Following the recent creation of Jewish Studies, Catholic Studies and Latino/a Studies academic programs on campus, students are now pushing for the implementation of an Islamic Studies minor. The Associated Student Government unanimously passed legislation committing itself to the effort, The Daily supported the idea in an editorial on this Forum page and a broad coalition of student leaders representing the Muslim-cultural Students Association, Wildcats for Israel, For Members Only, the Residential College Board, Alianza, College Democrats, Peace of Mind, ASG, African Student Association and the Weinberg Student Advisory Board are all working together to drive the project forward.
The larger challenge is to convince faculty and administrators that Islamic Studies is a missing component of the academic landscape at Northwestern. Some at the University argue the study of Islam is adequately addressed in the Asian and Middle East Studies Program, or this existing program could be expanded to better educate about Islam.
Others are realizing the task of this department – to explain the cultures and civilizations of more than 60 percent of the world’s population – could be better addressed by smaller spin-off programs for distinct regions.
Another idea under consideration at the faculty level is the creation of a Middle East and North Africa (MENA) program. As students have pushed for an Islamic Studies program, we have met resistance that such a program would be redundant with a potential MENA program and leave out the study of other communities in the Middle East.
This raises an important question: Do we as an institution divide the study of humanity by region, race, religion, language or something else entirely? Looking across Weinberg – from Catholic Studies, to Slavic Languages and Literature, to Spanish and Portuguese – there is no clear precedent.
Nonetheless, it would be improper to assume a MENA program could be inclusive of the comprehensive study of Islam. Only 20 percent of the global Muslim population resides in the Middle East or North Africa, according to a demographic study released this fall by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
In fact, the global Muslim population – one out of every four people on Earth – is so diverse that there is no way to examine the population solely by race, language or region.
Studying the Middle East is not studying Islam, and studying Islam is not studying the Middle East. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has led prominent U.S. universities by establishing its Carolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations, which reconciles the two views with a comprehensive study of both the Middle East and the Islamic world and could serve as a model for NU.
Twenty-first-century America’s cultural, security and economic interests are tied to a thorough understanding of the Muslim world. From journalists in Medill to students preparing to serve through NROTC, the opportunity to learn about Islam’s traditions and history would prepare many students for their future aspirations. For the general student body, the faculty and courses on Islam would have a spillover effect in enriching departments such as history, political science and international studies. The program we seek should have no political stripe or theological aim. Rather, the intellectually honest study of Islam will be accessible to all students and will help NU become and remain a top world-class institution.
Weinberg senior Muhammad Safdari is ASG Academic Vice President. He can be reached at [email protected].
