ABOUT
Dr. Abla Hasan
BACKGROUND
PhD in Philosophy of Language from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2013; MA in Philosophy as a Fulbright grantee from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2009. Dr. Hasan obtained her BA in Philosophy from Damascus University/Syria in 2000, followed by a Diploma of High Studies from Damascus University in 2001. She is a native speaker of Arabic. She teaches Arabic language and culture at UNL and she is the Program's Founder and Coordinator. Her teaching and research focus on Qur'anic Studies, Qur’anic Hermeneutics, Islamic feminism, and Arabic studies. She has published with Brill, Analize, Ar-Raniry, JIL, Disputatio, Al-Manarah, E-logos and other peer- review international journals. She is the author of: Decoding the Egalitarianism of the Qur'an: Retrieving Lost Voices on Gender (Lexington: 2019), the author of On Pain and Suffering: a Qur’anic Perspective (Lexington: 2022), and the author of The Qur’anic Dilemma: A Hermeneutical Investigation of al-Khidr (Routledge: 2022).
Abla Hasan is the recipient of the College of Arts and Sciences Engagement Award for 2021, the recipient of the College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award for 2022, the recipient of the 2023 Rev. Dr. Michael Combs Award for Scholars of Equality and Justice, and the recipient of UNL's first annual Women’s and Gender Justice Award 2023.
A teacher, a researcher and a public speaker. In addition to teaching for Nebraska University, Hasan’s course “Women in the Qur’an” was offered to Maryland University, Rutgers University, Penn State University (Though DISC) and to Nizwa University in Oman (through Nebraska’s Global Virtual Project). Dr. Hasan’s scholar engagement includes numerous national and international paper presentations including 50 invited talks and more than 40 media interviews and citations.
Education
PhD, Philosophy of language, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, May 2013.
MA, Philosophy, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2009.
Diploma of high studies in philosophy, Damascus University, 2001.
BA, Philosophy, Damascus University, 2000.
Academic Grants & Awards
UNL's first annual Women’s and Gender Justice Award 2023
2023 Rev. Dr. Michael Combs Award for Scholars of Equality and Justice
Grant from the University of Michigan. Mellon Foundation Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum project (DISC)$9,000. Spring 2023
Collage of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award for 2022
Grant from University of Michigan. Mellon Foundation Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum project (DISC), fall 2022, $14,371
UNL/DMLL summer student recruitment grant. $1500 “Why Arabic at UNL?” 2022
College of Arts and Sciences Research Impact and Engagement Grant. Fall 2021. $5000
UNL Center for Transformative Teaching Pedagogic Intervention Grant. $1000 for ARAB 391: Global Islam: Current Debates new course and curriculum development. Fall 2021
UNL/DMLL summer research grant. $500 for ARAB 391 Global Islam: Current Debates new course and curriculum development. Fall 2021
Collage of Arts and Sciences Engagement Award for 2021
Grant from University of Michigan. Mellon Foundation Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum project (DISC) to support UNL’s Arabic Studies Neighbors interfaith talk series, January, 2021. $750
Interpreting Muslim Tradition: Struggle for Democracy, Gender Equality, and Minority Protection. UNK, UNL, UNO Grant proposal. CO-PI, 2021
Forcibly Removed: Workshop and Symposia on the Lived Experiences of Displaced Persons. UNK, UNL, UNO Grant. CO-PI, $150,000, 2020-2021
Grant from University of Michigan. Mellon Foundation Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum project (DISC) to support the Big Arabic Day, March 5th, 2020
“Forcibly removed: Homeland Detachments of International and Indigenous Refugees”. UNL-UNK collaboration initiative, CO-PI, $ 20,000, 2019
Grant from University of Michigan. Mellon Foundation Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum project (DISC), fall 2019 and spring $26,733, 2019-2020
