In Lviv, the interdisciplinary seminar was held on the initiative of the Society of Eastern philosophy, under the support of the All-Ukrainian Association of Social Organizations "Alraid". The seminar was dedicated to the 90th anniversary of adoption of Islam by Muhammad Asad, prominent Islamic writer, thinker, diplomat and translator of the Qur'an into English.
During the event, the participants not only talked about personality of Asad, importance of his research, literary heritage and works to the present generations but also focused on the wider range of issues of the Islamic culture and philosophy, its place in the mindset of Ukrainians and spiritual and intellectual heritage of Islamic thought in Ukraine.
As “Islam in Ukraine” has already reported the presentation of the book “Islam in Ukraine. History and Modern Times” by Mykhailo Yakubovych, translator of Qur'an, also was launched during that seminar in Lviv Museum of the History of Religions, after which the workshop continued at Muhammad Asad Islamic Cultural Centre.
Both the scientists and the outstanding representatives of Islam spoke to the audience consisted of young scientists, postgraduate and undergraduate students of Lviv universities.
Thus, in his report, the mufti of the Religious Administration of Muslims of Ukraine “Umma” Sheikh Said Ismagilov, who is also the head of Ukrainian Centre for Islamic Studies, talked about past and present of Muslims in Ukraine, tendencies and perspectives of Islam in our country, touched upon the coexistence of beliefs and visions. The imam of Lviv mosque, Murad Suleymanov, told about the importance of the study of Islamic thought in modern science.
Famous Ukrainian orientalist, historian and translator Mykhailo Yakubovych in his speech touched upon the medieval philosophy of Islamic civilization and its influence on the history of Crimea and Budjaka, as well as the problems in the study of post-classical Islamic philosophy.
Among those issues, concerned other participants, there were the history of Lviv Oriental studies, the Islamic traditionalism as a defense of the liberal worldview values and so on.
The second day was also filled with informative lectures and discussions, in particular, such topics as the “problem of “imitation of thinking” in the modern Ukrainian society (based on Article by Muhammad Asad "Imitation of thinking")”, "Sufi motifs of Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī’s works and his impact on spiritual and philosophical tradition of the East". Tarik Sarhan, the head of Islamic Culture Department under AUASO “Alraid” in Kyiv ICC, interested audience in the lecture “Art and the concept of beauty in Islam.”
