Bioethics is an interdisciplinary field that by orientation and method is open to different views and voices. This conference fits in the tradition of dialogue and mutual respect. It seeks to elucidate the distinctive interplay of Islam and the West embodied in rich debates on bioethics in general and Islamic bioethics in particular. The necessity for such a conference is reflected in the unbridgeable gap that seems to exist between the two group dominating the socio-political and academic discourses on the interplay of Islam and the West.

The first group is characterized by their firm belief in a fundamental conflict between Islam and the West. The second group emerged in reaction to the first group and holds an exact opposite view, i.e. that there is no intrinsic problem whatsoever between Islam and the West. This proposed conference challenges these two extreme approaches and argues that there are fields in which the interaction of Islam and the West did produce highly intellectual and enriching discourses. This has been possible, not by neglecting the differences and the possible conflicts between Islam and the West, but by acknowledging these concerns while still seeking to create a common ground for fruitful interaction. A selection of international academic experts in the field of (Islamic) bioethics and (Islamic) medical ethics will participate in the conference. The academic contributions of these scholars are to result in academic publication.

This conference is a joint initiative of Georgetown University, Qatar branch, and the Leiden University Centre for the Study of Islam and Society (LUCIS) represented by Dr. M. Ghaly, assistant professor of Islamic Studies. The organisation of the conference has been made possible thanks to a generous grant from the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).

The background of this event relates to two main projects. The first is the Islamic Medical and Scientific Ethics (IMSE) project funded by the QNRF to identify, acquire, and index multilingual resources, mainly in Arabic and English, on Islamic bioethics. The second is the VENI research project of Dr. Ghaly Islamic biomedical Ethics: The Interplay of Islam and the West funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).

For more information, please contact Dr. Ghaly:m.ghaly@hum.leidenuniv.nl.