Islam Expert to Speak at UA on Perceptions of Muslims After 9-11

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Duke University professor and religion expert Bruce Lawrence will lecture at The University of Alabama on how Americans may think differently about the Islamic religion and Muslims since the September 11 terrorist destruction of the World Trade Center.

The lecture will be held on Tuesday, April 30, at 7 p.m in the Ferguson Theater on the UA campus. It is free and open to the public.

Lawrence’s lecture, “Conjuring with Islam: Who Speaks for Muslims after September 11?” is part of the September 11th Lecture Series in UA’s College of Arts and Sciences and will be hosted by the Department of Religious Studies.

Lawrence, who holds degrees from Princeton and Yale, is a widely respected author of books that explore the cultures, languages, and histories of Muslims. His 1998 book, “Shattering the Myth: Islam beyond Violence,” examines the stereotypes placed on Muslims and dispels the belief that the Muslim world condones violence.

Lawrence argues that “Islam is not violent, nor are Muslims prone to violence.” His lecture at UA will focus on how perceptions of the Islamic world by journalists, historians, policy makers and social scientist have changed since September 11.

“Ethnic Conflict” said of the book, “In Shattering the Myth, Bruce Lawrence takes us beyond the headlines and CNN broadcasts and shows us an Islam that is not quite as neat and tidy as popularly presented.”

Lawrence has written numerous monographs including “Defenders of God: The Fundamentalist Revolt Against the Modern Age,” which won the 1990 Award for Excellence in historical studies from the American Academy of Religion.

Lawrence’s other areas of scholarship include non-Muslim religious traditions in Asia and the turbulent reconnections of Europe to Asia forged during colonial and post-colonial eras.

Lawrence is the Nancy and Jeffrey Marcus Humanities Professor of Religion, and he serves as chair of the department of religion at Duke University.