Yesterday, the 1st of
Feb 2017 I joined the lunch as I normally do everyday at the Oxford Center of
Islamic Studies. I like the healthy cuisine they serve consisting of soup,
macaroni salad or potato salad together with some bread rolls, butter and jam.
Self-service. We will pick our own trays and plates, forks, knives and spoon
and place them back when we finish our lunch.
All the Fellows & Visiting
Fellows or invited guests will find places to sit at a long bench. This is the time we
socialize and chat on simple things about life or our experience for the day.
Often we discuss scholarly subjects or on our
individual project of research. This time I took the opportunity to informally present my research subject on Islam and Diplomacy. There was a lot of
excitement and controversies and cynicism about diplomats and political leaderships. The polemics on Islamic State and whether there is an Islamic IR
or Islamic diplomacy.
There were diverse views agreeing and disagreeing. I am
not interested to polemics on labeling IR or FP or Diplomacy with Islam or
any other brands. I prefer to input the values and norms as well as the Ahadith, AlQuran and Sunnah on whatever we do do in the formulation and
decision making of FP.
In this way we will be able to create a religious
society. Let it be accepted and not imposed. There are so many examples and
illustrations of the Prophet's (PBUH) conduct of Diplomacy.
FBSHApost@2 February 2017
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