The Thirty-fourth AMSS Annual Conference

Abstract

This conference, held from Sept. 30 – Oct. 2, 2005 and co-sponsored by Temple University (Philadelphia), represented a homecoming for the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS), for its source of inspiration, Dr. Isma`il al-Faruqi, taught religion there from 1968-1986. Eleven panels addressed the theme, “Muslims and Islam in the Chaotic Modern World: Relations of Muslims among Themselves and with Others,” by covering a wide range of topics, from Muslim minority groups, mutual understanding, and women, to modernity, family law, legal theory, education, and just war. Due to space constraints, only a few of them will be covered here. After the welcoming and introductory remarks by Program Chair Khalid Blankinship (Temple University) and Rafik Beekun (University of Nevada), Abdul Mutualo (American University in Cairo) began the proceedings by discussing the history of Islam as an “imported” religion in his native Mozambique. Heol Choul Kim (Temple University) spoke on Korean Muslims’ problems due to cultural traditions (e.g., ancestor worship) and the lack of an indigenous Muslim community. Robert Riggs (University of Pennsylvania) discussed how the White Fathers gave Algeria’s Kabyle Berers a sense of national self-consciousness and how many of them, living in small Christian communities, left Algeria after independence. The banquet’s keynote speaker, Abdullah Schleifer (American University in Cairo), reflected on his many years as a news reporter and producer in the Middle East. His talk received such an enthusiastic response that we have included it in our “Forum” section. The winners of the AMSS Best Graduate Paper Awards were also announced: Zareena Grewal (first place), Maleeha Aslam (second place), and Kamran Hashimi (third place). Panel 4A featured, among others, Helena J. Kaler (George Washington University), who revealed, probably to the surprise of many, commonalities between Ayman al-Zawahiri’s and Farid Esack’s responses to modernity. She said that while al-Zawahiri bases his worldview on grievances, Esack ...