A prominent expert on Islam will make a presentation titled “A Radical Reform of Muslim Minds” at 7 p.m. Monday at Oklahoma City University in the Wanda L. Bass Music Center at NW 25 and Blackwelder Avenue.
The presentation is free to everyone.
Tariq Ramadan has been called one of the top 100 most influential thinkers in the 21st century by Time magazine. He often is interviewed by national media outlets for his expertise on Middle East relations with the West and is the author of more than 20 books including “What I Believe,” “Radical Reform, Islamic Ethics and Liberation” and his forthcoming book, “A Quest for Meaning: Developing a Philosophy of Pluralism.”
OCU political science professor Mohamed Daadaoui said Ramadan’s topic carries particular significance in light of recent developments concerning Quran-burning threats and the controversy surrounding the building of an Islamic community center near ground zero in New York.
“Tariq Ramadan’s visit is well-timed with society’s renewed strained relations over matters of faith,” Daadaoui said. “As with any public figure who speaks about Islam and Islam in the West, not everyone will agree with his views. But he is considered a primary expert on this topic, so it will be interesting to hear his insight.”
Ramadan is a professor of contemporary Islamic studies at the University of Oxford and is teaching at the Faculty of Theology at Oxford. He is also a senior research fellow at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan. He is president of the European Muslim Network think tank in Brussels, Belgium.
Rod Jones is a media relations staff writer for Oklahoma City University.
