Here is some academic and personal information about me:

Position:

Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion,
Director, Middle Eastern and Islamic Civilizations Studies (MIST) Program

Colgate University. (1999-)

*I am currently the co-chair of the Study of Islam section at the American Academy of Religion.

*I have been nominated each of my first six years at Colgate University for the "Professor of the Year" award.

*Promoted to Associate Professor, Fall 2004.

Educational Background:

• Ph.D., Graduate Program in Religion, with a concentration in Islamic Studies, Duke University.

• Dissertation: "Power and the Politics of Knowledge: Negotiating Political Ideology and Religious Orthodoxy in Saljuq Iran"
• Dissertation Advisors: Dr. Bruce Lawrence, Dr. Vincent Cornell, Dr. Carl Ernst

• M.A. History of Religions, concentration in Islamic Studies, Duke University.
• B.A. Major: Religion; Minor: Biology, Duke University.

Research Interests:

I have three primary areas of research, which do overlap to some extent:

• My first line of inquiry involves contemporary Progressive Islamic Thought. I have been particularly interested in liberal Muslim intellectuals and activists who seek to engage modernity (and post-modernity) from within an Islamic framework. Key areas of concern for these activists include gender equality, social justice, and religious/ethnic pluralism.  I have recently edited a collection of essays, titled Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism, that deals with this topic. This book was published by Oneworld Publications in February 2003.

          A number of my articles dealing with progressive Islam have appeared in the The International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World  Review and other sources.
          In addition, I am editing a second volume of the writings of recent contemporary Muslims, titled Voices of Diversity and Change, in Voices of Islam [5 vol series] edited by Omid Safi.  (Praeger, 2006).
          My accepted article on "Islamic Modernism" will be featured in the next series of the Encyclopedia of Religion. 
          I have a number of essays dealing with the Muslim critiques of the "Clash of civilizations" thesis.
          Lastly in this facet of my scholarship, I am preparing a single-authored volume on Progressive Islam, which is being submitted to a number of different publishers for consideration. 

• My second line of research is studying the social and intellectual history of pre-modern Islam, particularly as it relates to the interaction between political and intellectual institutions. I am interested in questions of patronage and devotion among political figures, jurists, philosophers, jurists, and Sufis. I also explore the myriad ways in which political situations impact the framework of religious knowledge. My monograph The Politics of Knowledge in Premodern Islam, was published in January 2006 from UNC Press. 
  
  A number of my essays dealing with this facet of my scholarship have been translated to other languages such as Persian and Turkish as well.
   
• My third first line of research revolves around the study of Islamic Mysticism, particularly those from a pre-modern period from 11th to 13th century. I mainly work on mystical figures such as Ayn al-Quzat Hamadani, Ahmad Ghazali, Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi, and Shams-e Tabrizi.  I have four forthcoming volumes under contract, all related to Sufism.

    *I have been translating the Tamhidat of Ayn al-Quzat Hamadani for a number of years. This work is under contract with the Classics of Western Spirituality Series of Paulist Press, edited by Bernard McGinn.
  

Teaching Experience:

• I have taught classes on Introduction to Islam, Introduction to the Study of Religion, Theory and Method in the Study of Religion, Islamic Mysticism, World Religions, Iranian Revolution, Islamic Thought, Persian Literature (both in translation and in the original), Islam in America, Iranian History and Culture, Introduction to the Middle East (Literature, history, and politics)Middle Eastern History, a seminar on Rumi, and Women in Islam.

• In addition to some of the above classes, I am planning to teach new classes on theories of mysticism, Sainthood in comparative perspective, and Islamic Literatures.

• I am interested in rethinking the way that academic study of religion is conceptualized within an academic framework. I am working with my colleagues Georgia Frank and Lesleigh Cushing to rethink the introductory religion classes at Colgate. If this is an area that interests you, please feel free to contact me.

