Sir Syed's Vision Reimagined for 21st Century America

When Sir Syed Ahmad Khan founded the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875 (now Aligarh Muslim University) in British India, he wasn't just building an institution – he was architecting a revolution in Muslim thought. In an era of profound change, he dared to envision a future where Islamic heritage and modern progress could not only coexist but flourish together. His greatest insight was that education can and should be the cornerstone of a Muslim renaissance.

This vision of Sir Syed crosses oceans today and his visionary influence reaches far beyond India to transform Muslim narratives in America. The Center of Muslim Experience in the US (CME-US) carries forward Sir Syed's intellectual torch, reimagining his principles for Muslims in America and globally. Like Sir Syed's original mission to build bridges between British and Indian Muslim worlds, CME-US creates pathways between American and Muslim identities.

Sir Syed's model for American Muslims offers a powerful blueprint for Indian Muslims and the broader Muslim community in America:

• Embracing educational excellence while maintaining cultural identity

• Building institutions that serve as bridges between communities

• Fostering intellectual discourse through research that challenges stereotypes

• Creating spaces for Muslim scholarship that speaks to contemporary challenges

• Empowering Muslim youth to become leaders 

The Sir Syed Memorial Endowment at Arizona State University marks a historic milestone – the first American institutional recognition of this transformative thinker. This isn't just an academic initiative; it's a movement to:

• Cultivate a new generation of Muslim American scholars and leaders

• Generate research that reshapes public understanding of Muslim contributions

• Create platforms for Muslim voices in American academic discourse

• Build lasting bridges between Indian Muslim intellectual traditions and American academic excellence

A transformative vision for the future inspired by Sir Syed will build the foundation for identity, faith, and progress. This endeavor is an opportunity to amplify Indian Muslim intellectual contributions and pluralistic traditions to enrich American discourse about Muslims and enhance Muslim lives. It is a bridge to overcome the barriers between "Muslim" and "American" and generate more inclusive understanding of both identities.

The Center of Muslim Experience in the US, pronounced 'see-me-us,' is more than a research institute; it envisions itself as fulfilling Sir Syed's dream of education as a force for social transformation. In an era when Muslim narratives often face erasure or distortion, this initiative stands as a beacon of hope and possibility.

Join us in this historic endeavor. Partner with the Sir Syed Memorial Endowment to build bridges between worlds, just as Sir Syed did over a century ago. Together, we can create a future where Muslim American stories are not just told, but celebrated – where "see-me-us" becomes a rallying call for positive understanding and transformation.

Your investment in this vision honors Sir Syed's legacy as well as enables you to write the next chapter in the story of Muslim excellence in America. Will you join us in making history?

Funding Opportunities

Sir Syed Memorial Endowment: $1,000,000

For naming opportunities please reach out directly to Professor Yasmin Saikia (ysaikia@asu.edu).

All donations are tax-deductible in the United States and will be invested in a shariah compliant fund.

For further information contact:

Yasmin Saikia                                                 Samina Salim

ysaikia@asu.edu                                            ssalim@uh.edu