MOHSIN and FAUZIA
JAFFER CENTER
2019 Annual Report
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THANK YOU FOR A GREAT SECOND YEAR To our friends, colleagues and partners of the Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Center for Muslim World Studies at FIU: First, let us say a heartfelt thank you to each of you who have helped make this second year of the center’s existence such a tremendous success. We are honored by the dedication of our supporters and humbled by their service and commitment. Without our donors, the Jaffer Center would not exist and without all of you, the programming and activities that we have been privileged to offer throughout the year would not have happened. It has been a great year of academic inquiry, cultural discovery, student and faculty collaboration and inter- and intra-faith dialogue. We are thankful that the Jaffers’ tremendous vision has inspired so many of us in this community and their humanitarian work has made a difference around the world and here in South Florida. We are grateful for their thoughtful leadership and commitment to this center. We began the year with the second annual Iftar Dinner, which brought together Muslims and non-Muslims for a celebratory meal that broadened interfaith dialogue on Islamic beliefs and traditions. Throughout the course of the year, we have continued to make progress on our ambitious vision to become an international center of excellence for the study of Islam and the global Muslim experience. We inaugurated our first Muslim-Jewish conference with the aspiration to serve as a forum for interfaith conversations that connect Islam to other global communities. With that we launched our Muslim-Jewish relations initiative as an ongoing series of conferences, lectures and symposia to provide a space for scholarly and community discussions on
Dr. John F. Stack, Jr. Founding Dean Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs
the many ways Jews and Muslims have interacted and shared environments and traditions from the seventh century to today. We promoted dialogue on the impactful events that inspired the film “One God.” We continued to expand our outreach efforts to connect with the Muslim community in South Florida. We co-sponsored events with community partners such as COSMOS, the Islamic Center of Greater Miami, the Islamic School of Miami, the Coral Gables Congregational Church, MCCJ , Emgage, and the Islamic Foundation of South Florida (IFSF) as well as other FIU units, like the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy and the African and African Diaspora Studies program. This year, we launched a study abroad program, FIU in the Middle East where students traveled to Jordan, Israel and Palestine. Through an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the region, students developed a comprehensive understanding of the region’s historical, cultural, sociopolitical, economic and geographical linkages. We also have the privilege to announce that one of FIU’s very own, B. Bryan Barber, a recent Ph.D. graduate, published a book through Palgrave Macmillan, “Japan’s Relations with Muslim Asia,” and gave a wonderful acknowledgment to the Jaffer Center. We are so proud of our students and faculty and all that has been accomplished this year. But we know there is more work to be done and we look forward to collaborating with you, our partners, to bring even more distinction to the university and to the Jaffer Center. If we may answer any questions or provide additional information on our programs and activities, please do not hesitate to contact us. We wish you all the best in the coming year!
Dr. Mohiaddin Mesbahi Founding Director Moshin and Fauzia Jaffer Center for Muslim World Studies
Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Center for Muslim World Studies
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Jaffer Center Hosts Second Annual Iftar Dinner
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n Islam, Ramadan commemorates the first revelation of the Quran from God to the Prophet Muhammad, through the angel Gabriel. This communal breaking of the fast welcomes Muslims and non-Muslims alike to come together in a celebratory meal.
“This new center explores the
The Jaffer Center for Muslim World Studies at FIU hosted its second annual Iftar Dinner in May 2019. The evening began with welcoming remarks from Dean John F. Stack, Jr., and Mohamed K. Ghumrawi, senior program coordinator of the Jaffer Center. It was followed by a Quran recitation by Amanda Smith from the Islamic Jaffaria Association.
