Islamic Expressions in Art, Culture, and Literature

Abstract

The Fourteenth Annual Conference of The American Council
for the Study of islamic Societies, held on May 2 and 3, 1997,
at The Connelly Center, Villanova University, Villanova, PA
The American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies (ACSIS), is
one of the oldest continuing organizations in the United States that focuses
specifically on Muslim states, societies, and the problems confronting
Muslim communities throughout the world. Composed of American and
foreign scholars, non-Muslims as well as Muslims, ACSIS encompasses
the full range of humanities and social science disciplines. The represented
disciplines include the familiar areas of political science, history,
linguistics, philosophy, religion, economics, anthropology, international
relations, and sociology; moreover, artists, musicians, media specialists,
poets, folklorists, architects, agronomists, bankers, educators, and business
consultants are involved in the Council‘s work. Along with this professional
diversity, ACSIS has always taken special pride in providing a
forum for younger and innovative students to present their ideas and
research and encouraging them to publish
True to these founding goals, the Board of Directors chose “Cultural,
Artistic, and Popular Expressions in Islam” as the theme for this conference.
Papers on Muslim works from the Americas, Europe, South Asia,
China, Africa, and the heartlands of the ummah were solicited. The call
for papers also struck new directions for ACSIs-seeking music and
performance presentations, calligraphy, textile art, film and animation,
calligraphy, cuisine, and other original formats different from the standard
confenmce panel modes. The Board also designated long-time
member Weston F. Cook, Jr. as program chair and organizer. Dr. Dale F.
Eickelman of Dartmouth College, currently a scholar-in-residence at the ...