Grant from Middle East learning and cultural center (MELCC): Ames, Iowa to support the Big Arabic Day 2019
Grant from the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission to the U.S: Fairfax, Virginia to support the Big Arabic Day, 2019. $650
Grant from University of Michigan. Mellon Foundation Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum project (DISC), spring, 2019. $15,843
ENHANCE College of Arts and sciences award for research, scholarship, and creative activities, spring 2018.$5000
Grant from University of Michigan. Mellon Foundation Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum project (DISC), spring, 2018.$10,000
UNL peer review project fellowship, faculty development program, 2016-2017. $1000. A link to the project portfolio
UNL Certificate of recognition for contributions to students, UNL parents association, 2017
UNL Certificate of recognition for contributions to students, UNL parents association, 2016
UNL peer review project fellowship, faculty development program, 2015-2016. $500. A link to the project portfolio
UNL parents’ association grant to support events at UNL, spring 2015. $150
UNL Convocations Committee award for funding a guest speaker, fall 2014-2015. $750
UNL peer review project fellowship, faculty development program, 2014-2015. $500. A link to the project portfolio
Pennsylvania STARTALK Fellowship for teachers of Arabic: A Professional Development Program for Teachers (Arabic), STARTALK Arabic Academy at Penn State, The training was covered by a fellowship that also covered ARAB 497G, Section 601: teaching Arabic, Pennsylvania, May 21 to July 21, 2014
UNL parents association grant to support events at UNL, spring 2014
UNL Certificate of recognition for contributions to students, UNL parents association, 2013
UNL Convocations Committee award for funding a guest speaker, fall 2013-2014. $750
Nominated for the outstanding graduate teaching assistant award by the department of Classics and Religious studies ,University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the year 2012-13
Damascus University scholarship for graduate study abroad, 2009
The Fulbright scholarship for the Master’s degree, 2007
Al Basel award for Academic Excellency for the year 1998,( Damascus University)
Al Basel award for Academic Excellency for the year 1997,(Damascus University)
Courses I have taught at UNL
RELG 181 Judaism, Christianity and Islam
ARAB 101 Beginning Arabic 1
ARAB102 Beginning Arabic 2
ARAB 101 Beginning Arabic 1 intensive 5 week summer session (in person)
ARAB 102 Beginning Arabic 2 intensive 5 week summer session (in person)
ARAB 101 Beginning Arabic 1 intensive 5 week summer session (online)
ARAB 102 Beginning Arabic 2 intensive 5 week summer session (online)
MODL 491 Advanced Arabic through media and culture
ARAB 201 Second year Arabic 1
ARAB 202 Second year Arabic 2
ARAB 303 Advanced third year Arabic 1
ARAB 304 Advanced third year Arabic 2
MODL398 Independent Study: “Arab women writers”
MODL298 Special topics: Exploring love, sexuality and femininity in the History of rabic culture
MODL398 Independent study: “Readings in Arabic literature”
MODL 398 Women in the Qur’an
ARAB 288 Exploring love, sexuality and femininity in the History of the Arabic culture.
ARAB 306 Women the in Qur’an
RELG/ENG 342 The Qur’an.
ARAB 306 “Women in the Qur’an” as the first course taught at UNL through Nebraska’s Global Virtual Project. This course was offered by spring 2018 jointly with Nizwa University in Oman. The project is supported by the Aspen Institute’s Stevens Initiative and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. A link to the course
ARAB 306 “ Women in the Qur’an” as the first UNL Digital Islamic shared curriculum (DISC) course offered by UNL through DISC and received by Rutgers University, Spring 2018 and Spring 2019.This course was also received by Penn State University by Spring 2020.
WMNS 250 Sex and Gender around the Globe. Both in-Persona and online.
Honors 102 H “The science of you”.
ARAB 391 Global Islam: Current Debates.
ARAB 396 Independent study: Stories in the Qur’an.
ARAB 396 Independent study: Themes in the Qur’an.
