The 2006 Conference

The Islamic Educational and Cultural Research Center (IECRC), a non-profit, non-political, 501(c)(3) community service organization based in Northern California will hold its Fourth Annual Conference dedicated to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him, b. 570 CE), who Muslims believe is the last in the chain of Prophets from God Almighty sent to guide humanity. This rich cultural, spiritual and educational event will take place on July 8, 2006 at 2:00 PM at 37270 Niles Boulevard in the City of Fremont, California. The event is open to the public and admission is free. The overall mission of IECRC is to enhance the spiritual insight and potential of the human being through education, research, and counseling based on the centuries old Islamic traditional values of the Saints of God (Awliyah) — love, tolerance, peace and harmony.

Milad or Maulud Shareef, the Urdu and Arabic for “Noble Birth” is a term that Muslims use to honor the Blessed Arrival of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) onto this earth. It has been the traditional belief of Muslims for centuries, based on authentic textual and oral evidence, that the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace Be Upon Him) Blessed Soul was the first creation of God Almighty and the cause of the rest of creation. Muslims believe that all previous heavenly texts have heralded the arrival of the last and final Messenger of God, who referred to all the previous Prophets such as Prophets Adam, Noah, Abraham, Daniel, Jacob, John, Elias, Moses, and Prophet Jesus (peace be upon them all) as “Brothers.” It is incumbent upon Muslims to love and honor all the Prophets of God Almighty and to love and honor the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) is the crux of the Islamic faith, without which their faith will be incomplete. It is in this light that Muslims have always celebrated the auspicious historic event of the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).

Each year the IECRC conducts a Milad Shareef Conference themed on one or two Blessed Attributes of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) who is referred to in the Holy Quran, the Holy Book of Islam, as a “Complete Role Model” for humanity. This is the fourth in a series of annual conferences that the IECRC has been conducting with the aim and purpose of educating about essential human values modeling the Blessed Character of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). This year’s Conference will focus on the essential human value of “Truth” which the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) epitomized and thus became known as Sadiq-ul-Ameen – The Truthful & Trustworthy.

The inspiration behind this year’s theme is a 5 volume Video CD set titled “The Truth” which is an excellent exposition in both Urdu and English by Prof. Dr. Mohammad Ahmed Qadri, Founding Director of IECRC, on some very pertinent topics such as the Soul, Tolerance, Sufism, Patience, Code of Ethics, Relationship with Other Faiths, Gratitude, and Women in Islam as they relate to our modern times where every sincere soul is in search of the Truth. This set is expected to be released at the Conference.

Confirmed to present are Prof. Arthur Kane Scott, Assistant Professor, Humanities Department Dominican College, San Rafael, CA (also teaches at 5 other universities and colleges in the Bay Area); Dr. Mohammad Azadpur, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, San Francisco State University; Pastor Dotun Kukoyi, The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Jesus House, San Francisco; Fremont Mayor Bob Wasserman; Fremont Police Chief Craig Steckler; and numerous other local Muslim scholars and inspiring poets. There will also be many wonderful children’s presentations. Complimentary dinner will be served as per the Muslim tradition of “Langar” always served during the blessed Milad Shareef gatherings.

All are welcome to join us for an afternoon of knowledge, spirituality and reflection dedicated to whom Muslims consider to be the Best of Creation: The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) in order to help us as individuals & communities search for the Truth.

Confirmed Guest Speakers

Dr. Mohammad Azadpur (SanFrancisco, CA)

Dr. Mohammad Azadpur is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA. Prior to this Dr. Azadpur was Instructor, Postdoctoral Fellow, and Mellon Scholar at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Azadpur received his Ph.D. and Masters in Philosophy from University of Virginia. His undergraduate work was in English Literature from Bucknell University. Dr. Azadpur specializes in Islamic Philosophy, Ethics, Aesthetics and the Sublime. He is fluent in Persian and English and possesses reading knowledge of ancient Greek, Arabic, & German. He has published many articles on Islam & Philosophy. Dr. Azadpur is frequently invited to make presentations on these topics. He is the recipient of many honors and awards including the President’s Fellowship from the University of Virginia. He lives with
his family in California.

