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Muslim scholar to speak at St. Olaf College on Arab politics and gender, Sept. 11 fallout

David Gonnerman '90
April 14, 2003

Dr. Yvonne Haddad, professor of the history of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations at the Center for Muslim Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, will give two lectures at St. Olaf College on Thursday, April 17. The public is invited to both lectures.

The first lecture, "Political Conflict and Gender Roles in the Middle East," will take place at 11:30 a.m. in Holland Hall, room 501. It is being given as part of the college?s Middle East Lecture Series.

The second lecture, "Arab Americans Pre- and Post-September 11" will be at 3:30 p.m., also in room 501 of Holland Hall.

"Women are becoming the battlefield between American perceptions of women and Muslim perceptions," Haddad says, "between conservatives and more liberal forces." The battle is being played out socially, politically and economically, she explains. "Women are in politics in the Middle East, but they are not necessarily policy makers."

Two of the most important issues for Middle Eastern women today center around participation in education and in politics, says Haddad.

Her first lecture will look at how Middle Eastern governments treat women. Syria and Iraq, for example, allow women to drive. Saudi Arabia does not. But in Syria and Iraq, women are "showcased" by the ruling parties and not given an independent voice, Haddad says. Jordan holds elections, but men and women vote for candidates already chosen by tribal leaders.

Her second talk will focus on the integration of Muslims into American society. Muslim-Americans claim to have elected President George W. Bush, for example. They voted for him en masse to protest the racial profiling that was adopted as official policy during the Clinton administration.

And now, says Haddad, "post-Sept. 11, Muslim-Americans increasingly feel like German-Americans during World War I and Japanese-Americans during World War II," two peoples who suffered discrimination and persecution. Haddad also drew parallels to the McCarthy era.

Each lecture will be followed by a question-and-answer period.

Haddad, born in a part of Turkey now in Syria, has lived in the United States since 1963. She holds a Ph.D. from Hartford Seminary and is currently conducting research on Muslims in the West and on Islamic Revolutionary Movements.

Her 17 books include Islam, Gender and Social Change and Daughters of Abraham: Feminist Thought in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Her most recent title is Religion and Immigration: Christian, Jewish and Muslim Experiences in the United States.

St. Olaf College is a liberal arts institution that fosters the development of mind, body and spirit. It is a residential college in Northfield, Minn., and affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college provides personalized instruction and diverse learning environments, with nearly two-thirds of its students participating in international studies.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.