As this challenging semester comes to an end, all of us at CMENAS, GISC, and DISC want to wish you and yours a happy holiday season and a joyous New Year.
We would like to extend a hearty thank you to all of you who helped us make our online programming a success with record attendance. This semester we hosted a robust colloquium on the tenth anniversary of the Arab Spring, a remote reprise of the Muslim Horror Film Festival #Halaloween, an eye-opening panel about Muslims in Comics, and an intimate conversation with Syrian-American hip-hop artist Omar Offendum.
In partnership with you, we have been able to bring the world into people's homes right here in Michigan, making the restrictions of lockdown more bearable. We have also been able to honor our commitment to promoting deep knowledge about and appreciation for the history, politics, and cultures of Muslims worldwide, and in the Middle East and North Africa. As you contemplate your 2020 charitable contributions, please consider supporting our CMENAS, GISC, and DISC programs so that we can continue this valuable work.
Here's to a historic Covid vaccine in 2021 and travel adventures to come! We look forward to more opportunities next semester to bring the history, politics, and cultures of Muslims and the Middle Eastern and North African region to life. Be well and safe, and see you as soon as possible!
Kind regards,
Samer Ali
Director, Global Islamic Studies Center (GISC) and
Center for Middle Eastern & North African Studies (CMENAS)
Associate Professor, Department of Middle East Studies
University of Michigan
Pauline Jones,
Director, Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum (DISC)
Professor, Department of Political Science
University of Michigan
