Islamic College Being Planned by US Scholars

[Frodo]

US scholars planning Islamic college

By RACHEL ZOLL
The Associated Press
Sunday, May 17, 2009; 1:37 PM

PLAINSBORO, N.J. -- A group of American Muslims, led by two prominent scholars, is moving closer to fulfilling a vision of founding the first four-year accredited Islamic college in the United States, what some are calling a "Muslim Georgetown."

Advisers to the project have scheduled a June vote to decide whether the proposed Zaytuna College can open in the fall of next year, a major step toward developing the faith in America.

Imam Zaid Shakir and Sheik Hamza Yusuf of California have spent years planning the school, which will offer a liberal arts education and training in Islamic scholarship. Shakir, a California native, sees the school in the tradition of other religious groups that formed universities to educate leaders and carve a space in the mainstream of American life.

"As a faith community our needs aren't any different than the needs of any other faith community," Shakir told the Council for the Advancement of Muslim Professionals, as he sought donations at a recent conference near Princeton, N.J. "As Muslims, we need to develop institutions to allow us to perpetuate our values."

Others have tried to start Muslim colleges around New York and Chicago, but those schools remained obscure or quickly folded.

Shakir and Yusuf are believed to have a better chance than most to succeed.

Shakir, an African-American Air Force veteran, and Yusuf, a native of Washington state, are converts who spent years studying with Islamic scholars in North Africa and the Mideast. They speak flawless Arabic and have become widely respected teachers. Yusuf draws thousands of people to his talks and tens of thousands of viewers to his online lectures.

In 1996, Yusuf founded Zaytuna Institute, now based in Berkeley, Calif., which is dedicated to classical Muslim scholarship. Zaytuna means "olive tree" in Arabic.

The institute expanded to provide distance learning, workshops in multiple cities and conferences with prominent scholars. Shakir, a Zaytuna teacher for six years, ran a pilot seminary program from 2004-2008, partly to test the viability of a school. An intensive Arabic language summer course, in its second year, has doubled its enrollment.

"It is far and away the single most influential institution that's shaping American Muslim thought," said Omid Safi, an Islamic studies professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. "On the one hand they speak so much about being American. On the other hand, they have also plugged these American Muslim students into the global Muslim curriculum, that has all the rigor of traditional Islamic scholarship."

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Yeshiva University is so much better.

[Alcon]

Yeshiva University is so much better.

Better than the university that doesn't even exist yet?

[ilikeverin]

Cool.  Good for them.

[pbrower2a]

I have no problem with Islam attempting to establish itself as part of the intellectual mainstream.

Establishment of a college of any kind is difficult, and I can only imagine the complications that such a school would have. To get a post-secondary Islamic education, an American Muslim would have to travel outside the United States.   

[dead0man]

Wonderful, a U.S.-based terrorist training camp.  Just what we needed.

We've possibly had those for years.  Jamaat ul-Fuqra

[memphis]

Cool.  Good for them.

[GMantis]

I have no problem with Islam attempting to establish itself as part of the intellectual mainstream.

Intellectual and Islam - one rarely sees those two in the same sentence.

[JSojourner]

Cool.  Good for them.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

rejection of the gospel is not good

[pbrower2a]

rejection of the gospel is not good

Better the Jews than the Inquisition!

[John Dibble]

rejection of the gospel is not good

So true! I'm glad you've realized that Islam is the one true gospel.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

rejection of the gospel is not good

So true! I'm glad you've realized that Islam is the one true gospel.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

[John Dibble]

rejection of the gospel is not good

So true! I'm glad you've realized that Islam is the one true gospel.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

"This Quran guides to the best path, and brings good news to the believers who lead a righteous life, that they have deserved a great recompense." (Quran, 17:9)

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

rejection of the gospel is not good

So true! I'm glad you've realized that Islam is the one true gospel.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

"This Quran guides to the best path, and brings good news to the believers who lead a righteous life, that they have deserved a great recompense." (Quran, 17:9)

rec•om•pense
1 a: to give something to by way of compensation (as for a service rendered or damage incurred) b: to pay for

Sorry, I don’t want the wages I have deserved:

Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

[John Dibble]

rejection of the gospel is not good

So true! I'm glad you've realized that Islam is the one true gospel.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

"This Quran guides to the best path, and brings good news to the believers who lead a righteous life, that they have deserved a great recompense." (Quran, 17:9)

rec•om•pense
1 a: to give something to by way of compensation (as for a service rendered or damage incurred) b: to pay for

Sorry, I don’t want the wages I have deserved:

Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So do you or don't you worship Jesus as your savior in exchange for eternal life and salvation in paradise?