Islam and globalization.”
diversity and complexity of
Islam worldwide, highlighting the interconnections between
— Dr. Kenneth G. Furton FIU Provost
The evening’s program continued with Dr. Mohiaddin Mesbahi, founding director of the center, who introduced Dr. Aisha Subhani, director of the Deen Intensive Foundation, Rabbi Tom Heyn, co-chair of the MCCJ Clergy Dialogue, and Father Daniel Houde, Holy Rosary St. Richard Catholic Church, who discussed Ramadan and fasting in the Abrahamic traditions. Dr. Mohsin Jaffer, founding donor of the center, delivered closing remarks before the breaking of the fast and Maghrib prayers took place.
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Florida International University | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs
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Muslim-Jewish Conference
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he Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Center for Muslim World Studies at Florida International University aspires to serve as a forum for interfaith conversations that connect Islam to other global communities. In line with this aspiration, the Jaffer Center was proud to launch its Muslim-Jewish Relations Initiative. Planned as an ongoing series of conferences, lectures and symposia, this interdisciplinary initiative provides a space for scholarly and community discussions on the many ways Jews and Muslims have interacted and shared environments and traditions from the seventh century to today. These discussions include themes such as theology, philosophy, law, mysticism and gender, as well as Jewish political and social life under Islamic rule from al-Andalus to Central Asia. The Jaffer Center was pleased to inaugurate the first conference under its Muslim-Jewish Relations Initiative, “Muslim-Jewish Encounters: Shi’a Islam and Judaism.” This international conference brought together prominent scholars from all around the globe to share their research on the religious and sociopolitical encounters between Judaism and Islam (and more specifically Shi’a Islam) across history. The conference examined the interactions between multiple denominations of Islam and Judaism across the geographic breadth of the Middle East. How have theological concepts changed their form and content during the processes of inter-religious encounter? What were the political, social and economic dimensions that allow us to contextualize such interactions between Shi’a Muslim and Jewish communities? How has this encounter led to the development of polemics, practical theologies and contrasting political stances? With the arrival of modernity, how have novel religious and political discourses along with drastically altered power dynamics affected the Shi’a Muslim-Jewish relationship? Viewing these theological and sociopolitical affinities in a comparative perspective will advance the intellectual basis for a contemporary dialogue addressing Muslim-Jewish relations in a uniquely interdisciplinary fashion. The conference explored the theological and sociopolitical relationships, affinities and tensions between Shi’i Muslims and Jews in a comparative perspective. The hope is that this will create an intellectual basis for a contemporary dialogue addressing Muslim-Jewish relations.
Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Center for Muslim World Studies
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Jaffer Center screens “Same God” documentary
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n 2015, a black, female professor at a prominent Christian college wore a hijab and said that Christians and Muslims worship the same God. The national firestorm that followed exposed rifts among evangelicals over race, Islam, religious freedom and President Donald Trump. Former Wheaton College professor Larycia Hawkins said her symbolic gesture was meant to show “embodied solidarity” with Muslim women. Hawkins is the subject of a documentary film, “Same God,” produced by Wheaton College graduate and Emmy-winning filmmaker Linda Midgett. Sponsored by the Jaffer Center, Midgett joined local religious leaders from multiple faiths for a conversation following a screening of the 95-minute film. The event was co-sponsored by the Coalition of South Florida Muslim Organizations (COSMOS), MCCJ and the Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ.
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Florida International University | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs
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Outreach
“At a time when Islam is in the news every day, we need others to learn who we are — not only as ‘Muslims,’ but as the diverse, nuanced people who make up the Muslim diaspora.”
— FIU student Isra Ibrahim Muslim Student Association
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uring this year, the Jaffer Center continued to expand its reach and connect with the Muslim community in South Florida. It held meetings with representatives from the South Florida Muslim Federation and the Islamic Center of Boca Raton. It also co-sponsored events with community partners such as COSMOS, The Islamic Center of Greater Miami, The Islamic School of Miami, MCCJ , Emgage, the Coral Gables Congregational Church and the Islamic Foundation of South Florida (IFSF). The Jaffer Center also co-sponsored a concert on traditional Turkish music at the Miami International GuitART festival 2019 in collaboration with the FIU School of Music. Some other FIU departments that the Jaffer Center collaborated with this year include the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy and the African and African Diaspora Studies Program. The Jaffer Center also held a lecture in collaboration with the FIU STEM Transformation Institute which explored Muslim women in STEM fields.
