Fulbright scholar at CLC to lead Monday forum
Ron Shaham from The Hebrew University, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, headlines the Monday public forum, "Muslims Living in the West," at Central Lakes College in Brainerd.
Central Lakes College is hosting the visiting Fulbright scholar through Oct. 9.
Ron Shaham
Shaham is a senior lecturer and the director of the Levtzion Center for Islamic Studies at The Hebrew University.
The Rosenmeier Center for State and Local Government on the Brainerd campus of CLC is hosting the 7 p.m. forum in the cafeteria.
Shaham, 53, said it is not a stretch for an Israel-born academic to specialize in Islamic studies since his homeland is surrounded by Arab countries and 20 percent of the population in Israel is made up of Palestinian Arabs.
Although there are some strong common characteristics found in Islamic law, worldwide there are differences in each country, he said. In some countries, such as Egypt, Jordan and Syria, Islamic laws have been westernized to a degree. In other countries, such as Saudi Arabia, there has been little western influence.
Shaham speaks Hebrew, Arabic and English.
He plans to present his perspective that there are no clearcut or simple solutions to the complicated problems of the Mideast.
A casual observer might wonder why the parties can't reach agreement, Shaham said, but there are many historical nuances that play a role in the disagreements.
There will be a period for questions and answers at the close of the free event, said Larry Kellerman, executive director of the Rosenmeier Center.