Discussion: "Radical Islam versus Muslim Radicals"

Robert Williams, history and secondary education major, will be leading a discussion based on work done for his Honors Capstone from 4:30-5:45.

After surviving over a millennium of changes and conflicts both within the faith and without, Sunni Islam faced a new challenge: the arrival of Western thought and manners of living. In response, a slew of Sunni reform movements manifested themselves and fundamentally altered what it means to be a Sunni Muslim. This presentation explores those various reform movements and their impact. It considers how Sunni Muslims view themselves, as well as how those outside the tradition (especially in the West) view them.

The session concludes with a question-and-answer session where the audience can transform their own ideas about Sunni Islam.

This public reading of an Honors capstone project is sponsored by Augustana’s Austin E. Knowlton Honors Program, which aims to enhance the college’s mission as a liberal arts institution through an interdisciplinary course of study as well as by cultivating intellectual curiosity and encouraging lifelong learning.