Middle East studies in the News

Muslim Scholar at German University Voices Doubts About Prophet [on Muhammad Sven Kalisch]

by Josh Fischman
The Chronicle of Higher Education
November 16, 2008

http://chronicle.com/news/article/5500/muslim-scholar-at-german-university-voices-doubts-about-prophet

http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/6328

A Muslim scholar at a German university was told to stop teaching secondary-school instructors about Islam after he publicly voiced doubts about whether the Prophet Muhammad really existed.

Muhammad Sven Kalisch, a professor of Islamic theology at the University of Münster, ran a program directed at secondary-school teachers with Muslim students, The Wall Street Journal reported this weekend. The university said it would look for another scholar to do that job when Mr. Kalisch's doubts became public several months ago, after a series of interviews and publications. The university retains him as a professor.

The controversy and headlines began swirling around Mr. Kalisch this past summer, as the news organization Spiegel Online reported in September. Mr. Kalisch, who converted to Islam as a teenager, said in newspaper interviews that he doubted that the historical existence of Muhammad could be proved or disproved, but he leaned towards the latter side. Among things that bothered him, according to the Journal: The first coins bearing an image of the prophet did not appear until decades after the religion did.

Islamic groups in Germany initially embraced Mr. Kalisch's teaching program, but then argued that a person who doubted the fundamental tenets of a religion was not the appropriate person to train other teachers about it. Mr. Kalisch says he will continue his research — and his skepticism — and the university will search for someone else to train teachers. Mr. Kalisch also says that, despite concerns for his safety, he has not received specific threats since publicizing his views.

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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