Inspired by the tremendous solidarity and social action provoked in movements such as #NoBanNoWall, #BlackLivesMatter, #BDS, #PrayForQuebec, #WhyIMarch, #LoveIsLove, #WaterIsLife, this year’s symposium seeks to bring together woke artists, activists, and intellectuals to share perspectives, draw inspiration, and explore the nuances of Islamic Studies in the Trumpocene from the the challenges and opportunities that are arising across its vast relationships in a diverse range of paper presentations, storytelling, talks, and lectures.

Thursday, April 13 • Koessler Room, Michigan League

Muslim Democratic Politics in the Trumpocene

10-10:30 am » Coffee / Opening Comments

10:30-10:50 am » CHANTAL TETREAULT, FARHA ABBASI, and SARA TAHIR, Michigan State University » “American Muslim Women’s Ethical Labor in Post-Election United States”

10:50-11:10 am » SAMUEL KIGAR, Duke University » “States, Statelessness, and the Shape of Muslim Politics to Come: A Methodological Reflection”

11:10-11:30 am » Q & A

[12-1 pm » Lunch Break]

Storytelling and Arts in the Trumpocene

1-1:20 pm » ZAIN SHAMOON, Narratives of Pain » “Storytelling as the Unapologetic Reclamation”

1:20-1:40 pm » ASEEL MACHI, Islamic Insights » “Telling My Parent’s Story and My Own”

1:40-2 pm » NAMA KHALIL, University of Michigan » “What the Hell is Going On? (mixed media, on wood)”

2-2:20 pm » IRINA BONDARENKO, University of Michigan » “Lullaby for a Refugee (ceramic sculpture)”

2:20-2:40 pm » Public Discussion and Artist Meet & Greet

[3-3:30 pm » Coffee & Snack Break]

3:30- 5 pm » Keynote Lecture by DENISE A. SPELLBERG, University of Texas at Austin » “Thomas Jefferson and Islam: Founding American History Lessons in the Era of Trump”

Friday, April 14 • Michigan Room, Michigan League

Islamophobia and Intersectional Politics

12-12:20 pm » Fatma Kalpaklı, Selcuk University » “Judeophobia and Islamophobia in Sunshine and My Name is Khan”

12:20-12:40 pm » Iman Sedique, Northwestern University » “The Many Shades of Islamophobia: The Intersection of Race and a Racialized Muslim Identity”

12:40-1 pm » MOHAMMED ISHTIAQ and LEENAH SAFI, Felicity Foundation » “Muslim Chaplaincy During the Trumpocene: Reflections from the Felicity Foundation at the University of Michigan”

1-1:15 pm » Q & A

[1:15-2 pm » Lunch]

2-3:10 pm » Jummah (Anderson Room, Michigan Union)

Praxis Roundtable: Healing, Designing & Organizing in the Age of Trump

3:20-3:40 pm » BABAR QADRI, HUDA Clinic » “Healing and Community Development with HUDA Clinic & Urban Garden in Detroit”

3:40-4 pm » FATIMA SALMAN, Michigan Muslim Community Council, Between the Lines on 910 AM Radio » “Reflections on Intersectional Praxis and Social Work”

4-4:20 pm » RAZI JAFRI and MARTIN CURRAN » “Modeling an Ideal Suburban and Urban Reality Through Human-centered Design in the Era of Trump”

4:20-4:45 pm » Q & A

[4:45-5 pm: Coffee Break]

5-6:30 pm » Keynote Lecture by EMILIO SPADOLA, Colgate University » “Is there a Muslim Body? Reflections on a Moving Target”

[6:30-7 pm: Dinner]

7-8 pm » Music Performances by Zawiya 31 (Indie) and Divine Providence (Jazz)


Sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies Seminar with support from the following U-M units: Arab and Muslim American Studies, Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies, Center for South Asian Studies, Department of Anthropology, Department of Near Eastern Studies, Islamic Studies Program. Additional support from Felicity Foundation, Huda Clinic, Narratives of Pain, and Between the Lines with Fatima Salman on 910 AM Radio.

For any questions, contact: Saquib Ali Usman, IISS Coordinator / susman@umich.edu / 248.767.9303