Understanding Islam in an Age
of Polarization and Misinformation
A talk with Harvard Professor Ali Asani
"Religion is one of the major markers of difference in our world today. The inability to understand the nature of religion has created an environment that is intellectually incapacitating, which breeds prejudice and fear of people who are religiously different, leading in many cases to physical and psychological abuse and violation of civil rights."
Join us for an insightful discussion
with Ali Asani, Professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures
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Talk to be followed with a Q&A period and a reception
Description
We live in a world in which illiteracy about Islam, and religion in general, has been increasingly exploited to divide people and undermine the pluralistic fabric of societies. The dehumanization of entire religious communities through stereotypes and the language of hate has resulted in not only violation of human rights but also in violence and loss of life. This presentation will focus on how we can combat illiteracy about Islam in political, media and social spaces and promote more nuanced perspectives about the tradition.
A reception with Professor Asani will follow the conference.
About the Speaker
Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Ali Asani is Professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures and the Director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University. After completing his high school education in Kenya, he attended Harvard College, with a concentration in the Comparative Study of Religion, graduating summa cum laude in 1977. He continued his graduate work at Harvard in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (NELC), receiving his PhD in 1984. Prof. Asani holds a joint appointment between the Committee on the Study of Religion and NELC. He also serves on the faculty of the Departments of South Asian Studies and African and African-American Studies. He has taught at Harvard since 1983, offering instruction in a variety of South Asian and African languages and literatures as well as courses on various aspects of the Islamic tradition including Understanding Islam and Contemporary Muslim Societies, Religion, Literature and the Arts in Muslim Cultures, Muslim Voices in Contemporary World Literatures, Introduction to Islamic Mysticism (Sufism), Ismaili History and Thought. and Muslim Societies in South Asia: Religion, Culture and Identity.
Professor Asani has been particularly active post-September 11 in improving the understanding of Islam and its role in Muslim societies by conducting workshops for high school and college educators as well as making presentations at various public forums. He is particularly interested in the arts, broadly defined, as the primary means by which Muslims have experienced their faith and their potential as pedagogic bridges to foster a better understandings of the Islamic tradition. He has been involved in the Islamic Cultural Studies Initiative, an international professional development program for high school teachers in Kenya, Pakistan and Texas intended to promote a culturally and historically based approach to the study of Islam and Muslim societies. He has also served on the American Academy of Religion's Task Force on the teaching of religion in schools. More recently, he was a consultant for the National Endowment for the Humanities Bridging Cultures Muslim Journeys Bookshelf Project. In 2002, Professor Asani was awarded the Harvard Foundation medal for his outstanding contributions to improving intercultural and race relations at Harvard and the nation.
Event Details
◊ Date and time: Tuesday, March 24, 2020, 5pm
◊ Venue: Cyberjustice Laboratory (B-2215), Pavillon 3200, rue Jean-Brillant, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1N8
◊ Price (including a reception following the main event): $25 via Eventbrite; $30 at the door (subject to available spaces)
◊ This event is open to the public
◊ Places limited
◊ Free and metered parking on street; visitor fee parking available at Garage Louis-Colin
◊ Info: Han-Ru Zhou (han-ru.zhou@umontreal.ca)
>> REGISTER NOW ON EVENTBRITE! <<
Détails de l'événement
◊ Date et heure : le mardi 24 mars 2020, 17h
◊ Lieu: Laboratoire de cyberjustice (B-2215), Pavillon 3200, rue Jean-Brillant, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1N8
◊ Prix (incluant une réception après la conférence): $25 via Eventbrite; $30 à la porte sous réserve de disponibilités
◊ Événement ouvert au public
◊ Places limitées
◊ Stationnement gratuit et parcométré disponible dans la rue; stationnement payant au Garage Louis-Colin
◊ Cet événement se déroulera en anglais
◊ Renseignements : Han-Ru Zhou (han-ru.zhou@umontreal.ca)
Formation d’un dispensateur reconnu aux fins de la formation continue obligatoire du Barreau du Québec pour une durée d’une heure trente. Une attestation de participation représentant une heure trente de formation juridique sera transmise aux notaires.