First Ever "Introduction to Islam" Online Course Offered at UF

"Punish a Muslim Day” was supposed to be a thing. 

Letters distributed to homes, lawmakers, and businesses around London back in March encouraged individuals to “take action” against Muslims who have “made your loved ones suffer.” It offered a points-based system advocating for hurling verbal abuse, bombing or burning a mosque, or throwing acid in the face of a Muslim. The date was set for April 3. 

The Washington Post reported, “As April 3 approached, many took to social media to share their thoughts on the hate campaign. Some posts urged British Muslims to take care and look out for one another. Others were determined that the letters would not cause them to change their daily habits.”

Others responded on social media with counter-campaigns such as #PublishAMuslimDay or #LoveAMuslimDay. The counter-campaigns won the day, but the uncomfortable questions still remain: 

• How could such an advertisement not cause more general concern and outrage? 
• What kind of philosophies, postures, and politics lie behind such blatant and brutal hate? 
• Why would someone go to the trouble to print and distribute such a disturbing piece of mail in the first place? 

Islamophobia — the ignorant fear and hatred of Islam and Muslims, often leading to anti-Muslim rhetoric and possibly anti-Muslim actions — is the root cause of such flagrant hate and viscous verbosity. 

By definition, Islamophobia is fueled by ignorance and misunderstanding of Islam and Muslim communities. It’s also fueled by “Orientalism” — the representation of Asia, especially the Middle East, in a stereotyped way that is regarded as embodying a colonialist attitude. These attitudes help fan the flames of anti-Muslim rhetoric, Eurocentrism, and racism in the U.S. and abroad. 

If you know me, a lot of my efforts and work are aimed at combatting Islamophobia and Orientalist imaginings of Islam and Muslim communities. It’s in that spirit that I have helped develop an online “Introduction to Islam” course for the University of Florida. It’s the first of its kind. 

The course provides an overview of basic Islamic beliefs and practices through an examination of Islamic history, law, and an array of theological orientations as articulated in the traditions of teachings of various traditions. The course also examines Islamic practices in the contemporary period and thereby exposes students to reflect on the realities of religious everyday life and religious change. The course aims to give the students the ability to critically analyze the impacts of Islamic beliefs and values on social and cultural practices, and the formation of institutions, communities, and identities. The course also aims to challenge students to grasp the complex relationship between the discursive traditions of a major world religion as well as the ambiguities of some key terms of Muslim religious thinking.

This course will lead students into an exploration of the basic history, contemporary expressions, concepts and phenomena, beliefs and rituals, communities and common experiences of Muslims across the globe. While such a course cannot amply cover the full extent of Muslim traditions across the ages and around the globe the expectation is that students engaged with this course will come away with a fuller appreciation for the richness and variety of Islam while also possessing a foundational understanding of its core concepts and practices.

As an academic study of the Islamic Tradition and the civilization(s) that it evolved this course is not one of Islamic theology per se (a religiously committed intellectual discipline). Instead, this is an academic investigation of this great religion, which will use an intellectually rigorous and critical lens that draws on history, sociology, anthropology and critical hermeneutics in our study. For those looking for a theology course that sets out to show that one religious tradition is superior to the others or has “the truth," this is not the class that you want. Also for those wanting to demonize the tradition, you too will find yourself challenged and confronted. This course aims to present a critical, but balanced, picture of Islam and Muslims across time and in the world today. 

If you are interested in taking this course as a UF student or want to learn more, take a look at the course syllabus or click HERE to find more information about registering for the course. 

Islam in the Americas at University of Florida

Why does Islam matter in the Americas? When did it arrive here? What values, practices, traditions, & tensions exist within its histories & social dynamics in the West? How can we study Muslim communities in this hemisphere?

In Spring 2017 I will offer a course called, "Islam in the Americas" (REL 4393/LAS 4935) with the UF Religion Department and in association with the UF Center for Latin American Studies. The lecture period will be every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:35-10:25am (coffee is encouraged. Donuts are accepted as bribes...just kidding...kind of). 

This course will place Latin America, the Caribbean, & North America within a broader Islamic framework & locate Muslims of various backgrounds & experiences within the hemisphere from the 1500s to today, from Cape Columbia, Canada to Catamarca, Argentina, & many periods & places in between.

The semester will be divided into four main parts: 1) studying global Islam; 2) theoretical themes in the study of religion in the Americas; 3) the history of Islam in the Americas; and 4) country/region specific cartographies of contemporary American Muslim populations. 

n attempting to locate, and explore, Islam in the Americas students will first have to apprehend a bit of what it is to study "global Islam." In this introductory part of the course we will spend some time discussing what "Islam" is, what its main texts, traditions, and shared vocabulary are, and how studying Islam globally often means studying Muslim communities locally, but being sure to set them within macro-contexts at the regional, hemispheric, or global levels as well. 

Studying Islam in the Americas will also require a theoretical foundation. This second part of our course will cover the heritage and contact of multiple cultures in the Americas -- both across the hemisphere and the Atlantic ocean. In order to do so, we will take a look at the heritage of Europe (specifically al-Andalus), North and West Africa, and other transnational ties via politics, economics, ideologies, technology, and more. 

With these foundational aspects in place we will then dive into the study of the history of Islam in the Americas, the third section of course. Looking back to pre-colonial contact with Europe, we will navigate the "deeper roots" of Islam in the Americas that are largely ignored in historical overviews before delving into the "forbidden" and forced passages of Muslims across the Atlantic as conquistadors, slaves, and monsters in the Western imagination. Once here in the hemisphere we will see how Islam took part in, shaped, and was molded by its American context even as Muslims adapted to, resisted, and surrendered to the broader Euro-American worldview and its attendant lifeways. 

