A seminar conducted by Professor Michael Feener of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, the University of Oxford, was held on Tuesday, September 18, 2018. The title of the seminar was “Muslim Perceptions of Pre-Islamic Pasts: Changing Perspectives on Heritage and History in Egypt and Indonesia.” Professor Feener began the seminar by introducing what the Quran has to say about the legacy of the civilization that existed, but which was lost, before the rise of Islam on the Arabian Peninsula. Professor Feener then explained how people in various pre-modern Muslim societies, especially taking Egypt and Indonesia as examples, viewed and behaved toward the heritage of pre-Islamic civilization. It was then argued that the attitudes taken toward the pre-Islamic heritage differed depending on the region and that there had been no Islamic characteristic or common approach toward that heritage.

Almost all of the participants spoke during the question and answer session following the presentation, contributing to the realization of a very fulfilling and content-rich forum for the exchange of views. There were several comments on the validity of the concepts of time and space used by Professor Feener (such as “Early Modern” and “Islamic World”), and these were thought to be highly suggestive when considering global history methodology.

The organization of this lecture presentation was made possible by the invitation by Professor Alessandro Stanziani of the French EHESS as visiting professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, the University of Tokyo. We would like to express our deep appreciation to Professor Stanziani for his assistance in this matter.

(HANEDA Masashi)