Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies Stanford University

Tijani Sufism is one of the most popular and prominent religious/intellectual traditions on the continent. In this talk, I will examine how this tradition answers the questions: "What is knowledge?," "How is it acquired?," and "How is it verified?". Based on these answers, I will compare and contrast Tijani epistemology to certain Western theories of epistemology, both ancient and modern.

How do Muslim-Americans form beliefs about the treatment they expect to receive from US law enforcement? The results of an original, nationally-representative survey of Muslim- Americans suggest three key findings. First, Muslims' awareness of group-based injustices increases across successive generations, with the most negative attitudes towards law enforcement held by U.S.-born Arabs and Blacks. The data also provides an empirical account of the effects of sending-country institutions on immigrants' attitudes and experiences in their new host countries. Newer immigrants from countries with corrupt institutions bring with them to the United States more negative expectations of government than those who came from non-corrupt countries. By the time immigrants have naturalized, however, their attitudes no longer reflect the institutions of their sending-country. Immigrants who have gone through the naturalization process become more cynical, regardless of their country of origin. The findings reveal that while beliefs about government institutions are sticky, they are updated overtime with new experiences.

http://web.stanford.edu/dept/islamic_studies/cgi-bin/web/?p=7579

Sherman Jackson is King Faisal Chair of Islamic Thought and Culture, Director, Center for Islamic Thought, Culture and Practice and Professor of Religion and of American Studies and Ethnicity.

http://web.stanford.edu/dept/islamic_studies/cgi-bin/web/?p=7589

Amina Wadud reflects on the gender dynamics of jihad in Islam.
http://islamicstudies.stanford.edu

A lecture and book signing with award-winning novelist Mohsin Hamid, author of Moth Smoke, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia.

Asif Ali Khan is Pakistan's reigning prince of Qawwali music. His distinctive style of this form of Sufi devotional music, dating back 700 years, is characterized by full-throated vocals and energetic rhythms.