Last Friday, our long-awaited event ‘Liberalism: The Religion of the Twenty-First Century’ took place. 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.
The day started with a beautiful recitation of a part of Surah Yusuf by Bilal Bernichi. 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 important 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.
