2008 Woodie Awards
Arabic studies thrive
Minor could become major
Keith Spencer
Issue date: 11/21/07 Section: News
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Since the events of Sept. 11, 2001, Americans have developed various opinions and attitudes concerning the Bush administration's war on terrorism as well as Middle Eastern countries.
An educated analysis of our nation's involvement in Middle Eastern affairs requires a thorough understanding of the region's various peoples, cultures and politics. UCF students declaring a minor in Middle Eastern studies learn from a curriculum of objective courses that focus on this region.
As a part of the College of Arts and Humanities, the Middle Eastern studies minor is a multi-cultural discipline that offers courses of study such as Islamic Thought and Culture, The Modern Middle East and Politics of the Middle East. Other courses include Islam and Its Empires, The Arab-Israeli Conflict and Arabic and Hebrew languages to name a few. These courses are offered by different departments at UCF.
There are approximately 150 students enrolled in the Middle Eastern studies minor program, said Husain Kassim, the program's director. The majority of these students are majoring in religious studies, humanities, philosophy, political science or sociology.
Kassim has served at UCF for the past 37 years and this is his second year as the coordinator of the Middle Eastern studies minor. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Bonn in Bonn, Germany. A native of India, Kassim has traveled to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The program is not too pro-Western or politicized as some scholars of Middle East studies claim, Kassim said.
"The course is like any other academic principle in the American educational institutions, it is neither Western nor Eastern; it is simply the studies on various aspects of the Middle East in the sense that it is an academic discipline such as anthropology or sociology," Kassim said. "Neither of these subjects would we classify as Western nor Eastern, they are simply studies.
"Generally we emphasize the social, political and religious nature of the Middle Eastern society, making students aware of the crisis and conflicts taking place in the region. We try to show the real causes and possible solutions of the problems the Middle Eastern countries are facing."
An educated analysis of our nation's involvement in Middle Eastern affairs requires a thorough understanding of the region's various peoples, cultures and politics. UCF students declaring a minor in Middle Eastern studies learn from a curriculum of objective courses that focus on this region.
As a part of the College of Arts and Humanities, the Middle Eastern studies minor is a multi-cultural discipline that offers courses of study such as Islamic Thought and Culture, The Modern Middle East and Politics of the Middle East. Other courses include Islam and Its Empires, The Arab-Israeli Conflict and Arabic and Hebrew languages to name a few. These courses are offered by different departments at UCF.
There are approximately 150 students enrolled in the Middle Eastern studies minor program, said Husain Kassim, the program's director. The majority of these students are majoring in religious studies, humanities, philosophy, political science or sociology.
Kassim has served at UCF for the past 37 years and this is his second year as the coordinator of the Middle Eastern studies minor. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Bonn in Bonn, Germany. A native of India, Kassim has traveled to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The program is not too pro-Western or politicized as some scholars of Middle East studies claim, Kassim said.
"The course is like any other academic principle in the American educational institutions, it is neither Western nor Eastern; it is simply the studies on various aspects of the Middle East in the sense that it is an academic discipline such as anthropology or sociology," Kassim said. "Neither of these subjects would we classify as Western nor Eastern, they are simply studies.
"Generally we emphasize the social, political and religious nature of the Middle Eastern society, making students aware of the crisis and conflicts taking place in the region. We try to show the real causes and possible solutions of the problems the Middle Eastern countries are facing."