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FIU in the Middle East Jaffer Center launches study abroad program
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iding camels in the desert, floating in the Dead Sea, exploring some of the most revered and sacred religious holy sites of major world religions, experiencing Middle Eastern hospitality; this is just a glimpse of the jam-packed, 14-day study abroad adventure a group of students experienced this summer during their trip to Jordan, Israel and Palestine. This pilot program marked the FIU in the Middle East program’s first study abroad trip to the region. Led by faculty director Mohamed K. Ghumrawi, this intensive 2-week program was designed to foster an understanding of Middle East politics and society through the experience of traveling and studying in the region. Taking an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the region, students developed a comprehensive understanding of the region’s historical, cultural, socio-political, economic and geographical linkages. The course also discussed the Arab-Israeli conflict and prospects for a lasting peace between sides. It included visits to organizations promoting interfaith relations, co-existence and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. It also introduced students to the local languages and amazing cuisine by encouraging them to interact with the local population. The group journeyed to famous cities including Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nazareth, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. They visited renowned museums such as Yad Vashem: The World Holocaust Remembrance Center, as well as major universities, including Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University and Bethlehem University. They rambled through local markets; got a behind-the-scenes look at a Palestinian glass factory; ate ice cream in Ramallah; and celebrated a Shabbat dinner with Jewish families. The students also got to visit the Dome of the Rock, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 6
Florida International University | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs
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“At the Dome of the Rock, I witnessed a Muslim pray for the first time. There is a certain beauty to watching someone pray, a certain vulnerability that comes from seeing a person and their faith colliding.” — Gabriella Roldos, Junior, International Relations. FIU in the Middle East student Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Center for Muslim World Studies
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Alumni Spotlight:
Faculty Spotlight
Dr. Eric Lob: During the past year, Dr. Lob secured a contract from Cambridge University Press for his forthcoming book Iran’s Reconstruction Jihad: Rural Development and Regime Consolidation after 1979, which is scheduled to be released in 2020.
B. Bryan Barber, a recent Ph.D. graduate of FIU, just published a book through Palgrave Macmillan, “Japan’s Relations with Muslim Asia” and gave a wonderful acknowledgement to the Jaffer Center: “I am deeply appreciative to the Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Center for Muslim World Studies at Florida International University, whose generous financial support not only made possible my research trips, but also facilitated gatherings of scholars eager to broaden dialogue on Islam and global affairs. Through the Jaffer Center, I was provided terrific opportunities to present this work and discuss it with scholars of Islam who had insightful perspectives and showed a keen interest. This book bears the mark of hours of fascinating exchanges with the Director of the Jaffer Center, Mohiaddin Mesbahi. He mentored and encouraged this project from the very beginning, throughout its various incarnations, and I am deeply indebted to him.” “My Jewish ancestors lived in peace with Muslims years ago in Spain…We need a lot more talking with each other. It helps us understand and decrease stereotypes.” — Dr. Abraham Lavender, Professor of Sociology in the Department of Global & Sociocultural Studies and a Sephardic Jew whose ancestors likely left Spain more than 500 years ago during the Inquisition.
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He also published the following chapters, articles, and essays, including “Construction Jihad: Wartime and Post-War Reconstruction and Development in Lebanon” in Luigi Narbone (ed.), Fractured Stability: War Economies and Reconstruction in the MENA (Florence: European University Institute, 2019), 54-62; “Iran and Hizbullah’s Development Organization in Lebanon: The Case of Jihād al-Binā’,” Die Welt des Islams 59.3-4 (2019): 411-42; “The Politics of Development and Security in Iran’s Border Provinces,” The Middle East Journal 73.2 (2019): 263-84 (with Nader Habibi); “Regime Resilience, Social Welfare, and Economic Development in the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Bustan 9.2 (2018): 11131; and “Construction Jihad: State-Building and Development in Iran and Lebanon’s Shi‘i Territories,” Third World Quarterly 39.11 (2018): 2103-25. Dr. Lob also became an institutional board member of the American Institute of Iranian Studies (AIIrS). He also invited a Ph.D student in political science from the University of Tehran to serve as a visiting scholar at SIPA, PIR and the Jaffer Center in spring 2019.
