Lecture to cover how revolutions in Middle East affect world

March 21, 2011 | Events, UToday
By Ashley Traynum



How the revolution in Egypt will affect the Middle East and the rest of the world will be the focus of the Annual Imam Khattab Lecture in Islamic Studies Tuesday, March 22.

Anjum

Anjum

Dr. Ovamir Anjum, the Imam Khattab Endowed Chair of Islamic Studies at The University of Toledo, will deliver the address, “The Revolution in Egypt and the Future of the Middle East: Globalization, Islamism or Democracy?” at 7 p.m. in the Driscoll Alumni Center Auditorium.

“The goal of the evening is to inform the community on how changes in the Middle East impact everyone. I originally had another topic in mind, but with everything going on in the Middle East, I felt it was important to highlight the most recent developments,” said Anjum, who has studied intellectual and revolutionary movements in the region for more than 10 years and has written and lectured about the subjects.

Demonstrations have spread across parts of the Middle East and Africa, leading to the Egyptian uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak. The leader was pushed from office after nearly 30 years in power.

Anjum describes the events as inspiring and proof that Arab governments are not immune to the voice of the people. In his lecture, Anjum will address the groundbreaking impact of the recent uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia and elsewhere in the Middle East.

“For years, foreign pundits thought Muslims did not care about freedom and democracy. Last year in my lecture, I pointed to Gallup data that indicate that 80 percent Muslims around the globe want both Islam and democracy. We see now without doubt that they do,” Anjum said. “There is a new generation of young Muslims that is changing our fundamental assumptions about the Middle East. Our student and community need to be informed about what is going on because it has major implications here at home.”

The free, public Imam Khattab Annual Lecture is sponsored by UT’s Program in Religious Studies in the Department of Philosophy with funds from the Anderson Foundation.

Click to access the login or register cheese