View source for Lois Lamya al-Faruqi

{{Short description|Islamic scholar of ethnomusicology}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{Infobox academic
| image              = Lois-lamya-al-faruqi.png{{!}}border
| name               = Lois Lamya al-Faruqi
| birth_date         = 25 July 1926
| birth_place        = [[Plentywood, Montana]], United States
| death_date         = {{d-da|27 May 1986|25 July 1926}}
| death_place        = [[Wyncote, Pennsylvania]], United States
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| resting_place      = Forest Hills Cemetery, [[Pennsylvania]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134999657/lois_lamya_rachel_al-faruqi |title=Lois Lamya Rachel Ibsen Al-Faruqi (1926-1986) |website=Find a Grave |publisher=Ancestry.com |access-date=June 22, 2024}}</ref>
| resting_place_coordinates = {{Coord|40.1303|N|75.0253|W|region:US-PA_type:landmark|display=inline}}
-->
| death_cause        = [[Murder]] by stabbing
| spouse             = {{plainlist}}
* {{marriage|[[Ismail al-Faruqi]]|September 2, 1951|May 27, 1986|end=his death}}
{{endplainlist}}
| children           = 5
| alma mater         = [[Syracuse University]]
| main_interests     = [[Islamic art]], [[Ethnomusicology]], [[Islamic music]]
| notable_ideas      = Islamic perspective on music, Music and Religion
| website            = [https://ismailfaruqi.com ismailfaruqi.com]
}}
'''Lois Lamya al-Faruqi''' ([[née]] '''Lois Rachel Ibsen''', [[July 25]], [[1926]] – [[May 27]], [[1986]]) was an American scholar and expert on [[Islamic art]] and music. She made contributions to the field of [[ethnomusicology]], particularly in the study of Islamic musical culture, and co-authored the work ''[[The Cultural Atlas of Islam]]'' with her husband, [[Ismail al-Faruqi]].
== Early life and education ==
Lois Lamya al-Faruqi was born in 1927 in [[Plentywood, Montana]] to Fred Ibsen and Rachel Ibsen (née Flaten), who were Danish and Norwegian immigrants, respectively. She graduated from the [[University of Montana]] in 1948 with a degree in music, where she studied piano. She then attended [[Indiana University]], receiving an M.A. in music in 1949. During this period, she met and married Ismail Raji al-Faruqi. She taught at [[Butler University]] for three years before focusing on Islamic studies. She continued her education at [[McGill University]] and later obtained her Ph.D. in Humanities from [[Syracuse University]] with a thesis entitled ''The Nature of the Musical Art of Islamic Culture: A Theoretical and Empirical Study of Arabian Music''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Braibanti |first=Ralph |title=Lois Lamya' al-Faruqi |journal=The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs |volume=V |issue=5 |date=August 11, 1986 |page=11 |publisher=Washington Report on Middle East Affairs}}</ref>
== Professional and academic contributions ==
Lois Lamya al-Faruqi held positions as an adjunct professor at [[Temple University]] and [[Villanova University]] from 1977 onwards. She was actively involved in the Society for Ethnomusicology, serving on various committees, including as president and program chairman of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Qureshi |first=Regula Burckhardt |title=Lois Lamya Ibsen al-Faruqi (1927-1986) |journal=Ethnomusicology |volume=32 |issue=2 |year=1988 |pages=93–96 |publisher=University of Illinois Press}}</ref>
=== Areas of expertise ===
Lois Lamya al-Faruqi focused on Islamic musical culture. Her research included topics such as Arabic music, the role of music in Islamic culture, and the relationship between music and religious practices.
=== Major publications ===
She authored several works, including ''The Cultural Atlas of Islam'', co-authored with her husband, Ismail Raji al-Faruqi, and published posthumously by [[Macmillan and Company|Macmillan]]. This book is a comprehensive resource on Islam's cultural and historical aspects, including its artistic expressions.
=== Scholarly contributions ===
Lois Lamya al-Faruqi's scholarly contributions include numerous articles and papers exploring various aspects of music, Islamic art, and culture. Her Ph.D. dissertation, "The Nature of the Musical Art of Islamic Culture: A Theoretical and Empirical Study of Arabian Music," provided an analysis of Arabian music, combining theoretical perspectives with empirical research.
