Craig Considine (academic)

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Craig Michael Considine
Born1985
Needham, Massachusetts, United States
NationalityAmerican
Alma materAmerican University (BA)

Royal Holloway, University of London (MSc)

Trinity College Dublin (PhD)
Occupation(s)Christian commentator, scholar and author on Islam
Websitehttps://drcraigconsidine.com

Craig Michael Considine (born 10 June 1985) is an American author, scholar, and a faculty member of the Department of Sociology at Rice University.[1] Considine has written six books on Islamic studies, and on interfaith dialogue and Christian-Muslim relations. In 2020 he received the Sarah A. Burnett Teaching Prize in the Social Sciences from Rice University.[2] He is a Roman Catholic.[3]

Life and career[edit]

Birth and family[edit]

Craig Considine was born in 1985 and spent his childhood in Needham, Massachusetts. He is of Irish and Italian descent.[3] As a college student, he wanted to study Arabic and become an intelligence agent, so that he could spy on ‘bad’ Muslims. At the time, he had never even met a Muslim, and admitted to having fallen into the ‘Islamophobia trap.’[4] In his youth, Considine attended the Catholic school Saint Bartholomew's Church and the Needham Public Schools system. In 2001, Considine first experienced discrimination against the Muslim community. On the day the World Trade Center was hit, his class was told that it was a terrorist attack. And on the days following this event, Considine overheard his schoolmates saying, ‘Down with Muslims.’ According to him, this was not something he could stand by.[5]

Education[edit]

After graduating from Needham High School in 2003, Considine attended American University, where he pursued a Bachelor of Arts in International relations. As an undergraduate student, he worked closely under Professor Akbar Ahmed, the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies in the School of International Service. Ahmed viewed Considine as one of his best students. According to Considine, his relationship with his professor helped him see the importance of interfaith dialogue within the Abrahamic tradition. Later, the two would collaborate on the Journey into America documentary film.[5]

Considine moved to London after finishing his undergraduate degree. There, he studied for a master's in science in International Relations at the Royal Holloway, University of London. He graduated in 2008, then joined Ahmed to work on the documentary.[5]

In 2011, Considine entered Trinity College Dublin to pursue a PhD in the Department of Sociology.[1] While undertaking his PhD research, Considine also took on the role of Editor for the Trinity College Dublin Journal of Postgraduate Research. He oversaw the creation of Volume 11, entitled Ireland's Research on the World Stage.[6] Along with this, he worked on his PhD thesis, which focused on the experiences of young Pakistani men in Dublin and Boston. The manuscript was accepted and published in 2014.[7] Considine graduated in 2015.

After finishing his PhD, Considine moved to Houston, where he took a job as a lecturer in Rice University's Department of Sociology, where he continues to teach.[1] His classes focus on self-directed learning and experiential learning. In previous years, Considine provided no assigned readings nor traditional lectures during his class sessions. Instead, he invited guest speakers to share their expertise and encouraged students to ask their own questions.[8]

Journey into America (documentary)[edit]

In 2008, after acquiring his master's degree, Considine partnered with his former professor, Akbar Ahmed to create Journey into America. The documentary follows Akbar Ahmed and a group of young researchers as they document the Muslim experience in America. It also features notable figures, such as Noam Chomsky, former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, and Reverend Jesse Jackson.[9]

Considine obtained funding for Ahmed's film from Dar Al Islam, an institution in New Mexico for Islamic education.[5]

Considine filmed Ahmed's group as they interviewed American citizens across 75 different cities and 100 mosques.[9] Considine also edited the film. Some of his footage was used on BBC World News America and CNN.[5]

The team conducted a social experiment in Arab, Alabama. They dressed one of their female team members in a full abaya . To their surprise, the people of Arab were kind and accommodating to the woman. Throughout their travels, they reported experiencing warmth and hospitality from locals of different cities.[9][10][11]