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

rejection of the gospel is not good

So true! I'm glad you've realized that Islam is the one true gospel.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

"This Quran guides to the best path, and brings good news to the believers who lead a righteous life, that they have deserved a great recompense." (Quran, 17:9)

rec•om•pense
1 a: to give something to by way of compensation (as for a service rendered or damage incurred) b: to pay for

Sorry, I don’t want the wages I have deserved:

Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So do you or don't you worship Jesus as your savior in exchange for eternal life and salvation in paradise?

Whatever gave you that idea?!

no, I worship Jesus NOT out of obligation as if I was offering him a bribe, but rather I worship him because he was gracious enough to open my eyes and allow me to believe and accept his death as payment of the obligation of my sins.  In allowing me the grace to believe, he also gave me his Holy Spirit.

So I worship Christ because I am totally awe struck by him.

[afleitch]

Dragging this back on topic;

If an Islamic College is set up I don't have a problem with it. America is a free country and anyone can start a college! It may even be more educationally balanced than some of the Christian ones if a traditional Islamic educational teaching method is held to.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Dragging this back on topic;

If an Islamic College is set up I don't have a problem with it. America is a free country and anyone can start a college! It may even be more educationally balanced than some of the Christian ones if a traditional Islamic educational teaching method is held to.

that doesn't make it "good".

[afleitch]

Dragging this back on topic;

If an Islamic College is set up I don't have a problem with it. America is a free country and anyone can start a college! It may even be more educationally balanced than some of the Christian ones if a traditional Islamic educational teaching method is held to.

that doesn't make it "good".

It's not a question of whether a religious centred college is 'good'. It is whether it is right for there to be an Islamic College operating in the States. The answer to that, if you take a glance at the broad spectrum of comparable religious educational institutes is yes.

Bear in mind, in the UK it's the schools (state schools included) that are religious, either by definition or through practice (religious instruction in the Judeo-Christian tradition is compulsory) while the colleges/universities are not. And having been educated in two religious schools it would be hypocritical of me to oppose them

Having said that, some religious groups 'do education', debatably better than others. Jesuits are a particular example.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Dragging this back on topic;

If an Islamic College is set up I don't have a problem with it. America is a free country and anyone can start a college! It may even be more educationally balanced than some of the Christian ones if a traditional Islamic educational teaching method is held to.

that doesn't make it "good".

It's not a question of whether a religious centred college is 'good'.

yo, I didn't introduce the word into the thread, I was simply responding to the "Cool.  Good for them" crowd.

Is it 'good' that they have the freedom of religion?  yes. 

Is their religious choice 'good' for them?  no

Is their religious choice 'cool'?  Again, no. 

[afleitch]

Dragging this back on topic;

If an Islamic College is set up I don't have a problem with it. America is a free country and anyone can start a college! It may even be more educationally balanced than some of the Christian ones if a traditional Islamic educational teaching method is held to.

that doesn't make it "good".

It's not a question of whether a religious centred college is 'good'.

yo, I didn't introduce the word into the thread, I was simply responding to the "Cool.  Good for them" crowd.

Is it 'good' that they have the freedom of religion?  yes. 

Is their religious choice 'good' for them?  no

Is their religious choice 'cool'?  Again, no. 

But I'm not discussing the 'good for them' crowd; my opinion is based on whether it is justified to operate an independent religious college in the USA. Of which the answer is yes.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Dragging this back on topic;

If an Islamic College is set up I don't have a problem with it. America is a free country and anyone can start a college! It may even be more educationally balanced than some of the Christian ones if a traditional Islamic educational teaching method is held to.

that doesn't make it "good".

It's not a question of whether a religious centred college is 'good'.

yo, I didn't introduce the word into the thread, I was simply responding to the "Cool.  Good for them" crowd.

Is it 'good' that they have the freedom of religion?  yes. 

Is their religious choice 'good' for them?  no

Is their religious choice 'cool'?  Again, no. 

But I'm not discussing the 'good for them' crowd; my opinion is based on whether it is justified to operate an independent religious college in the USA. Of which the answer is yes.

but that's a boring observation - it's not even being questioned.  (Is it? - I haven't read all of this thread).  Dibble and I were just trying to spike the punch and liven up the party.

Ever see the old Twilight Zone episode where a group of people who have been given immortality hadn't spoken to each other in years because they had run out of things to discuss?

[afleitch]

but that's a boring observation - it's not even being questioned.  (Is it? - I haven't read all of this thread).  Dibble and I were just trying to spike the punch and liven up the party.

Ever see the old Twilight Zone episode where a group of people who have been given immortality hadn't spoken to each other in years because they had run out of things to discuss?

Some people like non alcoholic punch

[12th Doctor]

Wonderful, a U.S.-based terrorist training camp.  Just what we needed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Jones_University