Published:

• “Islam, Liberalism, and Democracy.”Journal of Scriptural Reasoning, 2006.
• “The Sublime Visions of Philosophy: Fundamental Ontology and the Imaginal World (‘Ālam al–mithāl).” Islamic Philosophy and Occidental Phenomenology on the Perennial Issue of Microcosm and Macrocosm, Springer, February 2006
• “Avicenna on Education in Philosophy and Art.” Co-authored with Anita Silvers. Arts Education Policy Review, 107:2: November/December 2005.
• “Interpreting Political Violence in Islamic Philosophy.”Polylog: Forum for Intercultural Philosophy 5 (2004). http://them.polylog.org/5/fam-en.htm.
• “Unveiling the Hidden: On the Meditations of Descartes & al-Ghazzali.”The Passions of the Soul: A Dialogue Between Phenomenology and Islamic Philosophy, Springer, 2003.
• “Hegel on Iran .” Encyclopedia Iranica , 2003, http://www.iranica.com/articlenavigation/index.html (Search “Hegel”)
• “Review of Muhsin Mahdi's Alfarabi and the Foundation of Islamic Political Philosophy.”Speculum, April 2003.
• “Who Is Nietzsche’s Zarathustra? Philosophy, Morality,& the Persians.”New Nietzsche Studies, 3:1/2: Winter 1999.

Forthcoming:

• “Is Islamic Philosophy Islamic?” Voices of Islam , Praeger, 2006.
• “Hegel on Pre-Islamic and Islamic Persia .” The Proceedings of the Second Mulla Sadra World Congress, 2006.
• “Hegel and the Divinity of Light in Islamic Philosophy and Zoroastrianism.”The Classical Bulletin, 2006.
• “Nasir Khusraw and the Poetics of Enlightenment.” The Philosophical Poetry of Nasir Khusraw , I. B. Taurus, 2007.
• “Wittgenstein, Kierkegaard, and the Incompleteness of Virtue Ethics.” Daneshname , the Academic Journal of Shahid Beheshti University , 2007.

In Progress: Alchemy of the Soul: Ethics & Imagination in Islamic Philosophy.

Presentations:

• “Islam, Liberalism, and Democracy.” Scriptural Reasoning , American Academy of Religion , Novemeber 2005.
• “Nasir Khusraw and the Poetics of Enlightenment .” The Philosophical Poetry of Nasir Khusraw , Iran Heritage Foundation, Institute for Ismaili Studies, and the School of Oriental and African Studies – the University of London , September 2005.
• “Avicenna and the Aristotelian Conception of the Soul.” 41 st annual Western Canadian Philosophical Association, October 2004.
• “Hegel on Pre-Islamic and Islamic Persia .” Second Mulla Sadra World Congress, Tehran , May 2004
• “Avicenna, Aquinas, and the Epistemology of Transcendence.” 21 st World Congress of Philosophy and the Turkish Foundation for Arts and Sciences, August 2003.
• “Metaphilosophy, Ontology, and Allegory: An Essay in Islamic/Western Comparative Philosophy.”Engaging Traditions: Ontologies in Practice, University of Virginia , September 2002.

Chief Craig T. Steckler received a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University Los Angeles in 1975 and did graduate work in Public Administration at Cal State Fullerton. He has continued his education with attendance and graduation from the F.B.I. Academy , Class 128, and the California Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission Command College , Class 2. He started his career as a Patrol Officer in 1968. He joined the Fremont Police Department as Deputy Chief in 1986, and was appointed Police Chief in 1992. Prior to that he served as Chief of Police in the City of Piedmont , and from 1968 to 1980 in various capacities with the Police Department in San Clemente . He is co-author of two college textbooks: Fundamentals of Police Administration and Written and Interpersonal Communications in Law Enforcement. Chief Steckler lives in Fremont , is a Past President in the Niles Rotary, and serves on the Board of Directors of SAVE (Shelter Against Violent Environments), a local domestic violence shelter. Chief Steckler also is the Past President [2000] of the California Police Chiefs Association and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Mr. Arthur Kane Scott (Dominican College, San Rafael, CA)

