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Education

Will America’s First Muslim College Serve as a Bridge Between Islamic Culture and Western Values?

Feb. 5, 2013 8:59am Billy Hallowell

Zaytuna College is likely unfamiliar to most Americans, as it is a small, Islamic higher education institute that was founded quite recently. Described as the nation’s “first Muslim college,” Zaytuna, located in Berkeley, Calif., seeks to mesh Islamic values with Western educational tenets. While the school currently has only 31 students and is renting space from a Baptist seminary, it plans to have its own campus next year — an expansive act that showcases the potential growth and trajectory of the emerging school.

On its web site, Zaytuna’s purpose is clearly highlighted as educating and equipping Muslim students to embark on a journey in the modern era. Noting that the Islamic population is growing in the West, the school believes that there are a number of challenges facing Muslim-Americans, particularly when it comes to integrating Islamic and Western cultures.

This Is Zaytuna College: Americas First Muslim Liberal Arts College

Photo Credit: Zaytuna College/Facebook

The college further explains these sentiments on its web site:

Islam has never become rooted in a particular land until that land began producing its own religious scholars. There are several million Muslims in the United States and rapidly growing Muslim populations in Canada, Great Britain, and Western Europe. Yet, there are no accredited academic institutions capable of training students in the varied sciences of Islam, while also instilling in them a sophisticated understanding of the intellectual history and culture of the West. Clearly, there is an essential need for Muslim institutions that can wed Islam’s classical texts with the contemporary context.

This reality has led to two lamentable situations. First, there are very few Muslim scholars who can meet the religious and pastoral needs of a rapidly expanding Muslim community in the West. Second, much of our younger generation has become alienated from the mosque and from religious culture.

To satisfy its educational goals, Zaytuna College pledges to continue its growth, while modeling itself as an institution that will rival some of America’s best religious seminaries and general educational facilities. Students participate in a curriculum that is described as “rigorous,” with classes in Islamic Studies, Arabic, humanities and the social sciences. The notion is that graduating students will become “scholars who understand the specific needs of contemporary societies.”

Advancing its goal of offering Muslims the opportunity to better learn and understand “Islam’s critical role in the modern world,” Zaytuna currently offers two majors: Islamic Law & Theology and Arabic Language (full course listings for the programs are available at the aforementioned links).

As far as cultural awareness goes, the school believes it can be a bridge to assist in what it calls the “indigenization of Islam in the West.” This is code for cultural understanding and the adopting — or, at the least, the understanding — of the two cultures by one another. An explanation on the college’s web site points to the general notion that Muslims are “outsiders” in America, something Zaytuna is attempting to temper and rectify.

“God willing, a Zaytuna College education will prepare students for a meaningful life as compassionate, productive, and educated citizens of the global community who understand Islam as a living, viable, and relevant faith, and who represent that faith with dignity, wisdom, and honor,” the web site continues.

A recent Al Jazeera report has more about the school’s goals, along with student testimonials:

While the college is not currently accredited, officials are working toward that goal, with hopes of reaching it by the time the first graduating class accepts diplomas in 2014.

Learn more about Zaytuna College on the school’s web site.

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Comments (147)

DebateMe
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 12:30pm
“Will America’s First Muslim College Serve as a Bridge Between Islamic Culture and Western Values?”

According to their own doctrines there is an absolute structural incompatibility between islamic culture and the west. The west can co-exist with islamic culture but islamic culture cannot co-exist with anything else. Period. End of story. Don’t believe me? Go read the quran and read for yourself.

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LoneRanger26
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 12:20pm
Hey, how come no one has floated the idea of building a church next to the compound where Bin Laden was brought to justice to, you know, promote understanding between America and Muslims? The idea, the goal, the purpose of that would be to, you know, “light a candle”.

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jungle J
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 11:57am
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA !!!!! Only the mentally ill would ask such a question. HA HA HA HA HA HA and only the sane understand the laughter.

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txannie
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 11:22am
You can’t build a bridge that would span that far.

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spfoam1
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 11:04am
Th quick answer is NO. When you feel a fire ant stinging your ankle you don’t just crush the offending ant, you find the mound and deal with the leadership. We will know where to bring a match the next time we are attacked here.

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h20sue
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:52am
This is disgusting, and sad. We will become another UK or better yet, France! The Muslims are working to take over the USA and the one person you’re supposed to be able to lead America, is also one! Wake up America before it’s way to late. Look how man Mosque have been built in the most vulnable cities in America. They are steadily taking over our country and we’re allowing it to happen.

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txjb
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:51am
A front for money laundering.

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Conservative Humanist
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:49am
Biology 101 – We will discuss how the Jewish people evilved into Apes and Pigs.
History 101 – We will learn why, since the Jewish people and the Arab people descended from the same ancetors, the moslims consider themselves different.
Religion 101 – Mohammed claims descent from Abraham, Abraham is descended from apes and pigs, discuss with examples.
Language 101 – Islamic science = oxymoron, discuss.
Sociology 101 – Hollywood, how we will integrate all of these hot women, gays, and musicians into islamic culture.
Who ever is allowing this to happen is barking mad and stupid as a bag of rocks !!!!

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- Conservative Humanist
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 12:01pm
  I am very bad at spellchecking !! I am sure that most people understood that the word “evilved” was intended to be “evolved”. The “i” and “o” are side by side And I never really learned “touch” typing very well. Actually “evilved” is a nice word, it pronounces nicely, too bad it does not have a meaning. Perhaps it means ” the act of becoming evil”.
  
