Ahmed Idrissi Alami and Lynne Dahmen
Ahmed Idrissi Alami, associate professor of Arabic, and Lynne Dahmen, part-time lecturer in the School of Languages and Cultures, collaborated with the West Lafayette Public Library (WLPL) to secure the Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys collection for the library in 2013. A project of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf is a curated collection of books, DVDs, and programming resources to help the American public become more familiar with Muslim beliefs, practices, and heritage. These works have become a permanent and well-circulated part of the library’s collection.
Both Ahmed, who chairs the Department of American Sign Language, Arabic, Classics, Hebrew, and Italian, and Lynne, who also works in the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research and Partnerships, helped develop the WLPL’s successful application for participation in the Muslim Journeys project. The library was selected not only to receive the Muslim Journeys collection, but also to receive the Let’s Talk About It: Muslim Journeys grant in 2013 and 2014 as one of 125 libraries and state humanities councils nationwide. The library hosted two five-part series of scholar-led discussions to encourage community conversations about the issues and themes presented in the Muslim Journeys collection.
Their efforts to increase dialogue across communities continue, and they will work again with WLPL this fall with a planned showing of Ambassador Akbar Ahmed’s recent film Journey into Europe: Islam, Immigration, and Identity, which explores Islam in Europe and the place of Islam in European history and civilization. In the film, shot across the continent in countries such as Germany, the U.K., France, Spain, and Bosnia, we hear from some of Europe’s most prominent figures, including presidents and prime ministers, archbishops, chief rabbis, grand muftis, heads of political parties, and everyday Europeans from a variety of backgrounds.
Congratulations, Dr. Idrissi Alami and Dr. Dahmen!
David A. Reingold
Justin S. Morrill Dean
College of Liberal Arts