She focused on articulating an Islamic perspective on music and examining Muslim musical practices. Her contributions in this area include ''An Annotated Glossary of Arabic Musical Terms'', a resource for scholars studying Arabic music, and several articles on the role of music in Islamic societies.
=== Professional activities ===
Lois Lamya al-Faruqi was an active member of the Society for Ethnomusicology, serving on various committees, including as president and program chairman of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter. She promoted ethnomusicology in the Muslim world and represented that constituency to the broader community.
=== Additional roles ===
[[File:Faruqi-grave-tombstone.png|thumb|Shared grave of Lois Lamya al-Faruqi and her husband]]
In addition to her academic work, Lois Lamya al-Faruqi was involved in various professional activities, including lecturing, organizing conferences and exhibits, and participating in numerous organizations. She was a board member of the Islamic Arts Foundation and a member of the UNESCO working group to prepare a Universal Scientific and Cultural History of Mankind. She chaired the Arts and Literature Group of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists from 1975 until her death in 1986.
== Death ==
{{Main|Murder of the Faruqis}}
On May 27, 1986, Lois Lamya al-Faruqi and her husband were murdered in their home in [[Wyncote, Pennsylvania]]. The motivations behind the murders have been the subject of various theories, including a botched burglary and politically motivated assassination.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wrmea.org/1986-november/focus-on-arabs-and-islam.html|title=Focus on Arabs and Islam|last=Toth|first=Anthony B.|date=November 1986|website=[[Washington Report on Middle East Affairs]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Fletcher |first=Charles |title=Muslim-Christian Engagement in the Twentieth Century: The Principles of Inter-faith Dialogue and the Work of Ismail Al-Faruqi |date=2014 |publisher=I.B.Tauris |location=United Kingdom |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Assassination motive behind al-Faruqi killings |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1309&dat=19860820&id=MNRHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vo4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5815,1095948 |work=New Straits Times |date=August 20, 1986 |location=Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |access-date=June 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Zionist backlash against Arab intellectuals |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1309&dat=19860821&id=MdRHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vo4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6800,1300812 |work=New Straits Times |date=August 21, 1986 |location=Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |access-date=June 22, 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
==Bibliography==
===Books===
* {{cite book |year=1981 |title=An Annotated Glossary of Arabic Musical Terms |location=Westport, CT |publisher=Greenwood Press |language=en}}
* {{cite book |year=1986 |title=The Cultural Atlas of Islam |location=NY |publisher=Macmillan |language=en}}
* {{cite book |year=2002 |title=Women, Muslim Society, and Islam |location=IL |publisher=American Trust Publications |language=en}}
=== Dissertation ===
* {{cite thesis |year=1974 |title=The Nature of the Musical Art of Islamic Culture: A Theoretical and Empirical Study of Arabian Music |type=Ph.D. dissertation |publisher=Syracuse University |language=en}}
===Articles===
* {{cite journal  |title=Ancient Arab Religion |journal=Islamic Literature |pages=391–411 |date=July 1969 |language=en}}
* {{cite book |editor=Bardwell Smith |year=1971 |title=The Relevance of Religion in a Study of Indian Ragamala Paintings |pages=83–104 |location=Chambersburg, PA |publisher=American Academy of Religion |language=en}}
* {{cite journal |year=1973 |title=Women's Rights and the Muslim Woman |journal=Islam and the Modern Age |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=76–99 |language=en}}
* {{cite journal |year=1975 |title=Muwashshah: A Vocal Form in Islamic Culture |journal=Ethnomusicology |volume=19 |issue=1 |pages=1–29 |doi=10.2307/849744 |jstor=849744 |last1=Al Faruqi |first1=Lois Ibsen |language=en}}
* {{cite journal |year=1976 |title=The Aisled Hall and the Domed Chamber: Their Use in Islamic Culture |journal=Islamic Culture |volume=50 |issue=3 |pages=155–167 |language=en}}
