The Current Status of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies in the
USA
Theme: Religion
Paper Abstract (500 words):
In 1990 the US government has issued the National Security Education Program (NSEP) in which it allocated a certain amount of funds to support grants to study foreign languages particularly Arabic. These grants were conditioned by serving different national agencies in which the intelligence service comes first. This was subject of debate and criticism from the academic circles in the United States. Nevertheless, it seems that the US government went ahead with this project. The number of students applying for this grant has increased by 50%.
The area studies field has been witnessing in changes since early 1990s. One of these changes the improvement in the representation of Middle Eastern issues the annual Middle East Studies association conference by allowing more sessions on the Arab World conducted by Arab and Muslim scholars.
However, the study of Islam may not have changed due greatly to being represented in religious studies departments. These departments were not exposed to the outsiders. However, Muslim scholars were rarely appointed to teach Islam.
Since its inception, The Middle Eastern Studies have suffered many shortcomings and serious defects. Of these defects is the lack of original sources and balanced representation of text books and reading materials required of the students.
The events of September 11, 2001 brought many changes to the field of Middle Eastern studies in the USA universities. Academic freedom became under severe attack from various groups first of which is the Zionist lobby, the neo-conservatives and the main philanthropic organizations as depicted in the book edited by Professor Beshara Domani about "academic freedom. However, the USA academia has not been silent in the face of the loss of freedom, but the task is great and the chances of success may be limited. The field of Middle Eastern studies in not everything in the area studies since there are many other aspects of these studies beside the “Arab-Israeli conflict. The representation of other Islamic issues such as the Islamic movements or the strive for Democracy in the Arab and Islamic World is another important issue.
This search will look into the development that have taken place in the field of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies since the early 1990s by studying of latest publications on this matter such as Martin Kramer book "Ivory Towers on Sand, Academic Freedom and Civil rights in Peril: targeting of Arabs and Muslims. The search will also focus on the syllabi of different courses whether on Middle Eastern issues or Islamic. I am aware that there is a vast reservoir of material on these issues. The search would also try to be abreast of the activities in the Arabic and Islamic studies such as; publications, conferences, appointments of teaching staff and grants given to graduate and under graduate students.
This study will rely firstly on recent publications on this field. Secondly, the search will obtain important data on courses and syllabi from the internet. The search will try to conduct a field trip to some American universities to have a firsthand knowledge of these studies.
Short Bio (200 words):
Name: Mazin S. Motabagani
Date of Birth: March 22, 1950, Jumada II 3, 1369H.
Place of Birth: Al-Karak, Jordan.
Marital Status: Married
Present position: Associate Professor Orientalistics, Department of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Education- King Saud University
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Head of Occidental Studies Unit at King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies-Riyadh
Publications after 2001
1- Research in Modern American Orientalism (Jeddah,2001),
Theme: Religion
Paper Abstract (500 words):
In 1990 the US government has issued the National Security Education Program (NSEP) in which it allocated a certain amount of funds to support grants to study foreign languages particularly Arabic. These grants were conditioned by serving different national agencies in which the intelligence service comes first. This was subject of debate and criticism from the academic circles in the United States. Nevertheless, it seems that the US government went ahead with this project. The number of students applying for this grant has increased by 50%.
The area studies field has been witnessing in changes since early 1990s. One of these changes the improvement in the representation of Middle Eastern issues the annual Middle East Studies association conference by allowing more sessions on the Arab World conducted by Arab and Muslim scholars.
However, the study of Islam may not have changed due greatly to being represented in religious studies departments. These departments were not exposed to the outsiders. However, Muslim scholars were rarely appointed to teach Islam.
Since its inception, The Middle Eastern Studies have suffered many shortcomings and serious defects. Of these defects is the lack of original sources and balanced representation of text books and reading materials required of the students.
The events of September 11, 2001 brought many changes to the field of Middle Eastern studies in the USA universities. Academic freedom became under severe attack from various groups first of which is the Zionist lobby, the neo-conservatives and the main philanthropic organizations as depicted in the book edited by Professor Beshara Domani about "academic freedom. However, the USA academia has not been silent in the face of the loss of freedom, but the task is great and the chances of success may be limited. The field of Middle Eastern studies in not everything in the area studies since there are many other aspects of these studies beside the “Arab-Israeli conflict. The representation of other Islamic issues such as the Islamic movements or the strive for Democracy in the Arab and Islamic World is another important issue.
This search will look into the development that have taken place in the field of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies since the early 1990s by studying of latest publications on this matter such as Martin Kramer book "Ivory Towers on Sand, Academic Freedom and Civil rights in Peril: targeting of Arabs and Muslims. The search will also focus on the syllabi of different courses whether on Middle Eastern issues or Islamic. I am aware that there is a vast reservoir of material on these issues. The search would also try to be abreast of the activities in the Arabic and Islamic studies such as; publications, conferences, appointments of teaching staff and grants given to graduate and under graduate students.
This study will rely firstly on recent publications on this field. Secondly, the search will obtain important data on courses and syllabi from the internet. The search will try to conduct a field trip to some American universities to have a firsthand knowledge of these studies.
Short Bio (200 words):
Name: Mazin S. Motabagani
Date of Birth: March 22, 1950, Jumada II 3, 1369H.
Place of Birth: Al-Karak, Jordan.
Marital Status: Married
Present position: Associate Professor Orientalistics, Department of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Education- King Saud University
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Head of Occidental Studies Unit at King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies-Riyadh
Publications after 2001
1- Research in Modern American Orientalism (Jeddah,2001),
2- My Trips to America.
3- The Leading Role Of Saudi Arabia in studying Orientalism
During the Reign of King Fahad, (Riyadh: Imam Muhammad Ben Saud Islamic
University.(2005)
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