One of the major themes running through out summer NEH program was tracing the diversity within the Islamic World. We had a chance to look through a variety of art forms to really examine if the term "Islamic World" is even appropriate. For example, what does a Mongolian shepherd have in common with an oil [...]
As a non-Muslim woman, visiting a mosque for the first time can be a little nerve-racking if you are unsure of the dress code. Last year I had the pleasure to visit two mosques, one more traditional and one small Sufi mosque. The Sufi mosque had no dress code and people showed up with all [...]
Fashion in one of the major facets of self-expression. It is the way in which we tell the world who we are, how we feel, and how we want to be received. Our identity is a large part of how we dress, and how we dress is a large part our identity. The veil Muslim [...]
Next week starts my 2- week summer teacher education program, A Reverence for Words: Understanding Muslims Cultures through the Arts. This will be my second National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute; last year I went to the Religious Worlds of New York Institute and this year I's excited back in the city that never [...]
The Andalusian region certainly has a different flavor, sound, and look than the rest of Spain. Today this region is called Andalusia but that comes from the Arabic term Al-Andalus for the Muslim-controlled regions of the Iberian Peninsula. This multi-cultural past remains very visible in the major cities of Cordoba, Granada and Seville (the three [...]
It all started with Adam and Eve: G-d made a man and a woman for each other, starting the idea of marriage between two people. God created marriage for two people (ideally for a man and woman, according to most religious believes) to love and support each other and to help each other grow closer to [...]
In preparation for my NEH Summer Institute, Reverence for Words: Understanding Muslim Culture through the Arts, I received a package in the mail that contained your usual welcome forms and letters along with a book of poetry and a DVD, Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World. I decided to plop down while folding laundry [...]
