The abolition of slavery remains a relatively new concept in human history and scholars from all religious traditions have attempted to navigate the religious and ethical questions raised by the historical acceptance of the practice. In this seminar, Haroon Bashir explores how scholars promoting abolition in the name of Islam transformed the debate around Islam and slavery. The seminar explores how abolitionism became the hegemonic position within contemporary Islamic thought and provides a genealogy of ‘Islamic abolitionist’ thought.

The fallout from the Trump-Zelensky meeting last Friday continues to strain Ukraine’s relations with the United States, creating uncertainty regarding the viability of continued Western military support for Ukraine. With growing Republican skepticism toward military aid for Ukraine and broader transatlantic commitments, Europe faces the challenge of filling potential gaps in security assistance.

Many explanations for the rise of populism date its modern incarnation back to the Great Financial Crisis, when arguably a period of deregulation triggered risk taking that brought the global financial system crashing down. But equally it will be hard to foster faster growth unless the UK’s financial services grow faster and more effectively serve their purpose. So how does the regulator in the middle, the Financial Conduct Authority, get the balance right between consumer rights and enabling innovation?

In the UK election, one domestic policy issue loomed large above everything else: the NHS. But when finances are tough, NHS improvement will prove a challenge unless we can improve NHS productivity. And despite new investment, the new government must avoid the peril of its last term in office when rising personal satisfaction with the NHS failed to translate into an appreciation that the system was on the mend.

As geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific continue to rise, the Republic of China (Taiwan) finds itself at the heart of global security debates. How can Taiwan navigate the complex landscape of U.S.-China relations, technological competition, and defense preparedness? What role does artificial intelligence and emerging technology play in securing its future?

The Oxford Conservative Thought (OCT) Reading Group is a non-partisan group devoted to academic exploration of small-c conservative political thought. We welcome, and actively encourage, viewpoint diversity and constructive engagement across ideological divides (all good-willed participants are welcome!)

Each week we read one assigned text, and we recommend more for anyone who is very keen!

The OCT meets weekly in term time on Fridays from 4-5:30pm.

Senator Jaziri Alkaf Abdillah Suffian is a prominent Malaysian politician and architect, having served as a member of the Dewan Negara (Senate) of Malaysia. Appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on December 21, 2020, he represents the Perikatan Nasional coalition in the upper house of Parliament. Senator Jaziri has played a key role in Sarawak’s political landscape, having been appointed as the Chairman of the State Leadership Body for Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU) Sarawak in 2019 and later assuming the role of Chairman for Perikatan Nasional Sarawak in 2021.