Academic Position:     
Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Colgate University (2004-)
Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Colgate University (1999-2004 )

Previous Positions:     
Lecturer in Department of Religion, Duke University (1992-4, 1995-1999)
Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies, Meredith College (1994-1995)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 Areas of Expertise:
·Contemporary Islamic Thought; History of the Islamic Middle East in the Medieval Period; Classical Discourses of Islamic Thought; Rumi; Persian Poetry, Islamic Mysticism

Areas of Competence:
·Gender, and Sexuality in Islam; Theory and Method in the Study of Religion; Asian Religions; Middle Eastern Cultures and Literatures

* * * * ** * * * * * *  * *

Courses at Colgate University

• · Islam Related courses:  Religion 328  (Experiencing Islam), Religion 337  (Islamic Mysticism), Religion 412  (Senior Seminar:  Rumi); Religion 329 ( Islam and the Modern World), Religion 327ES (Islamic Heritage of Turkey)  

• ·Religious Studies Courses:  Religion 202   (Introduction to the Study of Religion), Religion 352    (Theory and Method in the Study of Religion)

• · Independent Studies:   Qur’an: text and interpretations; Islamic mystical literature; Readings in Islamic Psychology

• · Core Culture Courses:  Core 183 A/B  Middle East, Core 185 A/B  Iran

Courses at Duke University:

·Asian Religions, Introduction to Islam, Women and Islam, Pre-modern Islamic Civilization,     Modern Islamic Civilization

Courses at Meredith College:

·World Religions, Islam, Women and Islam, Sufism

* * * * * ** * * * * * *  *

Awards and Grants:

Teaching Awards:

• Nominated for Professor of the Year, Colgate University (2005-2006): Through Phi Eta Sigma 

• Nominated for Professor of the Year, Colgate University (2004-2005): Through Phi Eta Sigma 

• Nominated for Professor of the Year, Colgate University (2003-2004):  Through Phi Eta Sigma 

• Nominated for Professor of the Year, Colgate University (2002-2003):  Through Phi Eta Sigma 

• Nominated for Professor of the Year, Colgate University (2001-2002):  Through Phi Eta Sigma 

• Nominated for Professor of the Year, Colgate University (2000-2001):  Through Phi Eta Sigma 

• Nominated for Professor of the Year, Colgate University (1999-2000):  Through Phi Eta Sigma 

• Nominated for the Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award, Duke University  (1999)

• Nominated for the Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award, Duke University  (1996)

Grants:

• Received a grant through the American Academy of Religion to look at the trans-national impact of Muslim figures such as Rumi.
   
• Received both a Faculty Development Council and a Research Council Grant for the summer of 2000 to do research on contemporary reform movements in Iran.

• Received a Wabash grant to conduct a Pedagogy Workshop for training Graduate Students at Duke University. (March 3^rd-5^th, 2000)
   
• American Research Center in Egypt, Grant for study in Egypt (Summer 1995)

• Asian and African Languages and Literature Department at Duke University, Grant for study in Morocco (Summer 1994)

• Fellowship, Department of Religion, Duke University (1992-1998)

* * * * * ** * * * * * *  *

Publications:

In Print

The Politics of Knowledge in Premodern Islam,  (Chapel Hill:  UNC Press, 2006).
Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism. Omid Safi, ed. (Oxford:  Oneworld, 2003).    Translations into Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Malay, Indonesian, French in progress

Commissioned Manuscripts Under Contract, In Progress

• Voices of Diversity and Change, in Voices of Islam [5 vol series], edited by Omid Safi.   (Praeger, 2006).

• Rumi’s Life: Wondrous Narratives, Sufi Teachings, and Saintly Lives (Louisville, KY:  Fons Vitae, 2006)

• The Tamhidat of ‘Ayn al-Qudat al-Hamadani.  Translation and commentary by Omid Safi. Classics of Western Spirituality series (New York: Paulist Press, 2007)

• Rumi’s Beloved: Shams of Tabriz (Oxford:  Oneworld Publication, 2008)

•  ‘Ayn al-Qudat Hamadani.   Part of the “Great Thinkers of the Muslim World” series, edited by Patricia Crone (Oxford:  Oneworld Publications, 2008)

Published Articles

•  

• “A Scent From The Garden of Ancients:  A Modern Muslims’ Musings on the CWS Series”, Spiritus: A Journal of Christian Spirituality 5 (2005)

• “Al-Hallaj” in Arabic Literary Culture, c. 500-925 volume of the Dictionary of Literary Biography, Shawkat Toorawa and Michael Cooperson, eds. (Detroit: Gale, 2005)

• “Ja‘far al-Sadiq” in Arabic Literary Culture, c. 500-925 volume of the Dictionary of Literary Biography, Shawkat Toorawa and Michael Cooperson, eds.  (Detroit;  Gale, 2005)

•  “Beyond 9/11: Islam in America” in Voices of American Muslims, L. Cateura, ed. (Hippocrene, 2004)

•  “American Muslims: Legacies, Realities, and Challenges,” in Voices of American Muslims, L. Catura, ed. (Hippocrene, 2004)

