Bio

Extensive training in linguistics and ancient languages brings Dr. Joseph N. Kickasola to public policy as Professor of International Affairs at Regent University. He served as a pastor from 1961 to 1966, and as Professor of Old Testament, Hebrew, and Aramaic at Ashland Theological Seminary from 1971 to 1985. His degrees are from Houghton College, Westminster Theological Seminary, and Brandeis University where he received a Ph.D. in Egyptian hieroglyphics and Coptic. Joe is a much sought after teacher and has spent the last several summers teaching in Israel. His areas of expertise include international affairs and the Middle East, as well as Biblical languages and Biblical law. In 2008 he published an article in the Regent Journal of International Law, entitled "The Clash Over the Qur'an: Qur'anic Reinterpretation and National Reformation in Islam." Since 9/11/2001, based on his knowledge of Islam and written Arabic, he has spoken widely on Islamic politics.

Workshop Description

Engaging Contemporary Islamist Politics: A Christian Guide

A decade after the 9/11/2001 attacks on the United States and on other nations, al-Qa'ida of Osama bin Laden has achieved nothing. The periodization of modern Islamic politics contains four important turning points:  1918 (nation-states), 1948 (Israel), 1979 (Iran's theocracy), and 2011 (the Arab Spring in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Syria). Within these periods Islamism (politicized and theocratic Islam) undergoes four distinct phases:  its birth, suicide extremism, political parties, and its wars against the West (and against any opposing Muslims). These events reveal that the clash is not primarily between the West and the rest, but the clash is primarily WITHIN Islam itself--a clash between Muslims at war with a globalizing world and Muslims seeking to integrate with it. There will be an analysis of what is causing the pro-democracy revolutions in the recent and ongoing Arab Spring against authoritarian rule, including the dangers of it becoming an Islamist Winter. The counter-jihad of the Muslim reformists against The Jihad is apparent in politics, religion, literature, entertainment, and especially Internet communication technology. In U.S., Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, founder of AIFD, is very encouraging in this anti-Islamist movement. Lastly, the question of who are the Palestinians will be answered (a subject recently stirred up by presidential candidate Newt Gingrich on 09Dec2011), an answer that will show the demographic inevitability of a two-state solution. Throughout this presentation there is a Christian analysis, evaluation and plausible remedy for many of these political issues facing the Islamic world.