COLUMBIA — Islamic scholar and author Jamal Badawi will give a lecture titled “Is a Just and Peaceful Co-existence Possible in our Society? An Islamic Perspective” at 6:30 p.m. today in Conservation Auditorium at MU. The lecture caps off the Muslim Students Organization’s Islam Awareness Week.
Nabihah Maqbool, public relations chair for the student organization, said getting Badawi was difficult.
“It took a lot of planning to work around his schedule to get him here,” she said.
While an economics professor, Badawi is better known for his many books on Islam including “Gender Equity in Islam: Basic Principles” and “Leadership: An Islamic Perspective.”
The breadth of Badawi’s knowledge on Islam, as well as other world religions, allows him to have a unique perspective on the relationships between faiths, Maqbool said.
Muslim Students Organization vice-president Mustafa Mohammad was particularly interested in inviting Badawi to speak because he had seen him lecture many times in the past.
Mohammad said that in those lectures, Badawi spoke about the importance of Muslims and other religions working together in society to foster better cross-faith understanding.
This important message is what Mohammad said he hopes people will take away from tonight’s forum.
“It’s really for anyone who wants to increase their understanding of religions,” he said. “Anyone can benefit from it.”
Badawi is a professor emeritus in the Management Department and Religious Studies Department at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In addition, he serves as the imam of the Muslim community there.
For more information, visit the Missourian’s Faith in Focus blog.