Exemplars for Our Time
On Saturday 2 July 2022, Bradford Literature Festival hosted the worldwide launch of ‘Exemplars for Our Time’ with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Michael Sugich and Peter Sanders with a capacity audience at St. George’s Hall.
Exemplars For Our Time is a collection of short, photographic essays aimed at introducing a new generation of young people to some of the greatest living Muslim sages of the 20th and 21st centuries.
In traditional Islamic societies, living sages are the embodiment of spirituality and enlightenment, serving as inspirational role models for their communities.
However, the rise of extremism and atheism within contemporary Islam is increasingly being attributed to the loss of connection between these paragons of virtue and the everyday Muslim.
About the Speakers
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
Hamza Yusuf Hanson is the president of Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California, the first accredited Muslim liberal arts college in the US. Ranked 23rd by The Muslim 500, he advocates for traditional liberal arts education and serves on the UAE’s top fatwa council under Shaykh Abdallah b. Bayyah. As co-president of Religions for Peace, he collaborates on initiatives with the Vatican and the UN. Hanson, a member of the Jordanian Royal Academy for Islamic Studies, works on peace initiatives between Muslims and Christians. He translated The Marrakesh Declaration, promoting rights of other faiths in Muslim-majority societies, and authored “Purification of the Heart.”
Michael Sugich
Michael Sugich is a native of Santa Barbara, California and studied at UCLA and the California Institute of the Arts. He was initiated into a traditional Sufi order in 1972. Since that time he has studied Sufi doctrine and practice with spiritual masters across the Arab and Islamic world
Peter Sanders
Peter Sanders, renowned for capturing the essence of the Muslim world, embarked on his journey over 55 years ago, amassing over half a million images reflecting its rich traditions. Initially a rock and roll photographer in London, he transitioned to documenting India and Morocco’s faiths, culminating in photographing the Hajj in 1971. His spiritual exploration paralleled his physical travels, resulting in deeply insightful portrayals of Islamic culture. Sanders actively promotes greater understanding of Islam in the Western world, earning accolades such as the ‘Fashion and Islamic Art 2013’ award. He continues to publish, exhibit, and conduct workshops globally, recognized as one of the 500 most influential Muslims.
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