In the final part of the course we will take a closer look at specific countries and regions ranging from North America to Latin America and the Caribbean. Specifically we will consider constituencies in Brazil, Mexico, Suriname, Trinidad, Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, the U.S., and Canada. 

Over the course of the semester there will be ample opportunity for students to read and respond, discuss and deliberate the topics via various assignments. However, a semester capstone project, which will be worked on, edited, and completed throughout the course of the spring, will be presented via a final paper and presentation. These projects can take up any number of thematic, chronological, demographic, or geographic topics. 

It is my hope that this course will help place Latin America, the Caribbean, and North America within a broader Islamic framework and locate Muslims of various genealogies within the hemisphere over the longue durée. urthermore, this course will aim to focus on local values, practices, traditions, and tensions placing these within larger questions about what kinds of histories, social dynamics, and meaning production make Islam significant, or how its significance is denied, in a part of the world that hasn’t recognized its history here or its contemporary configurations or impact. 

If you have any questions, comments, or want to know more about the texts, assignments, or expectations for the course, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

Do Young Democrats Even Care about Religion?

By: Andrea D. Miranda - student in the College of Journalism & Communications at the University of Florida

The 2016 primaries have been full of religious rhetoric, be it pandering to a specific religious group or promoting fear of another. With this being the case, it can be expected to play a big role in the presidential election. 

The Republican Party is often conjured as being representative of the “Christian Right” while the Democrat Party is seen as being more secular than religious. The Democrat presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have made little to no remarks on their religious upbringing and it can be assumed that religion plays little to no role in the Democrat Party. 

But does it? Is the Democrat Party as secular as it is portrayed to be? 

As a young democrat myself, and member of the UF College Democrats I decided to further explore this idea by speaking to other members of the UF College Democrats. Since millennials are seen as a key demographic for the upcoming elections I believe that it is important to hear what they have to say.

Looking at the Democrat Party through polls one can definitely see why secularism is the first word that comes to mind when thinking about the Democrat Party. In a 2014 poll done by the Pew Research Center it showed that “none’s” made up the single majority of those who self-identified as Democrats. Most of those who identify as “none’s” are millennials. 

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When it comes to the presidential candidates they both have different ways to approach religion. Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders identifies as being Jewish but focuses on his idea of secularism. While Hillary Clinton identifies as a Methodist but has not made many comments about religion except when it comes to the persecution of Muslims in America. 

Given this information I understand why many believe that the Democrat party has little to no relationship with religion. One could also say that the party is moving further away from religion and that is what the members of the Democrat Party want. This is due to the fast rate that those who identified as “none’s” have grown.

Previous to writing this article and speaking to other young democrat I also thought of the party as secular. It was once I started speaking with young democrats that I understood how diverse the party is and how religion does play a role in it, just not in an obvious way. Religion may not take center stage, but it is still an influential factor to voters from the Democratic party.

Each young Democrat I spoke with had their own views on the relationship between religion and the party. Many agreed with the idea of strict secularism. Jonathan Ortiz, co- chair for the labor caucus for UFCD,  said he views the Democrat Party as respecting the “United States strong commitment to the separation of church and state.” Even so, there were others who provide a different perspective to the relationship.

One that caught my interest was Fahad Khan’s, Political Director for UFCD, who focused on the role religion had on the development of the Democrat Party. 

Fahad believed that “the progressive movement has been inspired by religion, and religious values of community and collective welfare” which are an important platform of the Party. That being said most college Democrats believe that the Democrat Party is the party that welcomes all faiths and backgrounds without discrimination.

Since we are in the middle of the primaries I decided to ask young democrats whether religious affiliation impacts their decision on who they support for president. For most college Democrats religious affiliation had little to no effect on their decision. 

Yet, Griffin Baker, Secretary for UFCD, said that although the religious affiliation of the current candidates had no influence on his decision he admitted that if one of the candidates had identified himself as a Secular Humanist he would be more likely to vote for them. 

Another factor that plays an important role on whether young Democrats support a candidate or not is how they regard other religions besides their own. Bernie Sanders is a candidate that has been very vocal about his opposition to organized religion and this has turned some religious Democrats away. 

Fahad explains that one of the main reasons why he is not voting for Bernie Sanders is not his religious affiliation, but his disregard for organized religions as a whole. It seems it is not about the religion the candidates practice, but how they perceive religion.

Lastly, I asked young democrats whether or not religion should play a bigger role in the Democrat Party. Some believe, such as Chloe Bennet, that the role of religion should stay the same, but that the Democrat Party should make a move to be more inclusive of religions. 

Others said that the Democrat Party would benefit from having a stronger relationship with religion. Not only would it prove electorally beneficial to the party, but it would also be good for the party ideologically. Another point of view was the idea that the Democrat Party should make sure to strengthen the separation of state and church.

After listening to all of these responses I came to one conclusion: religion is not a priority for young democrats, inclusion is. 

Young democrats want a party that is inclusive of all regardless of faith or background. Although they all have different opinions on the role religion should play in the party young democrats agreed that the Democrat Party must, before anything else, be inclusive of all its diverse members. Therefore presidential candidates should not disregard religion, but instead make it clear that the Democrat Party is the party for ALL, regardless of whether you are a devoted Muslim or an atheist.