Dr. Carlos Grenier: Dr. Grenier, Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies, is currently near completion of his first book, The Spiritual Vernacular of the Early Ottoman Frontier on the formation of Ottoman Islamic piety, contracted for publication by Edinburgh University Press. In 2019, Dr. Grenier also published an article in the Journal of the Ottoman and Turkish Studies Association and presented at several international conferences in the United States, Canada, and Turkey. In cooperation with Dr. Akhtar, Dr. Grenier has applied for a National Endowment for the Humanities grant proposing an international project for the translation and study of trans-regional Islamic vernacular literature.”
Florida International University | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs
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Dr. Iqbal Akhtar: Dr. Akhtar was a lead organizer for the second Khōjā Studies Conference in Mumbai. The conference is the second in a biennial series focusing on vernacular Islam in the Western Indian Ocean. The conference title was “Following ‘The Way’: Historicizing the interspace among Indic religions.” The conference, a collaboration of FIU, The World Federation of KSMIC (WF), L’Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, and the University of Mumbai, explored how these ways were expressed in ritual, belief, and praxis to create distinction. The conference is part of the WF’s Khōjā Heritage Project to further the understanding of the history of the Khōjā peoples. The center hosted and co-sponsored numerous scholars from around the world through the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence program as well as the Fulbright Outreach Lecturing Fund. FIU’s first ever Scholar-in-Residence was Prof. Dr. Amit Ranjan from the Regional Institute of Education, Bhubaneswar a constituent unit of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). He helped to develop programming, apply for grants, and connect with scholars around the world to develop the university’s South Asia Program. Dr. Akhtar established the Brownsville Community Garden with the objective of providing food for the community as well as contributing to environmental education. The launch of the Brownsville Community Garden involved faculty, students, and administrative staff from the Center. Students in his courses have volunteered in the garden as have students and faculty from FIU’s Departments of Politics and International Relations and Religion, as well as the Schools of Public Health and Medicine and Hospitality Management.
Five fellows have come from China: Yang Qiang from Hebei University, Yang Lianglinag from Northern Nationalities University, Ma Teng from Northwest University of Political Science and Law, Cong Wong, and Su Tao from Ningxia University. Ghanim al-Ali and Salah Mouchane are the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants for Modern Standard Arabic and Sanaa Abbasi is the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant for Urdu. This inaugural class of professors and postgraduate students have conducted research, lectured, and explored the interfaith world of Miami and FIU. The fellowship program is designed to develop academic research and English writing, create interdisciplinary discussions on the Muslim World today, and to develop institutional linkages with universities and institutes around the world to develop a research cohort for funding and the promotion of cutting-edge research on vernacular Islam.
Dr. Saeed Moshveghyaganeh: This year, the center welcomed postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Saeed Moshveghyaganeh, who studies the participation of Muslim women in STEM fields. As part of his research, Dr. Moshveghyaganeh put together a panel discussion with Muslim women which discussed factors that contribute to their participation and persistence in the field. The panelist included women from the STEM transformation institute, the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, the College of Engineering and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Dr. Akhtar recruited the inaugural class of the Center’s Fellows.
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What’s Next?
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THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SUPPORTERS
he Jaffer Center has a very exciting 2020 to come. Dr. Iqbal Akhtar, associate professor in
the Department of Religious Studies and Politics &
Yasir Biloo, Esq.
