Islam--the fastest growing religion in the United States--is often referred to as one of the most misunderstood faiths. Under the direction of Aminah McCloud, an associate professor of religious studies, DePaul University has organized a comprehensive series of courses, public exhibitions, lectures and special events designed to promote a better understanding of Islam among the religion's diverse ethnic and groups and non-Muslims.

     "Exploring Muslim Cultures" (EMC) opens March 31 and runs through July 15, 2000.EMC brings to Chicago artistic and religious treasures from Islamic cultures the world over. All events and exhibitions are free and open to the public.

     "The Islamic communities include people from many lands and ethnic backgrounds, as well as a growing population of Americans who have become Muslim. said McCloud. "There is no public forum for these communities to have a relevant social and political dialogue either among themselves or with non-Muslims." Thus, the idea for "Exploring Muslim Cultures" was born.

     The 16-week series has as its centerpiece an array of exhibitions, the most extensive of which is "Weaving Culture: Textiles and Jewelry of Morocco," to be mounted in the DePaul Art Gallery, on the first floor of the Richardson Library, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave., on DePaul's Lincoln Park campus.

     The exhibition fuses the diversity of Moroccan textiles and the art of silversmithing. The 35-piece collection includes rugs, tent and cushion covers, wedding belts, ornate doors and silver ear pendants. Included in the collection are pieces on loan from the Field Museum, Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Belghazi Museum in Rabat, Morocco.

     An opening reception for "Weaving Culture: Textiles and Jewelry of Morocco" will be held March 31 at 6 p.m. in the art gallery.

     The exhibition, "Incense and Perfume in the Islamic World," is from the Haifa Faisal Collection of Saudi Arabian Traditional Arts. It features vessels that represent traditional, everyday and festive usage. The exhibition will be displayed on the first floor of the Richardson Library.

     Ancient art of Iran, known as Persia in antiquity, is showcased in the "Heritage of Persian Painting" exhibition, to be mounted in the Richardson Library's Haber Lounge. The paintings in this exhibition present the meticulous detail, intense color and harmony, which have marked Persian art for centuries. The exhibition features traditional Persian miniatures as well as large-scale pieces, which allow close viewing of the magnificent art.

     There are two photo exhibitions in the series. The first, "Faces of Islam: A Photographic Journey" will be displayed on the elevator wall of the Richardson Library, and will include visages of Islamic people from all corners of the world. The photos, taken by Islamic scholars, feature Muslims in China, Europe, Russia and West Africa, to name a few.

     "Mosque Design in North America," to be shown on the first floor of the library, is comprised of more than 100 color photographs showcasing the breathtaking architectural splendor of mosques in America. Three different architectural approaches to mosque design are highlighted: Old World, the synthesis of old and new worlds and new innovations.

     A rare collection of Islamic texts, Qur'ans and two calligraphy collections will be shown in "The Written Word," to be displayed in the library's Special Collections, Room 314. Some of the Qur'ans date from the eighth and ninth centuries.

     "Exploring Muslim Cultures" includes a series of lectures that support the exhibitions:

     April 5, "Islam in West Africa: Challenges and Contemporary Life," by John Hunwick, DePaul Art Gallery, Richardson Library, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave., 7 p.m. Hunwick is a professor of religion and African history at Northwestern University.

     April 12, "Mosque Design in North America," by Omar Khalidi, Richardson Library, Room 400, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave., 7 p.m. Khalidi is an independent scholar in the Islamic architecture program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and at Harvard University.

     April 19, "Art of Arabic Calligraphy," by Mohamed Zakariya, Richardson Library, Special Collections, Room 314, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave., 7 p.m. Zakariya, who resides in Virginia and began studying calligraphy in 1964, is an Islamic calligrapher and artist.

     April 26, "The Qur'an and Muslim Women," by Amina Wadud, Richardson Library, Special Collections, Room 314, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave., 7 p.m. Wadud is an associate professor of philosophy and religious studies at the Virginia Commonwealth University.

     May 3, "Shaping the World with Your Hands," by Laila Farah, DePaul Art Gallery, Room 145, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave., Room 145, 7 p.m. Farah is a Lebanese performance artist and adjunct faculty member in DePaul's communication program.

     May 8, "Muslims in Europe," by Jorgen Nielsen, Richardson Library Haber Lounge, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave., 7 p.m. He is a researcher at the Institute for Palestine Studies in Beirut.

     May 10, "Muslims in China," given by Dru C. Gladney, Richardson Library Haber Lounge, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave., 7 p.m. Gladney, dean of academics at the Asia-Pacifica Center in Honolulu, holds a doctoral degree in anthropology from the University of Washington.

     May 15, "Islam in the United States," by Sulayman Nyang, Richardson Library, Room 400, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave., 7 p.m. Nyang, a professor of African studies at Howard University, is the author of a book on Islam in the United States.

     May 17, "Visual Sociology" given by Charles Suchar, Richardson Library, Room 400, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave., 7 p.m. Suchar, an associate dean in DePaul's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, defines visual sociology as the study of urban communities using photography.

     May 24, "Persian Civilization and its Influence on Islam," given by Jafar Mogadam, Richardson Library Haber Lounge, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave., 7 p.m. Mogadam is an Iranian artist who studied at the Kamal-Al-Molk Academy of Fine Arts, the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Northern Iowa.

     June 2, "Muslims in Chicago," given by Gerard Bilal, Richardson Library, Room 417, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave., 7 p.m. Bilal is an information technology specialist and Islamic activist who has his own multi-media production company, Sadaqa Productions, Inc.

     "Exploring Muslim Cultures" also includes a series of special events that showcase the foods, music and dance from Islamic regions.

     "Our whole project is designed to promote a higher level of discourse about the Muslim experience in the world, in America and in Chicago," said McCloud. "If we can do that, then we can provide a potential model for how ethnic and religious communities can make themselves known to their neighbors and become participants in the life of the larger community."

     For more information about DePaul's "Exploring Muslim Cultures" project, call 773/325-7863 or visit the EMC Web site.