Islamic Studies Initiative

Mosque in Egypt

Islamic Studies Initiative

 

Vision

Education is the best tool to combat the toxic untruths that circulate in the West about Islam. The University of Oregon is proud to work with the generous support of alumnus Omar Al Askari to build a program in Islamic Studies, replacing ignorance with understanding, xenophobia with curiosity, and enmity with friendship.

Impact

In a few short years, hundreds of community members have learned from top scholars whose campus presentations would not have been possible without Omar Al Askari’s generous support. Dozens of students have traveled to the region to intensify their study of Arabic, experience the area firsthand, and have their minds opened and lives transformed.

Areas of Focus

Arabic on a chalk board
Arabic Studies
Arabic Studies offers three years of Modern Standard Arabic, courses in Arabic-Islamic texts, and courses on Arab Cinema and Introduction to Arab Culture. There is also an Arabic Studies Minor, and a GEO Intensive Arabic summer program in Amman, Jordan. Student scholarships are funded by a generous gift from UO alumnus Omar Al-Askari. Relevant faculty in Arabic Studies at UO include Michael Allan of Comparative Literature, Malek al-Najjar of Theatre Arts, Angela Joya of Comparative Literature, and Rick Colby and David Hollenberg of Religious Studies. The department is served by our two dynamic faculty of modern standard Arabic, Faten Arfaoui and Hanan Elsherif. For more information about Arabic Studies, please contact David Hollenberg at dbh@uoregon.edu.
Abrahamic family mosque
Middle Eastern Studies
The University of Oregon offers a minor with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), as a broad examination of the  region. The minor is designed to offer flexibility so that students may focus on particular areas of interest while providing all students with an introduction to critical issues in the contemporary Middle East and North Africa. The director of the program Dr. Diane Baxter in Anthropology focuses on Palestine/Israel, Angela Joya in International Studies, Shaul Cohen in Geography, and a great many other affiliate faculty may be found on the MENA website.
Islamic studies Initiative Homepage Image
Islamic World
The University of Oregon is served by four faculty who concentrate on the Islamic world in their research and teaching. Anita Weiss in International Studies specializes in social, political, and legal change in Pakistan. Angela Joya in International Studies focuses on popular contestations of the economic and political systems and the role of international financial systems in the MENA region. Rick Colby in Religious Studies has written extensively on Arabic narratives on a central story in the biography of the Prophet Muhammad, the night journey (isra) and ascension (mi’raj). David Hollenberg in Religious Studies has written on medieval Islamic esotericism, and is currently researching medieval and modern scholasticism in general, and among contemporary Zaydis in particular.ho concentrate on the Islamic world in their research and teaching. Anita Weiss in International Studies specializes in social, political, and legal change in Pakistan. Angela Joya in International Studies focuses on popular contestations of the economic and political systems and the role of international financial systems in the MENA region. Rick Colby in Religious Studies has written extensively on Arabic narratives on a central story in the biography of the Prophet Muhammad, the night journey (isra) and ascension (mi’raj). David Hollenberg in Religious Studies has written on medieval Islamic esotericism, and is currently researching medieval and modern scholasticism in general, and among contemporary Zaydis in particular.

Faculty Champions

David Hollenberg

Director of ISI, Professor, Department Head, Religious Studies
dbh@uoregon.edu   |   541-346-8096

Diane Baxter

Middle East Studies Director, Senior Lecturer & Head Undergraduate Advisor of the Department of Anthropology
dbaxter@uoregon.edu   |   541-346-5157

Shaul Cohen

Associate Professor of Geography
scohen@uoregon.edu   |   541-346-4500

 

Hanan Elsherif

Senior Instructor of Arabic
hahmad@uoregon.edu   |   541-346-7214

 Malek al-Najjar

Professor of Theatre Arts
mnajjar@uoregon.edu    |   541-346-2237