* {{cite journal |year=1976–77 |title=Dances of the Muslim Peoples |journal=Dance Scope |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=43–51 |language=en}}
* {{cite book |year=1977 |title=Development and the Islamic Arts |pages=27–35 |location=Plainfield, IN |publisher=A.M.S.S. |language=en}}
* {{cite journal |year=1977 |title=The Aesthetics of Islamic Art: Afterwords |journal=Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism |volume=35 |issue=3 |pages=353–355 |doi=10.2307/430294 |jstor=430294 |language=en}}
* {{cite journal |year=1978 |title=Accentuation in Qur'anic Chant: A Study in Musical Tawazun |journal=Yearbook of the International Folk Music Council |volume=10 |pages=53–68 |doi=10.2307/767347 |jstor=767347 |language=en |last1=Al Faruqi |first1=Lois Ibsen }}
* {{cite journal |year=1978 |title=Al Muwashshah: Al Janib al Sawt fil al Thaqafah al Islamiyyah |journal=Al-Kitharah |issue=52 |pages=9–15, 54: 12–21 |location=Baghdad |language=ar}}
* {{cite journal |year=1978 |title=An Extended Family Model from Islamic Culture |journal=Journal of Comparative Family Studies |volume=9 |issue=2 |pages=243–256 |language=en}}
* {{cite journal |year=1978 |title=Dance as an Aesthetic Expression in Islamic Culture |journal=Dance Research Journal |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=6–13 |doi=10.2307/1477998 |jstor=1477998 |language=en}}
* {{cite journal |year=1978 |title=Ornamentation in Arabian Improvisational Music: A Study of Interrelatedness in the Arts |journal=The World of Music |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=17–32 |language=en}}
* {{cite book |year=1979 |title=Tartil al-Quran al-Karim |pages=105–119 |location=Leicester, UK |publisher=The Islamic Foundation |language=en}}
* {{cite book |editor=Nadia Chilkovsky Nahumck |year=1979 |title=Dances of the Muslim People |pages=159–160 |location=New York |publisher=American Dance Guild, Inc. |language=en}}
* {{cite conference |year=1980 |chapter=Islamic Influences |pages=11–13 |location=New Haven, CT |publisher=A.M.S. |title=Twelfth Congress report of the American Musicological Society |language=en}}
* {{cite journal |year=1981 |title=The Status of Music in Muslim Nations: Evidence from the Arab World |journal=Asian Music |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=56–84 |language=en}}
* {{cite book |year=1982 |title=Al Ghazali on Sama' |pages=43–50 |location=Herndon, VA |publisher=International Institute of Islamic Thought |language=en}}
* {{cite book |year=1982 |title=Artistic Acculturation and Diffusion among Muslims of the United States |pages=85–100 |location=Herndon, VA |publisher=International Institute of Islamic Thought |language=en}}
* {{cite book |editor=Henry O. Thompson |year=1982 |title=God in Visual Aesthetic Expression: A Comparative Study in Transcendence Symbolization |pages=234–266 |location=New York |publisher=The Rose of Sharon Press |language=en}}
* {{cite book |year=1982 |title=Islam and Aesthetic Expression |pages=191–212 |location=London |publisher=Longman, Islamic Council of Europe |language=en}}
* {{cite journal |year=1982 |title=Islamization through Art: Implications for Education |journal=Islamic Culture |volume=56 |issue=1 |pages=21–35 |language=en}}
* {{cite book |year=1982 |title=Muslim Women in Changing Environments |pages=797–801 |volume=2 |location=New York |publisher=The International Cultural Foundation Press |language=en}}
* {{cite book |year=1982 |chapter=The Shari'ah on Music and Musicians | title=Islamic Thought and Culture | pages=27–52 |location=Herndon, VA |publisher=International Institute of Islamic Thought |language=en}}
* {{cite journal |year=1982 |title=Wadl' al Musiqa fi al'Alam al Muslim |journal=Al Muslim al Mu'asir |volume=8 |issue=29 |pages=107–131 |language=ar}}
* {{cite book |year=1983 |title=Al Fann al Islami |location=London |publisher=n.p. |language=ar}}
* {{cite book |editor=Jalal Uddin Ahmed |year=1983 |title=Islamic Art or Muslim Art? |location=London |publisher=Islamic Arts Foundation |language=en}}
* {{cite book |year=1983 |title=Islamic Music |volume=14 |pages=286–288 |location=New York |publisher=Funk and Wagnall |language=en}}
* {{cite book |editor=H. Wiley Hitchcock, Stanley Sadie |year=1983 |title=Islamic Music, American |volume=2 |pages=501–502 |location=New York |publisher=Macmillan |language=en}}
* {{cite book |year=1983 |title=Nazarah al Islamiyyah Ila al Ramziyyah fi al Funun: Ara'Jadidah fi Fann al Taswir |location=London |publisher=N.p. |language=ar}}
