CIS | Center for Islamic Studies

We extend our profound gratitude to our Bay Area partners for their extraordinary leadership and care, especially during the pandemic.

We are deeply grateful to the Henry Luce Foundation for the generous COVID-19 Urgent Needs Grant which made our work and community partnerships possible, and to fellow Luce grantees, and to all the CIS/GTU staff, students, faculty, and especially the grant steering committee. Thank you!

Visit to learn more about the grant, community partners, and projects.

Dear Friends,

As-salaamu alaikum, greetings of peace, and Eid Mubarak!
 
I am delighted to present the Class of 2021 graduates who have completed their MA, PhD, or DMin in Islamic Studies:

Eid al-Fitr Mubarak

Alhumdulillah, the holy month of Ramadan is almost here. Ramadan is known as the month of mercy, forgiveness and emancipation, and provides a chance for to pause, reflect and change. Join Lighthouse Mosque for a virtual Ramadan prep class on Sunday 6-7:30 PM PST via Facebook live with Br. Shahryar Abbasi.

The event is led by CIS PhD student and Amir of Lighthouse Mosque, Sundiata Al Rashid.

Join us for a conversation on Psychoanalysis in Judaism and Islam with Dr. Naomi Seidman (University of Toronto) and Dr. Omnia El Shakry (UC Davis), moderated by Dr. Mahjabeen Dhala (GTU).

Register Here for this Zoom Webinar

Please join us for a special Madrasa-Midrasha event with Dr. Sam Shonkoff and Dr. Kamal Abu-Shamsieh as we reflect on the sacred seasons of Passover and Ramadhan. Their talks will explore the notion of Spirituality as it is incorporated in and developed through religious commemorations and practices.

Dr. Shonkoff's talk is titled "The Forty-Nine-Day Path from Liberation to Revelation" and explores how in Jewish ritual time Passover marks the beginning of a psychological journey to Shavuot, the celebration of Sinai.

The Berkeley Center for Middle Eastern Studies and the Bayan Islamic Graduate School present "Muslim Women's Scholarship in Islamic Tradition and Western Academia" as part of a webinar series on Contemporary Issues in American Islam.

Speakers:
Dr. Juliane Hammer, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Dr. Mahjabeen Dhala, Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies, Graduate Theological Union

Please join us in introducing Dr. Mahjabeen Dhala as Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies (Center for Islamic Studies) and the Director of the GTU's Madrasa-Midrasha Program.

Join us for Dr. Dhala's virtual talk entitled, "The Sermon of Fatima: Women’s Theology, Leadership, and Social Justice"

In honor of Black History Month, we will be honoring the voices of two Bay Area powerhouses--Amir Sundiata Rashid and Sister Amelah Al-Amin--who will help us better understand the "History of Black Muslims in Oakland." From Cointelpro to anti-blackness from immigrant communities to how to be a better ally.

CLICK HERE for more info and to view. This event will be streamed LIVE on Facebook.

Hosts:
Jehan Hakim, YAC
Mohamed Taleb, ALC