Western Academic Topics:

 1. General Recommendations:

         1. The 19 proposed course modules will form an integral part of the programme.

         2. Balance will be maintained between the traditional and the Western curriculum.

         3. Emphasis will be on the wider concept of ilm, rather than focus on the fiqh, to prepare the students to be able to communicate to Muslim as well as non-Muslim audiences in a wholistic manner.

   2. Course Structure and Hours required:

         1. Each course module will be divided into 36 lessons of 40 minutes each (Total 24 hours), to be taught twice a week. The time taken for the module would be 18 weeks (to include tests etc). Total lessons needed over 3 years - 684.

         2. All the modules will be taught from the west by way of video conferencing facilitated by a member of the academic staff in Damascus. Some of the modules may be taught in Damascus.

   3. The Proposed Modules' Outlines:

         1. Classical Islam: The first centuries of Islam saw the development of many different schools of thought in Islam and witnessed varied divisions of opinion within the Muslim community. In order to provide an introduction to Islam's central beliefs, institutions and practices, topics to be examined in this course will include: the life of the Prophet Muhammad, the Qur'an, Islamic law, Shi'ism and Islamic Mysticism. While focusing on the developments in Islamic thought during the classical period of Islam, we will also look at the responses of mediaeval Muslim authors to key issues concerning Islamic practice and Muslim identity and the resulting implications for Islamic intellectual and political life in the formative period of Islam.

         2. Islam and the West: The course will initially discuss the background to Islam's encounter with the west. It will also examine the impact of modernization on the Muslim world. In particular, we will study the thoughts of diverse Muslim thinkers and reformers ranging from those who called for complete assimilation with the West to those who preferred a more isolationist approach. The course will also trace the genesis and subsequent rise of "Islamic Fundamentalism". Whether through dialogue or confrontation, Muslims are beginning to make significant contributions to shaping North American society. The course will tackle issues such as how do Muslims maintain their values and cultures in non-Muslim countries? How do they maintain their identity and express themselves to the "other"?

         3. Islamic Ethics: This course introduces students to the origins and development of the Islamic ethical system. Philosophical and theological ethics originated from the early discussion and debate on the question of predetermination (qadar), obligation (taklif) and the conduct of the temporal rulers that was at variance with the Islamic norms. Some of the prominent scholars who will be studied include Ibn Miskawayh, Ghazali and Nasir al-Din al-Tusi. Examination of Persian and Greek ethics will be undertaken in the context of their influences on the Islamic ethical system. The second part of the course will be devoted to the application of ethical theories by looking at case studies on issues of major concern in modern life such as human rights, gender relations, war and peace, environment, religious pluralism and medical ethics. We will conclude with a discussion on the future of Islamic ethics.

         4. Islam in the American Mosaic: The course will trace the historical origins of Islam in America and emergence of identifiable Muslim communities throughout the US, patterns of migration, the ethnic makeup of such communities, political identity, and cases of conversion to Islam. We spend substantial amount of time in articulating the indigenous and immigrant Muslim experiences in America. Also, we examine in depth the emergence of national, regional, and local Muslim institutions, patterns of development pursued by a number of them, and levels of cooperation or antagonism. Finally, the last section is devoted to a study of the re-interpretation of Islam that is undertaken in light of the exigencies in the West along with a critical examination of the impacts of 9/11 on Muslim communities and the trajectory of Islam in America.

         5. Islamic Fundamentalism: The course will examine the rise and appeal of Islamic Fundamentalism. Why and when did the fundamentalist movements begin? Why do many Muslims find the fundamentalist movements appealing? In documenting the growth and appeal of fundamentalist religious tenets among segments of the Islamic community, it becomes apparent that the fundamentalist enterprise has become or seeks to be a potent force on the geo-political stage. The course will also compare and contrast the diverse movements. It will be argued that there are more differences than similarities between the fundamentalist movements.

         6. Methodologies in the study of Religion: This course is designed to introduce the student to theoretical debates, approaches, and perspectives within the field of religious studies. It will examine contemporary theoretical frameworks drawn from a variety of disciplines.

         7. Qur'an - Scripture and Signifier: The Qur'an is, for Muslims, the timeless Divine Word that was revealed to Muhammad over a period of twenty-three years. It is the foundation of their society and its constitution. Thus, the precepts of the Qur'an, its moral imperatives and spiritual values became the norms for the Muslim community. This course aims to introduce students to the collection, compilation and standardization of the Qur'an along with its main features, structure, and themes. We will examine the different interpretive processes and approaches employed by exegetes, from the classical to the modern period, to yield meaning that is relevant to confront theological, legal and social issues. The course will conclude with a study of the role of the Qur'an in everyday life and thought of a Muslim.

         8. Religion & Women: In this course, we will examine the ways in which women have understood and experienced the three monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This course will cover the discussions of women's traditional religious roles and status, a historical survey of how women have understood religious self-identity and gender roles, and the recent feminist projects in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The class will then consider how a variety of discourses, ranging from conservative to feminist, treat and re-interpret the historical and sacred sources, and to what extent their claims are being heard in their respective religious communities.

