Reza Aslan

October 4 - 7:00 pm

"They Are Not Like Us: Islamophobia in America Ten Years After 9/11"
Keynote Address, Dimnent Chapel

“Against a swell of rising Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment in the US, Reza Aslan sidesteps the division of “us” versus “them” to deliver a timely and resonating talk on strengthening US-Muslim relations.  What’s happened in the last ten years to move anti-Muslim rhetoric from the fringes and into the mainstream?  Why do more Americans view Muslims negatively today than during the immediate aftermath of September 11th?  What does the tide of Islamophobia say about America ten years after that tragic day?  Aslan provides incisive and compelling answers to these vital questions.  More than that, he offers a way forward.  The majority of young Muslims in the Middle East, he shows us, are fighting for social change:  Fundamentalism isn’t heating up; it’s winding down.  Meanwhile, Muslim Americans are becoming ideal citizens.  Unfortunately, many still view Islam as a shorthand for nearly everything we fear; a scapegoat for our troubles.  So, how do we counterbalance this harmful but near-ubiquitous mindset?  Instead of casting Muslims into the role of the “other” we must embrace them as part of the multi-cultural, multi-religious fabric of American society.  As Aslan reminds us, what is said today about Muslims has been said before about Catholics and Jews—and we look back at those times with derision, even mockery.  Within one generation, Aslan proclaims, we will look back on today’s anti-Muslim sentiments with the same sense of bewilderment and shame.  How we can get there—through relationships, through one-on-one connections, and through a deeper, more thorough understanding of Islam—is the subject of this hopeful, humorous, and slate-clearing manifesto.  This is an absolutely necessary talk about the kind of country we want to live in, and how each of us must work to make that happen.”

Who is Reza Aslan? Read more here.

Reza Aslan

October 5 - 10:30 am

"Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Islam and Muslims But Were Afraid To Ask"
Morning Focus Session, Maas Auditorium

In this morning focus session, Reza Aslan will answer your questions and engage the audience in informal discussion.

Who is Reza Aslan? Read more here.

Asma Barlas

October 5 - 9:00 am

"Believing Women" in Islam: Does the Qu'ran Support Gender Equality?
Morning Keynote Address, Dimnent Chapel

Does Islam call for the oppression of women? Non-Muslims point to the subjugation of women that occurs in many Muslim countries, especially those that claim to be "Islamic," while many Muslims read the Qur'an in ways that seem to justify sexual oppression, inequality, and patriarchy. Taking a wholly different view, Asma Barlas develops a believer's reading of the Qur'an that demonstrates the radically egalitarian and antipatriarchal nature of its teachings.

Beginning with a historical analysis of religious authority and knowledge, Barlas shows how Muslims came to read inequality and patriarchy into the Qur'an to justify existing religious and social structures and demonstrates that the patriarchal meanings ascribed to the Qur'an are a function of who has read it, how, and in what contexts. She goes on to reread the Qur'an's position on a variety of issues in order to argue that its teachings do not support patriarchy. To the contrary, Barlas convincingly asserts that the Qur'an affirms the complete equality of the sexes, thereby offering an opportunity to theorize radical sexual equality from within the framework of its teachings. This new view takes readers into the heart of Islamic teachings on women, gender, and patriarchy, allowing them to understand Islam through its most sacred scripture, rather than through Muslim cultural practices or Western media stereotypes.

Who is Asma Barlas? Read more here.

Asma Barlas

October 5 - 1:00 pm

"Reading Scripture: Creating Religious Meaning"
Afternoon Focus Session, Maas Auditorium

In this Focus Session, Dr. Barlas will take participants through a short exercise in "meaning creation." She will help us to consider how we can arrive at different meanings of the Qu'ran (or any text) depending on how we read it. Dr. Barlas suggests that the rules of hermeneutics (interpretation) are similar whether applying them to the Bible or to the Qu'ran.

Who is Asma Barlas? Read more here.

Michael Bonner

Oct 5 - 10:30/1:00

"The Idea of 'Frontier' in Islamic History"
Morning and Afternoon Focus Sessions, Wichers Auditorium, Nykerk Hall

“Although the idea of the frontier has tremendous resonance throughout the history of Islam, historians have mostly taken it for granted.  In this talk, we begin by asking why this is so.  Then we identify some defining moments in the evolution of this idea.  Ever since the decline of the unitary Caliphate, the frontier has been a prime location for political creativity (and state formation).  Even in our time, Afghanistan provides a vivid and tragic example of “contested territory.” 

