Selected Presentations & Appearances
“The Genealogy of the Death Penalty for Apostasy and Blasphemy in Islam”
- The Program in Islamic Law
· March 11, 2025
- March 11, 2025
Invited Talk
Harvard Law School,
Virtual
“Shari’a, Fiqh, and the possibility/impossibility of Islamic Law”
- Abdallah S. Kamel Center for the Study of Islamic Law & Civilization
· January 30, 2025
- January 30, 2025
Lecture
Yale Law School ,
New Haven
“The Situation of a Clear Statement for Complete Intention: A Case Study of ‘Preliminaries of Wisdom’ in Absolute Expressions”
- The 12th Annual AMI Contemporary Fiqhi Issues Workshop: “Language and Meaning in Islamic Legal Theory”
· July 5, 2024
- July 6, 2024
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
AMI,
Birmingham, UK
"Contemporary gender discrimination in the name of Islamic State"
- Islam and Pluralism: Theologies and Practices of Religious Pluralism
· November 20, 2023
- November 21, 2023
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
Gazi Huzrev-beg Library, Sarajevo,
Bosnia
“Revisiting the Institution of marriage in Islam in the Modern time: The case study of the first pillar of the marriage contract”
- The 10th Annual Al-Mahdi Contemporary Fiqhi Issues Workshop
· July 21, 2022
- July 22, 2022
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
Al-Mahdi Institute,
Birmingham
“Contemporary gender discrimination in the name of Islam”
- Symposium of “Islam and Religious Pluralism”
· June 14, 2022
- June 15, 2022
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
The University of Birmingham,
Birmingham
“An Analysis of Shi‘ite Political Thought”
- Shi‘ite Political Islam in power: A Reading of the Power Experience and its Reflections
· June 10, 2022
- June 11, 2022
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
The politics & society institute (Jordan), and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (Germany),
“Transformation of ‘Islamic Republic’ to ‘Islamic State of Iran’”
- 2021 Annual Lecture
· December 7, 2021
- December 7, 2021
Keynote/Named Lecture
British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES),
London
“Free Speech and Critique of Religion in Contemporary Islam”
- Free Speech, Scholarly Critique, and the Limits of Expression in Islam: The 9th Annual Al-Mahdi Contemporary Fiqhī Issues Workshop
· July 21, 2021
- July 22, 2021
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
Al-Mahdi Institute ,
Birmingham
“Universal Values in the Qur’an, A Rational Approach”
- Universal Values in the Qur’an
· May 30, 2021
- May 31, 2021
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
Institute for Epistemological Studies Europe – IESE,
Brussels, Belgium
“Rethinking Fiqh Rulings on Marriage through Structural Ijtihad II”
- Gender justice, fiqh, and law reform possibilities
· October 25, 2020
- October 25, 2020
Invited Talk
Online Capacity Building Session to Equality for Peace & Democracy Project (EDP),
Afghanistan
“Rethinking Fiqh Rulings on Marriage Through Structural Ijtihad I”
- Research Initiative Reclaiming ‘Adl and Ihsan in Muslim Marriages: Between Ethics and Law
· August 11, 2020
- August 11, 2020
Invited Talk
Musawa for Equality in the Muslim Family,
Malaysia
“Egalitarian Marriage in Islam Through Fiqh Lenses”
- Building Egalitarian Ethics and Jurisprudence of Marriage
· June 24, 2019
- June 24, 2019
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
Musawah Conceptual Workshop ,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
“Democracy and Ethical Values from Islamic Perspective”
- Seminar of Sources of Democracy: Citizenship, Social Cohesion, and Ethical Values
· May 23, 2019
- May 25, 2019
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
Reset DOC, Venice ,
Ca’Foscari University of Venice
“Three Big Questions on Secularism”
- Comparative Secularisms Workshop: Conceptions and Practices of Religious Liberty in the Public Sphere, & Towards a Common Lexicon
· April 4, 2019
- April 6, 2019
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
Reset DOC,
Princeton University
“Islamic Political Philosophy after 40 years, (The 40th anniversary of Iranian Revolution)”
· March 29, 2019
- March 29, 2019
Invited Talk
The Center for Islamic and Middle East Studies, Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages,
University of Oslo, Norway
“Islamic Governance in Theory and Practice”
- Iran's 1979 Revolution: 40 Years Onward
· February 7, 2019
- February 7, 2019
Lecture
Iranian Studies Special Event,
Yale University
“Permanent and Temporal Standards of Marriage in the Qur’an”
- Musawa: Building Egalitarian Ethics and Jurisprudence of Muslim Marriage, Methodology Workshop
