On the 3rd and 4th of December, Kalam Research & Media (KRM) and its partner organization in Malaysia, the Islamic and Strategic Studies Institute (ISSI), successfully organized the First National Kalam Convention in the country. The Convention had been able to gather Malaysian Kalam scholars from various Malaysian universities.
The Convention had also been well-received by university students and researchers, government officers as well as the public. Around 300 participants from all over Malaysia attended the Convention. The theme of the Convention was “Strengthening the Science of Kalam as the key to a better understanding of Creed (Aqidah) and Islamic Thought.
Three panels of discussion took place:
1. Challenges of the Science of Kalam in the Muslim society
2. The Role of NGO in promoting the Science of Kalam in the public sphere
3. The Status of the Science of Kalam in the Universities.
On the second day, the Kalam Round Table Discussion had been conducted with the establishment of Ribat al-Ash’airah as the main project generated from the Convention. Ribat al-Ash’airah will be the centre for Kalam Ash’ari and Maturidi education, translation, dictionary and publication. The Convention also acts as a preparatory step for the Second Kuala Lumpur International Kalam Symposium (KLIKS 2) which will be held in Putrajaya Kuala Lumpur on 21st – 23rd March 2017.
