Ahmed Paul Keeler
Ahmed Paul Keeler, born in 1942 and originally named Paul Godfrey, grew up in a conservative Anglo-Catholic family during the 1940s and 50s. He was part of the last generation educated to serve an empire that was in its final stages of dissolution. After completing his education, he immersed himself in the cultural movements of the 1960s, which openly rebelled against the society that had nurtured him. A fortuitous encounter with a master musician from India introduced him to a captivating new cultural realm. In response, he conceptualized and orchestrated The World of Islam Festival, held in London in 1976. The festival, inaugurated by Her Majesty the Queen, stands as the most extensive exhibition of Islamic culture ever hosted in the Western world. Just six months before the festival’s commencement, Ahmed Keeler embraced Islam.
Since the festival’s conclusion, he has dedicated his professional life to establishing and engaging in projects that explore and present Islamic culture as a comprehensive environmental manifestation. Having resided in Cambridge for the past 22 years, he has profoundly influenced numerous students passing through the University. In an era marked by increasing instability, he currently delivers lectures and participates in seminars, urging us to assess the success of human culture using the criterion of Mizan, which lies at the core of Islamic development.
Ahmed Keeler holds the position of Visiting Fellow at the Centre of Islamic Studies, University of Cambridge, and in 2016, he was recognized as a Distinguished Fellow at The Faculty of Leadership and Management, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. In the same year, he was honored with an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Bolton. His notable publications include Reflections of an English Muslim (2016) and Rethinking Islam and The West: A New Narrative for The Age of Crises (2019).
Ahmed Paul Keeler
Ahmed Paul Keeler, born in 1942 and originally named Paul Godfrey, grew up in a conservative Anglo-Catholic family during the 1940s and 50s. He was part of the last generation educated to serve an empire that was in its final stages of dissolution. After completing his education, he immersed himself in the cultural movements of the 1960s, which openly rebelled against the society that had nurtured him. A fortuitous encounter with a master musician from India introduced him to a captivating new cultural realm. In response, he conceptualized and orchestrated The World of Islam Festival, held in London in 1976. The festival, inaugurated by Her Majesty the Queen, stands as the most extensive exhibition of Islamic culture ever hosted in the Western world. Just six months before the festival’s commencement, Ahmed Keeler embraced Islam.
Since the festival’s conclusion, he has dedicated his professional life to establishing and engaging in projects that explore and present Islamic culture as a comprehensive environmental manifestation. Having resided in Cambridge for the past 22 years, he has profoundly influenced numerous students passing through the University. In an era marked by increasing instability, he currently delivers lectures and participates in seminars, urging us to assess the success of human culture using the criterion of Mizan, which lies at the core of Islamic development.
Ahmed Keeler holds the position of Visiting Fellow at the Centre of Islamic Studies, University of Cambridge, and in 2016, he was recognized as a Distinguished Fellow at The Faculty of Leadership and Management, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. In the same year, he was honored with an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Bolton. His notable publications include Reflections of an English Muslim (2016) and Rethinking Islam and The West: A New Narrative for The Age of Crises (2019).
