Sheldonian Theatre

Rethinking Islamic Reform
Sheldonian Theatre
Wednesday, 26 May, 2010

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and Professor Tariq Ramadan's addressed a constellation of luminaries at Oxford University on 26 May, 2010 marking a defining moment in the discourse on Islamic reform. It is fitting that the world famous Sheldonian Theatre served as the venue for such a seminal occasion.

The evening featured a forty-five minute address from each of our speakers, followed by an audience-led extended Question and Answer session.

Venue

Built in 1664, the Sheldonian Theatre stands as the jewel in Oxford’s artistic, architectural and academic crown. A triumph to both art and science, it was designed by the Oxford educated Sir Christopher Wren, the highest acclaimed British architect in history and founding member of the Royal Society. Sir Christopher Wren’s other architectural accomplishments include St. Paul's Cathedral, The Royal Observatory and both Kensington and Hampton Court Palaces. The 13th century Marcellus Theatre in Rome served as Wren's inspiration for the Sheldonian, which is the official venue for the University’s degree ceremonies and Encaenia.

Laurelled with what was then the largest unsupported roof in existence, the Sheldonian is enclosed with an exquisite 32-panel painted ceiling depicting Truth descending upon the Arts and Sciences and expelling ignorance from the University. It is under this ideal that the Sheldonian continues to host countless distinguished speakers and leading thinkers, including the Queen, the Dalai Lama and Mother Theresa, together with a historic roll call of monarchs, Prime Ministers and foreign heads-of-state.