Each Saturday from Feb. 24 to Apr. 21 the non-profit Islamic outreach organization Olive Tree Education will offer the course Introduction to Islam to both Muslims and non-Muslims at Vanderbilt.
This marks professor Awadh Binhazim's fifth year teaching the course and the third year since the course moved from Tennessee State University to Vanderbilt.
Binhazim, who is also the president of Olive Tree Education, said Vanderbilt is a good place to hold the class due to the technological resources, facilities and increased seating space.
He also said the neutral university setting draws participants from Vanderbilt and the city at large, whereas classes at community parishes tend to only draw from within the specific communities.
"Having class at Vanderbilt provides for the Vanderbilt community a chance to come and learn without having to go anywhere else," he said.
Member of Olive Tree Education and graduate student Nuruddeen Lewis said the course has a dual purpose that caters to both Muslims and non-Muslims, which have been equally represented in the class over the years.
"The Muslims are trying to further their understandings of Islam and how to present Islam to the public," she said. "The non-Muslims don't know much about the religion but are interested and taking steps to learn about it."
According to the President of the Muslim Student Association Emadaldine Elsamadicy, the MSA is co-sponsoring the course with Olive Tree Education in hopes that the course will help integrate and unite the diverse students at Vanderbilt and also help students actively see Muslims as part of the community.
"What people don't know is that Islam is more than a religion. For Muslims, Islam is a culture and a way of life," he said.
As an additional incentive for students, a 50 percent discount is offered to all students with a valid form of student identification. Vanderbilt students have shown an interest in the class.
"This year it appears that a lot of Vandy students have enrolled," Binhazim said. "I think so far about 20 Vanderbilt students have signed up."
The course covers a variety of subject matter beginning with terminology and semantics and proceeding through the history of Islam. Specific topics include the pillars of Islam, contributions of Muslims in history, the Quran, the role of the prophet Muhammed, common misconceptions regarding Islam and contemporary issues of Islam.
"Given that Islam is always in the media - television, radio, newspapers - and sometimes is not always portrayed in the correct light, this course gives people a real opportunity to get a real understanding of Islam," Lewis said.
The main focus of Olive Tree Education is the proliferation of quality education and accurate awareness to the public about Islam and also to offer a forum where both Muslims and non-Muslims can attend short educational courses on Islam.
In the future, the organization hopes to offer courses on Islam and Arabic for college credit.
Lewis said almost every weekend a member of Olive Tree Education visits different groups throughout Nashville to speak about Islam.
"We are trying to bring understanding about Islam to Tennessee for those who have no other outlet to learn about Islamic studies," Binhazim said.