International Relations, will take part in FIU’s 20192020 Fulbright scholars cohort. Akhtar will return to
Brotman, Nusbaum, Ibrahim
his native Pakistan to develop capacity building of
Doured and Sahar Daghistani, M.D.
academics in Lahore at The University of Management
Vivian Zumot Dimond
and Technology (UMT) and work on an important case history of pluralism in the development of Pakistan
Islamic Center of Greater Miami
through an examination of the Khōjā caste. This award would allow Akhtar to first intensively train lecturers
Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer, M.D.
and graduate students for two months in Lahore at
Mojdeh Khaghan Danial
UMT. And then, for the remaining two months, he will
Mohammad Siddiq Khan
continue his current research project on 18th century religious-political philosophy of the Sindhi Khōjā at
Abe Lavender, Ph.D.
the National Archives in Islamabad.
David Lawrence, Jr.
The Jaffer Center is also hosting two events in March
Khalid and Diana Mirza
to discuss the rich history of African Americans Muslims and Islam. The first event will take place at
Suhail Nanji
Masjid al-Ansar, the oldest mosque in Miami, with a
Seema Pissaris, Ph.D.
panel of community leaders and scholars discussing the place and space of African-American Muslims
Mohammad Shakir
in the South. The second event will feature Dr. Michael Muhammad Knight, assistant professor at
Jay Shehadeh, Esq.
the University of Central Florida, who will discuss the
Zakia Subhani, M.D.
history of the Nation of Islam and Islamic tradition.
Aisha Subhani, M.D. & Rehan Naqui, M.D.
The center is also proud to announce its Iftar dinner is expanding and for the upcoming Annual Ramadan
Mohammad Tahir Ismail
gathering, the center plans to co-sponsor its Iftar dinner with the FIU Alumni Association. The center also plans to once again help FIU students explore the Middle East as part of the “FIU in the Middle East” study abroad program to Jordan, Palestine and Israel. The study abroad program will be taking place in July 2020.
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Florida International University | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs
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2019 Jaffer Center Events January •
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Change in Nigeria and Niger
Muslims and the Chinese State:
Tuesday, February 28, 2019 – Lecture by Dr. William Miles
From the Qing to the Present
that discussed how Nigeria and Niger share challenges
Thursday, January 17, 2019 – Lecture by Dr. Kristian
of development, as compounded by climate change and
Petersen, Old Dominion University, which highlighted the
attendant insecurity.
history of Islam in China and a genealogy of Muslim-state interactions from the final dynastic regime to the present.
•
Thursday, February 28, 2019 – Lecture by Dr. Hakan Kirimli
Introduction to Islamic Law
which discussed the historical background of Muslim groups
Thursday, February 7, 2019 – Lecture by Yasemin Saib on
outside of the borders of the Ottoman Empire after World
Islamic law which discussed how Islamic law came into
War I.
existence, how different legal schools came to be established, and how moral law functioned in early Muslim society. •
Love and Marriage among American Muslims
March •
Saturday, March 16, 2019 – Lecture by Dr. Jafar Mahallati
which discussed Islamic teachings on love and marriage and
which discussed how Islamic sources, specifically the Quran,
addressed many misconceptions about marriage in Islam.
address various realms and moral mechanisms of apology and forgiveness and how these mechanisms can extend
Miami International GuitART Festival 2019
from private to public usage in modern life.
Tuesday, February 19, 2019 – Lecture by Cihat Askin on “Modal Systems and Forms in Traditional Turkish Music.” Event included the School of Music, Communication,
•
which discussed how four 11th- century Muslim scholars
weeklong series of events as part of the GuitArt Festival.
introduced friendship as a worldview. The lecture was followed by an interfaith panel discussion with Rabbi Moshe
Traditional Turkish Music
Tom Heyn and Pastor Laurie Hafner.
