Kitabiyat İlahiyat Araştırmaları İnceleme-Eleştiri Dergisi

Abstract

This report aims to convey observations from the international academic symposium titled “Islam Open to the World: Voices of Intellectual Converts,” held on April 29, 2025. Following the opening addresses, a total of four sessions were conducted. The event concluded with a final panel evaluating the day’s discussions. The symposium was organized with the support of six institutional partners, including Samsun Metropolitan Municipality, Istanbul Commerce University’s Center for Studies on Neighboring and Surrounding Countries, the Foundation for Research in Islamic Sciences (ISAV), and the Samsun Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism. The event brought together eight speakers from six countries—France, the United States, Belgium, Algeria, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. The day-long symposium began with an inaugural lecture focusing on Islam and conversion in Western societies. The subsequent four sessions addressed a range of topics including the translation of the Qur’an into Italian, Islam as a source of spiritual and existential relief, the challenges of raising Muslim children in the West, the role of mosques in Europe, Sufism, the balance between religion and worldly life, the concept of *Shuʿūbiyya*, and contemporary perceptions of civilization among Muslims. In the final assessment session, both the discussed themes and the scholarly significance of the event were emphasized, marking the close of the symposium.