“Faith, Tradition, and Change: The Sunni-Sufi-Shi’i Rivalry for the Soul of Islam”

The Nathan E. Cohen Memorial Lecture Series – Congregation Ahavas Achim (Keene)

When Muhammad brought the message of Islam to his followers, he revolutionized social, religious, and political systems. In place of the tribe he ordered a new focus, namely the "Ummah," the community of Muslims believing in the oneness of God. As Islam expanded, differences developed among the faithful. The majority of Muslims adopted the Sunni path of interpretation. But for Sufis, Shi’ites, and fundamentalists such as the Wahhabis, other roads beckoned. Against this background Glen Swanson looks at the riddle of identity within Islam, the rivalries, and the responses - responses which too often have led to armed conflict and civil war.

Glen Swanson received his Ph.D. in History at Indiana University. As Foreign Area Fellow, American Council of Learned Societies/Social Science Research Council, he completed advanced studies on the Middle East, Islam, and the Balkans in Istanbul and at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London under the guidance of Professor Bernard Lewis. He has served as a U.S. military officer and participated in the U.S. Department of State’s "Scholar-Diplomat Seminars” and Laura Knoy’s “Exchange” program on New Hampshire Public Radio. He has lectured extensively at the college and university level and as a New Hampshire Humanities Council “Independent Scholar.”

At the request of U.S. military authority Swanson helped create as Executive Editor “IRAQ: Nation at a Crossroads,” an educational CD-ROM for use by U.S. military and other governmental agencies. He is author of “Oil and Water, A Look at the Middle East” and “Storm Clouds over Iraq” as well as professional articles on topics relating to Islam, the Middle East and the Balkans. He lives in Peterborough.

This presentation is sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council and is free and open to the public. Contact: Robert Gewanter, 355-1585 or Glen W. Swanson, 924-7064.

Contact info:
Robert Gewanter, 355-1585