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 IIIT started its 4th annual Summer Students program on June 28th, 2010 with an opening session that included welcoming remarks and an introduction to IIIT, its history, vision and mission and current activities, featuring Dr. Jamal Barzinji, Vice President of IIIT and Dr. Iqbal Unus, Director of the Fairfax Institute, the instructional division of IIIT.
This year’s program offers five twelve-hour, core courses in Islamic studies and Muslim world affairs beside three six- hour seminars on topics such as Islamic Reform movements (taught by Dr. Hisham Altalib and Dr. Louay Safi), Faith-Based –Entrepreneurship (taught by Dr. Yaqub Mirza), and the Human Being in the Qur’an (taught by Dr. Nizar Alani). The core courses include... |
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 A two days international seminar on The Legacy of Ismail Al-Faruqi: Thought and Institution was held on 6-7 June 2010 at the University of Westminster in London. The seminar was jointly organized by The Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminister, London, UK, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, USA and the International Institute of Islamic Thought, (IIIT) UK and USA.
A total of eleven research papers by academics from Malaysia, South Africa, UK, USA, Canada, Algeria were delivered at the seminar. These papers covered topical areas of - Islamization of Knowledge and Ijtihad Islamic Humanism, Interreligious Dialogue and Ethics; Study of Religion and Science and Modernity; ... |
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 “Because people have different views, their interpretation of religion and its influence on society is subjective, leading to stereotyping and clash of civilizations,” said Dr. Hisham Altalib speaking at the “Understanding Interfaith Conference” organized by the Center of Interfaith Study and Dialogue (CISD) at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York, on April 11 – 13, 2010.
At the Abrahamic Faiths session during the conference, three speakers engaged in a dialogue about the effects of stereotyping and prejudice on interfaith relations. Dr. Eboo Patel was the main speaker who spoke eloquently on the great utility of Interfaith understanding, particularly among the youth.
Speaking about the influence of religion, Dr. Altalib observed that “no one knows if God is on his or her side, even though they claim to be on the side of God.” He added that “two observers examining history may conclude that ... |
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 History was made as March winded down when a group of 11 students began a week intensive course initiating their academic study for the pioneering Graduate Certificate in Imam Education. Professor Mahmoud Ayoub of Hartford Seminary in Hartford, CT taught the course on Major Themes in the Bible and the Qur'an at The Fairfax Institute (TFI) at IIIT.
This pilot graduate certificate program is a joint effort of Hartford and TFI and is taught at TFI premises. It aims at enhancing the academic, professional and pastoral qualifications of Imams, counselors, teachers and other religious leaders in the American Muslim community. The first cohort of 11 students are a very diverse group of persons, including imams on the job, aspiring imams and religious leaders, and two women.
The entire certificate program consists of 24 credit hours of graduate level courses, including one course in residency at Hartford, and two supervised practicums. “We are very excited about this opportunity, and the first course has been a great mind-opener,” is the reaction of most students. “We want to go beyond the graduate certificate all the way to a D.Min or a Ph.D.,” say more than one student in the program. |
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 On Friday March 5th, 2010 Moroccan scholar Dr. Rajaa Naji al Makkawi, Professor of Law at Mohammad al Khamis University in Morocco, delivered a lecture at IIIT entitled “The Universality of the Family Order in a Multi Cultural World”.
Dr. Raja Naji al Makkawi is a prominent scholar who was recently chosen by both Newsweek and Al Jazeera as one of the most influential women in the Arab and Muslim world. In 2003, she became the first woman to deliver a religious lecture in front of the King of Morocco as part of Durous Hasaniyya. She authored many books and journal articles on family law, women issues, human rights and Sharia. Dr. Naji is a founding member of the International Muslim Women Jurist Network and a member of the Board of KARAMA or Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights, a Washington based group founded by Dr. Aziza al Hibri, Professor of Law at the University of Richmond.
In her lecture, Dr. Naji provided a critical analysis of... |
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 A group of ten degree students at IIIT France visited The Fairfax Institute at IIIT to attend a course on History and Sociology of Islam in America in early March. Students accomplished course objectives through a series of field visits and lectures at IIIT and several institutions in the Washington area. These included American institutions such as the U.S. Congress, universities such as George Mason and Georgetown, national Muslim organizations, such as CAIR and ISNA, mosques such as Mustafa Center, Masjid Muhammad, and ADAMS Center, and the traveling exhibit of Collections and Stories of American Muslims.
The diverse group of men and women in their mid-twenties to mid-fifties, most of them on their first visit to the United States, also experienced American culture through visits to museums where, among other things, they viewed the IMAX film on Ibn Battuta. The group attended the opening prayer at the U.S. House of Representatives delivered by the Muslim chaplain at Duke University, and joined the Jumu'a prayers on Capitol Hill. They socialized with ... |
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 For the first time since their recent appointment the IIIT Council of Scholars met in a face-to-face meeting at IIIT on Saturday, February 20. All Council members attended except one who joined via audio conference. Composed of accomplished scholars, the Council serves as an advisory group to review IIIT's programs and plans and offer advise on priorities and directions for IIIT to consider. The February 20 meeting served as an opportunity for Council members to interact with IIIT principals, including Dr. Jamal Barzinji, who presented a comprehensive review of IIIT's current projects and activities. Council members not only shared their feedback and comments, but accepted responsibility for drafting concept papers for new initiatives that emerged during the discussion. The Council is expected to meet once more this year, but may have additional communication through audio conferences or on one-on-one basis.
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 On Friday, January 29th, 2010; IIIT organized the first lecture of its monthly lecture series for 2010. The guest speaker was Dr. Tony Sullivan, Senior Fellow for Mediterranean and Near East Programs at The Fund for American Studies, Washington, DC. Dr. Sullivan called for the revival of the Halaqa or the Circle of Tradition and Progress, a group of leading American and Muslim scholars/activists established in the mid 1990s for the purpose of erecting a new basis for intercultural dialogue.Dr. Sullivan provided a background on the history of the Halaqa, the circumstances which surrounded its establishment, the intellectual challenges its originators sought to address and the objectives they sought to achieve. He spoke about ... |
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 IIIT announced on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009,the formation of the Council of Scholars in the US. The Council of Scholars is to provide advice to IIIT on academic matters. It is comprised of eight senior scholars from American and Canadian Universities who are professors of religion, Islamic studies or social sciences with published works and current research interests that intersect with IIIT areas of interest and with a record of research and publications in the sociological study of Islam and Muslim world affairs...
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 Dr. Hisham Altalib, Vice President of IIIT, delivered a lecture – in Arabic - on a “Principled Approach to Dawa” at Al-Hiwar Center in Vienna, Virginia on Wednesday, December 2, 2009. The lecture is part of a campaign to promote Dr. Hisham’s new book – in Arabic – entitled “A Code of Honor for Islamic Workers”.
Drawing from his rich and life-long experience as an Islamic worker in different types of organizations, countries and political and cultural settings; Dr. Hisham elaborated on the major pitfalls that Muslim organizations, groups and leaders have fallen into in the course of their work to promote the cause of Islam and the Muslim Umma. He outlined the principles and values that are needed for ... |
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