Posted on 05/18/2006 6:44:42 AM PDT by 2banana
Stanford Islamic studies grow too slowly for critics
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Four years after Stanford University announced plans to expand its Islamic Studies program, students complain that its curriculum still lags far behind that of other elite universities.
Dismayed by the departure of three key professors since 2002 and the slow pace of replacing them, some Muslim students say the university isn't moving fast enough on its promise to build a world-class program focused on the Middle East. They also seek the creation of a Muslim Community Cultural Center, where students could socialize.
Although Muslims make up only 2 percent of Stanford's 13,000-member student body, the group lobbying the university includes non-Muslims, and is well-organized and eager to learn more about the Middle East.
Stanford officials agree there have been setbacks and disappointments, but say the program is beginning to build momentum. The school offered 24 to 30 courses this year, a significant jump over last year, said Islamic Studies program director Robert Gregg.
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Gregg said it's been 15 years since he began lobbying Stanford deans to build a program. During that time, peer institutions such as the University of California-Berkeley, Princeton and Duke have built strong Islamic or Middle Eastern studies programs.
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``Strengthening the study of Islam is one of the highest priorities for the school,'' said Sharon Long, dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences, in announcing the Abbasi gift.
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The number of courses in Islam are equal to, or surpass, classes in Judaism or Christianity, he said, even though 50 percent of incoming freshman are Christian, according to university statistics. Eric Brown, a representative for the Hewlett Foundation, said it ``is not worried or concerned'' about Stanford's pace. ``It often takes time and is difficult to find the right people.''
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
Saudi Arabia - Conversion by a Muslim to another religion is punishable by death. Bibles are illegal. Churches are illegal.
Yemen - Bans proselytizing by non-Muslims and forbids conversions. The Government does not allow the building of new non-Muslim places of worship.
Kuwait - Registration and licensing of religious groups. Members of religions not sanctioned in the Koran may not build places of worship. Prohibits organized religious education for religions other than Islam.
Egypt - Islam is the official state religion and primary source of legislation. Accordingly, religious practices that conflict with Islamic law are prohibited. Muslims may face legal problems if they convert to another faith. Requires non-Muslims to obtain what is now a presidential decree to build a place of worship.
Algeria - The law prohibits public assembly for purposes of practicing a faith other than Islam. Non-Islamic proselytizing is illegal, and the Government restricts the importation of non-Islamic literature for distribution.
Jordan - Has the death penalty for any Muslim selling land to a Jew.
Sudan - Conversion by a Muslim to another religion is punishable by death.
Pakistan - Conversion by a Muslim to another religion is punishable by death. Bans proselytizing by non-Muslims. Christians regularly put in prison for charges of blasphemy.
Qatar - Islamic instruction is compulsory in public schools. The government regulates the publication, importation, and distribution of non-Islamic religious literature. The government continues to prohibit proselytizing of Muslims by non-Muslims.
Malaysia - Under Malaysian law, any convert to Christianity must apply to a shariah (Muslim law) court to legally renounce Islam. Many Christians prefer to remain silent converts rather than take their battle to the shariah courts, where apostasy or conversion out of Islam is punishable by whipping, fines, imprisonment and--in the most extreme application--death.
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/hr/
Do you really need 4 years in college to cover this?
Everyone is so upset over Mexicans yet don't seem to be the least bit worried about this. We ignore it at our own peril.
What's the matter, they're having trouble getting students to sign up for the suicide bombing demo course? Or the Kill-a-Jew 101? Or the Submit-your-life-to-MadMo-and-his-life-hating-Imams Advanced Instruction?
The only reason we should have Islamic Studies at our schools is to learn about the enemy.
WHY?
Good one!
Stanford is feeling behind because they don't have any taliban on campus yet, like Yale. I'm sure they are working on it.
Let me guess: plans are under way to take a few hostages and cut one or two throats for finals?
On the other end of America, down in the Sheeple's Republic of FloriDUH, at the University of South Florida, there was an "Institute" of Middle East Studies".
It produced such renown Islamic intellectual giants as Sami al Arien and one "professor" who is now head of a Muslim terrorist group.
American academic institutions suffer from what has been dubbed 'academentia'. Only the demented could find anything of value in 'sharia law' or most of the rest of Islamic 'culture'.
Fittingly, the President of USF, when Sami and his merry band of neck cutters reached their academic apogee, was a woman. She was named Betty Castor, A.K.A. "Betty Boop". She even ignored the FBI when they told her about Sami.
"Muslims have much to contribute to the academic community" was her mantra. Of course the fact that Sami came with lots of our oil money, thanks to the Saudi's and other such Sand Savages, never entered into her mind./sarc off
Stanford had better watch what they allow the Muslims to get away with. Unless they want to be dubbed "Sanford U", the cartoon school.
The only reason to have Islamic studies is for present or future CIA/NSA/FBI agents or analysts to learn to understand Islamo-Nazis and religion of intolerance, violence, and death.
If Islamic students want to learn about the Middle East, let them learn it first hand and in person. And then stay there.
I nominate yourself and Diogenesis for tenured faculty positions!!
You'd think the professors would just take over another department, behead a few people, and declare it part of the Islamic Studies department, wouldn't you?
Kill the humanties.
All of them.
I am with you partner. Send then the ----to Iran if they want to learn that BS.
Islamic studies is simple. they want to kill anyone not Islamic, there is but one way to deal with that. Treat them as they would treat you ,and do it first.
Yes. Radiotherapy is indicated!
The question here is the philosophy that governs the Islamic studies department. If it is an anti-intellectual and radical hate-America outpost for disaffected foreign students and young American Marxists looking for an easy course (a la Duke and NYU), why bother?
ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS READ THE NEWS
The most important figure in Islamic studies at Stanford is professor Joel Beinin. The former head of the Middle East Studies Association (2002), he is a former Kubbutz member. A Marxist, he is considered one of the best of the "good Jews" the Muslims can count on to support their policies, no matter how despicable. It is quite possible that a legitimate intellectual would not want to work at Stanford precisely because the fanatical Beinin dominates all aspects of Islamic studies. He is another example of the alliance involving America's intellectual Left and the Islamist factions that dominate Muslim society in the USA and abroad.
The US armed forces, by virtue of their language school at Monterray, Calif. and the other smaller schools, have historically been light years ahead in electronic voice and wire intelligence because of our alacrity with languages. Civilian universities' language departments have consistently had DOD contracts for officers and enlisted troops to become fluent in arcane languages.
It's short sighted and anti-intellectual to be adverse or critical of the increased teaching of Islamic cultures and languages now. When we're engaged and up to our collective butts in conflict it's too late to undertake the program. Language and cultural anthropology are parts of warfare no different than medicine or logistics.
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