A thought-provoking talk on the historical roots and modern context of Palestine, exploring faith, power, and resistance.
Dr Yakoob Ahmed is a historian of the late Ottoman Empire whose research focuses on Islamic political thought, Ottoman reform, and Muslim intellectual traditions. He previously served as an Assistant Professor in the Ilahiyat Department at Istanbul University and completed his PhD in Near and Middle Eastern Studies at SOAS, University of London, where he examined the relationship between Ottoman reform and the ʿulamāʾ. His work explores the intersections of Islamic law, governance, and modernity, particularly how Ottoman scholars and reformers engaged with questions of pluralism, identity, and sovereignty. He recently completed postdoctoral research at the Asian Studies Centre, University of Tokyo, under the supervision of Professor Jun Akiba. Dr Ahmed is the author of Why History Matters: Reviving Faith Through History (Ketebe, 2025) and the forthcoming Revolution and Revelation: The Ottoman ʿUlamāʾ and the Quest for an Islamic Constitution (Edinburgh University Press).
Date: November 20 2025
Time: 5:30 pm
Location: Western University – Somerville house 2317
Register here: www.tinyurl.com/cmpacevents