• “A Progressive Muslim Critique of the U.S. Occupation of Iraq,” in Twilight of Empire:      Responses to Occupation, Mark Levine and Viggo Mortensen, eds. (Perceval Press,   2004), pp. 57-61

•  “What is Progressive Islam?,” International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World    December 2003, pp. 48-49

•  “The Times, They Are A-changin’:  A Muslim Quest for Justice, Gender Equality, and Pluralism”       in Progressive Muslims:  On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism, Omid Safi, ed. (Oxford:  Oneworld Publications, 2003), pp. 1-29

•  “Literature—West Asia, Persian,” in Encyclopedia of Modern Asia (New York: Scribner, 2002), 3:519-521

• “On the Path of Love Towards the Divine:  A Journey with Muslim Mystics,” in the online Journal of Scriptural Reasoning, Vol. 3.2 (August 2003)  Journal of Scriptural Reasoning, Vol. 3, No. 2, August 2003.

• “State and Society under the Great Saljuqs,” trans. to Turkish, pub. “Buyuk Selcuklularda Devlet-Toplum Iliskisi” in The Great Ottoman-Turkish Civilisation Encyclopedia, Halil Inalcik, ed. (Ankara, 2002), pp. 352-363

• “The Oghuz Tribe and the Rise of the Saljuqs up to 1040,” trans. into Turkish and published as “Oguz Boyu ve 1040 Yilina Kadar Yukselisi” in The Great Ottoman-Turkish Civilisation    Encyclopedia [Turkler Ortacag], Halil Inalcik, ed. (Ankara, 2002), pp. 585-594

• “Being Muslim, Being American Through This Absurd ‘War on Terrorism’” in Taking Back Islam, Michael Wolfe, ed. (Rodale Press, 2002), pp. 67-7

• “Reflections on Teaching Islam through and after September 11^th,” ARC: The Journal of the Faculty of Religious Studies, McGill University 30 (2002), pp. 211-236.  Reprinted in Underlying Terror, Bryan Rennie and Philip L. Tite, eds. (forthcoming)

•  “Resources for Teaching Islam,” Religious Studies News 17/2 (March 2002), 12

• “Bargaining with Baraka: Persian Sufism, ‘Mysticism,’ and Politics,” The Muslim World 90/3-4 (2001), pp. 259-288

• “The Sufi Path of Love in Iran and India” in A Pearl in Wine, Zia Inayat Khan, ed. (New    Lebanon, NY: Omega Press, 2001), pp. 221-266

• “Did the Two Oceans Meet? Historical Connections and Disconnections between Ibn ‘Arabi and Rumi,” Journal of Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society xxvi (1999), pp. 55-88

• Translations of Medieval Poetry From the Original Persian:
  The Story of Layla and Majnun by Nizami. Translation of the last chapter, in collaboration with Zia Inayat Khan (New Lebanon, NY: Omega Press,   1997)

Accepted Articles, In Press

•  "Islamic Modernism," in Encyclopedia of Religion, Second Edition.  Editor Lindsay Jones et al.  (Farmington Hills, MI:  MacMillan, 2005)

•  “Beyond ‘Islam vs. the West’:  The Emergence of Progressive Islam in America” in A Nation of Religions: The Politics of Pluralism in Multi-religious America, Peter Berger and S. Prothero, eds. (Chapel Hill:  University of North Carolina Press, 2006). 

•  “Ayn al-Qudat Hamadani” in An Anthology of Philosophy in Persia, Seyyed Hossein Nasr and  Mehdi Aminrazavi, eds. (Oxford:  Oxford University Press, 2005)

• "Ahmad-i Jam," Encyclopedia of Islam³

• "Ayn al-Qudat Hamadani," Encyclopedia of Islam³

• ^{"Abu Sa'id-i Abi 'l-Khayr,"}  Encyclopedia of Islam³

• "From the Clash of Civilizations to a pluralistic, hybrid world", in Voices of Diversity and Change, in Voices of Islam [5 vol series], edited by Omid Safi.   (Praeger, 2006).

