Voll鈥檚 presentation is a feature of the Al Ghazali Islamic Studies Program, which promotes the understanding and appreciation of Islam and Muslim communities, and the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Program for Strategic Research and Studies, which seeks to advance public awareness and cultural ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia. The event is free and open to the public.

Voll, author of 鈥淚slam: Continuity and Change in the Modern World,鈥� has lived in Lebanon, Egypt and Sudan, and has traveled extensively throughout the Muslim world. In 1991, he received an Egyptian Presidential Medal in recognition for scholarship on Islam. Voll has served on the boards of directors of the American Council of Learned Societies, the New Hampshire Humanities Council, the New Hampshire Council on World Affairs and the Sudan Studies Association. In addition, Voll has edited, authored or co-written multiple books, including 鈥淢akers of Contemporary Islam,鈥� in collaboration with John Esposito.

Voll鈥檚 program is made possible by the Al Ghazali Islamic Studies Program, housed in the 麻豆原创 Global Perspectives Office, in partnership with the 麻豆原创 College of Arts and Humanities, with the support of the 麻豆原创 Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Program for Strategic Research and Studies, 麻豆原创 Middle Eastern Studies Program, 麻豆原创 Political Science Department and the Global Perspectives Foundation.

Of course, as Pal acknowledged to an audience of about 100, that is not the prevalent perception among non-Muslims, who often see Islam as a religion largely spread and defined by violence 鈥� a notion made worse by the tragedy of 9/11. Drawing from his new book, 鈥淚slam Means Peace: Understanding the Muslim Principle of Nonviolence Today,鈥� Pal recommended re-examining the sources of Islam, such as the Quran, to find nonviolent elements.

As part of his presentation, Pal sought to clarify the meaning of certain terms such as jihad, which he described as often misunderstood. 鈥淛ihad does not mean war, bloodshed, violence or attack; rather, it means struggle, both internal and external,鈥� he said.

When asked why he, a Hindu native of India, chose to write a book sorting through the confusion and misperceptions about Islam, Pal pointed out that the connection was natural. 鈥淎 Pashtun friend of Mahatma Gandhi, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, founded a movement dedicated to nonviolence and social reform,鈥� he said. Pal also spent most of his childhood in an environment where Hindus and Muslims lived and worked together.

The event was a feature of the Al Ghazali Islamic Studies Program, housed in the 麻豆原创 Global Perspectives Office, in partnership with the 麻豆原创 College of Arts & Humanities. It was also part of two 2012 themes, 鈥淧eople Power, Politics and Global Change鈥� and 鈥淐overing Global Crises from the Frontlines,鈥� as well as the 鈥淚ndia Speaker Series.鈥�

Other sponsors and partners included the 麻豆原创 Middle Eastern Studies Program, the 麻豆原创 Political Science Department, the 麻豆原创 Diplomacy Program, The India Program at 麻豆原创, the 麻豆原创 Nicholson School of Communication, the 麻豆原创 Book Festival 2012 in association with the Morgridge International Reading Center, the 麻豆原创 International Services Center, 麻豆原创 LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.

Pal, who is also the managing editor of The Progressive, will speak at 3 p.m. in the Garden Key Room of the Student Union. His presentation is a feature of the Al Ghazali Islamic Studies Program, housed in the 麻豆原创 Global Perspectives Office, in partnership with the 麻豆原创 College of Arts & Humanities. It is free and open to the public.

The event, organized by the 麻豆原创 Global Perspectives Office, is also part of the 2011-2012 themes of 鈥淧eople Power, Politics and Global Change,鈥� 鈥淐overing Global Crises from the Frontlines鈥� and 鈥淚ndia Speaker Series.鈥�

In this book, Pal seeks to rebut many misconceptions about Islam by detailing its tradition of nonviolence. He chooses to incorporate modern Muslim societies in his analysis by spotlighting recent peaceful protest movements.

Pal is also the co-editor of the Progressive Media Project. In his work, he has interviewed many newsmakers, such as the Dalai Lama, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jimmy Carter and John Kenneth Galbraith.

In addition to the Global Perspectives Office and the Al Ghazali Islamic Studies Program, sponsors and partners include the 麻豆原创 Middle Eastern Studies Program, the 麻豆原创 Political Science Department, the 麻豆原创 Diplomacy Program, the 麻豆原创 Nicholson School of Communication, the 麻豆原创 Book Festival 2012 in association with the Morgridge International Reading Center, the 麻豆原创 International Services Center, 麻豆原创 LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.

The event was organized by 麻豆原创鈥檚 Global Perspectives Office. It it was a feature of the newly created Al Ghazali Islamic Studies Program at 麻豆原创, a partnership among Global Perspectives and 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Arts & Humanities.

Younis began his presentation by explaining that Gallup surveys public opinion to 鈥済et a temperature reading of Muslim-Americans and how they compare to other religious groups鈥� within the contexts of politics, society and spirituality in the years following the 9/11 attacks.

Younis said the studies are particularly significant considering 鈥渢he exciting, interesting and scary events that have happened in the Middle East this year.鈥�

By measuring a special index known as 鈥渓ife evaluation,鈥� the Gallup Center categorizes groups as thriving, struggling or suffering based on their perceived level of well-being.

An interesting finding of the study, Younis said, is that Muslim-Americans feel better off and more hopeful now than they did in 2008.

He noted that Muslim-Americans are just as likely as any other faith to be classified as thriving. In fact, he said, the life evaluations for Muslim-Americans improved more than any other religious group since 2008.

Younis said this is in direct contrast to the life evaluations of Muslims in Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt, Tunisia, Syria and Bahrain, where 鈥渢he number of people categorized in the suffering group is skyrocketing.鈥�

Muslim-Americans are also the most likely to reject violent military acts on civilians, which means they believe that it is never morally justifiable to target and kill civilians, he said. Similarly, the majority of Muslim-Americans, as well as Jewish-Americans and atheists, are not sympathetic to al Qaeda, and most believe that the Muslim community is doing enough to speak out against terrorism.

The data suggests, too, that the general Muslim-American population does not exhibit anti-American sentiments, Younis said. On the contrary, Younis noted, many Muslim-Americans strongly identify as American, and they express loyalty to the United States.

Yet despite this high level of loyalty, Muslim-Americans still face distrust from a significant number of fellow citizens, Younis explained. They are also more likely to have experienced racial and/or religious discrimination than any other religious group in the past year, he said.

Near the end of the forum, Younis was asked if it is easier for Muslims to integrate into American society than into Western European society.

He said that is not necessarily true because the level of assimilation is depends on factors that groups have to navigate in a new country, such as immigration rates, history and economic conditions.

Younis concluded by saying the dynamic of the community, the country and even the individual will dictate the local reality and experience for integration.

In addition to the Global Perspectives Office and the Al Ghazali Islamic Studies Program, sponsors and partners of Younis鈥� presentation included the 麻豆原创 Middle Eastern Studies Program, the 麻豆原创 Political Science Department, the 麻豆原创 Diplomacy Program, the 麻豆原创 Nicholson School of Communication, the 麻豆原创 Book Festival 2012 in association with the Morgridge International Reading Center, the 麻豆原创 International Services Center, 麻豆原创 LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.

For a full list of upcoming events or to learn more about the Global Perspectives Office, visit or follow the office on Twitter at .