Dr. Omaima Abou-Bakr will present "Women in Contemporary Islam" at noon on Wednesday, November 8 in Stabler Hall room 102 at the Harrisburg Campus of HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College. The lecture, which is presented in cooperation with HACC's Office of Multicultural Affairs, is free and open to everyone. A small reception immediately follows after the discussion.
A native of Egypt, Abou-Bakr is a professor of comparative literature at Cairo University. Her research interests include gender and women's studies in Islam, pre-modern history of women in Muslim societies, medieval comparative literature, and female mysticism.
"Dr. Abou-Bakr is known for her thoughtful discussions on contemporary Islam and how it impacts the women of Egypt when it comes to a variety of topics, such as divorce, poverty and child marriages," explained Yvonne Milspaw, PhD, professor of English and Humanities and director of HACC's Honors Program. "For the many people who wonder if Islam really does subjugate women, this lecture will be an excellent opportunity to hear the perspective of an Egyptian scholar who has studied the way power is distributed in Eastern cultures."
The Honors Lecture Series has been a source of enrichment for HACC students and the community for nearly 15 years. The goal has always been the intellectual exchange of ideas, according to Milspaw.
"Participating in these lectures lets you learn one or two little things that add up to a much better understanding of the world you live in and the people around you," she said. "I also hope that by participating in the discussions people realize that great scholars are often great because they are so in touch with the average person and are often very approachable."
The topic for the entire 2006-2007 Honors Lecture Series is "God's Gold and Glory: the Global Dynamics of Power," selected by Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. Much of HACC's Honors Program aligns with Phi Theta Kappa.
"Each of the lecture topics speaks to how marginalized and underrepresented people use power, what they think about it and how they use it for negotiating better lifestyles," said Milspaw.
HACC's Honors Program is designed for those students at the community college who are self-motivated, who actively wish to expand their intellectual horizons, challenge their abilities and develop their originality.
The Honors Program creates an environment that nurtures the whole student academically, socially, emotionally and intellectually. Honors Courses are often small and limited to academically committed students. They are often conducted as tutorials and seminars where students are encouraged to do independent research.
For more information, visit the college's Website below or you can send an email to HACC Professor Yvonne Milspaw at the email address below.