As a nonreligious Freshman in college, when I realized that I had to take at least one religion class at my Catholic liberal arts school, I was mildly wary. Would I be plied with conversion tactics? Would I have to exclusively read dry bible passages? I definitely wasn’t excited about the course. However, when I walked into class on the first day, the professor I met was not who I was expecting. A young, fashionably dressed woman was not the stereotypical religion professor that I had been anticipating. Throughout the semester she continuously proved me wrong about the class I had been ready to perceive as dull and unimportant. Professor Jalalzai influenced my opinion on this matter so much that I am now minoring in Religious Studies.
I knew that when we spent the first week talking about how this was not a theology course, and the benefits / detriments of insider vs. outsider perspectives in a religious context, that the class would not be what I had pictured (in the best way possible). We focused on how important religious figures, events, and documents have impacted our historical timeline, and how it doesn’t matter if, for example, the creation myths of the Inuit are ‘true’– we don’t need to prove or disprove them. We, as religious studies scholars, instead need to examine how the fact that the people had and acted on these beliefs impacted the overall historical timeline.
I am so grateful to this amazing professor for taking the time to answer my class’s various, big picture, slightly off topic questions. Even when they didn’t have direct importance to the syllabus, she knew that we cared about the answers, so she took the time to inform us. She didn’t brush our questions off by saying that they weren’t relevant, but rather she made sure to foster our curiosity. I think that this was a huge reason why I went from being disinterested and apathetic to fully engaged and passionate about the material. So, thank you Professor Jalalzai, for informing me throughout the semester, and for agreeing to answer a couple of questions for our last Campus Celebrity profile.
HerCampus:Where are you from?
Sajida Jalalzai: I grew up in Gouverneur New York, lived in Canada for several years, and then spent the last chunk of my life in New York City before moving to Vermont.
HC: Where did you go to college, and what did you concentrate in?
SJ: I went to Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and eventually ended up majoring in Religious Studies. I was initially some combination of English, History, and Music, but Religious Studies won out in the end after I happened to take a World Religions course in my freshman year.
HC: What is your position on campus?
SJ: I’m an Assistant Professor Religious Studies, focusing on Islam and Muslim-Christian relations.
HC: So far, what has your experience teaching at Saint Mike’s been like?
SJ: I can’t think of a more collegial environment than Saint Mike’s. My students are bright, courteous, and socially engaged, my colleagues are inspiring and supportive. I couldn’t ask for much more.
HC: What is one thing that teaching at Saint Mike’s has taught you?
SJ: Saint Mike’s has affirmed for me the value of a liberal arts education. This kind of environment offers students a chance to explore many different worlds, to develop their critical thinking skills, to become well-rounded individuals. I learn so much from my students, who come from so many different disciplinary backgrounds and help me see things from diverse perspectives. In an age where the value of one’s education seems solely linked to economics, teaching in these stimulating classroom spaces affirms for me the inherent worth of reading, talking, and learning with others about these powerful ideas that motivate humanity.
HC: What is one piece of advice that you have for a Saint Mike’s student?
SJ: Take advantage of the tools and resources at your disposal here. Talk to your professors. Take books out of the library and actually read them. Study abroad. Join a student group. Get to know your colleagues. You are in an incredible position of privilege here. Make the most of it.
HC: You teach what can be at times a controversial topic. There is a lot of misinformation floating around about the things that you lecture on. How do you address this in the context of the classroom?
SJ: I try my best to find a balance between letting controversy guide my classes and making space to deal with important issues that are on the minds of my students. There are many sensationalized images of Islam in the media and in public discourses, generally speaking. I do not wish to reinforce these images by, for example, structuring my Introduction to Islam course to focus only on topics like terrorism and veiling. At the same time, I try to highlight how these sensationalized images came to be historically and discursively, how oversimplified conceptions of Islam are deployed by non-Muslims and Muslims alike for different purposes, and how important it is for us to be aware of the diversity of belief and practice in Muslim communities throughout the world.
HC: What is one long term goal and one short term goal that you are currently working to accomplish?
SJ: I just completed my dissertation, and will spend the summer working on publishing an article based on my research. In the longer term, I plan on turning my dissertation into a book. In addition, I’m hoping to create a new class to offer at Saint Mike’s on gender and religion.
HC: Finally, please pick three words to describe yourself.
SJ: This is the hardest question of all! Dedicated, creative, curious.