ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½¹ÙÍø

Dr. Sylvia Chan-Malik, an associate professor from Rutgers University, will deliver a public lecture at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½¹ÙÍø on March 26 at 7 p.m.

The talk, "Women, Feminism and Islam," will explore the common notion of the oppression of Islamic women and the less-well-known movement of Islamic feminism. It will also include a broader discussion of gender and women’s rights. 

"We are so pleased that a scholar of Dr. Chan-Malik's caliber will bring her insights and expertise to our students and the greater community," said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs DonnaJean A. Fredeen. "This talk promises to shake up common stereotypes associated with Muslim women and lead us toward a greater understanding of a commonly misunderstood subject."

Chan-Malik, an associate professor in the departments of American and women’s and gender studies at Rutgers, is the author of Being Muslim: A Cultural History of Women of Color and American Islam, which offers an alternative narrative of American Islam in the 20-21st century that centers the lives, subjectivities and voices of women of color. Her research focuses on the history of Islam in the United States, and more broadly, on the intersections of race, gender and religion in American public life.

Her appearance at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½¹ÙÍø, which is free and open to the public, is made possible through a grant from The New Jersey Council for the Humanities.

As part of its mission, the Council states it believes in "the power of the humanities to strengthen our pluralistic society." Since its founding in 1972, the organization has funded programs that bring humanities perspectives to bear on contemporary public policy issues.

Each year, through the Public Scholar Project, the Council subsidizes 200 high-quality public humanities programs for host organizations throughout the state, providing opportunities for New Jersey communities to explore shared history, values, culture and beliefs, and to engage in key questions with the support of a scholarly perspective.

At ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½¹ÙÍø, Chan-Malik's appearance aligns with a series of events based around the University's Shared Read program for the 2018-19 academic year. This year, all students, faculty, staff and alumni were encouraged to read How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being Young and Arab in America by Moustafa Bayoumi. The book chronicles the lives of seven young Arab and Muslim Americans living in Brooklyn, N.Y., and explores some of the often unseen struggles Arab and Muslim Americans experience such as racial profiling, government surveillance and workplace discrimination, especially in a post-911 America. Bayoumi appeared at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½¹ÙÍø in the fall.

"Women, Feminism and Islam: A public lecture by Sylvia Chan-Malik, Ph.D.," will take place at 7 p.m. on March 26 in the Bart Luedeke Center Theater on ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½¹ÙÍø's Lawrenceville campus.