Encyclopedia Entries

• “Rasul,” The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, John Esposito, ed. (New York:  Oxford Univ. Press, 2003), 262

• “Salat,” The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, 275

•  “Salat al-‘Asr,” The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, pp. 275-6

• “Salat al-Duhr,” The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, 276

•  “Salat al-Fajr,” The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, 276

• “Salat al-Hajah,” The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, 276

• “Salat al-Isha,” The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, 276

•  “Salat al-Khawf,” The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, 276

•  “Salat al-Maghreb,” The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, 276

• “Salat al-Tarawih,” The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, 276

•  “Sana’i,” Encyclopedia of Modern Asia, 5:123-4

• “Rudaki,” Encyclopedia of Modern Asia, 5:104

•  “Khwaja Mu‘in al-Din Chishti,” Encyclopedia of Modern Asia, 3:366

Book Reviews

In print:

• Review of Carl Ernst, Following Muhammad, for Middle East Journal, Vol. 58, No. 2, Spring 2004, pp. 325-327

• Review of Akbar S. Ahmad, Islam Under Siege, for The Middle East Journal, Vol. 58, No. 1, Winter 2004, pp. 156-158

• Review of Jawid Mojaddedi, The Biographical Tradition in Sufism, for International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 36, No. 2, May 2004, pp. 286-288

• Review of Shams al-Din Aflaki, The Feats of the Knowers of God, for Journal of the M. Ibn ‘Arabi Society, volume XXXIV (2003), pp. 145-7

•  Review of Jonathan Berkey, Popular Preaching and Religious Authority in the Medieval Islamic  Near East (H-Mideast-Medieval, May 2003) [on-line journal]

• Review of Th. Emil Homerin, ‘Umar ibn Farid, in Theological Studies 63/3 (2002), pp. 638-640

• Review of Gerald T. Elmore, Islamic Sainthood in the Fullness of Time, in International Journal of Middle East Studies 24/2 (2002), pp. 377-8

• Review of Fatemeh Keshavarz, Reading Mystical Lyric, in Middle East Studies Association             Bulletin 35/1 (2001), pp. 82-3.  Click Here for a link to this review.

• Review of Frederick de Jong and Bernd Radtke, eds., Islamic Mysticism Contested: Thirteen Centuries of Controversies and Polemics, in Islamic Studies 39/2 (2000), pp. 325-8

• Film Review of “I am a Sufi, I am a Muslim,” in MESA Bulletin 31/1 (1997), pp. 120-121

• Film Review of “Tolerance: Dedicated to Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi,” in Middle East Studies Association Bulletin 31/1 (1997), pp. 121-122
  
   

In press (individual book reviews)

•  Review of Jonathan E. Brockopp, ed., Islamic Ethics of Life:  Abortion, War, and Euthanasia, in     Religious Studies Review (October 2004)

•  Review of Tariq Ramadan, Western Muslims and the Future of Islam, in Religious Studies Review   (October 2004)

•  Review of Daniel Pipes, Militant Islam Reaches America, in Religious Studies Review (October 2004)

•  Review of Camille Helminski, Women of Sufism:  A Hidden Treasure, in Religious Studies   Review (October 2004)

•   Review of Nasr Abu Zaid, Voice of an Exile, in Religious Studies Review (October 2004)

•   Review of Tariq Ramadan, To Be A European Muslim, in Religious Studies Review (October 2004)

•   Review of John Esposito and Azzam Tamimi, eds., Islam and Secularism in the Middle East, in Religious Studies Review (October 2004)

•   Review of Anour Majid, Unveiling Tradition, in Religious Studies Review (October 2004)

•   Review of Azzam Tamimi, Rachid Ghannouchi: A Democrat Within Islamism, in Religious                Studies Review (October 2004)

•  Review of Sohail Hashmi, Islamic Political Ethics, in Religious Studies Review (October 2004)

•  Review of Bernard Lewis, Islam and the West, in Religious Studies Review (October 2004)

•  Review of Khaled Abou El Fadl, Rebellion and Violence in Islamic Law, in Religious Studies Review (October 2004)

•  Review of Maria Rosa Menocal, The Arabic Role in Medieval Literary History: A Forgotten            Heritage, in Religious Studies Review (October 2004)

•  Review of Richard C. Foltz, Spirituality in the Land of the Noble:  How Iran Shaped the World's Religions, in Religious Studies Review (October 2004)

•  Review of Maria Rosa Menocal, Raymond P. Scheindlin, and Michael Sells, eds., The Literature of Al-Andalus, in Religious Studies Review (October 2004)
  
   

Commissioned Book Reviews, In progress:

• Review of Muhammad Qasim Zaman, The Ulama in Contemporary Islam, for ARC: the Journal of the McGill Religious Studies Faculty

