US Muslims: Adapting to America Since Colonial Times

The Office of International Programs has the great pleasure to invite you to a lecture and discussion by distinguished Scholar Dr. Kambiz GhaneaBassiri, of Reed College entitled “US Muslims: Adapting to America since Colonial times”. Born in Iran, Dr. GhaneaBassiri holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from Harvard, and has been recognized as a Carnegie Scholar, one of his profession’s highest awards. He has written that the U.S. is a “microcosm of Muslim society” and has characterized “…the long historical record of Muslim participation in American society as a blatant challenge to the politicized dichotomy between Islam and the West.”

Lecture Abstract:
Much of what has been written about Islam in America is about assimilation: How are Muslims faring in this country? Can they live according to Sharia law in Western society? Can they adapt to America? The problem with these questions is that they assume that Muslims are recent arrivals. But the story begins with the European discovery of America. This lecture will discuss: How have Muslims adapted to America?” What sort of institutions have they built? How have they gone about living their lives and forming communities? How have these institutions and communities affected or been affected by new converts and immigrants?

More Info
Speaker:
Dr. Kambiz GhaneaBassiri,
Associate Professor-Religion and Humanities at Reed College
Ph.D. Harvard 2003