Visiting Scholars Get a Taste of Muslim Life in the US

June 3, 2005

Source: Daily Times

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_3-6-2005_pg7_34

On June 3, 2005 the Daily Times reported, "A group of Muslim religious scholars, teachers and religious figures has just completed a four and a half-week visit to the United States as part of a State Department programme called ‘Islamic life in the United States.’ The programme has been run for the last two years by eminent Islamic scholar Dr. Riffat Hassan, professor of humanities and religious studies at the University of Louisville, Kentucky. The State Department grant for the programme was won by the university on the basis of Dr. Hassan’s proposal. She acts as the director of the programme. The present group of scholars is drawn from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The programme is designed to make the visitors aware of how the subject of Islamic studies is taught in the United States and how diverse Muslim communities live in a multicultural environment. The group had the opportunity to meet and interact with a variety of Americans in public settings as well as in their homes. The project is also designed to give Americans a better understanding of mainstream Islam and Muslims."