MACON – Mercer University's “Muslims in America” series will continue March 22, 6 p.m., in Willingham Auditorium with a presentation titled “The Muslims are Coming!: The Truth Behind Islamization, Shari'a, and Jihad” by Dr. Abbas Barzegar, assistant professor of religious studies at Georgia State University.
Dr. Barzegar, who teaches in GSU's Middle East Studies Center, will address many of the concerns raised in the media and by candidates in the current presidential election regarding the beliefs of American Muslims. He will discuss hot-button issues, such as the spread of Islam in the U.S., Shari'a law and the meaning of jihad.
Dr. Barzegar has written a number of articles and book chapters and appeared regularly in print and broadcast media to offer commentary and analysis on current events related to his expertise in Sunni-Shi'a relations and political Islam.
He is a fellow at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding and serves as co-director of both the After Malcolm oral history and archiving project and the Civic Approaches to Conflict Resolution Initiative.
Dr. Barzegar earned his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his Ph.D. from Emory University.
The “Muslims in America” series, designed to promote interfaith dialogue and understanding about Islam and the experiences of Muslims in the Middle Georgia community, is co-sponsored by Mercer's Center for Community Engagement, Department of International and Global Studies, and Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Office.
The four-part series concludes on April 19, 6 p.m., with “Religious Dialogue: The Solutions for Peace,” featuring Dr. Mansa Bilal Mark King, associate professor of sociology at Morehouse College.
