7 May 2016
The event is over.
From Priest to an Islamic Reformer – The Life, Works and Legacy of Abdullah Bin Abdul Kadir Munsyi (1796-1854)
Saturday, 7 May 2016, 2:30pm – 4:00pm
Level 5, Imagination Room
Find out more about the life, works, influences and legacy of Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir Munsyi (1796-1854), a prominent and controversial 19th century Malay writer. Abdullah is widely regarded as the father of modern Malay-Indonesian literature and his works, especially his autobiography (Hikayat Abdullah, 1849) and travelogue (Kisah Pelayaran Abdullah, 1838), were promoted by both British and Dutch colonial institutions. However, Abdullah’s pro-colonial stance was strongly criticized by some, with his own communities seeing him as a ‘British stooge’ and mocking him as ‘Abdullah Paderi’ (Abdullah the Priest). Only in the early 21st century was Abdullah regarded by scholars to be an Islamic Reformer. Join Dr Hadijah as she traces Abdullah’s legacy in Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States and sheds light on the man and his works.
Speaker
Dr Hadijah Rahmat is an Associate Professor and Covering Head/ Deputy Head of the Asian Languages and Cultures Academic Group, Nanyang Technological University. She received her PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in 1996 and was a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the University of California Berkeley; Library of Congress, Washington D.C. and Harvard University (2002-2003). She was an Affiliated Fellow at the International Institute of Asian Studies, University Leiden, Netherland (2010) and Visiting Scholar at School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (2011).