• Review of Jonathan Sacks, Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations, for JCRT [Journal for Cultural and Religious Theory]

• Review of Michael Gilmour, Tangled Up in the Bible: Bob Dylan and Scripture, for JCRT

• Review of Christopher S. Taylor, In the Vicinity of the Righteous, for Islamic Studies

• Review of Paul F. Knitter and Chandra Muzaffar, eds., Subverting Greed: Religious Perspectives on the Global Economy, for JCRT

• Review of Mark Sedgwick, Against the Modern World:  Traditionalism and the Secret Intellectual History of the Twentieth Century, for JCRT

 * * * * * ** * * * * * *  *

Conference Papers and Academic presentations:

Presentations at academic conferences:

•  Organized a panel on "Progressive Islam," at the Study of Islam section of the American Academy of Religion, November 23, 2003

•  “Double Critique of Progressive Muslims”, at the Study of Islam section of the American Academy of Religion, November 23, 2003

• “On the Path of Love Towards the Divine:  A Journey with Muslim Mystics,” as part of the Society for Scriptural Reasoning at the American Academy of Religion, November 2002.  (paper read)

• "Discursively Homeless, Physically Exiled: ‘Ayn al-Qozat Hamadani in Search of Place” in the Sufism and Society Project conference at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, May 4, 2001

• “Praising Iblis from the Pulpit: Beyond Convenient Pigeon-holes of 'Orthodoxy' and ‘Esotericism’,” in a conference on Esoteric Knowledge and Social Imaginary in Medieval Islamicate Culture, at New York University, February 16 and 17, 2001. Conference organized by Department of Middle Eastern Studies and History, NYU

• Organized a panel on “Taking the Qur'an to Heart: Sufi Approaches to the Qur'an”, American Academy of Religion, November 20, 2000  “‘The Qur'an inscribed on the heart is the Preserved Tablet’:  Ayn al-Qozat Hamadani's Vision of the Qur'an”, American Academy of Religion, November 20, 2000

• Organized a panel on “New Methodological Approaches to the Study of Rumi and His Legacy,” Middle Eastern Studies Association, Orlando, FL. November 16, 2000

• “Historical Connections between Rumi and Ibn al-‘Arabi,” Middle Eastern Studies Association, Orlando, FL. November 16, 2000

•  “Contextualizing Critiques of Women's Political Endeavors in Medieval Islamic Society,” American Academy of Religion, Boston, MA., November 20, 1999

• Organized a panel on “Mew Methodological Approaches to the Study of Women and Islam,” American Academy of Religion, Boston, MA., November 20, 1999

• “Love Theory of ‘Ayn al-Qozat Hamadani,” Society for the Study of Islamic Philosophy and Science. Binghamton, NY, October, 24, 1999

•  “Mulla Sadra and the Synthesis of Persian Sufi Poetry into an Akbarian Metaphysical Framework,” Mulla Sadra Conference, sponsored by the Sadra Islamic Philosophy Research Institute, Tehran, Iran, May 1999

• “When Titans Clash: Exploring Historical Connections between Rumi and Ibn ‘Arabi through Shams al-Din Tabrizi,” Ibn ‘Arabi Conference, Oxford. April, 1999

Invited academic presentations:

• University of Wisconsin, on “Satan, Love, and Tragedy in Islam,” April 9, 2004

• University of Wisconsin, on "Islam and Pluralism," April 8, 2004

• University of Miami in Ohio, on Islam in America.  Feb. 5, 2004

• Baldwin Wallace College, on Progressive Islam.  February 4, 2004

• Harvard Divinity School, on “Progressive Islam between Feminism and Pluralism,” November 12, 2003

• Harvard Divinity School, on “Immigration, Nationalism, and American Muslim Community,” November 13, 2003

• Brandeis University, on “Islamophobia and Occidentosis,” November 13, 2003

• Boston College, on Progressive Islamic interpretations, November 13, 2003

• Lehigh University, on “Beyond Clash of Civilizations:  A Progressive Muslim Critique,” November 4, 2003

• Swarthmore College, on “A Progressive Muslim Quest:  On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism,” November 3, 2003

• University of British Columbia, “Rumi:  A Journey from the 13th century to Contemporary Spirituality,” October 21, 2002

• University of British Columbia, “Devil's Advocates:  Satan as the Perfect Lover of God,” October 21, 2002

