Please allow me a bit of shameless self promotion. A new book has been published, and I am one of the editors: Africa’s Islamic Experience: History, Culture and Politics. The title is self explanatory. It is a collection of essays that I had the pleasure of working on while a graduate assistant at the Institute of Global Cultural Studies at Binghamton University.
I received my copy in the mail today, totally by surprise. It was sent to me the Institute’s director and founder, distinguished, renowned and sometimes controversial scholar, Ali A. Mazrui. I am sure that professor Mazrui wouldn’t mind my including the adjective “controversial” in a description of him, as he very rarely shies away from taking a stand when he is convinced of its truth. One adjective I didn’t include in that description because it doesn’t define him so much as a scholar as it does a man, is gentlemanly. He showed that countless times since I have known him, and receiving this book today is evidence once again.
I was only involved in this book in the early stages, but I put in a lot of work, both on the conference and on the essays, and was very proud of that work. Anyone who has ever been a graduate student knows that many, perhaps most professors, would not acknowledge a graduate students work in this way, especially so long after he has finished his degree. But Dr. Mazrui is generous in that way. Because he allowed me and other graduate students to participate so centrally in the activities of the Institute and so closely with him, I dare say that my brief time at IGCS was as central to my intellectual development as any course I took and my interactions with most of my other professors.

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New Book: Africa's Islamic Experience