has pitted two intellectual tendencies or two schools of thought against each other: the revivalist and the orthodox on one side, and the modernist and reformists on the other.
The Challenge Confronting Muslims
A major challenge before the Muslim community is to come to terms with the conditions of the modern age and prepare themselves for the demands of the 21st century, while remaining true to their faith and without losing their proud cultural legacy and identity. The preservation of identity, however, does not mean ossification, but involves growth and change.
Discussion of the dilemmas facing the Muslim community has been going on in different countries, in both East and West. C.C.I.S. is conceived in the context of contributing to this ongoing discussion.
What can C.C.I.S., located inSingapore contribute? It can help us in becoming engaged in and benefiting from the worldwide discourse, which will shape the destiny of Muslim communities in the 21st century. We can also make a distinct contribution of our own by looking at the issues from the perspective of a Muslim minority. While it is necessary to be cognizant of the wider context of the worldwide ummah, we must also be aware of the specific milieu in which we are situated.
C.C.I.S Objectives & StructureC.C.I.S is conceived and presented as an autonomous body whose primary objectives are:
-To conduct research, organize seminars, lectures, conferences and meetings on contemporary Islamic issues and matters concerning the Muslim community.
-To publish, sell and distribute printed and multi-media materials on contemporary matters.
-To organize, participate and assist in educational activities.
In the pursuit of these objectives, the Centre will endeavor to provide a forum where people with different academic training and of different professions can meet and exchange idea on issues facing the Muslim community, with a view to cultivating an informed public pinion.
The Centre will also seek to promote interfaith dialogue between scholars of different religious persuasions. The objective is to develop a better understanding of Muslims and of their concerns among other religious groups and secular scholars.
The Centre will seek to forge institutional links with like-minded organizations inSoutheast Asia and other parts of the world.
The Centre will be managed by a Board of Directors, which will comprise a Chairman, a Director-General, a Deputy Director-General, a Financial Director, and four Directors to be elected by Ordinary Members of the Centre.
CCIS Board Of Directors
Chairman
Ridzuan Wu
Director General
Dr Hussin Mutalib,
Assoc. Professor, Political Science, NUS
Deputy Director General
Imran Andrew Price
Finance Director
Faisal Fernadez
Board Members
Obaid ul Haq (Founding Director General)
Shahbaz Ahmad
Mohammad Hannan Hassan
Dr. Muklis Abu Bakar
