OXFORD (United Kingdom) — The rector of Jamaa al-Jazair, Sheikh Mohamed Maamoun Al Kacimi Al Hoceini, visiting Great Britain at the invitation of the Centre for Islamic Studies at the prestigious Oxford University, delivered on Monday a lecture on the universal thought of Emir Abdelkader and its relevance in today’s world.
In the presence of the Algerian ambassador, Nourredine Yazid, the director of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Farhan Nizami, and professors and researchers, the rector of Jamaa al-Jazair based his intervention on “the system of values and positions that guided the life and journey of Emir Abdelkader.”
Sheikh Al Kacimi said that Emir Abdelkader’s philosophy “can still provide guidance on how to address contemporary challenges in an unstable, crisis-laden world.”
He expanded on “the importance of the Emir’s experience as a source of inspiration from which to draw significant and substantial elements,” as part of an “inductive, ethical and spiritual approach to peace as a comprehensive concept.”
After outlining the unique journey and distinctive path that marked the life of Emir Abdelkader, especially his travels throughout the East, the rector of Jamaa al-Jazair noted that “his destiny was not merely to be a scholar, thinker or Sufi, but also a war chief and exceptional strategist during the epic resistance against the French invasion.”
“From the outset, he understood that resisting occupation was not just a military struggle, but also a spiritual, moral and cultural resistance,” and believed that “victory was not achieved through force alone, but also through justice, discipline and commanding elements of superiority.”
