In line with its programmed series of conferences for the year 2013, FENZA organized its second conference on Saturday 22 June. The topic of the conference was: Challenges of Implementing Shari’ah Law in Modern Times. To present the theme were Dr Pamela Towela Sambo, Lecturer at UNZA in the Faculty of law, whose well-appreciated talk provided the general framework for understanding law in secular modern times. To present the Muslim self-understanding of Shari’ah law were Sheikh Twaha O. Chiwala and Sheikh Derrick Musa Zemba, Zambian graduate scholars of Medina University in Saudi Arabia, specialized in Shari’ah law and Prophetic Traditions (Hadiths), respectively. Finally, Fr. Felix J. Phiri, a scholar in Islamic studies and a former Lecturer of the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Rome, made a synthesis of the two preceding presentations, highlighting the challenges underlying the efforts of implementing Shari’ah law in modern times. The talks will soon be rendered available on the FENZA website, www.fenza.org .
The conference started at 14.30hrs and ended at 17.00hrs. After the three presentations, the audience, relatively smaller than usual, about 30 people, joined into the debate opened and moderated by Fr. Romaric Bationo, the new director of FENZA. The presence of Muslims in the audience was noticed and highly appreciated by the Christian participants. The debate had to be cut short due to time limit, leaving some participants still thirsty for more discussion. This conference may have opened the door for more encounters with Moslems around Lusaka
The next conference will be on Modern Slavery at a date to be later determined.
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