New Chair in Islamic studies joins Huron

On July 1, Dr. Ingrid Mattson will join Huron University College in London, Ont., as the inaugural London and Windsor Community Chair in Islamic studies at its faculty of theology.

The first woman and the first convert to Islam to lead the Islamic Society of North America, Dr. Mattson was formerly director of the Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Conn. She served as advisor to the administration of two U.S. presidents: George Bush and then Barack Obama.

Born and raised in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont., Dr. Mattson has lived in the U.S. since 1989, earning a PhD in Islamic studies at the University of Chicago. Her appointment, which creates a new relationship with the Muslim community, will allow Huron to “take some leadership in this kind of education in Canada,” said Dr. Mattson in a telephone interview.

While Islamic studies are offered at other Canadian universities such as McGill and the University of Toronto, this is the first time they will be offered through a department of theology. “Huron has a remarkable history of critical inquiry and I look forward to building on this tradition,” said Dr. Mattson. How will she do this? “By offering students the opportunity to learn about a faith practiced by more than 20 per cent of the world’s population, in an open and liberal environment,” she told the Journal.

London is home to the largest number of Muslims in Canada, which comprises about 10 per cent of the city’s population of more than 368,400. “I’m very honoured and really excited about the opportunities for the school, for the students and for the community,” said Dr. Mattson. She is eager to work with the city’s inter-faith community so that faith communities can “work better, understand each other and contribute to society at large.”

Although Huron University College is an Anglican university, it welcomes members of all faiths, noted Dr. Mattson, adding that Muslim students have found the church-based school “a very hospitable place to learn.” Being in the midst of an active practicing faith community is “something that they pretty much feel comfortable with,” she confirmed.

Dr. Mattson brings “an incredible wealth of knowledge and expertise” to Islamic studies and the university is “privileged to have a scholar of her caliber,” said Dr. Stephen McClatchie, principal of Huron University College, in a statement.

Dr. Mattson was born and raised Catholic, but became an agnostic when she was 15. She converted to Islam at age 23.