Home

Current NewsInterviewsBooksPublic LecturesMajalisPictures
Curriculum VitaePublicationsArticlesConference PapersLinksContents

Dr. Liyakat Takim

Dr.Liyakat Takim is the new Sharjah Chair in Global Islam

Liyakat Takim is the new Sharjah Chair in Global Islam. He hopes that by expanding the number of religious studies courses that deal with Islam and reaching out to the community, Muslims will be able to educate both each other and non-Muslims about their religious beliefs.

Liyakat Takim is the new Sharjah Chair in Global Islam. He hopes that by expanding the number of religious studies courses that deal with Islam and reaching out to the community, Muslims will be able to educate both each other and non-Muslims about their religious beliefs. 

New chair examines Islam through modern lens

by Matt Terry
October 06, 2009

McMaster's new Sharjah Chair in Global Islam intends to open up dialogue between all religious groups on campus and dispel some of the myths and misunderstandings about Muslims and their faith.

Ambitious goals, but Liyakat Takim, a native of Toronto who left the University of Denver for the position at McMaster, says that by expanding the number of religious studies courses that deal with Islam and reaching out to the community, Muslims will be able to educate both each other and non-Muslims about their religious beliefs.

"I recognize that there will be many challenges, but there are also many opportunities for growth," said Takim, a former imam. "Those challenges and opportunities are what attracted me to McMaster."

According to Takim, Muslims are in a sort of transitional period - moving from being Muslims in Canada to Canadian Muslims - which presents an ideal opportunity to work at growing an Islamic Studies program. One of his goals is to make McMaster a place that is known, both in academia and in the community-at- large, as a centre for the study of Islam.

The Chair in Global Islam was established in 2008 thanks to a gift of $1 million from His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah.

"Understanding the religions and cultures of the peoples of the world enhances the prospects of global peace and prosperity," he said when his gift was announced.

The goal of the chair's research and scholarly activities is to give students and the community the opportunity to expand their knowledge of the principles, ideals and ethics of Islam, as well as their influence on the development of humanity in many parts of the world. The chair's research will be distinct from others elsewhere in Canada in that it will study and examine Islam through a modern, global lens.

In addition to research, Takim will also be teaching courses in global Islam.

 

 

About Professor Liyakat Takim

Dr. Liyakat takim

 

 

Professor Liyakat Takim is the Sharjah Chair in Global Islam at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. A native of Zanzibar, Tanzania, he has authored more than seventy scholarly works on diverse topics like Islam in America, the indigenization of the Muslim community in America, dialogue in post-911 America, war and peace in the Islamic tradition, the treatment of women in Islamic juridical literature, Islamic law, Islamic biographical literature, reformation in the Islamic world, jihad in Shi‘i law, the charisma of the holy man and shrine culture, Islamic mystical traditions, and various aspects of Shi‘i history and figures. He teaches a wide range of courses on Islam and offers a course on comparative religions.

Professor Takim’s second book titled Shi'ism in America was published by New York University Press in summer 2009. His first book, The Heirs of the Prophet: Charisma and Religious Authority in Shi‘ite Islam was published by SUNY press in 2006. He is currently working on his third book, Ijtihad and Reformation in Islam. Professor Takim is also translating volume four of ‘Allama Tabatabai’s voluminous exegesis of the Qur’an. Professor Takim has taught at several American and Canadian universities and is actively engaged in dialogue with different faith communities. He has also lectured at many institutions in different parts of the world

 

 Click here for detailed profile

Current NewsInterviewsBooksPublic LecturesMajalisPictures
Curriculum VitaePublicationsArticlesConference PapersLinksContents

Contact Information

Dr. Liyakat Takim  e-mail: ltakim@McMaster.ca
 
Sharjah Chair in Global Islam
1280 Main Street West
McMaster University, Religious Studies
University Hall, Room 116
Hamilton, Ontario
Canada, L8S 4K1
Tel:905-525-9140 ext 20521
 

 

Copyright © 2008 Dr. Liyakat Takim (ltakim.com)
Dr. Liyakat Takim  e-mail:    ltakim@McMaster.ca

Website by "Design Solutions by mrj."
Email  webinfo with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 12-Dec-2009