Ahmed and his team interviewed some people who thought that Muslims could not be Americans. They also interviewed American Muslims who were proud to be citizens of the United States.[5]

Journey into America premiered at the Islamic Society of North America conference in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 2009. The documentary was directed by Considine.[5] Ahmed also wrote a book on his experiences entitled Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam.[12]

Islam, Race, and Pluralism in the Pakistani Diaspora[edit]

Considine's first book, published in 2017 was about what he referred to as ‘Pakphobia’ or the aversion to Pakistan in the Irish and American context. He interviewed over 40 people and said that their Pakphobia was because they saw Pakistanis as Muslims, in whom they saw a perceived threat of radical Islam.[4]

Muslims in America: Examining the Facts[edit]

In his second book, Considine documented the lives, actions, and beliefs of American Muslims. The book answers 31 different questions relating to Muslims in American society. He said that Muslims condemn the violent actions of extremists and examined contributions to interfaith dialogue.[13]

The Humanity of Muhammad: A Christian View[edit]

Another book is about the life and influence of Muhammad, whom Considine says is misunderstood. He offers a Christian perspective on Islamic beliefs, so that Islamic Theology can be appreciated by non-Muslims.[14] He said that Muhammad was anti-racist. Considine days that a ‘civil nation state,’ is a community that transcends ethnic, tribal and religious boundaries. In such a community, people from diverse backgrounds can live under one government.[3][15]

Works[edit]

Books[edit]

  • Islam, Race, and Pluralism in the Pakistani Diaspora. 2017. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-315-46275-2.[4][16][17][18]
  • Muslims in America: Examining the Facts. 2018. ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-4408-6054-6.[13][19][20]
  • Islam in America: Exploring the Issues. 2019. ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-4408-6631-9.
  • The Humanity of Muhammad: A Christian View. 2020. Blue Dome Press. ISBN 978-1-68206-529-7.[3][14][15][21][22]
  • People of the Book: Prophet Muhammad’s Encounters with Christians. 2021. Hurst Publishers. ISBN 978-1-78738-471-2.

Journal articles[edit]

Other media[edit]

Other Engagements[edit]

Considine has been a guest in international interviews, primarily in Al Jazeera features.[35][36]

