Islamico.co

Islamico is the website of Akbar Ahmed and the team behind Journey into Islam and Journey into America.

Aja Anderson acts as the Editor. Jonathan Hayden and Frankie Martin contribute. Recommended readings, videos and links do not necessarily reflect the views of Akbar Ahmed not should they be considered an endorsement.

The site is dedicated to furthering the discussion of Islam in America, advancing American & global academic & public understanding of Islam; as well as promoting and engaging in interfaith & multi-cultural dialog through educational research, teaching, lectures, seminars & strategic communications.  

The Ibn Khaldun Chair is housed within the AU- School of International Service and is held by Ambassador Akbar Ahmed. Ahmed is recognized internationally for his scholarship, writings & publications. He is seen as “the world’s leading authority on contemporary Islam” according to the BBC. Ambassador Ahmed has served in the Pakistani civil service and also as Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK and Ireland. He has advised the Obama Administration, General David Petraeus, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, Secretary Michael Chertoff & other senior American & foreign government leaders on Islam and related policy issues. His policy advice on these interview programs has made a major impact on government, business, trade institutions, professional associations, Think Tanks, journalists, press & media, students, teachers, researchers and public opinion on Islam throughout the world.

Ambassador Akbar Ahmed

Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, American University in Washington DC, was the High Commissioner of Pakistan to Great Britain. He has advised Prince Charles and met with President George W. Bush, General David Petraeus and Secretary Michael Chertoff on Islam. Ahmed is “the world’s leading authority on contemporary Islam” according to the BBC.Ahmed was appointed in September 2008 as the first Distinguished Chair for Middle East/Islamic Studies at the US Naval Academy and Non-Resident Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution. He is a member of the Board of Regents Subcommittee, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda and Consultant to the first course on Islam organized by the Beth El Synagogue, Bethesda. Ahmed has been Visiting Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton and has taught at Princeton, Harvard and Cambridge Universities. Ahmed was awarded the Honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Liverpool, received his PhD at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London University, MA and Diploma in Education from Cambridge University, and Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honors) from Birmingham University.

Ahmed is currently working on The Top Twenty Troubling Questions Americans have about Islam to be published by Brookings Press. Ahmed was on sabbatical from 2008 through to 2009 conducting a study of American society through the experiences of the Muslim community. He toured the United States with his American assistants and their journey with accompanying film footage can be seen on journeyintoamerica.wordpress.com. A film, Journey Into America, and a book, Journey Into America: The Challenge of Islam, published by Brooking Institution Press (2010), contain the findings.  This is an unprecedented study based in fieldwork of Muslims in America. Ahmed’s book of verse, Suspended Somewhere Between, is published in April 2011.