Islamic contributions to western civilization topic of WSU Common Reading speaker Charles Weller Sept. 21
The Washington State University Common Reading Program with the History Club hosts a lecture on Islamic contributions to western civilization Wed., Sept. 21, at 7 p.m. in Todd 216. Charles Weller, clinical assistant professor of history, will speak about the historical interdependence of people and culture at the free public presentation.
Weller says interdependence promotes mutual understanding, peace, and cooperation through recognition of the significant heritage we share. This view suggests a fundamental redefining of the way we understand “the West” and “Islam” and their relation to one another, both in historical and contemporary contexts.
Fluent in Kazakh, the language of Kazakhstan, Weller joined the WSU faculty in 2011. He has spent decades studying world cultures and how they relate to one another. He is also a non-residential visiting researcher at the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University through 2017.
The Common Reading Program began in Pullman in 2007 to help students, their teachers, and the community better engage in academically centered critical thinking, communication, research, and learning around a body of shared information presented in a single, specially selected book. The two-year “leadership and social justice” theme of the WSU-wide common reading initiative—which is celebrating its 10th year in Pullman—is in keeping with WSU’s Grand Challenges, a suite of initiatives aimed at large societal issues. I Am Malala, this year’s book, examines violence towards women through a young Pakistani woman’s personal encounter with the Taliban.
For more information about the History Club visit: http://www.facebook.com/WSUhistoryclub.
Contact: Karen Weathermon, WSU Common Reading Program co-director, WSU Undergraduate Education, 509-335-5488, weathermon@wsu.edu
Emma Epperly, Communications and Marketing Junior Assistant, WSU Undergraduate Education, 509-335-9458, emmaepperly@wsu.edu