Muslim Asia: Cultures, Contexts, and Connections

One in every five persons in the world is Muslim.  Most of them live, not, as is generally thought, in the Middle East, but in Asia, especially in South, Southeast, and East Asia.  Since September 11, the urgency for understanding contemporary Muslim thinking, especially in Asia, has now reached critical mass.  Current world events demonstrate the side global appeal of Islam, even as misperceptions and misrepresentations about Muslims continue to dominate Western discourse.  Understanding the appeal of Muslim groups such as the Taliban in South Asia might reveal much about the broader Muslim Word today.

PDF Flyer of Events

Lecture by Vicente Rafael:
Professor of History, University of Washington
“Islam in the Philippines: An Historical Sketch”

Wednesday, February 6 at 4:15-5:30
Followed by Reception
Hahn 101
This talk will outline the history of Islam in the Philippine archipelago, from its pre-colonial beginnings through the Spanish and US colonial periods, and through the post-war Republic. It will ask about the changing nature of Muslim polities as they were shaped in and through their engagement with colonial and national regimes, regional trade, and reform and radical movements emanating from Manila to the Middle East.  View the lecture online (Flash required).

Thursday, February 7 at 12 -1:00 p.m.
Oldenborg Center (350 N. College Way)
A follow-up lunch and conversation with Professor Rafael.  All students are welcome.  Students use meal card; others sign in at door.  View the Q&A online.

Lecture by Kosaku Yoshino:
Professor of Sociology,
Sophia University, Tokyo
“Malaysia and its Inter-Asian Connections”

Wednesday, February 27 at 4:15 - 5:30 (followed by reception)
Hahn 101
This lecture examines how the transnationalization of higher education in Malaysia affects the flow of students from Asia and other regions to their destinations of study. Yoshino looks into crucial aspects of Malaysia's multiethnicity and global ethnic connections as well as the ways in which the representation of Malaysia as an English-speaking, Muslim country providing a Western-oriented education attracts Muslim students from Middle Eastern, African and other Asian countries.

Thursday, February 28 at 12 noon - 1:00 p.m.
Oldenborg Center (350 N. College Way)
Hahn 101
A follow-up lunch and conversation with Professor Yoshino.  All students welcome.  Students use meal cards; others sign in at the door.

Lecture by Majid Tehranian, Professor of International Relations
Soka University of America
“Islamic Civilization in Iran: Between East and West”

Wednesday, April 9 at 4:15-5:30 (followed by reception)
Hahn 101
Since 9/11, Islam has taken the place of Sino-Soviet camp as the "evil empire." It is imperative therefore that we understand Islam, especially with regard to the rising importance of Iran in the Muslim world. Since 622 AD, Islam has continued the Judaic-Christian message. But in the Middle Ages, Islam was the main adversary of the Christian world. In modern times, much of the Islamic world has been colonized by the West. 9/11 may be considered as a response. What of the future?

Thursday, April 10, 12 noon - 1:00 p.m.
Oldenborg Center (350 N. College Way)
A follow-up lunch and conversation with Professor Tehranian.  All students are welcome.  Students use meal cards, others sign in at door. 

Lecture by Suzanne Brenner,
Associate Professor of Anthropology, UCSD
“Islam, Democratization, and Gender Activism in Indonesia”

Wednesday, April 23 at 4:15-5:30 (followed by reception)
Hahn 101
Over the past two decades, Indonesian public life has been dramatically transformed by the emergence of two distinct but sometimes intersecting movements: Islamism and the movement to promote democratization and civil society. One product of the intersection of these two movements has been Islamic feminism. This talk explores both global and transnational Islamism are being reworked in the Indonesian context, with the sometimes unexpected side effects of democratization for women, who may gain rights in some spheres but lose them in others.

Thursday, April 24, 12 noon - 1:00 p.m.
Blue Room, Frank Dining Hall (260 E. Bonita Ave.)
A follow-up lunch and conversation with Professor Brenner.  All students are welcome.  Students use meal cards, others sign in at door.