Interest in Islam

Religion and culture are top of mind in the geopolitical debates of the 21st century. Yet contemporary Islam is still a mystery to many, its internal dynamics and complexities ill-served by media sensationalism.

The 2008 MacKay Lecture Series hopes to reveal a world of diversity hidden behind the headlines. The series features three presentations from some of the world’s leading authorities on contemporary Islam, exploring the theme of “Identities and Ideologies: Changes and Transformations in the Modern Islamic World.”

“There’s a perception that there’s a homogenous identity to the Middle East and the broader Islamic world,” explains Amal Ghazal of Dalhousie’s history department, one of the co-organizers of this year’s series. “We wanted to show how varied that world is … flesh out its different identities.”

2008 Mackay Lecture Series January 24 “Transing and Transpassing Across Sex-Gender Lines in Contemporary Iran” Afsaneh Najmabadi, Professor of History and Women’s Studies, Harvard University Ondaatje Hall, McCain Building, 7 p.m. March 6 “Islamo-Christian Civilization: Erasing the Line” Richard Bulliet, Professor of History, Columbia University Theatre A, Tupper Medical Building, 7 p.m. March 27 John Voll, Professor of Islamic History, Associate Director of the prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University “Tradition, Pop Culture, and Jihad: Muslim Diversity in the Contemporary World” Ondaatje Hall, McCain Building, 7 p.m.

The first lecture takes place on Thursday, January 24 at 7 p.m. in Ondaatje Hall and features Afsaneh Najmabadi, professor of History and Women’s Studies at Harvard University and one of the world’s leading scholars on gender studies in contemporary Iran. She will explore the changing sexual identities in the controversial Islamic state with her lecture, titled “Transing and Transpassing Across Sex-Gender Lines in Contemporary Iran.”

The theme of the lecture series is timely. Dr. Ghazal and co-organizer Colin Mitchell are recent additions to the Department of History focusing on Islamic and Middle Eastern studies. They both say they’ve noticed an increased enthusiasm among students for the subject.

“The timing seemed right to continue the effort to build a profile around Islamic studies,” says Dr. Mitchell, who sees the MacKay lectures as a great way to bring unique expertise to campus. “Students want to have access to authorities in these fields with insight that goes beyond the media dialogue. It’s an opportunity to hear some fairly specialized insight into a part of the world that is increasingly relevant.”

The MacKay Lecture Series is funded through a generous donation from Gladys MacKay, in appreciation for the education that her husband received as a history student at Dalhousie in the 1920s. It continues March 6 with a presentation from Columbia University’s Richard Bulliet, whose book The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization challenges the “clash of civilization” thesis that has become commonplace since the September 11 terrorist attacks. The lectures conclude March 27 with John Voll of Georgetown University, who will talk about the role that pop culture and tradition play in shaping modern Islamic diversity.

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