The Catholic University of America

Welcome to Islamic World Studies

Islamic World Studies offers a multidisciplinary minor in CUA's School of Arts & Sciences that groups University offerings on the Near East and Islamic world into a sub-concentration to supplement undergraduate majors in the humanities and social sciences. The program draws on the individual expertise of scholars in Semitics, Modern Languages, History, Anthropology, and Religious Studies, as well as resources of the J.K. Mullen Library and in the Consortium of Washington Area Universities.

IWS's focus is the Muslim world from the rise of Islam in late antiquity until today, exploring Muslim societies across North Africa and the Middle East, Central, South and Southeast Asia and, increasingly, in Europe and the Americas.

 

New Course, Spring 2012 only

Prof. Alvarez's course on Medieval Spain at the Crossroads of Culture, SPAN 326 will be replaced by SPAN 360 - Muslims in Latin America:  Intersecting Cultures  taught by Yvette Neisser Moreno
 
This course will examine the history and contemporary culture of Muslims in Latin America in an interdisciplinary fashion. Through historical texts, literature, films, and other media, we will explore such questions as: When and why did Muslim communities immigrate to Latin America? Where are the major Muslim communities, and what are their cultures like? What is it like to be a Muslim in a Latin American country? What influence have Muslims had on local cultures, and vice versa? What is the nature of Islamic-Christian relations in Latin America? Class will be conducted in English. Weekly additional hour of discussion in Spanish for SIS or Spanish majors and other interested students.

 

Current Courses.

Spring 2012

Class in or requiring Arabic: 

ARAB 101 Introduction to Modern Standard Arabic, first semester
MF 12:10-1pm & TTh 11:10-12:35 Idriss Mellouk mellouk@cua.edu
 
ARAB 102 Introduction to Modern Standard Arabic, second semester
MF 1:10-2pm & TTh 9:35-10:50 Idriss Mellouk
 
SEM 242 Introduction to Classical Arabic II
MWF 10:10-11 am Shawqi Talia, talia@cua.edu
 
SEM 546 Medieval Arabic Literature II permission of the instructor required
TTh 9:35-10:50 Shawqi Talia, talia@cua.edu
 
 
Classes not requiring Arabic (all in English):
 
HIST 309 The Rise of Islam
TTh 5:10-6:35 Alexs Thompson
REQUIRED CLASS for the minor
 
SEM 247 Arabic Literature in Translation
MWF 12:10-1 pm  Shawqi Talia talia@cua.edu
 
SPAN 326 Medieval Spain at the Crossroads of Cultures  (cancelled)
TTh 11:10-12:25 Prof. Lourdes Maria Alvarez alvarezl@cua.edu
 
SPAN 360 Muslims in Latin America:  Intersecting Cultures (New)
TTh 11:10-12:25 Yvette Neisser Moreno
 

*TRS 398 Introduction to Islam
TTh 3:35-4:50 Zeyneb Sayilgan

*TRS 395 Christianity and the Challenge of Islam
TTh 9:35-10:50 Prof. Wilhelmus Valkenberg

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*These courses also satisfy a Religion requirement for Arts & Sciences students