Mission, Goals & Projects

MISSION:

The Institute of Muslim American Studies (IMAS) is committed to providing scholarship on the Muslim African American experience.  Special attention is given to how the Qur’an provided a spiritual and intellectual renewal of a people impacted by the consequences of enslavement, racism, centuries of legalized oppression and a disparaged human worth.

Of special interest is how Imam W. Deen Mohammed introduced the Qur’an in the American religious and cultural environment in 1975.   This resulted in a revival of religion in a country with a culture promoting God is Dead.

By re-defining human identity, education and the processes of human development from an Islamic perspective, the Qur’anic logic of Imam W. Deen Mohammed  continues to impact American society and the global Islamic world. It is from this foundation that IMAS continues to explore – through ethnographic studies  in  education, culture, economics and governance – ways of understanding and articulating the Muslim  African American experience regarded by many as the religious and sociological phenomenon of the century.

GOALS:

To serve as a research repository of the Muslim African American experience;

• To study and disseminate the contributions of Muslim African Americans and others to American culture;
• To develop the field of Muslim American Studies as an academic discipline;
• To identify, nurture and support aspiring young scholars who choose the Muslim American experience as their field of study;
• To continue the Muslim African American historic legacy of Interfaith Dialogue.

PROJECTS:

• To conduct seminars and symposia on Muslim American heritage and traditions (individuals, families and communities) focusing on education, culture, business and governance;
• To provide lecture series on history, culture and achievements of Muslim Americans;
• To produce a scholarly – peer reviewed – Journal;
• To provide courses, retreats and webinars on the Muslim experience through academic papers, public forums and media platforms;
• To coordinate with K-12 schools, colleges and universities to develop curricula to enhance understanding of Al-Islam in  light of a changing world.