MSAP Reintroduced Muslim Societies in Asia and the Pacific (MSAP) is an initiative of the School of Pacific and Asian Studies (SPAS) at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (UHM). MSAP is an educational resource center that serves to navigate audiences through information and literature on the diversity of Muslim societies and cultures that span the Asia and Pacific region. With the majority of the world's Muslim population residing in Asia and the Pacific, MSAP responds to two overarching concerns: first, that Muslim societies in the region are insufficiently understood by many outside the region, and second, that in the present geopolitical climate popular accounts of Islam and Muslims have a tendency to antagonize, oversimplify, or be preoccupied by large-scale political tensions. As an emerging educational resource center, we endeavor to lessen a prevailing sense of estrangement by fostering communication and enhancing understanding through the dissemination of knowledge, information and perspectives about Islam and Muslim communities across Asia and the Pacific. To this end, MSAP maintains a soon-to-be-launched website (early Feb), publishes a bimonthly newsletter, employs social media and organizes events in support of our educational mission. Through newsletters, a website and social media we communicate timely information, promote academic opportunities, acknowledge research and feature themes relevant to our mission. In an effort to foster cultural exchange between individuals, communities and institutions in the US and the Asia-Pacific, we work in partnership with UHM faculty to host speakers and events that contribute to our goals here in Hawai'i. Spring 2012 begins with our focus on organizations that promote the understanding of Islam and Muslim societies and encourage interfaith dialogue. Over the semester and beyond, we will continue to curate resources and navigate readers through a wealth of material related to our mission. Our Crew: Dr. James Weir has recently joined UHM as the director of MSAP, with additional university responsibilities at the Office of International and Exchange Programs (OIEP). He has a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from the Graduate Center at City University of New York. His dissertation, ""We Went to the Hills": Four Afghan Life Stories", focused on Afghan life narratives as a manner of examining the popular experience of the past three decades of Afghan history. He has over eight years of experience implementing programs and conducting research primarily in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bosnia, and Viet Nam. Francois-Xavier Plasse-Couture and Ces Noble are graduate assistants with MSAP. The former recently obtained his M.A. in Political Science at McGill University and is now a Ph.D. student at the Department of Political Science at UHM. His interests lie in issues of cultural representation and political violence. Ces Noble is a Ph.D. Candidate at the Department of Sociology, who recently completed her dissertation defense. Her research interests include online identity, disability and strategic communications. Journey with us as we explore Muslim societies in the Asia and the Pacific region. Mahalo! | 
