Since that term, the program has grown in student enrollment and course selection, demonstrating student interest for in-depth knowledge of this major religious tradition.
Classes appeal to both Muslim and non-Muslim students. For non-Muslims, they offer the opportunity to learn more about Islam and its effects on politics, culture and the world.
“Students with other religious backgrounds are able to learn more about their own faith,” says Salie. “The different religions have more similarities than most people realize. And, the method is comparative religion and not competitive religion."
The Muslim community, CAS and Salie himself have yet a greater vision for the program. With OU’s location in Oakland County — a microcosm of the world’s religions — OU is well placed to create a forum for education with the goal of appreciation for diversity and differences.
“Our hope is that the Islamic Studies minor, along with the Judaic Studies minor and the existing Religious Studies concentration will lead to OU becoming a recognized center for rational analysis of a wide range of religiously rooted influences within human cultures,” says Gary Shepherd, director of Religious Studies.
“It is extremely relevant and necessary in today’s world that graduates and doctoral students of all professions build a multi-dimensional knowledge base including a deeper understanding of major world religions at the university level,” says Dr. Chakrapani Ranganathan, chief of Neurology at St. John Macomb Hospital, donor to OU’s Islamic Studies program and key player in the birth of its program. “Such knowledge is key to dispelling myths, bias and promoting peace and love in our small world.”
And that’s just what the Islamic Studies program has begun to accomplish through courses that expose students to scholarly lectures, lively debates, documentaries, real-life experiences and insights in Islamic thinking.
With the continued support from community friends and donors, OU is committed to the growth of Religious Studies and the Islamic Studies program, with a goal to build a $5 million endowment to finance the program on a permanent basis. For information on how to support the program, please contact Kelly Conway at (248) 370-2146 or via e-mail at conway@oakland.edu.Passion, planning and pooled effort helped Oakland University’s religious studies program realize its goal of implementing a minor in Islamic Studies. Although the minor was approved in 2004, the program lacked the dedicated leadership and course offerings necessary to bring it to fruition. A generous gift from a coalition of Detroit area Muslim donors in 2006 changed that.