Prof. Arthur Kane Scott is Assistant Professor at the Humanities Department of Dominican College in San Rafael, CA. He specializes in Sociology and Cultural Anthropology; Middle East Colloquium; Sacred Geography; Honor Program in Film and Society; World History and Geography; Asian Survey/India and Southeast Asia/Revolutionary China. He also teaches a range of courses in five other universities and colleges including University of California, Berkeley and University of San Francisco. He is qualified to teach courses in History, Sociology, Religion, and Organizational Development Prof. Scott is a Ph.D. Candidate at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (Russian and Far Eastern History). He received his Masters in Russian History and European History from Marquette University, and Bachelors in Philosophy/History from La Salle College. He is the author of many publications and articles including “Prophet Muhammad [Peace Be Upon Him]: A Spiritual Archetype,” Sufism: An Inquiry, 1996. He is frequently invited to speak on a broad range of topics including Sufism. He is the recipient of many prestigious awards including the Governor’s Award for Human Relations Activities, Harrisburg, PA. He lives with his wife in Richmond, California.

Mayor of Fremont Bob Wasserman (City of Fremont, CA) 

Mayor Bob Wasserman has served on the Fremont City Council since 1992. Prior to his election, he spent almost 40 years in law enforcement and served as Fremont ’s Chief of Police from 1976 to 1991. Mayor Wasserman received his Bachelor of Science degree in Law Enforcement Administration from Cal State Los Angeles and his Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California . He enjoys the opportunity to serve the community that the office of Mayor provides. His goal as Mayor is to keep Fremont a safe city where people can live, work, play and shop.

Pastor Dotun Kukoyi (The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Fremont, CA) 

Oludotun Kukoyi is the senior pastor of Jesus House SF, a parish of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (‘RCCG’) located in the San Francisco Bay area, California. A ministry member of The RCCG since 1991, Pastor ‘Dotun Kukoyi has served in various pastoral and administrative capacities in the church in Nigeria, in the United Kingdom and in the United States, including as the zonal coordinator overseeing RCCG parishes/churches in California, Arizona and Hawaii. Pastor ‘Dotun, alongside his wife, Floretta Angela Kukoyi, also an ordained pastor in her own right, has the passion to teach the Word of God with the emphasis on raising and motivating Christian leaders. As they’re both akin to put it, “our burning desire is to ‘multiply’ ardent leadership in Christ”. ‘Dotun and Floretta are married 21 years. Pastor ‘Dotun Kukoyi holds educational and professional degrees in law. He successfully practiced as an attorney for nearly 20 years before fully yielding to Christian ministry.

General Agenda
SUBJECT TO CHANGE (Please revisit up to the day of the conference)

Part I (2 pm - 4 pm)

Opening with Qur'an Recitation
Hamd (Poetry Praising Allah - Most High)
Children and Adult Poetry (Na'at) Recitations
Introduction and Theme
Local and Guest speakers

Part II (4 pm - 6 pm)

Poetry (Na'at) Recitations
Local and Guest speakers
Break

Part III ( 6 pm - 10 pm)

Asr Prayer Break
Guest and Local Speakers
IECRC Presentation
Kid's Role Play
Poetry (Na'at) Recitations
Maghrib Prayer Break
Founding Director's Address
Dinner
Closing, Salaam and Du'a

Directions

To Location: 37270 Niles Blvd Fremont, CA 94536-1650 US

From Union City BART Station (10 Union Sq Union City, CA 94587-3558 US, CA)

From San Jose, CA

From San Francisco, CA

From Sacramento, CA

From Yuba City, CA

 From Davis, CA

Contact Us

Shagufta Ahmad, Qadri, Publicist: 510-732-6786
Ayyaz Yousaf Qadri, Managing Director: 408-833-5092
Sharaaz Khan Qadri, Sacramento Branch: 916-669-8809
Email: info@iecrcna.org
Website: www.iecrcna.org and www.maulud.org