• Swarthmore College, “The Americanization of Rumi,” April 12, 2002

• Georgia State University, “Universalism in Islamic Thought,” Feb. 19, 2002

• Oberlin College, “Hearing Islam: Muslim Musical Traditions in Context,” January 31, 2002

• Hamilton College, “Seeking a Peaceful Path Post-9/11,” September 29, 2001

• Cornell University, “God, Love, and Satan in Persian Sufism,” May 1, 2001

• Cornell University, “From Persian Saint to American Pop Icon: The Post-death Career of Rumi,” May 1, 2001

• Amherst College, “Rumi's Path of Transformation: Love and Adab (beautiful manners) in the Sufi Path to God,” April 14, 2001

• University of Arkansas, “Shams-e Tabrizi between Hagiography and his Maqalat,” April 6, 2001

• Amherst College, Sufism and Society Project.  October 6-8, 2000

Service to Colgate Programs

• Director, Middle East and Islamic Studies (MIST) at Colgate University

• Member, Core Cultures

• Board member of Peace Studies

• Board member of Asian Studies

• Board member of Core Cultures

•  Board member of Medieval and Renaissance Studies

• Board member, Center for Ethics and World Society

Service to the Profession:

•  Series Editor for the Progressive Islam Series, Oneworld Publications

• Editorial Advisory Board, Fons Vitae Publishers

• Editor for Islam, Religious Studies Review (RSR)

• Editorial Board, Comparative Islamic Studies Journal

• Edutorial Board, Sufi Studies Journal

•  Columnist for beliefnet.com

•    Outside reader for SUNY Press

•   Outside reader for Palgrave Macmillan Publications

• Outside reader for Routledge

•     Outside reader for Altamira Press

•    Outside reader for Pir Press

•    Outside reader for University of Chicago Press

•   Outside reader for International Journal of Middle East Studies

•     Outside reader for Journal of Religion

Professional Affiliations: 

• American Academy of Religion

• Co-Chair of the Study of Islam Section (2003-2006)
  Member of the Steering Committee, Study of Islam Section (1999-2002)
  Creator and webmaster for Study of Islam Section web page:  http://groups.colgate.edu/aarislam/
   

•  South-East Regional Middle East and Islamic Studies Seminar (SERMEISS)

• Middle East Studies Association

• Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society

• Society for Iranian Studies

•  Advisory Board, Pluralism Project at Harvard University

Community Service and Public Intellectual Work:

·                     Since 1999, I have given some 400 public lectures and interviews dealing with Islam, 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, US foreign policy, religion and fundamentalism, feminism and Islam, religion and violence, religious pluralism, social justice, peace activism, etc.    These have ranged from leading discussion in local churches, synagogues, and mosques to lectures for a host of civic groups, universities, high schools, libraries, etc. 

·                     I have also been very involved with local as well as national media.  A sample of the work that I began on 9/11 can be accessed at http://groups.colgate.edu/aarislam/response.htm.   I would be delighted to provide a more detailed list of these activities upon request.

    Social and Political Commentary:

• Shattering the idol of spiritual patriarchy: Towards a gender-fair notion of prayer in Islam in Muslim Wakeup and PMU, etc.

• Towards a Path of Peace rooted in Justice in the Middle East [May 9th, 2005, Beliefnet]

• The Iraqi Prisoner Abuse:  A Pattern of Dehumanization.  Slight various forms appeared in Muslim Wake Up!, Tikkun, and Beliefnet.  [May 5, 2004]

• What Shirin Ebadi’s Nobel Means to Progressive Muslims   [October 11, 2003]

•  Show Me the Proof and I’ll Hush:  A skeptical Muslim’s reaction to the arrest of Muslim Chaplain.  (Beliefnet.com)  [September 25th,2003]

•     Tailor Muslim Practices to Fit Life in America [Christian Science Monitor] (August 2003)

•     Washing Our Dirty Laundry: An Interview with Omid Safi  [Muslim Wake Up!) [August 4, 2003]

•     Our Islamic Finetuning Project (Beliefnet.com)  [June 9th, 2003]

•     A Date Omelette For Ramadan (Beliefnet.com) [November 14th, 2001]

Community involvement (Colgate, Hamilton, Universe):

• My most important involvement in the life of this world is through service to my family. I am a son to my parents in Florida, a husband to my beautiful wife Holly, and a father to our three children.
   
• I am a founding member and the Co-chair of the Progressive Muslim Union of North America.

