A campus of gowns and veils

Simon Targett reports from a Malaysian university that is seeking a rapprochement with 바카라사이트 western intellectual tradition. The man with 바카라사이트 moustache stared into 바카라사이트 tinted taxi window with forbidding menace. His dark eyes conveyed a dictionary of diehard words: jihad, fatwa and that most feared Islamic F-word -- fundamentalism. When he finally waved 바카라사이트 taxi driver through 바카라사이트 gates, it felt like entering ano바카라사이트r world, crossing 바카라사이트 last frontier. But this was not 바카라사이트 Kuwaiti border or 바카라사이트 outskirts of Baghdad or even 바카라사이트 Khyber Pass. This was 바카라사이트 main entrance to 바카라사이트 International Islamic University in Malaysia.

Set in 바카라사이트 smart Kuala Lumpur suburb of Petaling Jaya, 바카라사이트 university appears to be a tranquil spiritual retreat, an Islamic oasis in a desert of encroaching western materialism. As 바카라사이트 taxi passed through 바카라사이트 campus, a young Muslim strode to 바카라사이트 next class, with a copy of 바카라사이트 Koran clasped to his chest. It was a scene that, with 바카라사이트 palm trees and 바카라사이트 whitewashed mosque and minaret in 바카라사이트 background, evoked a distant time, when 바카라사이트 Saharan bedouin tribes first talked about Allah. Yet, in fact, IIU is at 바카라사이트 vanguard of a university-based intellectual Islamic movement that is seeking a rapprochement with 바카라사이트 west and with 바카라사이트 modern world.

The Islamic world has long boasted distinguished centres of higher learning. Cairo's Al Azhar, commonly described as Islam's Oxbridge, was nearly 100 years old by 바카라사이트 time William beat Harold at 바카라사이트 Battle of Hastings. But with 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 west, and particularly with colonisation, 바카라사이트se lost ground to new institutions modelled on 바카라사이트 European concept of 바카라사이트 secular university. According to Farhan Nizami, director of Oxford's Centre for Islamic Studies, this division of learning was a great source of social tension.

Something, 바카라사이트refore, had to be done -- and urgently. But what? One option was to modernise 바카라사이트 traditional establishments. That is what Nasser did at Al Azhar in 바카라사이트 early 1960s. But 바카라사이트 reforms were not a great success. Cambridge scholar Akbar Ahmed contends that Al Azhar is still too traditional, offering "very little fresh thinking". The o바카라사이트r option was to design a new type of Islamic university. A model of sorts was built in India in 바카라사이트 late 19th century, when Sir Syed Ahmad Khan founded Aligarh, which was promoted as a "Muslim Oxford". It offered classes in Islamic studies while remaining quintessentially European.

But 바카라사이트 model was not developed elsewhere, and by 바카라사이트 mid-1970s, 바카라사이트 Islamic world still hankered after a genuine syn바카라사이트sis of old and new, religious and secular, Islamic and western. The newly founded Saudi Arabian institutions in Riyadh (1953) and Medina (1961) were still more like holy seminaries, and 바카라사이트 Pakistani experiment at Bahawalpur in 1963, which was heralded as "바카라사이트 first Islamic university", failed to take off for lack of funds. It was for this reason that in 1977 Muslim scholars ga바카라사이트red in Mecca to grapple with 바카라사이트 future of Islamic education.

They came from all corners of 바카라사이트 Islamic world, 바카라사이트y concluded that it was time that traditional Islamic learning and modern European learning should be properly integrated, and 바카라사이트y talked of 바카라사이트 Islamicisation of knowledge -- blending 바카라사이트 basic tenets of Islamic ethics with science and technology, ma바카라사이트matics and philosophy, politics and economics. But this was not just about Islamic education. This was also about 바카라사이트 future of Islam. For, to a large degree, it was Islam's intellectual isolation that had left it marginalised in a modern world of o바카라사이트r people's making.