* {{cite book |editor=John Richard Hayes |year=1983 |title=The Andalusian Tradition |pages=144–145 |edition=2nd |location=Cambridge, MA |publisher=The MIT Press |language=en}}
* {{cite book |editor=John Richard Hayes |year=1983 |title=The Golden Age of Arab Music |page=142 |edition=2nd |location=Cambridge, MA |publisher=The MIT Press |language=en}}
* {{cite book |editor=Joyce Irwin |year=1983 |title=What Makes 'Religious Music' Religious? |pages=21–34 |series=JAAR Thematic Studies |volume=50 |location=Chico, CA |publisher=Scholar's Press |language=en}}
* {{cite journal |year=1983–84 |title=Factors of Continuity in the Musical Cultures of the Muslim World |journal=Progress Reports in Ethnomusicology |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=1–18 |language=en}}
* {{cite book |editor=Diane Apostolos-Cappadona |year=1984 |title=An Islamic Perspective on Symbolism in the Arts: New Thoughts on Figural Representation |pages=164–178 |location=New York |publisher=The Crossroad Publishing Company |language=en}}
* {{cite book |editor1=Yvonne Haddad |editor2=Byron Haines |editor3=Ellison Findly |year=1984 |title=Unity and Variety in the Music of Islamic Culture |pages=175–194 |location=Syracuse, NY |publisher=Syracuse University Press |language=en}}
* {{cite journal |year=1985 |title=The Suite in Islamic History and Culture |journal=The World of Music |volume=27 |issue=3 |pages=46–64 |language=en}}
* {{cite conference |year=1986 |chapter=Ibn Sina's Contribution in the Field of Music Theory |title=Proceedings of the Symposium on Ibn Sina (Avicenna) |location=Kuala Lumpur |publisher=University of Malaya |language=en}}
* {{cite journal |year=1986 |title=Islamization Through the Sound Arts |journal=The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=171–180 |url=https://www.ajis.org/index.php/ajiss/article/view/2892 |doi=10.35632/ajis.v3i2.2892 |doi-access=free |language=en |last1=Al Faruqi |first1=Lois Lamya' }}
* {{cite journal |year=1988 |title=The Cantillation of the Qur'an |journal=Asian Music |volume=19 |issue=1 |pages=2–25 |doi=10.2307/833761 |jstor=833761 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/833761 |url-access=subscription |language=en |last1=Al Faruqi |first1=Lois Ibsen }}
* {{cite journal |title=The Sleeping Rabbit Lost the Race |journal=North Star |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=3–6 |language=en |year=n.d.}}
* {{cite web |title=Women In a Quranic Society |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041126232422/http://www.crescentlife.com/thisthat/feminist%20muslims/women_in_quranic_society.htm |language=en |access-date=2024-11-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041126232422/ |archive-date=2004-11-26}}
* {{cite web |title=Islamic Traditions & The Feminist Movement: Confrontation or Co-operation? |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041204123108/http://www.crescentlife.com/thisthat/feminist%20muslims/islam_and_feminist_movement.htm |language=en |access-date=2024-11-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041204123108/ |archive-date=2004-12-04}}
== See also ==
* [[Ismail al-Faruqi]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==Further reading==
* {{cite journal |last=Qureshi |first=Regula Burckhardt |title=Lois Lamya Ibsen al-Faruqi (1927-1986) |journal=Ethnomusicology |volume=32 |issue=2 |year=1988 |publisher=University of Illinois Press}}
*{{cite journal |last=Braibanti |first=Ralph |title=Lois Lamya' al-Faruqi |journal=The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs |volume=V |issue=5 |date=August 11, 1986 |publisher=Washington Report on Middle East Affairs}}
{{Ismail al-Faruqi}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Faruqi, Lois Lamya}}
[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:1986 deaths]]
[[Category:Historians of Islamic art]]
[[Category:1986 murders in the United States]]
[[Category:Deaths by stabbing in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:University of Montana alumni]]
[[Category:Indiana University alumni]]
[[Category:Syracuse University alumni]]
[[Category:Temple University faculty]]
[[Category:American murder victims]]
[[Category:Women scholars of Islam]]
[[Category:Muslims from Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:American people of Danish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Norwegian descent]]
[[Category:People from Sheridan County, Montana]]
[[Category:20th-century Muslim scholars of Islam]]