Posted on 02/04/2005 6:58:03 PM PST by Land_of_Lincoln_John
WASHINGTON, February 4 (IslamOnline.net) – Cornell University is to open Islam Awareness Week 2005 with an event entitled “an American Woman’s Jihad” to give non-Muslims and community members opportunity know more about Islam.
The event, due on February 11, comes at a critical time facing Islam worldwide, as many non-Muslims mistakenly believe the Arabic word of Jihad refers solely to a holy war of aggression and violence led by “extremists”.
It would open with a widely-acclaimed National Geographic documentary film “Inside Makkah,” in Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall, according to Cornell Chronicle newspaper of the university Thursday, February 3.
The one-hour film follows three Muslims on their pilgrimage to the Al-Masjid Al-Haram mosque in Makkah, called the Sacred Mosque by Muslims.
Spiritual Journey
Following the screening, Fidelma O’Leary, an Irish-American woman and revert to Islam who was one of the pilgrims featured in the film, would talk about her own spiritual journey to Islam.
O’Leary, an associate professor of biology at St. Edward's University, Austin, Texas, will describe her struggle to live as an American Muslim and an academic in modern-day society and how she has coped with her Irish Catholic family’s lack of acceptance of her Muslim beliefs.
She is a co-founder of the Freedom of Faith Foundation, an educational organization that seeks to create a tolerant society where all people can practice their faiths.
The event was thus chosen to shed light on the concept of “jihad,” which most Muslims interpret as an internal spiritual journey involving personal sacrifice, said Wasif Syed, a Ph.D. student in applied physics at Cornell, an organizer of the event.
Many press reports and non Muslims mistakenly consider Jihad a statement of holy assault on foreigners or people of other faiths by what they call “Muslim extremists”.
Women Image
The event is further expected to give a true image of women in Islam, challenging claims of persecution in the west.
With her blond hair, green eyes and Western upbringing, O’Leary, “defies the image” many people have of Muslim women, said Syed.
And “the film takes you into the heartland of Saudi Arabia, to Makkah, and shows you images you don't see on Western television,” he added.
The documentary makers obtained special permission to film at Makkah's Sacred Mosque and the holy “Ka’abah” central to the site.
The black, cube-shaped stone structure is said to have been built as a shrine nearly 4,000 years ago by Prophet Abraham.
Muslims believe that their monotheistic religion had its beginnings at that site. They pray in its direction five times daily and, as Muslims, have a duty to visit it at least once in their lifetimes, Syed explained.
The site is the largest pilgrimage destination in the world and it attracted 2.5 million people this year. Many are overcome with emotion when they reach it because of its religious significance, he added.
Now in its second year, Islam Awareness Week is sponsored by the Muslim Educational and Cultural Association (MECA), a student group, and the Near Eastern Studies Department at Cornell.
It has broad campus support, reflected in the list of attendees, which will include guest of honor Susan Murphy, vice president for student and academic services.
“I am delighted that the Muslim students at Cornell have decided to put on a week of talks, speakers and events related to Islam Awareness Week,” noted Shawkat Toorawa, assistant professor, Near Eastern studies and adviser to MECA.
“Now, perhaps more than ever, the public deserves to learn about Islamic civilization.”
"her struggle to live as an American Muslim"
This will be followed by a Coptic's account of her stuggle to live as an Egyptian Christian. Won't it?
About the "reverts?" Yep it's true.
I'm SICK of Islam - I DON'T want/need to know anymore about it thank you very much.
[many non-Muslims mistakenly believe the Arabic word of Jihad refers solely to a holy war of aggression and violence led by “extremists”.]
I wonder why that is.
There is always one drama queen in every Irish family. Sometimes two.
The commie atheists finally found a religion they like. Islam, founded by a psycho killer and assassin. What fine bedfellows they are.
More on "reverts." Since Muslims believe everyone is "born Muslim," this is another reason why Muslims have troube accepting other religions. More serious: Muslims who leave the faith, "un-verts" I guess, get the death sentence, since they've been "shown the way" and then left.
[“Now, perhaps more than ever, the public deserves to learn about Islamic civilization.”]
What an incredibly arrogant statement.
Perhaps Cornell should stick to teaching science, and leave the sociology to others.
Could it be she went Muslim to bug her family and get more attention? Naaaaaahhhhh
Hmmm...and you wonder why.
I had no problem with Muslims when they weren't attacking the rest of us and carrying on like raving lunatics.
Well.... they have this show in many universities across the country. It's very pathetic, how this fascist cult tries to find new converts, because that what Islamic Awareness Week is all about.
And when is the awareness week for Judaism and Christianity? I'm sure Cornell will be just as eager to spread understanding of the Judaeo-Christian faith among Muslims, so I hope.
You are certainly not alone.
She'd better not have any children with a Muslim man, or they will be making their own journey when their father kidnaps them to Saudi Arabia, never to be heard from again. Christian women who marry Muslims are so freakin stupid.
Yeah sure...just like those super-tolerant ISLAMIC societies, where people are free to practice Christianity, and have their throats slit.
Why are they having a "week"?
How many Hindu students? When is their week?
Atheists?
Jews?
Lutherans?
My cousin did. It did not start that way, but when the family was so much against it, it drove her closer to the dude. She ended up living in Iran, with her Muslim husband, but later she escaped Iran, and made it back to California. She knew all along it was the wrong thing to do, but she did it to spite everyone.
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