         9. Survey of Shia Thought: Islam does not consider society to be merely a collection of individuals. Rather, it deems that society also consists of their social relationships and the social order in which these individuals exist. These are perhaps the most definitive factors of a society, as different societies are categorized as being just or unjust, developed or undeveloped and complex or plain, according to their social formations and their systems of rights and duties. An Islamic society, by definition, is an ideal society in which social order is established and regulated according to underlying Islamic values, teachings and rulings.

        10. Islamic Mysticism: This is a historical and topical survey of the origins and development of Islamic mysticism. The course is primarily concerned with the growth of the mystical tradition in Islam, the rise of asceticism, the early Sufis, the role of the Sufi masters, the development of Sufi orders and the eventual systematization of Sufi teachings. The course will also delve into Shi'i esotericism and study the lives of prominent Sufi figures like Rabi'a, Hallaj, Rumi, Ghazali and others. The course will end with a discussion on how Sufism can act as a link between East and West.

        11. Comparative Religions: This comparative course will provide an insight into the world's three major monotheistic religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The course will initially trace the roots of the three religions, examine their historical development and focus on themes that are salient to all the three religious traditions - revelation, the community and the role of scripture. The course will further examine the mystical dimension, the emergence of the priestly class and analyze how the peoples that espouse religious beliefs respond to the challenges of modernity. No prior knowledge of any of the three religions is required.

        12. Just War: Just War theory is a doctrine which holds that a conflict can meet the criteria of philosophical, religious or political justice, provided it follows certain conditions. Just War theory encompasses modern political doctrines which promote the view that a specific war is just given satisfactory conditions. The Just War tradition addresses the morality of the use of force in two parts: when it is right to resort to armed force (the concern of jus ad bellum) and what is acceptable in using such force (the concern of jus in bello). [5] In more recent years, a third category - jus post bellum - has been added, which governs the justice of war termination and peace agreements, as well as the trying of war criminals.

        13. Islamic Law and Legal theory: This course will provide a general history of Islamic law from the early seventh century down to the twentieth along with the development of the classical schools of jurisprudence. The sources of the law like the Qur'an, the Tradition (sunna), consensus (ijma'), analogical deduction (qiyas) and reason ('aql) will be examined in connection with the process by which legal decisions in Islam are made. In the second part of the course, we will examine the application of Islamic law in the areas of family, women and gender, international relations and bioethics. Finally, we will investigate the factors that prompted Muslim jurists to devise an epistemology that was conducive to rational methodology in providing relevant legal-ethical rulings. The legal-ethical dynamism in Islamic law can be demonstrated in the institution of ijtihad (independent legal thinking and hermeneutics) that has provided practical guidance to respond to the challenges of modernity.

        14. Islamic Cultural Heritage: This course will cover some aspects of the Islamic cultural heritage, and the special features of Islamic fine arts dealing with the meaning of forms, symbols, and images of each type of art as seen from the Islamic view point. It will also trace the development of Islamic architecture and decorative arts from the beginning to modern times.

        15. Islamic Finance: To include Islamic Banking ; Islamic Insurance ; Iqtisaduna (our economics) with references to the current Islamic Financial Markets and products available. Also to blend the modern finances with the fiqhi perspectives and comparative rulings of maraj'e on these issues. The research subjects could then involve the permissibility of derivatives, options, futures etc and this subject is so important that due to lack of understanding in Qum, clarity and rulings on a number of financial instruments have yet to be answered.

        16. Preaching, Teaching, Reaching: Preaching, a form of monologue, is an ineffective method of communication. Scientific studies show that passive listening leads only to a small percentage of retention. People remember only about 20 per cent of what they hear, 40 per cent of what they see and hear, but 80 per cent of what they discover for themselves. In view of the fact that the monologue of the majlis still remains a predominant form of communication, muballigheen need to learn how optimize the monologue as well as use other modes of communication to reach the community . This course will familiarize students with range of alternative and complimentary methods and techniques to ensure that learning can be more effective when a combination of teaching methods and visual aids are used to reach the audience.

        17. Addressing Youth Issues: This course will be constructed around the 'hot button' issues raised by the youth, in particular those living in the West. The content for this course will be crafted based on a survey of focus groups in conjunction with the Qunut Foundation and other youth activists in the Community.

        18. Understanding the Media and analyzing Current Affairs: The mass communications media (newspapers, radio, film, television, and now the internet,) have a profound impact on all societies. An understanding of how the media operate is vital for our muballigheen. This course will help in understanding how communication works, by taking an in-depth look at television programmes and newspapers, and understand how they communicate with their audiences. The primary aim of this course is to equip students with a practical understanding of the main issues facing the Community as consumers of the media in a day and age saturated by media messages. The techniques of analysis include the study of the language used by the media as well a critical appraisal of how different media tell their stories and how they 'represent' the different interests.

        19. Critical Thinking: Critical thinking is about being both willing and able to think. Ideally one develops critical thinking skills and at the same time the disposition to use those skills to solve problems and form good judgments. The dispositional dimension of critical thinking is characterological. Its focus in developing the habitual intention to be truth-seeking, open-minded, systematic, analytical, inquisitive, confident in reasoning, and prudent in making judgments. Those who are ambivalent on one or more of these aspects of the disposition toward critical thinking, or who have the opposite disposition [biased, intolerant, disorganized, heedless of consequences, indifferent toward new information, mistrustful of reasoning, imprudence]are less likely to engage problems using their critical thinking skills.