Honors MODL 189 H “Arab intellectuals on love and gender” ACE 5. A link to a video
Peer review articles
“Niqula Ghabriyal, Abhath al-Mujtahidin” in Christian-Muslim Relations, vol. 18 The Ottoman Empire (1800-1914), (Leiden: Brill). Co-authored with Simon A. Wood, Classics and Religious Studies, 2021
“al-Tamimi l-Dari and Al-sayf al-saqil” in Christian-Muslim Relations, vol.18, (Leiden: Brill). Co-authored with Simon A. Wood, Classics and Religious Studies, 2021
Book review: Arab cooking on a prairie Homestead and Recollections from a Syrian Pioneer. In. Great Plains Quarterly. Lincoln: Center for Great Plains Studies. Vol: 38. No: 4. 2018
“The Queen of Sheba: Would rethinking the Quranic story support female public leadership In Islam?”. In: Analize: peer-reviewed international journal. The Romanian Society for Feminist Analyses. Issue No: 7(21), 2016
“The Quranic story of Mary: Does rethinking the text support women prophethood?”. In: Ar-Raniry: peer reviewed international journal of Islamic Studies. The State Islamic University (UIN). Vol: 3. No: 1. 2016
“Scientific language credibility: a philosophical investigation”. In: Dirasat Wa Abhath: an international peer reviewed research journal. University of Djelfa. N: 20, Sep, 2015
“The individual-group transformation: a triple academic approach to understanding social human nature”. In: Jil: an international peer reviewed journal. Jil research center. ISSN 2311-5181. No: 11. September, 2015
“Defending backwards causation against the objection form the ignorance condition”. In: Disputatio: an international peer reviewed journal of philosophy. Philosophy center of the University of Lisbon. Vol: VI. No: 39. November, 2014
“Physicalism: a critical approach”. In: Jil: an international peer reviewed journal. Jil research center. ISSN 2311-5181. No: 3. October, 2014
“Psychological backwards causation”. In: Al-Manarah: peer reviewed journal. Al-al Bayt University. Vol: 20. No: 2. February, 2014
“Plato’s antifeminism: A new dualistic approach". In: E-logos. ISSN 1211-0442. University of Economics. Prague. 2012
“Indexical Dependence”. In: Dirasat Wa Abhath: an international peer reviewed research journal. ISSN: 9751-1112. N: 12. University of Djelfa. Sep, 2013
Invited lectures & Talks
Invited talk. Islam: A religion for our times. In this invited talk Timothy Turnquist from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln/ History Department invites Abla Hasan for an introduction to Islam. Nov 1, 2022
Invited virtual lecture: On becoming American. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. October 28, 2022
Invited virtual lecture:15 years in Nebraska as a Muslim woman. Nebraska Wesleyan University. Sep 30, 2022
Invited virtual lecture: Mary in the Qur’an. Penn State University. Sep 22, 2022
Invited virtual lecture: What does it mean to read the Qur’an as a woman? Radboud University – Nijmegen – The Netherlands. April 28, 2022
Invited virtual lecture: Marriage in the Qur’an. Hastings College. Texas. April 27, 2022
Invited virtual talk: the 2022 American College Personnel Association International Colloquium session "Intersecting identities of international faculty: challenges and well-being”. A panel hosted by Commission for Global Dimensions of Student Development. April 15, 2022
Invited guest speaker. Dr. Max Mueller (Classics and Religious Studies). Nebraska University. See a link to the lecture: Why does not God stop evil people? A new book reading. March 31, 2022
Gender Equity Conference: Globalizing Gender Equity Panel. Panel presentation. Nebraska University. November 11, 2021
“Decoding the Egalitarianism of the Qur’an” an invited book reading event. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Monday Sep 13, 2021
"Truth about 4:34 -- The Quran's Most Controversial & Misunderstood Verse". The Women's Mosque of America (Located in Los Angeles, CA). Friday, July 30th, 2021. A link to the talk
The Queen of Sheba in Muslim tradition. An invited zoom lecture. University of Houston. Texas. 6/28/2021
Role of Islam in Moroccan culture. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Invited Talk. 4/14/2021
Rethinking (Q: 4:34): Ending 14 centuries of domestic violence held in the name of Islam. Kansas University MSA. Invited talk. 3/8/2021. A link to the talk
Culture and COVID-19 in an international comparative context. Panel discussion. Wesleyan University, Nebraska. Feb23, 2021. A link to the talk
“Quran’s most controversial 4:34: a new interpretation”, DISC supplementary invited talk, Penn-State University, State-College, March 2, 2020
