Islamic Voices
This series celebrates the diversity of contemporary Muslim music and its power to foster intercultural understanding. It features Tunisian singer Emel Mathlouthi with songs of the Arab Spring, Islamic hip hop artists on the concept of "Muslim Cool," and a free conversation with best-selling writer Reza Aslan.
2016-17 Live Context Events: Islamic Voices
Student Event | Music and Mass Movements
Wed, October 5, 12:00pm
The Markaz: Resource Center
Emel Mathlouthi joins Stanford students and faculty for a conversation about the role of her music in the Arab Spring and about her career as a Muslim woman and independent artist in the music industry.
Pre-show Talk | Songs of Revolution
Wed, October 5, 6:30pm
Bing Concert Hall
Professor Ramzi Salti, host of the podcast Arabology, and Professor Joel Beinin set the stage for Emel Mathlouthi by discussing the Tunisian Revolution, how it launched the Arab Spring, and how her music became its soundtrack.
Performance | Emel Mathouthi
Wed, October 5, 7:30pm
Bing Concert Hall
The "voice of the Tunisian revolution" brings her songs of the Arab Spring to Bing Concert Hall
Student Event | Chai Chat with Su'ad Abdul-Khabeer
Thu, October 13, 4:00pm
The Markaz: Resource Center
Su’ad Abdul-Khabeer—hip hop scholar, performer, and author of the forthcoming book Muslim Cool: Race, Religion, Hip Hop in the United States—moderates an open conversation with Stanford community about black Muslim womanhood in America.
Talk + Performance | Hip-Hop, Street Art, and the Muslim Cool
Fri, October 14, 5:30pm
McMurtry Building, Oshman Hall
Part panel conversation, part hip-hop performance, this event explores forms of cultural expression that push back against dominant ideas about Muslim identity. Moderated by Prof. Sammy Alim with performers Su'ad Abdul Khabeer, Mark Gonzales, and The Narcicyst.
Public Talk | Reza Aslan on Islam and the Arts
Mon, October 17, 6:00pm
Bing Concert Hall
Best-selling writer and cultural commentator Reza Aslan joins Stanford’s Umbreen Bhatti (host and producer of Kaleidoscope: Reflections On Islam) to explore current American relations with the wider Muslim world and opportunities that the arts offer for bridging perspectives.
Stanford University Resources
The Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies
The Markaz: Resource Center
Arabology (radio show on KZSU 90.1FM and podcast)
Suggested Reading
Muslim Cool: Race, Religion, and Hip Hop in the United StatesBy Su’ad Abdul Khabeer
Rebel Music: Race, Empire, and the New Muslim Youth Culture
By Hisham D. Aidi
Rock the Casbah: Range and Rebellion Across the Islamic World
By Robin Wright
No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam
By Reza Aslan
Who Speaks for Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think
By John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed