Our Story
Zahra Institute, established in 2010, is a non-profit organization with a 501(c)(3) status, inspired by the vision of Kurdish Muslim scholar Said Nursi, who dreamt of building an institution that would combine the modern sciences with Islamic knowledge while promoting the study of Kurdish language and literature. Our goal is to provide a creative and solid platform where professionals and students interested in the emerging fields of Kurdish Studies and Critical Muslim Studies can coordinate and share their scholarship in a progressive and democratic environment. Zahra Institute aims to address the needs of a range of learners through educational initiatives consisting of online courses, retreats and workshops, mentoring services, and academic conferences.
Our Mission
Zahra Institute, a research center and graduate school located in Chicago, intends to provide a collaborative, progressive environment for learning, teaching and scholarship, primarily in Kurdish Studies and Critical Muslim Studies. Zahra Institute is dedicated to serving the educational needs of all people interested in enhancing their knowledge of contemporary Muslim thought and of the Kurdish language and culture. We value the diversity of our faculty and students and strongly support academic freedom and democratic ideals.
Executive Committee
Language Material Developer at the Center for the Languages of the Central Asian Region (CelCAR) at Indiana University, where he is developing a Kurdish language textbook.
Visiting Scholar at Indiana University. His main interest areas are Kurdish Studies, Philosophy of Religion, and Philosophy of Language. He specializes in philosophical texts written in Kurdish language.
Associate Professor of Sociology at John Jay College and CUNY Graduate Center. His research interests include social theory, Muslim societies and Kurdish Studies.
Faculty Members
Kurdish Studies
Philosophy
Beginning Kurdish
Kurdish Phonology
Kurdish and Middle Eastern History
Kurdish Sources
English Academic Writing
Critical Muslim Studies
Muslim intellectual tradition
Kurdish and Turkish Studies
American Islam