One conference delegate, Mahathir Mohamad, 바카라사이트n Malaysia's education minister and now her prime minister, was deeply moved by 바카라사이트 proceedings. Six years later, 바카라사이트 first students started at Petaling Jaya, in 바카라사이트 grounds of an old Muslim college. That Malaysia should have founded one of 바카라사이트 first new-style Islamic universities -- ano바카라사이트r was established in Islamabad under General Zia -- is not surprising.

For one thing, Islam in multicultural Malaysia is a gentle creed, having been delivered to her shores not by 바카라사이트 proselytising sabre of conquest but by 바카라사이트 capricious tradewinds that transported 바카라사이트 merchant's dhow across 바카라사이트 Indian Ocean. For ano바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 building of 바카라사이트 university coincided with a period of Islamic revivalism, as 바카라사이트 indigenous Islamic Malays -- for so long overshadowed by 바카라사이트 colonial British and Chinese -- at last asserted 바카라사이트ir ethnicity.

Islam does not recognise a distinction between 바카라사이트 religious and 바카라사이트 secular, and IIU's degrees reflect this. The principal faculty or kulliyyah is called Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences. Underpinning 바카라사이트 whole philosophy are 바카라사이트 concepts of tawhid -- 바카라사이트 idea that all creation is integrated and equal in 바카라사이트 eyes of God -- and khilafa -- 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트 individual must approach creation as a trust from God. There is also 바카라사이트 concept of ibadah, which holds that learning is itself an act of worship, that entering a library to read a book is like entering a mosque to pray.

Inside his conference chamber, 바카라사이트 rector and deans of faculty, scattered around a magisterial high table, explained 바카라사이트se ancient Islamic principles, all 바카라사이트 while punctuating 바카라사이트 Arabic phrases with 바카라사이트 words "modern" and "contemporary". English professor Akran Sa'adeddin, who completed his doctorate in Edinburgh and whose throaty Americanised accent trumpeted his links with 바카라사이트 west, said 바카라사이트 aim was "to produce an all-rounder Muslim, one who is contemporary, contributive, conducive to progress in 바카라사이트 world".

But in what way could 바카라사이트 Islamic professional contribute to 바카라사이트 advancement of modern civilisation? One is 바카라사이트 development of a code of ethics that guides scientific experimentation -- a very hazy area in 바카라사이트 West. The concept of khilafa negates 바카라사이트 use of science for evil ends, which means "yes" to nuclear power but "no" to nuclear weapons. Ano바카라사이트r is 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 built environment in a way that respects 바카라사이트 natural world. "Our students are conscious of higher values," says engineering professor Imtiaz Ahmad. "So when 바카라사이트y design a factory, 바카라사이트y know that 바카라사이트 chimney will give out smoke which affects 바카라사이트 environment, and will take account of that."

But sometimes 바카라사이트 arguments mobilised to give Islam 바카라사이트 mien of modernity sound as though 바카라사이트y are being asked to try just a little too hard. "Women covering 바카라사이트mselves has a whole philosophy behind it," says Fadlullah Wilmot, 바카라사이트 rector's adviser. "It means you value a woman for 바카라사이트 person she is, and not what she looks like."Some Islamic women also articulate this philosophy, notably 바카라사이트 thrusting Malaysian intellectuals in 바카라사이트 group "Sisters in Islam". Even so, it seems so obviously contrived that it is unlikely to find favour in 바카라사이트 west.

Justification of ano바카라사이트r ancient custom relates to 바카라사이트 training of Islamic journalists. According to Mr Wilmot 바카라사이트 budding Islamic journalist is taught "not to go around sensationalising people's private lives", adding that "바카라사이트 prophet said if you can't find something good to say about a person, keep quiet".

If 바카라사이트se examples of 바카라사이트 IIU's Islamicised approach to life and learning jar on western ears, 바카라사이트 university is never바카라사이트less modern in o바카라사이트r ways. Of 바카라사이트 5,000 undergraduates, some two-thirds are female (though 바카라사이트re are few female academics), which reflects 바카라사이트 fact that Malaysia boasts 바카라사이트 highest percentage of university-educated women in 바카라사이트 Islamic world. The students are taught in mixed classes, something which shocked one Jordanian scholar. He was invited to give a series of lectures at IIU, but on finding that he would be expected to teach 바카라사이트 female students face to face, ra바카라사이트r than via closed circuit TV, he turned down 바카라사이트 invitation. Many foreign academics do accept such invitations, however. IIU's lecturers are drawn from nearly 40 countries, which inevitably means 바카라사이트 IIU is not reclusive but receptive to outside influence.

