Undergraduate
Voices
DISC students are not only engaged in learning about Islamic Studies, they are also involved in contributing to public discourse on Islam and Muslims.
LATEST STUDENT WRITINGS AND BLOGS, ETC.:
View Student Documentary Films on Muslim life and Islamic Studies at Duke
Students enrolled in the Fall 2008 semester of Arab Society and Culture in Film (AALL/AMES 145) produced documentary films on Muslim life and Islamic Studies at Duke. The first film, Unveiling the Duke Arabic Program, explores the history of Duke's Arabic language program and how the program has changed and grown in recent years. In A Vilified Identiy: American Perceptions of the Arab World, the student filmmakers examine US perceptions of Muslims and Islams. To view these films, click on the titles below.
Unveiling the Duke Arabic Program, produced by Tyler Huffman, Megan Shelton and Andrew Simon
A Vilified Identity: American Perceptions of the Arab World, produced by Milton Gilder, Terrence Molinari, Steven Schmulenson, and Asad Sheikh
"Barack Beat on the Middle East": A student blog on the Obama administration's US foreign policy in the Middle East and the Muslim world
Shortly after the inauguration of President Barack Obama, Duke students launched a new blog to promote awareness, discussion, and reflection about U.S. policies and relations in the Middle East and the broader Muslim world.
Students participate in January 2009 forum: "Exodus: A Sudanese Refugee's Story--Nyoul Tong"
Featured Speaker: Nyuol Tong was born in 1991 during the Second Sudanese civil war, in Bahr el Ghazal, a border region that separates Northern and Southern Sudan. His earliest memories include his family ordeal in the civil war, conflict with the militia and family exodus. Tong shared his personal ordeal and perspectives on the future of Sudan.
Commentator: Maab Ibrahim, a freshman at Duke, is both a Reginaldo Howard and Baldwin Scholar. She offers her perspective as a African-Arab Sudanese American. Her unique perspective of the Sudanese identity and race relations has evolved from visits to Northern Sudan each summer and academic research projects. Her father currently resides in Khartoum.
Moderator: Steve Schmulenson is a junior at Duke majoring in Arabic and International and Comparative studies with a focus on the Middle East.
"Beyond Burkas," David Graham, Duke Chronicle (7/8/08):
David Graham (T' 09) will be the first recipient of an Undergraduate Certificate in Islamic Studies. David spent the summer of 2008 as an intern in the United Arab Emirates, working with The National, a newly launched English-language paper that aims to be the Wall Street Journal of the Persian Gulf. In "Beyond Burkas" David reflects on his decision to pursue an Islamic Studies Certificate and his experiences working in the UAE. Read "Beyond Burkas"
DUKE ENGAGE CAIRO 2008 BLOGS: Everyone has something to say:
In 2008, 10 students participated in our DukeEngage Cairo program. Read more about their Cairo experiences on the Cairo group blog, or click on their names to read individual blog entries: Dylan Arnould, Brittany Brock, Tina Carter, Jonathan Cross, Kristen Gall, Becca Hubbard, Elizabeth Linzer, Neena Makam, Katricia Smith, and Cosette Wong.
"VISITING SAUDI ARABIA," Maya Robinson, Duke Chronicle, April 23, 2008:
Maya Robinson traveled to Saudi Arabia in Feb 2008 as part of the Jeddah Economic Forum Educational Exchange. "While waiting for Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 20 to depart from JFK, I was handed a black abaya and matching veil. I felt a mixture of emotions as amorphous as the formless garment. ... I felt excitement and curiosity about the cultural exchange I was about to experience." Click here to read more of Maya's reflection on the visit and see her photos.
"ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN YEMEN, " Andrew Simon, Duke Chronicle, April 22, 2008
Andrew Simon reflects on what he learned in Yemen about the meaning of civic engagement. Read more of Andrew's article . . .
Sound Bites
Asian and Middle Eastern Studies: AMES on YouTube
AMES has created the al-lisaan al-Arabi site, a collection of oral interviews conducted in Arabic by Mbaye Bashir Lo of Duke University. The videos feature Duke Arabic students and native Arabic speakers. The videos expose those interested in Arabic to a variety of assessed samples that reflects the diversity within the uniqueness of the Arabic language, or Al-lisaan Al-Arabi, as it is traditionally called.
STUDENT PROFILES
YASMINA CHERGUI (T'11): As a studemt in spring 2009 Muslim Cultures Focus, Yasmina traveled to Saudi Arabia as a participant in the Jeddah Economic Forum Education Exchange. This groundbreaking student exchange program brought 11 Saudi Arabian students to Duke and sent 10 Duke students Saudi Arabia. While in Saudi Arabia, the students attended the 2008 Jeddah Economic Forum.
"When I stepped off the airplane at the airport in Jeddah, I had to pinch my arm to convince myself that, after all the suspense, visa tribulations and uncertainties, I was actually in Saudi Arabia. I knew immediately that I was “not in Kansas anymore.” Read more of Yasmina's reflections on Saudi Arabia . . . .
STUDENT VOICES
Isabelle Figaro reflects on her experiences in Yemen: "[These young women] have opened their home to me, fed me, showed me how to dress like a Yemenia and pray like a Muslim. They have let me into their personal experiences . . . I have grown to love these young women and girls dearly and will miss them more than any experience I've had in Yemen." Read more of Isabelle's posting . . .