TEDxSalford

Speaker Announcement – Tariq Ramadan

We are excited to announce that Tariq Ramadan will be joining us at TEDxSalford 3.0. Tariq is a Swiss academic and writer, known primarily for his contribution to theological debates – particularly the relationship between Islam and the West – and he is the fourth speaker to be announced for November’s event in Salford Quays.

Born in Geneva, Switzerland, Tariq started his academic career in his home city; he holds an MA in Philosophy and French literature, and PhD in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of Geneva. He held a lectureship in Religion and Philosophy at the University of Fribourg from 1996 to 2003 before starting a teaching role in 2005 at St Anthony’s College, Oxford University; where he has since been appointed to the Chair in Contemporary Islamic Studies.

Tariq has authored over 15 books, including:

1. The Arab Awakening: Islam and the new Middle East (explores the challenges faced in North Africa and the Middle East by those who look to create new, more open societies)
2. What I Believe (A plain English exposition of his main ideas)
3. Islam, the West, and Challenges of Modernity (covers the problems of maintaining a Muslim identity in modern society)
4. The Quest for Meaning: Developing a Philosophy of Pluralism (about living together peacefully while having different beliefs)

Working in such a contentious field has brought no shortage of difficulties for Tariq. In 2009 he was declared a persona non grata in Tunisia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Syria for criticising the “undemocratic regimes” of those nations. In 2004, Tariq was engaged in lengthy proceedings in order to gain entry to the USA; a decision finally came down in his favour in 2010. So, in April of that year, as part of a panel discussion at the Great Hall of Cooper Union in New York City, Tariq had his first public debate on American soil since the trouble began.

You can follow or read more about him on his website. And, if you’re really in the mood to get stuck into his subject area, you can watch a between him and the late Christopher Hitchens that covers many aspects of this important, heated, and closely felt topic.

Tariq will be speaking on stage at TEDxSalford 3.0 which will be hosted at the Lowry Complex, Salford Quays, Greater Manchester, on 10th November 2013. To find out more, head to our speaker page where you can discover more about the fascinating people we have lined up for the conference.