鈥淎 Jewish-Muslim Friendship in the Twentieth Century Knowledge Trade鈥� - Mostafa Hussein (University of Michigan)
Location:听Ballroom
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The lecture examines the concept of听峁岣�ba听through focusing on the shared passion for acquiring and disseminating Arabo-Islamic knowledge that connected Muslims and Jews in the first half of the twentieth century. Their common interest in preserving, reproducing, and classifying Arabo-Islamic sources, ranging from books to manuscripts, led Abraham Shalom Yahuda, Mu岣mmad Am墨n al-Khanj墨 and Sam墨 al-Kh膩nj墨 into a decades-long interconfessional 峁岣a (collegiality/friendship). It argues that a form of 峁岣a existed between Yahuda and al-Kh膩nj墨s that facilitated the movement of Arabic and Islamic knowledge from the East to the West motivated not only by mutual economic benefit but also by satisfying intellectual and ideological objectives during the听nah岣�a听movement and the colonial era. By reframing 峁岣a in this intellectual context, this lecture highlights its role in the complex interplay between cultural exchange and the formation of modern nationalist identity.
Mostafa Hussein is an assistant professor of Jewish-Muslim Studies in the Judaic Studies Department at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His scholarship offers fresh perspectives on Jewish-Muslim intersectionalities, shedding light on the complex cultural and historical interconnections between these communities. Dr. Hussein鈥檚 recently published book听Hebrew Orientalism: Jewish Engagement with Arabo-Islamic Culture in Late Ottoman and British Palestine听(Princeton University Press, 2025) is shortlisted for the 75th National Jewish Book Award. Dr. Hussein is also the co-editor (with Brahim El Guabli) of听Remembering Jews in Maghrebi and Middle Eastern Media听(Penn State University Press, September 2024).
With support from the Office of Provost and Executive Vice-President. Co-Sponsored by the Institute of Islamic Studies.
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