On Friday 26 April 2019, our long-awaited event ‘Liberalism: The Religion of the Twenty-First Century’ took place at the VU University in Amsterdam (Netherlands). We can look back on a successful event, with a great turn-out, al-hamdulillah! We were delighted to welcome more than 500 people, some even traveling from outside the country (France, Austria, Belgium) to attend the lecture given by Mohammed Hijab.

Timestamps of the lecture:
00:01:43 - 00:02:43 Apologetic behavior of minorities
00:02:44 - 00:05:46 Meaning of epistemology of liberalism
00:05:47 - 00:12:00 “We are born equal”
00:12:00 - 00:13:18 Individualism
00:13:18 - 00:26:51 Review of the history of liberalism
00:20:24 - 00:26:51 Double standards in liberalism
00:26:51 - 00:30:28 Human rights
00:31:41 - 00:38:57 Thomas Hobbes: The state of nature
00:38:58 - 00:43:04 The social contract: the power of the leader
00:43:04 - 00:56:52 Apostasy law in Islam and liberalism
00:56:54 - 01:03:18 Liberalism has nothing to offer for the muslim

Timestamps of the Q&A:
01:03:49 - 01:06:59 Debating approach
01:07:08 - 01:11:00 A common ground for muslims and liberals?
01:11:07 - 01:13:17 The focus of the muslims in the West
01:13:17 - 01:16:24 Paradoxes; relevant or not?
01:16:25 - 01:20:32 Lack of good practices in Islam
01:20:35 - 01:24:53 Responding to the fear of increasing muslim population
01:24:54 - 01:28:15 Human rights as a base of a dialogue
01:28:24 - 01:31:54 The power is in asking questions
01:32:21 - 01:35:21 Changing the narrative on a political level
01:35:28 - 01:39:37 Islamic view and organizations on pro-life
01:39:41 - 01:40:59 Liberalism and pledging allegiance in America
01:41:02 - 01:43:18 Why do liberals force their standards on people?
01:43:20 - 01:43:18 What makes Islamic morality objective?

The day started with a beautiful recitation of a part of Surah Yusuf by Bilal el Bernichi (which you can find here:    • Qur'an: Bilal el Bernichi - Surah al-...  ). After a brief introduction, our main speaker Mohammed Hijab, began with his talk. In the first part, he focussed on the epistemological basis of liberalism: the first principles that form its foundation. We learned that the hedonistic principle, ​combined with utilitarianism formed the basis of this ideology: the philosophy that pleasure, for as many people as possible, is the highest good in life.

After an explanation about the epistemological basis of liberalism, Hijab talked about the history of liberalism. From the influences of John Locke and Immanuel Kant, all the way to one of the most essential products of liberalism: The Human Rights Declaration.

When the time came for a break, the visitors could enjoy the delicious Börek from Kara Firin. We were able to enjoy this Turkish delicacy and have a chat with others.

After the break, Mohammed Hijab continued his talk and compared liberalism with Islamic traditionalism using one of the most controversial case studies: legislation on apostasy.
The event ended with an interesting Q&A-session, and Mohammed Hijab received a gift from one of our sponsors: de Gouden Weef, a unique Dutch webshop that sells exclusive Islamic gifts.

We want to thank our hosts Aya Elyamany and Sinan Kula, our sponsor de Gouden Weef and the caterer Kara Firin. In particular, we would like to thank Mohammed Hijab, who has freed up his time, to make this event possible.

#mohammedhijab #liberalism #apostasy