Malika Zeghal facts for kids
Malika Zeghal (born in 1965) is a French professor. She teaches about modern Islamic ideas and life at Harvard University. Before that, she was a professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School. There, she studied how religion affects people and societies.
About Malika Zeghal
Malika Zeghal started her studies at a famous school in Paris, France, called the École Normale Supérieure in 1987. She earned her doctorate degree in 1994. A doctorate is the highest university degree you can get.
After her doctorate, she did special research at New York University. Then, she worked for ten years at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (a big research center in France) from 1995 to 2005. Today, she is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Tunisian Academy of Sciences, Letters, and Arts. This means she helps guide important scientific and cultural work in Tunisia.
Her Books and Research
One of her important books is called Gardiens de l'Islam. It's written in French. In this book, she looks closely at the ulama (religious scholars) from Al-Azhar University in Egypt. She explains that these scholars believed it was their job to make sure a country's laws followed shari'a. Shari'a refers to Islamic law.
Her book also shows how the government's actions with these scholars sometimes led to the rise of other Islamic groups, like the Muslim Brotherhood. These new groups grew outside of the traditional religious schools.
Her newest book, The Making of the Modern Muslim State: Islam and Governance in the Middle East and North Africa, was published in 2024. It talks about how modern Muslim countries are formed and how Islam plays a role in their governments.
Courses She Teaches
At Harvard University, Professor Zeghal teaches several interesting courses.
- One course is called "Islam and Politics in the Modern Middle East." In this class, students learn how Islam and politics mix in countries in the Middle East today.
- She also teaches a special seminar called "Reading al-Manar in the Interwar Period." This class likely explores historical writings from a specific time period.
- Another course she teaches is "The Modern Middle East, Real and Imagined: An Introduction." This class gives students an overview of the modern Middle East, looking at both its real history and how people imagine it.
