Middle Eastern Studies

Islam 101: A Speaker Series

Fall 2010 Ramadan, Faith and Fasting: A Celebration of Common Spiritual Traditions. Join us for an interfaith dinner bringing together faith communities to celebrate our commonalities. Aug. 26, 6:30-8:30 pm. The Center for Spirituality and Sustainability (the Religious Center). What is Islam? with Ahmet Karamustafa, Professor of Religious Studies, Washington University. Tuesday, Sept. 21, 6:30-8:30 pm, in the MUC Hickory, Hackberry Room. Hip Hop for Empowerment in the Arab World. Angela Williams, Outreach Coordinator at the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will discuss the emergence of Hip Hop in the Arab world as a tool for social resistance and empowerment. Tuesday Oct. 19, 6:30-8:30pm, MUC Hickory, Hackberry Room. Islamophobia in the US: Young Muslim Americans Speak Out. A panel of students from the Muslim Students Association of St. Louis University. Tuesday, Nov. 16, 6:30-8:30pm, in the MUC Hickory, Hackberry Room.

Spring 2011 Islam, Terrorism, and Osama Bin Laden with Mohammad Khalil, Professor of Religious Studies and Law, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Tuesday, Jan 18, 6:30-8:30pm in the MUC Hickory, Hackberry Room. A panel discussion on Women and Social Justice in Islam will be held on Tuesday March 15, 2011; 6:30-8:30 pm, in the MUC Hickory, Hackberry Room, with Dr. Anjum Hassan and a group of women from the Islamic Foundation of Greater Saint Louis.

Our Mission Statement

The Middle East and Islamic Studies Initiative at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) is devoted to the interdisciplinary and inter-regional study of the Middle East and aims to foster a plurality of understandings of Islam within global and local contexts. Given its knowledgeable faculty in the arts, sciences, and professional programs, SIUE is uniquely positioned in the southern Illinois and metro St. Louis region to facilitate learning about the Middle East and Islam through teaching, research, public events, and outreach. The Middle East and Islamic Studies Initiative strives to prepare SIUE students to become world citizens by equipping them with the knowledge, language skills, and cultural fluency necessary for understanding the dynamism and complexity of the Middle East and Islam.