Muslim think tanks and institutes 1920s onwards



Muslim think tanks and institutes 1920s onwards

Compiled by M A Sherif
1920s
- London: Islamic Information Bureau (25 Ebury Street, SW1). Secretary
was M H Ispahani. The Bureau published ‘The Islamic News’ in 1920-21
which was renamed 'The Muslim Standard'. The contents were mainly
commentaries on the momentous events of the day in the aftermath of the
Paris Peace Conferences. The sympathies of the paper were pan-Islamic
and in support of the Khilafat movement in India. For some extracts see
http://www.salaam.co.uk/knowledge/islamicnews.php
1930s
- Geneva: an Islamic Centre established by the pan-Islamist Shakib Arsalan
(d. 1946).  He published ‘Le Nation Arab’ and an influential book, ‘Our
Decline and its causes’. 
- Dar ul Islam Institute founded in Pathankot, Punjab with the aim of
pursuing “research into the Islamic faith, culture and history and publish
and print works”.  Signatories to the founding documents included
Maulana Maudoodi, Maulana Sadruddin Islahi and Maulana Manzoor
Numani
1940s
-  Karachi: Al-Motamar al-Alam al-Islami held a world Muslim congress in
1948. The man behind the scenes was the indefatigable pan-Islamist
Inamullah Khan (d.1997), publisher of ‘The Muslim World’ for the next
three decades.
1960s
      -    Geneva:  Islamic Centre founded by the exiled Ikhwan leader Dr Said
 Ramadan (exiled in 1958; died 1995); Dr Said published the renowned
 Arabic journal ‘Al-Muslimoon’ and also a series of booklets by Muslim
 scholars of the day including the Caucasian exile Haidar Bammate  
- Karachi: Islamic Research Academy.  Founding secretary general was the
lslamic activist Khurshid Ahmed
- Pakistan: Aisha Bawany Waqf.  Efforts were primarily directed by Ebrahim
Bawany, who also supported the magazine ‘Muslim News International’.
Bawany was author of  ‘Revolutionary strategy for national development’
(1970)
- Ankara: Economic and Social Research Centre (ESAM) founded by
Professor Necmettin Erbakan – still active. www.esam.org.tr
- Cairo: Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies (ACPSS) –
semi-official but with some independently minded scholars – still active August 2008 – copyright (c)  Salaam.co.uk
2
1970s
- London: Islamic Council of Europe (ICE) was established under the
stewardship of the Saudi-Egyptian diplomat Salem Azzam.  A network of
Islamic thinkers and statesmen came together in a series of conferences
and seminars held in London in the late 70s and 80s to formulate and
articulate the Islamic position on a range of contemporary issues. Those
involved included the former Sudanese Prime Minister Sadiq Al-Mahdi, the
two leading Pakistani legal experts of the day A.K. Brohi and Khalid
Ishaque, and judge Midhat Azzam and Dr Kholi from Egypt. The outcomes
were two seminal papers that capture Muslim thinking of the period: the
'Universal Islamic Declaration Human Rights' (1981) and  'A model of an
Islamic Constitution' (1983) . For further details see
http://www.salaam.co.uk/knowledge/muslim_community.php  
- London: Muslim Institute for Research and Planning founded by Kalim
Siddique (d. 1996); published the ‘Draft Prospectus’ (1974) – “the primary
task of the Muslim Institute shall be to draw up detailed conceptual maps
and operational plans of the future…”.  For further details see
http://www.salaam.co.uk/knowledge/musliminstitute.pdf 
- Algiers: Pensee Islamique annual conferences initiated by Malek Bennabi;
followed up intermittently after Bennabi’s death in 1973 by his student
Rashid Bennaissa 
- Los Angeles: the Strategic Research Foundation founded by Marghoob
Qureshi (d. 2005). SRF published ‘Geopolitics Review’.  Now defunct
- Islamabad: Institute of Policy Studies, founded in 1979 as “a think tank
dedicated to promoting policy oriented research” - see www.ips.org.pk.
Leading lights are Professor Khurshid Ahmed and Khalid Rahman – still
active.
- Fez: Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO)
set up under the aegis of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Conferences). It
includes a ‘Centre for the Promotion of Scientific Research’, “to promote
advanced studies and scientific research in all fields of science and
technology for sustainable economic development in the Islamic countries” 
- see www.isesco.org.ma. Still active
- Penang: Third World Network (TWN) founded by Haji Mohamed Idris –
“the Third World Network is an independent non-profit international
network of organizations and individuals involved in issues relating to
development, the Third World and North- South issues.  Its objectives are
to conduct research on economic, social and environmental issues
pertaining to the South” – see www.twnside.org.sg  Haji Idris is also
publisher of the monthly ‘Resurgence’ and also founded the Consumer
Association of Penang. A recent TWN project is ‘Multiversity’,” launched to
register our firm commitment to working towards the development of
independent intellectual traditions within our societies”. 
