Tensions in the Middle East are provoking students to take a step toward furthering their knowledge and understanding the culture of that part of the world.

Sept. 11, 2001, and the events that followed brought about increased awareness and interest in Middle Eastern culture and history at colleges nationwide.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences, in response to this growing trend, established a minor in Middle Eastern studies in 2004.

It has become a way for students to better understand what is happening, as well as one another.

“Americans tend to have this crisis-driven knowledge,” Anna Bigelow, an assistant professor of religion, said. “In the Cold War Era, Soviet studies and things like that were very hot. In the last 15 years, there’s been an increase in the interest of Islamic and Arabic studies. It has especially spiked since Sept. 11.”

Tariq al-Jamil, assistant professor of religion and the advisor for the Middle Eastern studies minor, came to the University in the fall of 2003. He said he agrees that Sept. 11 put Middle Eastern topics in the forefront of student’s minds.

“Since the second Gulf War there has been a lot of extra interest in Middle Eastern studies from students,” he said. “Students have some very basic questions about what’s going on, so they are taking courses to pursue their interest.”

Bigelow and al-Jamil were hired at the same time, and both said they feel this confirms the increase in demand for a Middle Eastern curriculum.

Before they were hired, the University offered no introductory courses in Islam itself, and most Islamic courses were based in history.

Now, all the classes prove to be very popular, according to Bigelow.

“These classes tend to be quite full,” he said. “That’s very encouraging.”

John Willingham, a senior in political science pursuing the minor, also said that Sept. 11 was the driving force behind his interest.

“Sept. 11 had a profound effect on me,” he said. “I was always interested, but that’s when I really thought, maybe if I’m interested in this I should really try to understand it.”

He said he read books in the past that made him think, but that Sept. 11 served as a true catalyst.

“I wanted to get into the mind, from a political standpoint, of what would drive a person to do that,” he said. “There’s obviously a political and social climate that shaped these people and I thought it was fascinating.”

Bigelow said that many of her students are also propelled by the desire to know more about the subject for themselves.

“I know that a lot of my students say they want to take classes like world religions or Islamic studies because they don’t want to be ignorant,” she said. “They are taking that responsibility to educate themselves.”

Mana Yegani is a senior in biology who has also earned the minor, and she traces her interest back to her roots, as well as the Middle East’s political importance.

“I’m from the Middle East, and the Middle East is always an issue in the news and the world,” she said. “It’s the center of attention always, historically, not just now but before.”

Akram Khater, the director of International Programs and an associate professor of history, said he agrees.

This increased spark in interest led to the establishment of the Middle Eastern studies program at NCSU, officially launched in 2004.

“Ever since I came to N.C. State there has always been an interest in Middle Eastern studies,” Khater said. “Certainly after Sept. 11 that interest spiked and we felt we needed a more systematic approach to teaching about the Middle East.

Khater taught at the University for 11 years and was part of the driving force behind the Middle Eastern studies program. He is currently on leave, working at the National Humanities Center on his next book.

Khater said he hopes to expand the minor into a major soon, and a project is already underway in conjunction with Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill to establish a national resource center for Middle Eastern studies between the three universities.

Before the program can expand however, there is a need for more faculty to meet the growing need for classes, especially in the language department.

Al-Jamil said that though personal interest and opinion can sometimes cause a sensitive class, he works hard to eliminate those feelings.

“I’m always conscious of that because whenever you are teaching about something that is so volatile and so many different people have different perceptions and opinions about, it’s important to be careful and sensitive in how you represent Islam,” al-Jamil said. “I’m always thinking of ways in which I can be judicious and try and fairly represent all of the interest at stake.”

Yegani said she feels professors do a good job achieving the goal of intellectual discussion and understanding in an unbiased manner, even in the face of the tensions presented. She said she was grateful for their hard work and commitment to the truth.

“Any professor who goes despite that should really be admired because they are bringing the true information to the students,” Yegani said.

Both students agree it furthers understanding in a people portrayed in a biased light and often misunderstood.

“Learning [about the Middle East] academically helps you to basically learn everything from the root in a knowledgeable way,” Yegani said. “It lets you make your own opinions.”

Willingham said that this program helps students like him, who had never even considered the study as a path, see a whole new possibility.

“By studying the Middle East, I’m helping to try to bridge that divide by learning as much as possible, and imparting that knowledge on the rest of the world.” Willingham said. “The more I’ve learned, I’ve really come to understand and love a beautiful culture.”