Middle East studies in the News

The University of Michigan-Dearborn's Center for Arab-American Studies Says Jerusalem Is Located In "Palestine" [also, UM-Ann Arbor Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies calls Detroit "The Islamic City"]

by Jonathan Schwartz
Anti-Racist Blog
November 12, 2007

http://antiracistblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/university-of-michigan-dearborns-center.html

http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/4422

The University of Michigan-Dearborn's Center for Arab-American Studies website caught the attention of a few Anti-Racist Blog readers. Under the "Collaborations and Networking" section of the website, the Center talks about a program it held last year entitled:

"Connecting Dearborn and Jerusalem: Collaborative American and Arab American Studies Programs" with Al-Quds University.

This program apparently held classes both in Dearborn, as well as at Al-Quds University, which is located in the Israeli city of Jerusalem.

However, the Center for Arab-American Studies apparently has a different view of geography, and reality. The website states:

American and Arab American Studies Institutes-Jerusalem and Dearborn
October 12-23, 2006, Dearborn, Michigan USA
June 4-8, 2006, Jerusalem, Palestine

In other University of Michigan news, some readers were also surprised by the title of a recently held lecture on campus. The following information was listed on The University of Michigan's "Diversity Matters" website:

Detroit, The Islamic City: Middle Eastern Cities Colloquium
Time: 3:00 PM
Location Chemistry Building, Room 1400
Sponsor: Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies

Anti-Racist Blog is all for diversity, but imagine the uproar if a lecture was titled "Detroit, The Christian City." I doubt a University department would sponsor that presentation.

Besides teaching that Jerusalem is a city in "Palestine," and that Detroit is an Islamic city, Anti-Racist Blog wonders what else The University of Michigan is teaching its students about the Middle East?

Note: Articles listed under "Middle East studies in the News" provide information on current developments concerning Middle East studies on North American campuses. These reports do not necessarily reflect the views of Campus Watch and do not necessarily correspond to Campus Watch's critique.

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