Partnerships | Islam in the West Program

About the Islam in the West program

The Islam in the West Program, directed by Dr. Jocelyne Cesari is a transatlantic initiative based in Paris and Harvard University that has existed since 2002 and joined the Center for Transatlantic Relations at SAIS in June 2010.

Program objectives:

• Increase knowledge of Muslim minorities in secular and democratic contexts in the West and shed light on their positions vis-à-vis the Muslim world at large
• Establish a systematic comparison between Muslims in Europe and Muslims in America
• Create an innovative interdisciplinary approach that can properly address the complexity of Islam in the West
• Provide scholars from across disciplines, in the U.S. and Europe with research experience, resources and guidance on contemporary Islam and Muslims in different contexts
• Provide resources for government administrations, teachers, civil servants, politicians, media, etc. to promote greater understanding of Islam and Muslims in the West
• Contribute to the public debate on Islam by disseminating cutting edge information on Islam, Secularism, Human Rights

The Islam in the West Program has produced a major resource for increasing understanding of American Muslims in the Encyclopedia of Islam in the United States.

Recent edited volume: Muslims in the West After 9/11: Religion, Law and Politics (Routledge, 2010).

Influencing public opinion:
The Islam in the West Program coordinates and manages a network of scholars across Europe who provide on a weekly basis an update of information, events, research, and publications on Islam and Muslims in Europe and in the U.S. which is posted on www.euro-islam.info  and considered as the site of reference for Islam in the West.

The Islamopedia online Initiative, created in 2009 with the help of a Carnegie Grant, is a unique interactive web-based that offers a coherent, comprehensive, and interactive location for the wide range of current opinions, debates and interpretations on Islamic Religion that are currently scattered in different publications and websites. This resource will cater to the needs of lay Muslims, scholars of Islam, representatives from the media, and policymakers around the world, thus contributing simultaneously to academic, pedagogic, and civic goals.

For further information, visit http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/research/iw