Participants will learn the fundamentals and history of Islam.

LEWISTON – Americans have become more interested in Islam after the events of 9/11 thrust the cultural and religious tradition into the minds of many who had previously given it little attention. With the arrival of the Somali community in Lewiston, local residents have also become more interested in learning about Islam.

In response to this interest, the University of Southern Maine’s L-A College will offer a course in the fall semester titled “Islam in the West: Post 9/11, Between Clash and Culture.”

The course will go beyond the distortions in the public mind caused by Islamic extremists and study the fundamentals of true Islam, its growth, its emergence in the West, including early migrations to America, and the important contributions made by Muslim scholars to science and the Renaissance.

It will also look at conflicts within Islam caused by the rise of extremism and the struggles Muslims have had with reconciling their traditions and practices with the American way of life.

The instructor will be Najiim Animashaun, a member of the Islamic Society of Portland and a local historian on Islamic history in the West. A practicing attorney, he earned his law degree from the University of Buckingham in England.

He also graduated from the Nigerian Law School and was admitted to the Bar there. Animashaun has also earned a graduate degree from USM’s Muskie School of Public Policy.

The class (HUM 299) offered through the Arts and Humanities program, is scheduled for 7 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays beginning Sept. 4. Registration for this and other courses is open and will continue through the first week of classes.

Members of the public are invited to register, and anyone who has questions about course requirements is encouraged to call 753-6500 and ask to speak to an adviser. A complete listing of all fall courses at LAC is online at usm.maine.edu/lac.