Walking down the street in London and seeing a group of women wearing veils to cover their heads – this is a sight sophomore Adina Safran never thought she would see in England. But now every time Muslims and their culture pass through her mind, those women on the street are what she remembers.

After spending time in London during the winter holiday, Safran’s perceptions of where Muslims reside and who they are changed, as she was immersed in the Muslim culture and lifestyle.

‘I never knew there were so many Muslim people in London and I realized how my perception of them was so superficial and how I actually know nothing about their culture,’ said Safran, a psychology major.

Most students, like Safran, have been exposed to the American view of Muslims their whole life, but Syracuse University is ready to change that. The university is taking steps toward educating its students to understand what Muslim culture encompasses, said Susan Wadley, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Beginning in fall 2007, SU Abroad will launch a new interdisciplinary program on Muslim Cultures at its SU London Program in Bloomsbury. The 28-student program will be available to students from universities throughout the United States and Canada.

The program’s director, professor Tazim Kassam, is a specialist in Islam and also chair of the religion department. Her goal was for SU to be the first university to create a program focusing on the study of Muslim culture – both past and present – rather than the language.

‘Students know so little about the Muslim world and it is no longer possible to function in any arena without understanding people from different religious cultures and backgrounds,’ she said. ‘We want to equip students with information about the Muslim civilization that includes Muslims in Africa, Asia and Europe – not just those from the Middle East.’

The program is located in London because the city is an incredible resource of Muslim organizations, Kassam said. It was important for the university to consider what views the native people had of Muslim culture, and London is a place where the people are very accepting.

‘Although Islam is always portrayed in a negative tone, London offers a safe space to explore and encounter Muslim opportunities,’ said Peter Leuner, director of SU Abroad in London. ‘It is safer for students to be in London than going to the Middle East or south.’

The Muslim Cultures program is also unlike any other SU Abroad program because it allows students the opportunity to visit Sunni, Shi’a and Sufi organizations, tour museums that depict the unique architectural style of Islam and spend a short stay in an Islamic cultural heritage site such as Granada, Spain – home of the famous Alhambra palace, Kassam said.

Not only does the program take students to museums and cultural sites, it immerses them in the culture. Students will taste the culinary variety of foods in the Muslim culture at some of London’s best restaurants and ethnic festivals. They will enjoy the music and take in the true atmosphere of the Islamic world.

‘This is one of the only study abroad programs that sounds more like a vacation to me than schoolwork,’ said sophomore history major Rebecca Peake. ‘Any student can say they are excited to go study abroad in a foreign country, but the Muslim Cultures program seems to be more than just studying abroad. It’s experiencing a whole new lifestyle about Muslim people that we as Americans have, for the most part, always seen in a negative light because of all that has happened in past years.’

Students will have the option of taking two paths after enrolling in the program. They can take all six courses as a full package beginning with the Prequel, or they may take three courses and the Prequel. Enrollment in single classes is available depending on how much space is left, Kassam said.

‘We wanted to make the program flexible by offering two different paths of study,’ Wadley said. ‘We don’t just want Arts and Sciences students. We want Newhouse, Whitman and Maxwell students, which is why we made it possible for students to enroll in Islam courses, while at the same time, taking other classes that they need to fulfill their major requirements.’

There is one large difference between this program and other SU Abroad programs. Most SU Abroad programs allow students to intern with a company during their spare time when abroad. Due to the newness of the program, SU has not yet explored an option or place where students enrolled in the Muslim Cultures program can intern.

‘We want every new SU Abroad program to be the best that it can be, and we know that changes will have to be made as we see how students interact with what the curriculum provides,’ said Daeya Malboeuf, SU Abroad communications manager.

As of right now, the Muslim Cultures program will only be offered in the fall semester. Depending on its popularity, the program may eventually be offered in the spring semester. ‘I think it’s important that we place this unique program in the fall semester and boost the number of students who study abroad in the fall,’ said Leuner, director of SU Abroad in London.

For Safran, it doesn’t make a difference whether the program is in the fall or spring. ‘London is beautiful all year round, and if this program is only going to be offered in the fall, well then I am going to go abroad in the fall,’ she said. ‘I’m excited not just to study abroad but I am excited that the Muslim Cultures program is going to open up my understanding of how different cultures around the world interact.’

Published on March 6, 2007 at 12:00 pm