• I frequently give presentations dealing with various aspects of religion in the contemporary world, spirituality and mysticism, and Islam at churches, mosques, synagogues, and civic groups. It is one of the joys of my life, and indeed a responsibility, to be involved in any endeavor which seeks to bring all of God's children together. If I may be of any service for your group, kindly email me.

• At Colgate, I teach in the department of Philosophy and Religion. In addition, I am a council member of Asian Studies, as well as the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Minor. I am heavily involved in the Core program, where my specific contributions fall in the area of Core Cultures and Core 151 program. I am also involved in discussions to integrate material dealing with the Islamic and post-colonial world into other segments of the Core Program.

• I am the official advisor for the Colgate Muslim Student Association. I also serve the Islamic Students Association of the nearby Hamilton College. It has been a source of immense delight to form beautiful friendships and share conversations of faith with the Nan De Vries, the Chaplain at Colgate, and Jeff McArn, who is the Chaplain at Hamilton College.

• Talk to Mrs. Mosher's first grade class at Hamilton Central School, being ably assisted by Jacob Safi. Topic: Ramadan and Islam. December 14th, 1999. A beautiful group of students, whose awe at learning to write their names in Arabic was a source of inspiration for me.

• Recitation of Rumi poetry, Persian with English poetry, at Rumi's Urs (celebration of his passing on to the Eternal Realm of the Beloved), at the Abode of the Living Message, December 16th, 1999. For the program of this event, click here.

• Invited, organized, and arranged a concert of World Music (fusion of Sufi music from Turkey, Iran, India, and the U.S). Featuring: Mercan Dede, LuAnne Hightower, and Shankar. The Commons, Colgate University. February 7th, 2000. [Over 250 in attendance]. For samples of the music played, visit Golden Horde's web-site.

• Led discussion on "Beyond monoliths of 'Islam' and 'women': getting beyond polemics and apologetics in discussions of Muslim women", Women's Studies Center, Colgate University. March 23, 2000 (45 in attendance).

• Talk to Mrs. Carter's third grade class at Hamilton Central School on March 24, 2000. Shared with the beautiful students stories from the Hajj, taught them their names in Arabic, and had a chance to practice the Islamic prayers and dhikrs with them. They are a beautiful and intelligent group of students, and a joy to spend time with. My thanks to them, and especially Mrs. Sandra Carter, for sharing their classroom--and hearts--with me.

• Presentation on incorporating technology (web pages, videos, and Courseinfo "threaded discussions") into teaching Core Culture classes, at White Eagle retreat camp for Colgate Faculty, May 16, 2000.

• Shared the teachings of Persian Sufis Ayn al-Quzat Hamadani and Ahmad Ghazali at a talk at Sufi Books, in New York City on Friday June 2nd, 2000. The audience was composed of students and devotional communities of Sufism. The teachings were from Ayn al-Quzat's masterpiece, the Tamhidat, and in particular the 6th chapter, titled Haqiqat wa halat-i 'ishq "the reality and spiritual station of passionate love." See the following link for a comprehensive listing of other talks at Sufi Books.

• Talk, as part of Colgate's Humanities Colloquium, November 7th, 2000. Title: "A Mysticism beyond the 'private experience of God': Saints, politics, and Islam."

Community work, in the light of the tragedy of 9/11 and the aftermath

In the aftermath of 9/11, I have given over 400 interviews, public lectures, talks at churches, mosques, and synagogues.   I have lost track of all of them (esp. the ones after Dec. 2001), but here is a sampling.  If I can be of any service to your group and help bring some mutual understanding, get in touch with me.

• In the aftermath of the tragedies of World Trade Center, led a discussion titled "An American Muslim grappling with the tragedy of September 11th". Attended by about 110 students and faculty members.

• September 20th, 2001: TV interview with WUTR, ABC station, of Utica about the tragedies of September 11th.

• September 21st, 2001: Newspaper interview with Oneida Dispatch about the backlash against Arab Americans and American Muslims.

• September 21st, 2001: Led two hour training workshop for the reporters of Syracuse Post-Standard. Topics: Islam, Taliban, Media coverage.

• September 21st, 2001: TV interview with WTVH, CBS station of Syracuse, about the outpouring of grief and support from the Middle East for Americans who have lost loved ones in the tragedy of September 11th.

• September 27th: Phone Interview with Newsday (Sara Coppola) about the impact of the Tragedy on interest in Islam on college campuses, and the challenge faced by liberal arts schools in teaching about this tragedy.

