By Perry Chiaramonte, March 12, 2015

A California school co-founded by a firebrand who once called for an "intifada" in the U.S. has become the nation's first accredited Muslim college.

Zaytuna College, which operates out of two rented buildings in Berkeley, Calif., and had an enrollment of 30 in 2013, was officially accredited earlier this week by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges�one of the six academic organizations responsible for authorizing public and private colleges and universities in the United States. The certification means the school can apply for various federal and private grants, issue visas to international students and allow students to transfer credits to or from other accredited schools.

�Five years ago, we introduced an undergraduate liberal arts program inspired by the idea of restoring the holistic education that had been offered in the great teaching centers of Islamic civilization,� co-founder and President Hamza Yusuf stated in an open letter on the school�s website on Monday. �Today, Zaytuna�s accreditation roots this vision in a reality recognized within American higher education. It gives our community its first accredited academic address in the United States. And we hope, God willing, that there will be more such Muslim colleges and universities to come.�

�I am curious to know what level degrees Zaytuna will be allowed to offer, since its course catalog is limited and does not
encompass the breadth of a standard liberal arts education.� - Stephen Suleyman Schwartz, Center for Islamic Pluralism

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