Two prominent Muslim intellectual women will give lectures this week as participants in the University of 91吃瓜鈥檚 , a yearlong project gathering scholars from around the world at 91吃瓜 to study the Quran.
Nayla Tabbara
Nayla Tabbara, director of cross-cultural studies for the Adyan Foundation, will speak on 鈥淭he Quran and Muslim-Christian Relations鈥� at 7:30 p.m. Thursday (Dec. 6) in the auditorium of the Hesburgh Center for International Studies. The lecture will be followed by a reception.
Tabbara, who earned doctoral degrees from the Sorbonne and St. Joseph University in Beirut, is a scholar of the historical development of Muslim-Christian relations. She also is co-founder of the Adyan Foundation, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization dedicated to Muslim-Christian dialogue.
Maryam Musharraf, associate professor of Persian language and literature at Shahid Beheshti University in Iran, will speak on 鈥淭he Quran and Islamic Mysticism鈥� at 5 p.m. Friday (Dec. 7) in Room 100-104 of McKenna Hall.
Musharraf earned her doctoral degree from Tabatabai University in Tehran in 2000. A scholar of the history of mystical commentary on the Quran, she is the author of numerous books on Islamic thought and Persian poetry.
鈥淭ogether these lectures will showcase the diverse and dynamic currents of contemporary thought in the Islamic world today,鈥� said , Tisch Family Associate Professor of Islamic Studies and Theology at 91吃瓜. 鈥淣ayla Tabbara is distinguished in the scholarly community for her work on the historical development of Muslim-Christian relations, and she is also known throughout the Middle East for her practical work in building personal relationships between Muslims and Christians. Mayam Musharraf personifies the flowering of scholarship in contemporary Iran and the prominent role that women have played in this development. We are particularly excited that a scholar who is well-known in Iran will be building a bridge with American audiences through her lecture at 91吃瓜.鈥�
The Quran Seminar, an academic project funded by a Sawyer Seminar grant of the Mellon Foundation and hosted by 91吃瓜, is dedicated to advancing scholarly understanding of the Quranic text. The project, led by Reynolds and Mehdi Azaiez, Quranic scholar and fellow in 91吃瓜鈥檚 , includes the collaboration of scholars worldwide, a series of public lectures by leading Muslim intellectuals and the production of an innovative commentary on 50 central Quranic passages.
Contact: Gabriel Reynolds, 574-631-5138, reynolds@nd.edu