The Graduate Certificate for Imams and Community Leadership, and academic collaboration in general between IIIT and Hartford Seminary, moved a significant step forward with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on October 3. The Memorandum formalized earlier agreements which defined and regulated the offering of courses in the pilot graduate certificate program.

The Memorandum was signed by IIIT vice president Dr. Jamal Barzinji and Hartford Seminary president Dr. Heidi Hadsell. Present at the meeting and the signing ceremony were ...

On the evening of Wednesday, August 24th, 2011, IIIT held its 5th Annual Friends of IIIT Iftar/Dinner on the premises of IIIT. The event brought together about a hundred scholars, interfaith leaders, politicians and Imams representing universities, interfaith groups and Islamic centers in the metropolitan Washington area.

The four- hour program featured the Annual Isma’il al Faruqi Memorial Lecture delivered by Dr. Charles Butterworth, Professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland and specialist in Arabic language and Islamic Political Philosophy. Professor Butterworth spoke on “Reading the Qur’an”, reflecting on its awesome linguistic complexity, the outsider/insider perspectives in approaching the Qur’an, and the continuity of its message in relation to earlier revealed scriptures. At the dinner that followed Governor John Sununu, former Chief of Staff at the White House for President George Bush, Sr. delivered keynote remarks. Governor Sununu reminded the audience of the utmost importance of engagement in the political process, particularly in the coming election year, and counseled them to stay united as they seek their rights within this process...

Three IIIT books in Arabic have been translated and published into the Azeri language: 1) Tajdid al Mawqif al Islami - Muhammad Sharif Ahmad 2) Kayf Nat'amal ma' al Sunnah al Nabawiya (Approaching the Sunna) - Yousuf Al Qaradawi 3) Ma'alim al Manhaj al Islami - Muhammad Imara. 

On Friday July 22^nd, IIIT celebrated the completion of its 5^th annual Summer Program in Islamic Studies with the graduation of fifteen students. The program, which ran for six weeks between June 13 and July 22, included instruction in core courses such as Qur’an and Sunna, Islamic History and Civilization, Islamic Jurisprudence, Contemporary Islamic Thought, and Muslim World Affairs. In addition, four seminars were offered focusing on...

IIIT held its concluding session of the 4^th Annual Summer Institute for Scholars on Wednesday July 20, 2011. The Summer Institute began in 2008; its theme is a Contemporary Understanding of Qur’an and Sunna. This year’s program, which ran between July 11 and July 20, focused on Iftaa and Fatwas: the Challenges of Authority, Legitimacy and Relevance. More than forty scholars, intellectuals, community leaders and graduate and undergraduate students participated in different parts of the program, beside IIIT executives and staff. Participating scholars included ...

IIIT organized the first of a series of on-day seminars on American Muslim identity on Saturday, May 7^th, 2011. The seminar, entitled “American Muslim Identity: Contexts, Dynamics, challenges & Prospects”, brought together twenty five scholars, intellectuals, experts and community leaders from diverse academic backgrounds, professions and community organizations. The rationale behind the seminar stems from a realization of the depth – and magnitude – of the current crises that engulf Muslim presence – and participation – in American society and their manifestations in the internal dynamics – and institutions - of the American Muslim community on one hand, and their participation in American politics and culture at large, on the other...

On Monday, July 11^th, 2011, IIIT launched the 4^th annual Summer Institute for Scholars at its offices in Herndon, Virginia, with the participation of more than thirty scholars, intellectuals, community leaders and graduate students. The focus of this year’s Institute is “Iftaa and Fatwa in the Muslim World and the West: the Challenges of Authority, legitimacy and Relevance”...

IIIT launched its 5^th annual Summer Students Program in Islamic Studies for graduate and senior undergraduate students on June 13, 2011. This year’s program offers five core courses in Islamic studies including Quran and Sunna, Islamic History and Civilization, Contemporary Islamic Thought, Islamic Jurisprudence and Muslim World Affairs. In addition, four seminars covering Islamic Reform movements, Islamic Finance, Faith-Based Entrepreneurship and Muslim organizations will be offered...

On Friday, June 10, 2011 Professor James Jones, Professor of Religion and African studies at Manhattanville College, New York, delivered a lecture at IIIT on the challenges of Islam to and in the United States. The major thesis of his presentation was that the current contentious clash between Islam and the West is being played out both in American foreign policy and domestic affairs. The situation – he contends - is not likely to be resolved positively unless each side understands and begins to deal with the role of victimhood in how they behave in reaction to the latest aggressive act from the other side...