CIS News for April 2023
Our gratitude to Nosizwe Breaux-Abdur-Rahman, GTU doctoral student and Newhall fellow, for her ongoing participation in the Race, Religion and Belonging working group at the Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion.
Our gratitude to GTU PhD student Sundiata Al Rashid, Amir of Lighthouse Mosque for his extraordinary leadership in bridging academia with the larger public. He will be leading and participating in several upcoming events: Care Not Deaths Noise Demo and Vigil at Santa Rita Jail, April 1at 1pm (more info, contact: jlindsay-poland@afsc.org or joy@restoreoakland.org); Living Intentionally presents a Health Conscious Conversation at Lighthouse Mosque, April 5 at 6:30pm, followed by iftar (breaking of the fast) at Lighthouse Mosque; and Unity Eid Celebration at 9am on either April 21 or 22, San Pablo Park, Berkeley.
Congratulations to GTU PhD candidate and Presidential Scholar, Reem Kosba, who will be presenting her research at the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) conference in Minneapolis, MN, April 21-23.
Congratulations to Dr. Mahjabeen Dhala, Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies and Director of the Madrasa-Midrasha Program, who will be presenting a paper at the upcoming conference on Joy, titled, “Joy in the Qur’an: Faith, Community, and Social Justice,” GTU Dinner Board Room on April 26, and also presenting the Women’s Studies in Religion Chair lecture on April 28 at 3 pm, GTU Dinner Board Room.
Congratulations to CIS research scholar Carol Bier. The monthly international Zoom seminar on Persian Velvets hosted her presentation on "Seeing What We Are Looking At [when examining Persian velvets],” drawing upon the digital images she recently placed with the Danish Royal Collections in Copenhagen. Carol is also among a roster of international speakers invited to a conference organized by the Tang Center for Silk Road Studies at UC-Berkeley, "Nexus of Knowledge: Science, Medicine, and Technology on the Silk Roads Her paper will address "Interlacing Textile Technologies across Asia." April 27-29, UC Berkeley.
CIS gratefully acknowledges Dr. Ahmed Khater, CIS/GTU scholar, for offering an ongoing series of public engagement classes and lectures at UC Berkeley and at Berkeley Law School, as well as presentations and events throughout Ramadan, cosponsored by the CIS. For more information, please visit: https://www.gtu.edu/events/group/cis
CIS gratefully acknowledges Dr. Eby Shabudin, CIS/GTU visiting scholar, for offering a course on Values Based Leadership at the Walnut Creek Mosque, and for his ongoing leadership and mentorship bridging diverse communities, cultures and faiths.
In anticipation of Eid al-Fitr (~April 21), CIS wishes Eid Mubarak to all those celebrating, with prayers for good health, peace and blessings.