1980s August 2008 – copyright (c)  Salaam.co.uk
3
- Washington: International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT): “The Institute
is an intellectual forum working from an Islamic perspective to promote
and support research projects, organize intellectual and cultural meetings
and publish scholarly works. It has established a distinct intellectual trend
in Islamic thought which relates to the vivid legacy of the Ummah (Muslim
nation), and its continuous efforts of intellectual and methodological
reform” – see www. iiit.org. The leading light was Professor Ismail Faruqi
(d.1986) who pioneered the ‘Islamization of knowledge’ project.  The
Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS) is a IIIT affiliate, which
has published the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences (AJISS)
since 1984 – see http://www.amss.net/currentissue.html
- Delhi: Institute of Islamic and Arab Studies, founded by Zafarul Islam
Khan. Also publisher of ‘The Milli Gazette’ – www.milligazette.com
- London: International Centre for Islamic Studies (ICIS) founded by
Muazzam Ali (d. 2005) – better known for establishing the International
Institute of Islamic Finance & Insurance.  He was also a deputy secretary
general of the Islamic Council of Europe (see above) and publisher of
‘New Horizon’ and an Islamic arts magazine. His brother Squadron Leader
(Retd) Mukarram Ali edited the Islamic Defence Review, published under
the aegis of the Islamic Council of Europe. Now defunct
- Kuala Lumpur: The International Institute of Islamic Thought and
Civilization (ISTAC) founded by Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas. Its
objectives include (i) to conduct and promote studies and research on
Islamic thought and civilization involving conceptual analyses,
clarifications, elaborations and definitions of Islamic key concepts relevant
to the cultural, educational, scientific and epistemological problems
encountered by Muslims in the present age and (ii) to provide an Islamic
response to the intellectual and cultural challenges of the modern world
and various schools of thought, religion, and ideology. See
www.iiu.edu.my/istac/index.php
- Istanbul: Bilim ve Sanat Vakfi (The Foundation for Sciences and Arts) – its
mission: “to spend incessant effort in the questioning, reproduction and
spread of universal, national and professional knowledge…”. It has four
research centres focusing on ‘Civilisational Studies’, ‘Turkish Studies’,
‘Global Studies’ and ‘Artistic Studies’ (Turkish language website
www.bisav.org.tr
- London: Association of Muslim Researchers (AMR), founded by Muslim
academics with the aim of serving as “an independent and inclusive
association of people promoting a critical pursuit of knowledge within a
coherent Islamic framework to provide alternative models for a just
society” – see www.amr.org.uk.  Publishes a quarterly newsletter, ‘AMR
News’.  August 2008 – copyright (c)  Salaam.co.uk
4
1990s
- Jakarta: Islamic International Forum for Science, Technology and Human
Resources Development (IIFTIHAR) founded by Yusuf Habibie
- Kuala Lumpur: Institute of Policy Research (Institute Kajian Dasar)
established under the patronage of Anwar Ibrahim. It organised a joint
seminar with the World Futures Studies Federation in 1994
- Kuala Lumpur: Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS)  Research Centre; director
Dr Dzulkifli Ahmad
- Tehran: The Great Islamic Encyclopedia Project & Research Centre –
directed by Dr Bujnordi
- Rawalpindi: Foundation for Research on International Environment
National Development and Security (FRIENDS) founded by Gen. (Retd)
Aslam Baig – see www.friends.org.pk
- London: International Muslim Association of Scientists & Engineers
(IMASE) – “a global networking organisation of researchers, scholars,
technologists and professionals that aims to nurture and exploit
knowledge, with an Islamic framework, for the benefit of mankind” – see
www.imase.org. 
21
st
 Century
- Leicester: Policy Research Unit at the Islamic Foundation (founded by
Professor Khurshid Ahmed in 1973) headed by Dilwar Hussain. 
Publications based on seminar proceedings include ‘British Muslims - 
Loyalty and Belonging (2003)
- Tehran: Institute for Epistemological Research, associated with Dr
Abdolkarim Sorroush
- Doha: Al Jazeera Centre for Studies (2006)
- Mumbai: Centre for Study of Society & Secularism (CSSS), founded by
Asghar Ali Engineer – see www.csss-isla.com
- Alberta, Canada: Centre for Islam and Science; President (and founder)
Dr  Muzaffer Iqbal – see http://www.cis-ca.org/
- London: The Cordoba Foundation, “an independent research and public
relations organisation, which was founded by the prominent British Muslim
activist, Anas Altikriti” – see www.thecordobafoundation.com.  Publishes
the bimonthly ‘Arches’
- London: Centre for the Study of Terrorism founded by Dr Kamal Helbawi.
Provides “unique insights into the global trends in Islamic resurgence,
democratisation, terrorism and extremism in the Muslim world “– see
www.cfot.dcom.   Publishes the monthly ‘The Islamism Digest’
- Dhaka: Institute for Research & Development
- London, Whitechapel:  The Policy Research Centre