Highlights from the celebration event on Monday 25th April, 2016 at SOAS University.

Videos of all the presentations and discussions are also now available.

Videos of the evening’s events, including all the presentations and discussions.

Welcome Note – Myriam Francois

Introduction – Dr. Daniel Lowe

The Festival’s Vision – Ahmed Paul Keeler

Qur’an Recitation by Ali Keeler

The 1976 Qur’an Exhibition at the British Museum – Dr Muhammad Isa Waley

Closing duaa (prayer) by Shaykh Ahmed Babikir

Revisiting the 1976 World of Islam Festival – Panel Discussion and Q&A

Dr Nur Sobers-Khan, lead curator for the South Asia Department at the British Library chairs the panel discussion reflecting on the World of Islam Festival of 1976.

Joining her on the panel are:

Daniel Lowe, Curator of the Arabic Collections at the British Library
Professor Oliver Watson, I.M. Pei Professor of Islamic Art and Architecture at the Khalili Research Centre for the Art and Material Culture of the Middle East, University of Oxford.
Dr Muhammad Isa Waley, Curator of Persian and Turkish Collections at the British Library
Professor Salim Al-Hassani, Emeritus Professor of Mechanical Engineering and currently an Honorary Professorial Fellow at the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Manchester.
Ahmed Paul Keeler, founder and Director of the World of Islam Festival, 1976.
Caroline Montagu, Middle East consultant.

The past few weeks have all seen the focus well and truly on Islamic Art and Muslim heritage these are just a selection of the articles mentioning either the festival or the positive impact of Islamic art in the wider society.

Interest in Islamic Heritage Rises – Museums Journal

Sotheby’s marks Britain’s World of Islam Festival with five grand auctions

Calligraphy Fights Terror at Paris Expo

Photo credits: Amena Amer and Mariyum Mughal
Video credits: Fatimah Amer