Migrations of Islam programs set at Grand Valley

The 2012 Year of Interfaith Understanding, designed to cultivate peace through community interest and understanding of all faith traditions, is getting an early start this fall with several upcoming events.

The Hijabi Monologues will be presented Thursday, October 20 at 7 p.m., at Loosemore Auditorium on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus. The project is about creating a theater space for Muslim American women’s true stories including the humorous, the serious and the heartfelt. The performance is free and open to the public. Due to the use of strong language and mature content, parental discretion is advised.

The performance is in conjunction with the Migrations of Islam project of the Muslim Studies Program and Asian Studies Center at MSU, made possible through a grant from the Social Science Research Council, visit www.imaje.msu.edu. Co-Sponsors include MSU College of Arts and Letters, the GVSU Women’s Center and U-M Dearborn. The Hijabi Monologues team is soliciting local stories for possible inclusion in the program. Stories must be submitted by October 10. For guidelines, visit www.hijabimonologues.com.

Migrations of Islam future events at Grand Valley include a screening of the feature film “The Taqwacores,” with a lecture by director Eyad Zahra, November 2, and a national traveling concert, Poetic Visions Tour, November 11. For more information visit http://www.gvsu.edu/artscalendar, or contact Brian Bowe, visiting professor in the School of Communications, at [email protected].

The 2012 Year of Interfaith Understanding was developed through a unique partnership led by Grand Valley’s Kaufman Interfaith Institute, the Grand Rapids Press, WGVU public radio and television stations, the Grand Rapids mayor’s office and three organizing councils. Hundreds of events will be sponsored by participating congregations, campuses and community organizations, including sacred space tours, study groups, speakers and interfaith service projects in Grand Rapids, Holland and Muskegon. For more information, including a list of participants and upcoming events, visit http://www.2012gr.org, or call (616) 331-5702.