The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is requiring incoming freshmen and transfer students to read a book about the Koran for a special two-hour seminar of 30 students per class. The class would involve students reading and discussing parts of the book and passages from the Koran itself, while contrasting those passages with other texts, namely the Bible. Koranic study, however, is a topic that requires a significantly higher level of instruction than one two-hour block. This assignment, which entails a written response, is inappropriate given the context of the seminar as an introductory level discussion group.
The issue of UNC's decision to assign the book, "Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations," by Haverford College Professor Michael A. Sells, has been the source of nationwide controversy. Campus Christian organizations have protested and even sued UNC over the book's use in the university program, claiming it is proselytizing Islam while ignoring the controversial aspects of the religion. A court ruled in favor of the university, prompting the school's Chancellor James C. Moeser to claim that the book was "yeast for the bread of discussion."
It is certainly true that a high-minded discussion comparing religious texts in an academic atmosphere is invaluable to a student's intellectual development. UNC's reading program, though created with the best of intentions, will not stimulate the type of discussion for which university officials are hoping. More than a two-hour seminar is needed to facilitate and execute high-minded discussion and a thorough examination of material as dense as the Koran.
If UNC is seeking the most effective study of the Koran, a World Civilization-style forum - in which the focus of study is materials such as the Koran - is better suited for a comprehensive comparison and analysis than a short seminar. The program, as it stands, seems to be no more than a manufactured panel setting. Historical, theological, political and philosophical texts like the Koran require systemic analysis and in-depth discussion spread over the course of at least a semester.
Another issue, which lessens the credibility of this particular program as well as the university as a whole, is the appearance of placation and political correctness for the sake of cultivating an image. No person, much less an academic institution, wishes to be branded as intolerant, but this is the wrong way to create a positive image. It is dangerous to be ignorant about relevant issues such as Islam's place in the world, but it is equally dangerous to be misinformed or incompletely educated. The setting used by UNC is not conducive to a thorough examination of Islam, and even though it inspires debate, any resolution is not likely to be as thought out as it needs to be.
Context is paramount in education, and it is especially important in social analysis. The study of the Koran falls into both categories. If UNC is intent on having a program that examines religious influence in America and the world, they need to have a more comprehensive approach. Classes geared toward the study of theological texts and their impact on societies are important in any liberal arts education, but they should be classes, not limited seminars that try to cover too much in too little time. In short, empty lip service is no substitute to the proper instructional setting required to give justice to material of this magnitude.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