In 2012, he was a guest speaker for an event by SOAS University London that highlighted his work in Journey into America.[37]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Dr. Craig Considine". Routledge. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  2. ^ Passwaters, Arie (April 28, 2020). "Faculty, staff honored for excellence in teaching, mentoring, service". Rice University News and Media Relations. Archived from the original on May 1, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Ahmed, Omar (October 30, 2020). "The Humanity of Muhammad: A Christian View". Middle East Monitor. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Ali, Syed Hamad (August 30, 2017). "Towards the making of a more cohesive society". Gulf News. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Ryan, Steven (June 26, 2009). "Needhamite journeys to Muslim America". Wicked Local. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  6. ^ Considine, Craig (June 5, 2012). "Editor in action". Dr. Considine's Blog. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  7. ^ Considine, Craig (2014). Family, religion, and identity in the Pakistani diaspora : a case study of young Pakistani men in Dublin and Boston. Trinity's Access to Research Archive (thesis). hdl:2262/85285 – via Trinity College Dublin.
  8. ^ Peyton, Lindsay (December 5, 2019). "Rice class explores what it means to be Muslim in America". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d Lakhani, Kalsoom (October 21, 2009). "The many faces of Islam in the United States". Dawn. Archived from the original on October 12, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Moore, David (February 11, 2009). "'Muslim' visitor finds warmth, not bias". The Arab Tribune. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  11. ^ a b Ravitz, Jessica (February 9, 2009). "Muslim in America: a 'voyage of discovery'". CNN. Archived from the original on February 10, 2009. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  12. ^ Ahmed, Akbar (2010). Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam. Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 9780815704409.
  13. ^ a b McCaig, Amy (July 3, 2018). "New book counters myths about Muslims in America". Rice University News and Media Relations. Archived from the original on July 8, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  14. ^ a b "Irish Catholic Professor's Take on Prophet Muhammad: The Humanity of Muhammad, A Christian View by Craig Considine". PR Web. July 27, 2020. Archived from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  15. ^ a b Express News Service (September 21, 2020). "Craig Considine speaks about his interest in religious interactions". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on October 3, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  16. ^ Ahmad, Awais (May 29, 2017). "Review: Islam, Race, and Pluralism in the Pakistani Diaspora". Rabwah Times. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  17. ^ Faruqi, Saadia. "Islam, Race, and Pluralism in the Pakistani Diaspora (Studies in Migration and Diaspora)". New York Journal of Books. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  18. ^ Das, Monoj (June 20, 2018). "Islam, race and pluralism in the Pakistani Diaspora". Diaspora Studies. 11 (2): 205–207. doi:10.1080/09739572.2018.1485243. S2CID 158367083 – via Taylor & Francis Online.
  19. ^ Wilkins, Grace (September 17, 2018). "Examining the facts on Muslims in America". DU Clarion. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  20. ^ DU Center for Middle East Studies (October 22, 2018). "Muslims in America: Examining the Facts with Dr. Craig Considine – September 14, 2018". YouTube. Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  21. ^ Rahman, Faizur (October 28, 2020). "Blasphemy, Islam and Free Speech". The Siasat Daily. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  22. ^ Peyton, Lindsay (September 29, 2020). "Religion on the page: Books on faith by Houston authors". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  23. ^ Lewis, Kayleigh (March 15, 2016). "Isis persecution of Christians not justified by Prophet Mohammed's teachings, says study". The Independent. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  24. ^ McCaig, Amy (September 14, 2017). "Islamophobia represents a form of racism mixed with cultural intolerance". Rice University News and Media Relations. Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  25. ^ Bhasin, Swati (September 15, 2017). "Islamophobia Is Not Simply About Intolerance Of Muslims, Says Expert". International Business Times. Archived from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  26. ^ McCaig, Amy (September 15, 2017). "How Islamophobia Overlaps With Racism". Futurity. Archived from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  27. ^ Rory, Arnold (September 17, 2017). "Study: Islamophobia a dangerous blend of racism and intolerance". Earth. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  28. ^ "Islamophobia: racism mixed with cultural intolerance, not merely religious bias". Homeland Security Newswire (Press release). September 18, 2017. Archived from the original on September 18, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  29. ^ Paradkar, Shree (September 19, 2017). "M-103 study should explore how Islamophobia is a form of racism: Paradkar". The Star. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  30. ^ Benthall, Jonathan (October 2009). "Review: 'You'll See How Big We Are': "Journey into America"". Anthropology Today. 25 (5): 23–24. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8322.2009.00689.x. JSTOR 25599039 – via JSTOR.
  31. ^ "Journey Into America". IMDB. July 4, 2009. Archived from the original on August 21, 2009. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  32. ^ "COVID-19: Global Media Feature Prophet Muhammad's Hygiene Teachings". Morocco World News. April 4, 2020. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  33. ^ "Considine: Nabi Muhammad Bijak Sikapi Pandemi seperti Corona". Ngopibareng. March 18, 2020. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  34. ^ Namakule, Afdal (March 19, 2020). "Dosen Kristen Ini Akui Kebenaran Nabi Soal Karantina di Saat Ancaman Virus". Fin Fajar Indonesia Network. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  35. ^ AlJazeera Channel (June 13, 2020). "اللقاء الكامل مع الدكتور كريغ كونيسدين، المتخصص في التقريب بين الديانات". YouTube. Archived from the original on July 12, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  36. ^ Al Jazeera Balkans (August 1, 2020). "Recite Al Jazeeri: Craig Considine". YouTube. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  37. ^ "Journey into America: The challenge of Islam event". SOAS University of London. December 12, 2012. Archived from the original on May 18, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
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