In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S., members of communities from South Asia and the Middle East have become targets of misdirected anger and distrust. Such distrust springs from misconceptions about geography, religion, culture and politics of these regions, and is sometimes fuelled distorted media coverage.
With the belief that conversations and dialogue help us better understand issues, GVSU will host a panel discussion. Members of the Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and Middle Eastern Christian communities in Grand Rapids will provide perspectives from their region, religion and culture.
- When: 7-9 p.m. Monday, November 5
- Where: Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center on GVSU's Pew Grand Rapids Campus
- Moderator: Barbara Roos, communications professor at GVSU. She has taught at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey in 1999 and 2001. In 2002 summer, she will accompany a group of GVSU students on a study trip to Egypt. Roos has extensively traveled in Yemen, Syria, Egypt and Turkey.
- Dr. Paul Singh, a cardiologist at West Michigan Cardiology who is originally from Punjab, India and has lived in Grand Rapids since 1993.
- Renu Malhotra, a Vedanta scholar who has given public talks on Vedanta and Hinduism. Malhotra is also founder of Seed the World. The organization supports literacy and education in rural India. Malhotra has lived in Grand Rapids for more than 35 years.
- Dr. Asif Azeem, a physician at Spectrum Health's Butterworth Campus who is originally from Pakistan and is a long time resident of Grand Rapids.
- Ali Metwalli, who teaches international finance and global business at Western Michigan University. Metwalli is originally from Egypt and is a long time resident of Grand Rapids.
- Karen Henry, an Arab-American who worked as a journalist for an English language Palestinian newspaper in Jerusalem and spent a summer in refugee camps in Lebanon. She has a degree in Middle East studies from the University of Michigan and lectures on local and national media images of Arabs and Muslims.
- James Goode, a GVSU history professor and head of the Middle East Studies program.
The panel discussion is sponsored by the GVSU Continuing Education and Public Policy Institute, School of Communications and Office of Minority Affairs.