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pragmaticpatriot
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:49am
bet they dont serve bacon at breakfast

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Bohump
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:44am
Do the same Rule’s apply ? …. Can They PRAY in There School’s ?.. We can’t !

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- pragmaticpatriot
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:50am
  they are a protected species, what do you think?
  
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- txannie
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 11:26am
  The thing is, it’s not “if” they can pray in their schools, it’s that they “must” pray in their schools, at least 3 time a day or be punished by sharia law.
  
  Can you say “indoctrination”?
  
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pragmaticpatriot
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:43am
President John Quincy Adams
“In the seventh century of the Christian era, a wandering Arab of the lineage of Hagar, the Egyptian, combining the powers of transcendent genius, with the preternatural energy of a fanatic, and the fraudulent spirit of an impostor, proclaimed himself as a messenger from Heaven, and spread desolation and delusion over an extensive portion of the earth.[ ...]He poisoned the sources of human felicity at the fountain, by degrading the condition of the female sex, and the allowance of polygamy; and he declared undistinguishing and exterminating war, as a part of his religion, against all the rest of mankind. THE ESSENCE OF HIS DOCTRINE WAS VIOLENCE AND LUST: TO EXALT THE BRUTAL OVER THE SPIRITUAL PART OF HUMAN NATURE (Adam’s capital letters).”

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ghostsouls
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:42am
So are they going to allow women, Jews, blacks, non-muslims, gay and lesbians, etc… into their school? Let me be the first to try and gain entry and sue them for not accepting me.

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txjb
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:38am
A Christian seminary ,leasing space to a religion that is not a part of the body of Christ .What apostasy, shame on you !

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no1hd
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:36am
How’s the white, christian colleges doing in muslim land.
That’s how this will work.

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red_white_blue2
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:35am
Why is this college in our country. Why don’t you have it over in one of your hell hole countries. I know why- you can’t get the same opportunities. But you’ll come over here to use us to spread your propaganda while eating at Subway and McDonald’s. Maybe even buy a Subway since they are all owned my Muslims. Why don’t you have your goat cheese and milk. And don’t cry that your not accepted in this country. You are the freaks that call for Jihad on our nation..Screw you!

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- woodyee
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:49am
  It’s the Muslim way – establish colonies in your enemies camp, and dwell in it until you are strong enough to overwhelm them, then overwhelm them. See Dearborn, MI.
  
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Tom
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:20am
Hey we might as well just give them their own bomb making facility and exempt Muslames from our impending gun bans. Disney may be the happiest place on earth …. Omerica is the defiantly the stupidest place on earth.

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PIGSWILLNEVERFLY
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:19am
More stealth jihad. We are so sc re w ed.

The Feds have given priority and special rights to every minority in America. Black’s have their own payments from the taxpayers and organizations that protect them. Gays are now a protected class via the “hate crime” legislation. Islamist demand their own world-wide protections via the UN. Every other religion world-wide is being slaughtered daily. White American tea party are the terrorists. The Communist/Muslim Left is the work of Satan.

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- pragmaticpatriot
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:48am
  some animals are more equal than others…. what will happen to the pigs when the dogs lose their taste for sheep?
  
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SamIamTwo
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:17am
Foot washing at every entry…no doubt!

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RestoreCapitalism
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:08am
Bridges should only be built between two places who have a peaceful relationship. A ‘bridge’ like this would be stupid, it gives the enemy a shortcut into your camp.

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- woodyee
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:47am
  Well phrased – I love it!
  
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Chuck7884
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:07am
This Depends on how the Institute is accredited. will it pass muster with the rest of universities and college ?.

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- Tom
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:24am
  Your setting a very low bar. The American colleges already teach the theory’s for the destruction of America. This is liberal whip cream on the us hatred scale.
  
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- Chuck7884
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 11:20am
  You are right it is a low bar. But we the people set low the bar when it comes to laws and bans no matter the intent. The government cannot divorce it’s self from the people and the people can not divorce it’s self from the government without leaving the country. Example When the government makes a law or ban the government is banned as well. when the government exempts it’s self it exempts the people.there can be no reason this is not true unless the government is in fact a unique and different from the people in which case the Declaration of Independence as well as the Constitution no longer exists.
  
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T-2
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:00am
they have 31 students and call themselves a univeristy, what the hell?

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banjarmon
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 9:55am
Oil money from muslin countries around the world will have this islamic indoctrination center looking like dubai in a couple of years!

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woodyee
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 9:48am
I guess if you like modern-day Jerusalem, with all it-s fun-loving Palestinians, then pretty soon, you’re going to LOVE Berkeley!

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Exidor
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 9:46am
I wonder if there are pork rinds in the vending machines?

Is there a special dorm for little boys and goats?

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- DZ-015
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 9:52am
  Nah, you have to make your own arrangements for your sex toys at this school.
  
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term limits for congress
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 9:45am
Morsi and binLaden were both educated in the US and they turned out just fine – didn’t need a muslim school.

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- Charbet
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:02am
  And to think, Andre’ Carson [D] Indianapolis, would love to model our schools after medrassahs. Looks as though the take-over plan of America is right on cue. Including the gun grabbing.
  
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