The sociopolitical rhetoric that Islam promotes terrorism and that Muslims are fanatical permeates most media coverage, presidential candidates' talking points, and law-related policy domains. Since October 7, 2023, Muslim students on college campuses and other venues across the nation have been victims of hate-based attacks, such as being doxxed,…

This guide from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) provides higher education administrators with actionable strategies to foster inclusive, equitable campus environments in response to the documented rise in Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism. Framed within the context of civil rights protections, the guide offers a…

This article focuses on recent changes in Rhodes College's Foundations in the Liberal Arts curriculum that were motivated by a desire to help students become competent and engaged debaters of meaning and value in the trying times of the 21st century. I focus on how my own two foundational liberal arts classes--"The Bible* and…

This article explores my teaching experiences that informed my distinction between religious literacy and critical religious literacy, ultimately leading to the creation of the Challenge Islamophobia Project. I highlight the impacts of post-9/11 criminalization and dehumanization of Muslims, which have significantly shaped public perceptions of…

Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred are wrong, and should not be tolerated at universities, or anywhere in society. Islamophobia refers to hostility, mistrust or hatred towards Islam and Muslim people, because of their Muslim identity (or perceived Muslim identity). Evidence suggests that Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred are widespread, and…

This article describes an exercise designed to introduce the topic of Islam and Muslims in a Sociology of Globalization course. The activity asks students to complete a sentence regarding Muslim women. Rather than provide any definitive answers regarding Islam or Muslims, the purpose of the exercise is for students to see the reductive nature of…

The "Gülen Movement," a global network and religious community revolving the Turkish Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, has become a topic of political discourses in worldwide media since the coup attempt in Turkey in 2016. Earlier, it was particularly known for its worldwide education activities. The article discusses first results of a…

This essay is part of a collection of short essays solicited from authors around the globe who teach religion courses at the college level (not for professional religious training). They are published together with an introduction in "Teaching Theology and Religion" 18:3 (July 2015). The authors were asked to provide a brief overview of…

The authors discuss results from two co-taught courses in Islamic studies shared as a virtual exchange between the University of Michigan (U-M), USA, and Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU), Russia. These courses were shared with the intent of expanding the range of perspectives to which the students were exposed and to provide an opportunity…

The Freedom Seder is a multicultural and interfaith celebration based on the Exodus themes of the Passover Seder. Conceived during the Civil Rights Movement, this ritualized program has been used successfully to build bridges between diverse communities at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (and elsewhere). This article provides insight into…

Given the internal and external challenges Muslim students face, it is important that student affairs practitioners find ways to assist Muslim students in their adherence to their religion as they pursue their degree. In this chapter, the authors present a brief introduction to Islamic tenets, discuss challenges facing Muslim college students, and…

In spite of the renaissance of the religious worldview, practical experience provides evidence that the level of morality and spiritual life in society is not rising. Quite the contrary, in fact: people are witnessing the extensive spread of various forms of deviant behavior, especially among young people. In the sociology of religion a great deal…

This article reports on the imprisonment of a Muslim former student on charges related to terrorism that has struck a chord among academics and public intellectuals. Syed Fahad Hashmi, a 28-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen born in Pakistan, is being held in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, on multiple…

It's not easy being a Muslim student or professor on a U.S. college campus these days. Classmates and colleagues are curious and filled with questions. Some members of campus communities have reported being verbally harassed and made to feel uncomfortable, finding themselves in the role of having to educate their peers about and defend Islam.…

This article is based on an ethnographic study I conducted in southern Morocco during 2004. I explore the historical, ideological, and cultural background behind educational specialization among Moroccan university students. I describe how French colonial educational policies and postindependence Moroccan national schooling ideologies have created…