Aymen Abdel Halim teaches "Media and Islam" at DePaul University this Winter

Are you a student at DePaul? Are you interested in the media and issues relating to Islam and Muslims? Well, you're in luck! CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator, Aymen Abdel Halim, will be teaching a course titled "The Media and Islam" as part of the Islamic World Studies Program at DePaul University in the winter 2013 quarter. This course will offer students the opportunity to examine media portrayals of Islam and Muslims in U.S. news media and pop culture via radio, print, online, film, and TV.

Media and communications theory will serve as a framework for analysis and critique of media portrayals of Islam and Muslims. Students will also investigate these portrayals by referring to various social, historical, and political contexts with a focus on contemporary societal issues.

More specifically, the course pairs media pieces with academic writing to stimulate analysis and critique of media representations Islam and Muslims as they relate to: U.S. domestic and foreign policy, news media coverage, popular culture, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, and American Muslims.

The course is presented in a three-hour, weekly seminar format and stresses reading, discussion and class participation. Written requirements are a midterm essay (assigned two weeks before due date) and a final media research paper or creative project on an approved topic of choice. There are no exams or quizzes.

In a time when we are inundated with media depictions of Islam and Muslims, it is important to study this phenomena and discuss its potential effects. Don't miss this great opportunity!

IWS 327: Media & Islam Class # 26095 Mondays from 6pm-9pm Class starts January 7, 2013