Worship and wisdom. Invited talk. “Five myths about Islam” First Plymouth Church. Sep 4th, 2019. A link to the talk
“Teaching Islam vs. preaching Islam in the classroom: how to teach an ideology-free course on Religion”, DISC supplementary invited talk, Rutgers University, Digital Islamic curriculum, Rutgers University. New Brunswick, New Jersey April 11, 2019. A link to the lecture
DISC Round Table discussion, Mellon Foundation Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum, Chicago, May10, 2018
“The Lost Gender Egalitarian Voice of the Qur’an”. Invited Talk. Digital Islamic curriculum, Rutgers University. New Brunswick, New Jersey, Feb 19, 2018
“The Muslim Ban: Patriotism or Xenophobia”. Featured Guest. UNL Ethics Center. Lincoln. January 24, 2018
“Faith and Feminism”. Panel discussion. Wesleyan University. Lincoln. October 24, 2017
"Between Allah and Me (and Everyone Else)". A film screening and a panel discussion. The Mary Riepma Ross Media Center. Sep, 2017
“Understanding Islam: what it's like to be Muslim in the Midwest”. An invited talk. Hastings College, French Memorial Chapel. Hastings. April 28, 2017. A link to the talk
“A reading and a reflection from the Story of Mary in the Quran”. An invited talk. Saint Paul United Methodist Church. Lincoln. April, 18, 2017
“World Religions Panel: Wisdom from Diverse Voices”. Panel discussion. Heckman Auditorium. Doane College. Crete. April 6, 2017. A link to the panel
“Strength in Solidarity”. Keynote speaker. Women’s Week 2017: The 11th annual Women’s History Month Banquet, The University of Nebraska Women’s Center. Champion's Club. March 15, 2017
“Syrian conflict and refugee crisis”. An invited talk. UNL Global studies Global Café .Nebraska union. Colonial A. January 26, 2017
“The meanings of gratitude”. Keynote speaker. Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. South Street Temple. November 20, 2016
“The Muslim Jesus”. An invited lecture. First- Plymouth. Nov 13, 2016
“Women in the Quran”. An invited lecture. First- Plymouth: Mayflower Hall. October 29, 2016
“Embrace diversity”. Panel discussion. Bryan Health College. Lincoln. October 24, 2016
“What is the Quran?” An invited lecture. First- Plymouth: Mayflower Hall. September 28, 2016
“Women in the Middle East: Hopes and challenges”. Women's Salad Supper. First-Plymouth. June 15, 2016
“The Muslim Mary”. An invited talk. First-Plymouth. June 12, 2016
“How do we get to Haven?” An invited talk. First-Plymouth East at Kloefkorn Elementary. June 12, 2016
“Women in Islam”. Nebraska citizens for science. Saint. Paul Church. April 21, 2016
“Symposium: Understanding and Embracing Individuals from the Middle East”. Unitarian Church. Lincoln. March 17, 2016
“Identifying Stereotypes”. Keynote speaker. Doan Collage. Multicultural Support Services Crete. March 14, 2016
“Women issues in the Arabic culture”. Heartland Association: Nebraska Conference. United Church of Christ. Spring meeting. March 13, 2016
“Puddin”. Panel discussion. Child hunger in the community. The Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film. March 12, 2016
“The Quran”. First Lutheran Church. Lincoln. Feb 9, 2016
“A Syrian Immigrant's Experience”. The Faith Coalition of Lancaster County. The community heath endowment. Lincoln. Feb, 2016
“Syria: An ongoing journey into the unknown”. Featured discussion leader. UNL Ethics Center. Gaughan Multicultural Center. Jan 20, 2016
“The Syrian Crisis”. St. Matthew's Episcopal Church. Lincoln. Dec, 2015
“Syria and ISIS: The Human Cost”. Panel discussion. UNL: Nebraska Union Auditorium. Dec, 2015
“Perspectives in Feminism”. Panel discussion. Wesleyan University. Nov 19, 2015
“Syria: ways to help”. An invited talk. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. Lincoln, Nov 15, 2015
“On Muslim Christian relations”. An invited talk.Vine Congregational United Church of Christ. Lincoln. Nov 11, 2015
“Refugee Migration Crisis”. Panel discussion. Union college. Sep 24, 2015
“Jesus: A symposium”. Panel discussion. Doan College (school of graduate professional studies). July 16, 2015
“Islam and Christianity”. An invited talk. First-Plymouth East. June28, 2015
“Religions' Attitude towards the Material World”. Panel discussion. Union College. Ortner Center. April 6, 2015
“Women of the Middle East”. Panel discussion. UNL women Center. March 17th, 2015
“Women in Religion”. Panel discussion. Union College. Ortner Center. Feb 9, 2015
“Women in religion”. Panel discussion. UNL women Center. March 17th, 2014
“How can I find God?” Symposium. Doane College. Lincoln. 2012
“God, the Qur'an and the Prophet”. Symposium. Doane College. Lincoln. 2012