Tuesday, February 19, 2019 – Lecture by Cihat Askin which discussed hythmic (usûl) and modal (makam) systems in traditional Turkish music (including folk, classical, and
•
Tuesday, March 19, 2019 – Lecture by Dr. Jafar Mahallati which
vocal forms. The presentation also discussed the role
discussed how students at the University of Art in Shiraz, Iran
of improvisation in classical Turkish music, both from
were prompted to create 110 peace posters which reflect the
compositional and performance perspectives.
realms of forgiveness and peacemaking. The posters were then responded to by Oberlin College students.
Concert: Aksak Duo Wednesday, February 20, 2019 – The concert Aksak Duo was a festival opening concert that included the Turkish musicians Cihat Askin and Mesut Özgen who presented a program of duo and solo works by Pablo Ortiz, Tolga Zafer Özdemir, Mesut Özgen, and others.
The Role of Art in the Three Realms of Peacemaking: Artistic Responses in an Islamic Context
sufi music), then, reviewed the basic instrumental and
•
Friendship as a Worldview: An Abrahamic Perspective Sunday, March 17, 2019 – Lecture by Dr. Jafar Mahallati
Architecture, + The Arts as well as two artists and a
•
Forgiveness in Religion and Politics: An Islamic Perspective
Thursday, February 14, 2019 – Lecture by Amanda Smith
•
Modern Turkey and the Muslims of the Late Ottoman Empire
February •
Islam, Development and Climate
•
Managing Diversity at an Islamicate Court Wednesday, March 20, 2019 – Lecture by Christian Mauder, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton which discussed the courts of late medieval Islamicate rulers and how they functioned.
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•
Trapped in the ‘Territorial Identity’:
and Shi’is found common venues in which to live
Khosti Afghans in India
together as friends and neighbors.
Thursday, March 21, 2019 – Lecture by Dr. Aparna Malaviya which discussed Khosti refugees who belong
•
to the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan. •
discussed the Sunni/Shi`a split emerging in Judaism. It
Bridging Faith and Culture
concentrated on Twelver Shi`ism and rabbinic Judaism,
Thursday, March 21, 2019 – Hosted by FIU Office of
and attempted to compare and contrast significant
Diversity and Inclusion in collaboration with the Islamic
features of both religious traditions.
Center of Greater Miami. This lecture explored the similarities and misconceptions between various faiths and cultures.
May •
2nd Annual Iftar Dinner Thursday, May 9, 2019 – A communal breaking of the
April
fast that welcomed Muslims and non-Muslims alike to
•
Reading Islamic Architecture as a Sacred Text
come together in this celebratory meal. This dinner
Thursday, April 4, 2019 – Lecture by Sara Pezeshk.
included a short lecture on the history of Ramadan
The presentation was a broad narrative of a cohesive
and fasting and also discussed fasting within other
transition of Islamic doctrine and its manifestation
faith traditions.
into a form of Art and Architecture. It demonstrated the general understanding of the theology of
•
Moshfeghyeganeh and included seven other
fields of Art in the form of Geometry, Biomorph,
panelists. This discussion acknowledged the
Calligraphy, and Architecture. •
underrepresentation of women in STEM and how
The Rohingya Crisis: A Roundtable Discussion
many Muslim majority countries have the highest rates
Thursday, April 4, 2019 – This roundtable discussed
of women’s participation in STEM.
the Rohingya crisis and included input from multiple experts. •
October •
Thursday, October 10, 2019 – Lecture by Dr. Liyakat Takim which addressed the story of Karbala through
under the Muslim-Jewish Relations Initiative, “Muslim–
an environmental lens and how Muslims can promote
Jewish Encounters: Shi‘a Islam and Judaism.” This
environmental awareness of how to live humbly by
international conference brought together prominent
promoting environmentally conscious habits and
scholars to share their research on the religious and
emphasizing the role of humans to be stewards
sociopolitical encounters between Judaism and Islam
of creation.