· November 9, 2018
- November 10, 2018
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
University of Helsinki, University of Toronto, & SOAS, University of London,
University of Helsinki, Finland
“The Methodology of Ijtihad in Principles and Foundations”
- Islamic Interpretive Tradition in the Contemporary World: Ethics and Hermeneutics, a Seminar
· November 8, 2018
- November 8, 2018
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
Faculty of Theology,
University of Helsinki, Finland
“Genealogies of Pluralism in Islamic Thought, Shia Perspective”
- Conference on Genealogies of Pluralism in Islamic Thought (GOPIT)
· July 9, 2018
- July 11, 2018
International Meeting or Conference
The King Abdul Aziz Foundation for Human Sciences and Islamic Studies,
Casablanca, Morocco
Toward Egalitarian Marriage
- Research Planning Workshop: Building Egalitarian Ethics and Jurisprudence of Muslim Marriages, Musawa: The Equality for Muslim Family
· May 12, 2018
- May 13, 2018
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
University of Helsinki, & SOAS, University of London,
SOAS, UK
Islam and Toleration, Intra Islamic Toleration: Case study of contemporary Iran
- Islam and Toleration Conference, The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program Annual Conference
· May 1, 2018
- May 2, 2018
International Meeting or Conference
Harvard Law School's Islamic Legal Studies Program: SHARIA Source,
Harvard University
Sharia and Secularism: Two Challenges for Islamic Reform
- 2016 Summer Institute for Scholars: “Islamic Thought and Secular Modernity,
· August 10, 2016
- August 10, 2016
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
The International Institute of Islamic Thought ,
Herndon, VA
Overcoming Obstacles to Legal Reform in Contemporary Muslim Societies
- Islamic Perspectives on Religious Freedom, Spring 2016 Bayan Symposium
· April 16, 2016
- April 16, 2016
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
CIRF (Centre for Islam and Religious Freedom), Bayan Claremont,
Claremont School of Theology
Shi’ite Perspective
- Symposium on Shi'ites and Sunnis
· April 7, 2016
- April 7, 2016
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
Department of Religion,
George Washington University
Is God a metaphysical Glass?
- Duke-UNC Religion & Science Symposium: The Future of Religion & Science
· November 14, 2015
- November 14, 2015
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Rational Perception in Avicenna and Mulla Sadra
- International Conference of Tradition & Innovation - Avicenna and Mulla Sadra in Dialogue
· November 28, 2014
- November 29, 2014
International Meeting or Conference
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg,
Germany
Theology, Ethics, Politics: Three Challenges for Islamic Reform
- Nannerl Keohane Distinguished Visiting Professorship Lecture
· November 12, 2014
- November 12, 2014
Keynote/Named Lecture
UNC-Chapel Hill,
Shari’a: Legal System or Moral Norms & Ethical Values?
- Islamic Studies Program
· October 17, 2013
- October 17, 2013
Invited Talk
Law School, UCLA,
Religious Pluralism or Religious Inclusivism?
- Autumn Conference of the postgraduate program of Islamic Theology
· October 11, 2013
- October 13, 2013
International Meeting or Conference
Academy of World Religions of Hamburg University,
Hamburg, Germany
The Rules of Apostasy and Blasphemy: Rules of an Old-Fashioned Paradigm, Not Rules of Islam
- UIO: Norwegian Center for Human Rights, University of Oslo; Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief
· September 6, 2013
- September 8, 2013
International Meeting or Conference
New Directions in Islamic Thought Project, Second international workshop,
Istanbul
Is Secular Democracy Antithetical to Islam? Islam and the Secular State
- Colloquium on Reappraising Islam and Secularism
· August 24, 2013
- August 24, 2013
Invited Talk
Islamic Renaissance Front and Penang Institute,
Kuala Lumpur
In Praise of Secularity: Religion through Civil Society, Against Theocracy
- A Conference on Competing Visions in the Muslim World: Rebuilding States and Reinvigorating Civil Societies
· August 14, 2013
- August 14, 2013
International Meeting or Conference
The University of Sydney,
Islamic Formalism against Ultimate Goals of Islam
- Center for Arab and Islamic Studies
· August 12, 2013
- August 12, 2013
Invited Talk
The Australian National University,
Canberra
Apostasy/Blasphemy: A Sin, not a Crime
- The International Workshop on Critical Perspectives on Blasphemy and Apostasy in Islamic Tradition
· January 11, 2013
- January 13, 2013
International Meeting or Conference
Oslo, Norway
