MSA dinner, lecture to feature comparative religion keynote

By Jason Koole

Western Herald
Western Michigan University’s Muslim Student Association will host their biannual dinner and lecture on Friday in hopes of bridging the gap between Muslims and non-Muslims on campus.

The keynote lecture, “One God, Many Names: Muslims, Christians and Jews All Call Upon the Same God” will be given by Umar F,aruq Abd-Allah, Ph.D. and will cover the similarities between the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish faiths.

The dinner and lecture will take place this Friday, Feb. 19 at 5:30 p.m. in the Bernhard Center’s East Ballroom.

Faruq is an American Muslim who received his doctorate in 1978 from the University of Chicago on a dissertation concerning Islamic law and has taught Islamic studies and comparative religions from 1984 to 2000.

Samira Shammas, public relation coordinator for the MSA, believes the importance of the event is to bring people together and provide a better understanding of each other.

“The importance of this event is to bring Muslims and non-Muslims of all different backgrounds together in one room on the same night,” Shammas said. “Guests will be able to converse with others seated at their tables and discuss different cultures and cultural perspectives, with Muslims and non-Muslims alike.”

Around one-fourth of the world’s population is Muslim, with approximately 7 million living in the United States according to a PBS documentary, “Islam Today.”

Faruq’s lecture will be followed by a question and answer session, multicultural dinner, and exhibition.

The event is free but requires reservations.  Reservations can be made at www.rso.wmich.edu/msa and must be made by Feb. 17.

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Posted by heraldstaff on Feb 14 2010. Filed under Campus, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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