Why History Matters?

Why History Matters?

Book Launch & Panel Discussion:

Can history serve as a source of meaning, belonging, and direction for Muslims today?

We are pleased to share an evening of thoughtful conversations, bringing together scholars, historians, cultural producers, community practitioners, and students to reflect on the place of history in the Muslim imagination and in intellectual and spiritual life.

The programme opens with remarks by Ahmed Paul Keeler, followed by a keynote lecture by Dr Yakoob Ahmed. A panel discussion, chaired by community historian and Research Director at Ayaan Institute Yahya Birt, extends the themes of the book and the lecture, with reflections from Sadiya Ahmed of Everyday Muslim Heritage.

Moving across themes of theology, civilisation, imagination, and storytelling, Dr Ahmed addresses the challenges Muslims face in approaching the past today. He proposes a principled methodology that remains rooted in tradition while remaining open to academic inquiry.

This London event brings together students, scholars, heritage practitioners, and members of the wider public for a shared reflection on history as a living intellectual and moral resource, one that shapes identities, nurtures collective Muslim consciousness, and inspires future imaginations.

• Anyone interested in Muslim history, identity, and intellectual life
• Students and researchers
• Academics and heritage practitioners
• Community organisers

Info: Dr Yakoob Ahmed holds a PhD from SOAS, University of London, and specialises in late Ottoman and modern Muslim intellectual history. He previously served as an Associate Professor at Istanbul University’s Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies and spent a research year at the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Advanced Asian Studies. His work focuses on late Ottoman intellectual traditions, Islamic constitutionalism and nationalism. He frequently appears on The Thinking Muslim Podcast and is currently an independent researcher preparing a book on the late Ottoman ulema.

Info: Sadiya Ahmed is a freelance heritage consultant and the founder of the Everyday Muslim Heritage and Archive Initiative (est. 2013), which addresses the underrepresentation of Muslims in British archives and education. She has created archive collections held across UK repositories and develops exhibitions and public history projects. She is also the founder of the Partition Memorial Trust, leading a campaign for a London memorial to commemorate the Partition of India. Her current work includes Muslim History Maps and a collaboration with the University of Oxford on Oxford’s Muslim history and a public heritage trail.

Info: Why History Matters? will be available for purchase and book signing following the panel discussion.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS, Torrington Square, London, United Kingdom

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