• September 28th, 2001: interview with Scott Carlson, of Chronicle of Higher Education, about response of scholars of Islamic Studies to Tragedies of September 11th.

• September 28, 2001: training session for reporters and staff member of Utica Observer-Dispatch.

• September 30, 2001: preached at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church on rising above the tendency to tolerate hate-filled religious discourse.

• October 1st, 2001: interview with George Sopher, of Utica Observer-Dispatch. Click here for a write up of this interview in Utica Observer Dispatch.

• October 4th, 2001: Presenting at the Hamilton Forum, at the Colgate Inn, on the Taliban, Bin Ladin, and the ramifications of September 11th.

• October 5th, 2001: TV interview with WCNY, PBS affiliate in Syracuse. Hour long show.

• October 6th, 2001: Newspaper article with Renee Gadoua appeared, Question and Answer in the Religion section about Islam. Syracuse Post-Standard. This interview was published as "Colgate Prof. offers a primer on Islam", and is available on-line.

• October 7th, 2001: Newspaper interview with Utica Observer-Dispatch, with John Briggs, regarding the US bombing of Afghanistan.

• October 7th, 2001: Newspaper interview with Corydan Ireland, of Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, regarding the US retaliation against Afghanistan.

• October 8th, 2001: Newspaper interview with Syracuse Post-Standard, with Larry Richardson, about Muslim community responses to Bin Laden's speech.

• October 8th, 2001: TV interview with WUTR, ABC station of Utica, about the US retaliation against Afghanistan.

• Ocotber 10, 2001: Newspaper interview with Colgate Maroon-news. By Katie Dubill. (Colgate community's responses to events of 9/11 and aftermath)

• October 12, 2001: Newspaper interview with Syracuse Post-Standard, about Arab-American community responses to profiling.

• October 12, 2001: Presentation about Islam and recent events to 10th and 12th grade World History classes, at Hamilton Central School. My heartfelt gratitude to Kathy Sabino for the invitation.

• October 26, 2001: Presentation before 300 students and teachers at the Berkshire School, in Sheffield, MA.

• October 28, 2001: Presentation about Islam to the CCD class of St. John's Catholic Church, in Montague, MA.

• November 4, 2001: Presentation on Islam at Sherburne, NY Episcopal church.

• November 4, 2001: Presenting on Muslim saints in All Saints Day in St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Hamilton, NY.

• November 4, 2001: Presentation on Islam to a CCD class at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Hamilton, NY.

• December 9, 2001: Talk on Ramadan to Islamic Center of Utica.

• December 10, 2001: presentation on Islam and US foreign policy in Middle East, to Utica Public Library (Utica, NY).

• [skipping a few dozen presentations....]

• September 3, 2002: Talk to the Fornight Club of Hamilton, NY. Topic: Creation Narrative in the Bible and Qur'an.

• September 11, 2002: Led Community discussion among faculty, students, and Hamilton Village residents at the Barge coffee shop, Hamilton, NY. Topic: Is war necessary? What does it mean to be an American?

• September 11, 2002: Responded to the beautiful lecture of Prof. Martin Marty, of University of Chicago. Lecture: "A Progressive Muslim take on religion and politics, a year later." Hamilton, NY.

Linguistic Ability:

Pas zabân mahrami khod digar ast
ham-deli az ham-zabâni behtar ast

(Rumi,Masnavi,1:1215)

"So,
the language of intimacy
is something else...

Better to be of the same heart
than speak the same tongue."

• Classical Arabic: Excellent Reading Knowledge
• Classical Persian: Excellent Reading Knowledge/Native Speaker Fluency
• French: Reading Competency
• Urdu: Some Reading Knowledge
• Turkish: starting to....
• German:  basic
• Latin:  trying not to forget what I once knew
• Mantiq al-tayr: For the Solomons of this world
• Zabân-e del: Still working on it...

References:

• Professor Bruce Lawrence, Department of Religion, Duke University
  Phone:  (919) 660-3506; E-mail:  bbl@duke.edu
   

• Professor Carl Ernst, Department of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina
  Phone:  (919) 962-3924; E-mail: cernst@email.unc.edu
   

•  Professor Michael Sells, Department of Religion, Haverford College
  Phone:  (610) 896-1027; E-mail:  msells@haverford.edu    
                

•  Professor John Ross Carter, Department of Philosophy and Religion, Colgate University
  Phone: (315) 228-7686; E-mail:  jcarter@mail.colgate.edu

Return to Omid Safi's Main Page