Who is Michael Bonner? Read more here.

Nahed Eltantawy

Oct 5 - 10:30/1:00

"Above the Fold and Beyond the Veil: Media Depictions of Muslim Women"
Morning and Afternoon Focus Sessions, Vanderwerf Hall, Room 102

In her presentation Eltantawy examines Western media portrayals of Muslim women from 9/11/2001 to present. Using theories of Postcolonial Feminism and Orientalism in her analysis, Eltantawy demonstrates the accurate as well as distorted portrayals of contemporary Muslim women.

Who is Nahed Eltantawy? Read more here.

Muaz Redzic & David Baak

October 5 - 10:30 am

"Islam and Christianity: Building Bridges of Understanding Through Learning About Each Other"
Morning Focus Session, Wichers Auditorium, Graves Hall

Imam Redzic will present two different sessions.  In the morning, he will present with Rev. David Baak on building bridges of understanding between Muslims and Christians.  Their approach will be for each of them to speak about the other’s faith, and to include what they have learned from each other about that faith. 

Who is Muaz Redzic? Read more here.

Who is David Baak? Read more here.

Muaz Redzic

October 5 - 1:00 pm

"Muslim Contributions to the American Dream: From Early Explorers to Present-Day Elected Officials"

In the afternoon, Imam Redzic will give a presentation on Muslims and their contributions to what we understand as “the American Dream.”  He will share some insights about important Muslim Americans, from early explorers to present-day elected officials. 

Who is Muaz Redzic? Read more here.

Lema Sbenaty

October 5 - 10:30 am

"Living Under the Umbrella (of Islam)"

In this session, I plan to discuss the Murfreesboro Mosque issue and the impact it has had on our community. I want to relate that to the nation as a whole and how we are dealing with ordinary Muslim people such as myself.  We have had a lot of trials and tribulations dealing with this issue, so I wanted to talk about how we resolved situations, how we came together as a community to quell outside forces as well as those that were working against Religious Freedom. The Muslim community really had to place itself in a position that was not in its comfort zone to be able to prove that we were not who they said we were. Our challenges included vandals, rallies, politicians, arson, and, more recently, a bomb threat. Regardless of these obstacles, it is our right in the US to be able to worship. And we have to fight for that right no matter how much people say we are wrong. 

Who is Lema Sbenaty? Read more here.

Lema Sbenaty

October 5 - 1:00 pm

"MLIA: My Life is Average? or Make A Large Impact Anyway?"

Every college student is familiar with the “My Life Is Average” website, a site all college kids have learned to love. I plan to discuss how very average people can make a difference in their community. We had a mosque close to ours in Murfreesboro (one hour away) that wanted to expand to a new facility. There was a loud and outspoken minority against said expansion; that mosque was never built and the proposal was denied. I strongly believe that is what would have happened in Murfreesboro had we not rallied and used all our resources to make this a national issue—to make people stop and think about this small town in Tennessee. We created a group called Middle Tennesseans for Religious Freedom (now comprised of over 3000 members). We had to educate many citizens about what Islam was. We gathered as many people as we could to provide a human task force. We held meetings as well as spoke at commission meetings. We turned to our politicians (although they were of little help). And most importantly, we used the media to our advantage. Technology made a huge impact on how we organized, since most of the initial stance was from college students. MTRF was created and is maintained by very regular, average students, and that’s what I want for my talk to portray.

Who is Lema Sbenaty? Read more here.

Peace Moms

October 5 - 1:00 pm

"Promoting Christian-Muslim Dialogue: Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High"

Communication and relationship building are at the heart of promoting civic and political participation.  In addressing our disagreements we must learn to respond, not just react.  Audiences are challenged in their judgments to look at others without blame or shame.  In this session, Nadyne and Soraya will help participants to look beyond enemy images, enhance the quality of connection between religious communities, understand dysfunctional communication, promote tolerance and respect diversity, and understand the language of the media. 

Who are the Peace Moms? Read more here or visit their web site.