across history. When Jews Marched for Hossein: Shia-Jewish Relations in Hashemite Iraq (1921-1958) Wednesday, April 10, 2019 – Lecture by Orit Bashkin, University of Chicago, which discussed how Shi‘i purity and ritual laws underscore the impurity of nonMuslims. She discussed how cases of persecution in early modern Iran led to a view of twelver Shi‘ism as hostile to Jews, but also addressed cases where Jews
Contemporary Environmental Crisis: An Islamic Perspective
Muslim-Jewish Encounters: Shi‘a Islam and Judaism Wednesday, April 10, 2019 – Inaugural conference
•
Muslim Women in STEM Thursday, May 16, 2019 – Lecture by Saeed
mystical art symbolized by abstract design in different
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Is Rabbinic Judaism “Shia” or “Sunni”? Thursday, April 11, 2019 – Lecture by Oliver Leaman that
•
Islam and Interfaith Dialogue: Lessons from the Prophet, His Progeny and Companions Friday, October 11, 2019 – Lecture by Dr. Liyakat Takim where he presented an overview of the legacy of interfaith dialogue in the early history of Islam, dynamics and examples of Muslim encounters with followers of other Abrahamic faiths, as well as nonbelievers, and the lessons we can learn from them.
Florida International University | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs
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•
•
The Crisis in Afghanistan and its Impact
•
The Crisis in Kashmir: History, Evolution and Prospects
Saturday, October 19, 2019 – Lecture by Dr. Nazif
Monday, November 4, 2019 – Lecture by Dr. Mohamad
Shahrani, Indiana University, which discussed the major
Junaid which discussed the history of Kashmir
implications of America’s longest war and the failure of
including the evolution of the political situation in the
US-Taliban peace talks and how this has impacted the
region and the prospects for a peaceful solution. The
Muslim world.
lecture was followed by a panel conversation with FIU Ph.D. students.
America’s War in Afghanistan: The Failure of USTaliban Peace Talks and its Consequences
•
•
on the Islamic World
•
The Social Life, Religious Studies, and
Monday, October 21, 2019 – Lecture by Nazif
History of the Bohras of Madagascar
Shahrani, Indiana University, which discussed the major
Thursday, November 21, 2019 – Lecture by Dr. Denis
implications of America’s longest war and the failure of
Gay which discussed his research about the
US-Taliban peace talks.
cultural and religious identity formation of the
“Same God” Film Screening and Panel Discussion
Bohras of Madagascar.
Sunday, October 27, 2019 – Screening of the
December
documentary “Same God” followed by a lecture from
•
Islamophobia and Brexit
film director Linda Midgett. The lecture was followed by
Tuesday, December 3, 2019 – Lecture by Dr. Sureyya
a panel discussion on the documentary and included
Yigit which highlighted important turning points in
local religious leaders from multiple faiths.
the role of religion in British politics and the attitudes
Worshipping the Same God
towards Islam and Muslims. The discussion also addressed the current political climate in the United
Monday, October 28, 2019 – Discussion with film
Kingdom and how Islamophobia and Brexit are
director Linda Midgett which discussed her experience
interrelated.
at Wheaton College and the “Same God” dilemma.
November •
The Crisis in Kashmir: What’s Next? Sunday, November 3, 2019 – Lecture by Dr. Mohamad Junaid which discussed the current situation in Kashmir and the rising tensions it caused between India and Pakistan. It also discussed the prospects for a peaceful solution to the conflict.
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“The Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Center for Muslim World Studies helps to change the world. Its reach is global in scope — telling the extraordinary story of the evolution of Islamic civilization through the work of students, faculty, community members and policy makers. It is truly a legacy made for the 21st century.” — Dr. John F. Stack, Jr. Founding Dean
Phone: (305) 348-7266 • E-mail: jaffercenter@fiu.edu • Website: jaffercenter.fiu.edu 11200 SW 8th Street, SIPA 528, Miami, Florida 33199 Designed and printed by Division of External Relations 20021_05/20
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