The genealogy of The Guardianship of Jurists at Qom Seminary since the 1960s
- A Panel discussion in honor of Professor Richard W. Bulliet
· November 9, 2012
- November 9, 2012
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
A History of Shi'a Juridical Authority in Iran,
Columbia University
Minimal Human rights
- Workshop on "Culture and Universal Norms"
· November 7, 2012
- November 10, 2012
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
Carnegie Council, Global Ethics Fellows Annual Meeting,
New York City
Secularization of Theocracy
· October 15, 2012
- October 15, 2012
Invited Talk
Trinity University,
San Antonio
Evolution of the Relationship between Islam and the State in Post–Post-Revolutionary Iran
- Duke Islamic Studies Center
· April 10, 2012
- April 10, 2012
Invited Talk
John Hope Franklin Center,
Durham, NC
Reform of Islam, hopes, fears and concerns
- Islam: Reform & Revival Workshop
· December 8, 2011
- December 8, 2011
Instructional Course, Workshop, or Symposium
Haverford College,
Shi’ite Contributions to the Discipline of Philosophy
- The State of the Study of Shi’ite Islam in North America and Europe
· October 8, 2011
- October 8, 2011
International Meeting or Conference
Hartford Seminary,
Contemporary Iranian Shi’ite Thinkers on Good Governance, A Case Study of Ayatollah H.A. Montazeri
- Third Annual Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program Conference on “Contemporary Muslim Thinkers on Good Governance”
· April 16, 2011
- April 17, 2011
International Meeting or Conference
Harvard University,
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Rethinking Shari’a: Who Speaks for Islam?
- Identifying the Key Voices and their Resonance in the Muslim World
· October 7, 2010
- October 7, 2010
International Meeting or Conference
Georgetown University,
Washington, DC
Justice versus the Interest of State in Shi’ite Political Thought
· December 3, 2009
- December 3, 2009
Invited Talk
School of Law, Washington University,
St. Louis
Between Post-Revivalism and Post-Islamism: Contemporary Politico-Religious Discourses in Iran, Discussant
- 43rd MESA Annual Meeting
· November 21, 2009
- November 21, 2009
International Meeting or Conference
Middle East Studies Association of North America, Inc.,
Boston
Green Movement of Iranian People
· October 30, 2009
- October 30, 2009
Invited Talk
Lack Forest College,
Chicago
Challenges of Democracy in the Aftermath of Presidential Election in Iran,”
· August 9, 2009
- August 9, 2009
Invited Talk
Center for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Texas ,
Austin
Political Islam and Democracy in the Aftermath of the Iranian Elections
· July 30, 2009
- July 30, 2009
Invited Talk
DePaul University,
Chicago
Democratic Thoughts of Iranian Constitutionalist Ulama: Akhund Khurasani, Mahallati, and Na'ini
· June 7, 2009
- June 7, 2009
Invited Talk
Center for Near Eastern Studies, UCLA,
Los Angeles
Unjust is Not Divine
· June 4, 2009
- June 4, 2009
Invited Talk
Persian Student Association,
Stanford University
The Role of Fiqh (Jurisprudence) in Islam
· May 14, 2009
- May 14, 2009
Invited Talk
Middle East Studies Center; Florida International University,
Miami
The Principles of Compatibility of Islam and Human Rights
· April 14, 2009
- April 14, 2009
Invited Talk
Mary Washington University,
Washington DC
Service to the Profession
Editorial Board
- Indonesia Journal of Islamization Studies (INJAS)
·
2023
Editorial Activities
University of Darussalam Gontor,
Indonesia
International Editorial Board
- International Research Journal on Islamic Studies
·
2019
Editorial Activities
Pakistan
Service to Duke
Graduate Fellowship Committee
(Program)
·
October 2022
- June 2025
Committee Service
Graduate Program in Religion ,
Master Committee
(Department)
·
May 2022
- June 2024
Committee Service
Religious Studies,
Graduate Program in Religion, Aesthetics, and Society
(Department)
·
May 2022
- June 2025
Committee Service
Graduate Program in Religion (GRE)
(Program)
·
April 2022
- June 2025
Committee Service
Full Member
Master Committee
(Department)
·
January 2019
- December 2019
Committee Service
Religious Studies,
Arts & Sciences Council
(School)
·
2015
- 2019
Committee Service
Graduate Program in Islamic Studies
(Department)
·
2015
- 2025
Committee Service
Religious Studies,
Graduate Program in Religion (GRE)
(Program)
·
2015
- April 2022
Committee Service
Associate Member
Master Committee
(Department)
·
2012
- 2016
Committee Service
Religious Studies,
Academic & Administrative Activities
Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) for the master’s program in Religious Studies since July 2023