Summer School: Muslims in the West

Mohammad Reyaz, a final year journalism student from Jamia Millia Islamia, is among fifteen students selected from across the world to attend an International Summer School on “Muslims in the West” being organized at Erfurt University, Germany.

Reyaz, a student of final year MA Convergent Journalism course at Anwar Jamal Kidwai-Mass Communication Research Centre, has been selected to participate in the workshop being organized by the Chair of Islamic Studies at the University of Erfurt, Germany from 14 to 29 August 2010.



Mohammad Reyaz would be one of the fifteen young scholars from different countries to participate in this cultural exchange. Mr Reyaz, currently a student of convergent journalism at MCRC has also done his BA (Hons.) in English from Jamia, said JMI media coordinator.

The Summer School will be chaired by Prof. Jamal Malik, Chair of Islamic Studies, University of Erfurt. The University of Erfurt has been engaged in debates on areas of current relevance such as “Islam and the West”. The two week workshop to be held in August on “Muslims in the West” will address contemporary debates related to the subject and the programme will be spread across four different sessions.



Besides the creation and consolidation of a permanent basis for a dialogue, the goal of the workshop is to provide the possibility to directly experience the pluralistic structure of Islam in the European context, not just between Muslims and non-Muslims, but also among Muslims themselves.

The educational component of the Summer School will also be accompanied by a rich cultural programme and excursions to Weimar and Berlin.

'Stone' Kasab

Tomorrow is the Judgment day for the lone alive 26/11 accused Ajmal Kasab. He might be thinking of the Qamayat- the Final judgment day. What was simple act of terrorism for all Indians and the world at large, for him and his mentors sitting across the border (perhaps also for some in the country) it was an act of martyrdom- Jihad as they call it.

But since his acts were motivated by his interpretation of Islam, he should be punished in the classic way as preached in Islam. It is wrong for the media or citizens to influence the Judgment, I would like to advice Judge M L Tahaliyani to order to 'stone him to death' by general public, especially by the relatives of those killed in the terror attacks.

I wish and pray that good sense and Islam prevails in this case, and the court is willing to deviate from the Constitution to follow classic Islamic method of prosecution.