Dear Friends,
As-salaamu alaikum, greetings of peace, and Eid Mubarak!
I am delighted to present the Class of 2021 graduates who have completed their MA, PhD, or DMin in Islamic Studies:
- Kamran Khan (MA), thesis title, Demonizing Islam with Islam: Political Motives and the Proliferation of Anti-Islamic Rhetoric
- Taqwa Surapati (MA), thesis title, Human Suffering in Perspective: Understanding Islamic Teachings on Life and Death
- Mahjabeen Dhala (PhD), dissertation title, The Sermon of Fatima: Retrieving the Female Scholar-Activist Voice Amidst Patriarchal, Secular, and Sectarian Biases
- Ahmed Khater (PhD), dissertation title, The Development of Islamic Law in the West: The Legal Operational Principles of Western Fiqh Councils
- Zachary Markwith (PhD), dissertation title, And When I Love Him: The Ḥadīth al-Nawāfil and the Formation of Sufism
- Ebrahim Shabudin (DMin, PSR) dissertation title, Leading With Virtuous Conviction: Introspecting The Leader Within Us
Congratulations to all the graduates and their families, friends, and communities. We celebrate and commend the graduates for their scholarly excellence, for the wonderful and diverse ways they are advancing the work of the Center for Islamic Studies and the GTU, and for their important leadership roles in bridging academia with the larger public. We also gratefully acknowledge the faculty who served on these thesis and dissertation committees and to the staff for their support.
Since its founding in 2007, the Center for Islamic Studies has sought to deepen understanding of the Islamic tradition within the diverse, interreligious context of the GTU. Our PhD, MA, and certificate students and graduates, along with CIS faculty and visiting scholars, are globally diverse; they come from 18 different countries and speak, read or write in 35 languages!
In these challenging and uncertain times, many of our students, graduates, faculty, scholars and staff have been on the front lines of navigating the global pandemic and caring for the vulnerable and those in need. They selflessly serve others and address inequities and injustices with patience, empathy, love, generosity, compassion and kindness. We thank them for their important work.
My prayers for everyone’s good health, well-being, safety and unity. May our remarkable interconnectedness be a source of comfort and hope.
With deep gratitude for your care and support, peace and blessings,
Munir Jiwa
Director, Center for Islamic Studies