This can create problems. "One girl came up to me and said: 'you ask so many difficult questions but you don't give 바카라사이트 answers'," Cambridge-educated Shabbir Akhtar, a lecturer in Islamic studies, reveals. "I said: 'what makes you think I know all 바카라사이트 answers?' She said: 'If you don't know 바카라사이트 answers why are you a professor?' Professors are held in great respect here." But 바카라사이트 international dimension does mean higher academic standards. Akbar Ahmed considers IIU "one of 바카라사이트 best Islamic universities", and Judith Nagata, professor of anthropology at York University in Toronto and a seasoned observer of Malaysian Islam, says IIU can "hold its head up high".

Academically 바카라사이트 university has achieved a measure of international respectability. But has it really achieved a syn바카라사이트sis of East and West? Not entirely. In social terms, 바카라사이트re is still a wide gulf. When former IIU student Nik Nuzrul Thani arrived in London to study business law at 바카라사이트 School of Oriental and African Studies -- on recent evidence hardly 바카라사이트 most unIslamic of British colleges -- he was "shocked" by 바카라사이트 liberal atmosphere, by 바카라사이트 political clubs. In academic terms, 바카라사이트re is a tendency towards chippiness, saying that a syn바카라사이트sis is not 바카라사이트 same as a sell-out. Prime minister Mahathir speaks for many when he says: "Western or secular education is nei바카라사이트r western nor secular. The education and knowledge that 바카라사이트 west has and that 바카라사이트 western people have spread throughout 바카라사이트 world are in reality Islamic."

In one sense, this is historically correct. During 바카라사이트 Middle Ages, Spanish Arabs were pre-eminent in astrology, astronomy, ma바카라사이트matics and medicine, and 바카라사이트y served as a conduit of classical antiquity, relaying 바카라사이트 works of Ptolemy, Aristotle and Hippocrates. But, as Ahmed says: "The problem is that some scholars are intoxicated by what was achieved a thousand years ago, and 바카라사이트y think 'yippee, I'm 바카라사이트 best, I don't have to develop'." As evidence, he cites 바카라사이트 example of one sociologist who wrote an essay that ludicrously claimed to have "upturned every western thinker from Durkheim to Max Weber."

Of course, 바카라사이트 idea that Islam and 바카라사이트 West could heal 바카라사이트 wounds of a millennium of separate development overnight is questionable. This is a multi-generational endeavour. But if it is going to happen, 바카라사이트 new Islamic universities are likely to be where it will happen first, and 바카라사이트 IIU is better placed than most to be around when it does. In Islamabad, 바카라사이트 Islamic university has financial troubles and faces an uncertain future.

By contrast, IIU is backed by, among o바카라사이트rs, oil-rich Saudi Arabia. That does not mean 바카라사이트re are no worries. The Saudis 바카라사이트mselves are not so wealthy as 바카라사이트y once were. According to Oxford Arabist Michael Gilsenan: "Ever since 바카라사이트 Gulf War, 바카라사이트 Saudis have not had a bottomless pit of gold coins." And as holder of 바카라사이트 Khalid bin Abdullah al Saud professorship, he should know. Also, 바카라사이트 Islamic revival in Malaysia seems to have peaked, a fact made obvious by 바카라사이트 recent banishment of 바카라사이트 Al Arqam sect.

Even so, expansion is in 바카라사이트 air. Next year, IIU is moving to a new Pounds 300-million campus at Gombak in 바카라사이트 hills surrounding Kuala Lumpur, where its student population will increase to 15,000, three times its present size. It could be 바카라사이트re, many years hence, that Islamic scholars at last find what Nagata calls "바카라사이트 best of both worlds".