On May 7th from 3 to 4:30 p.m., noted New Hampshire journalist and Muslim scholar Robert Azzil will present an illustrated history of Islam and Muslims in the U.S., followed by an open Q&A session, Ask a Muslim Anything.
The event will be held at the Keene Public Library, 60 Winter Street, in Keene, NH, and is being presented by the Mariposa Museum and World Culture Center in partnership with the library. Admission is free and open to the public.
Azzi, an Arab American photojournalist and columnist who lives in New Hampshire, has spent several decades working in and writing about the Middle East. He often publishes in the Keene Sentinel, Concord Monitor and Portsmouth Herald.
In the first part of the presentation, Azzi will trace the history of Islam in American history, from the dark days of slavery to the Ground Zero controversy and the San Bernadino terror; from attempts to (falsely) portray President Obama as Muslim and “Other” to the current wave of anti-Muslim invective now being visited on American Muslims. Azzi will also offer his personal commentary on being Muslim in America today, followed by an open Q&A in which, “no topic is off limits.”
“We are really pleased to work with Robert and the Keene Library to bring this important and timely conversation to a Keene audience,” said Karla Hostetler, Executive Director of the Mariposa Museum and World Culture Center.
“Robert’s knowledge of the Muslim faith, U.S. and global history, and contemporary events make him an ideal person to lead this conversation. I think he is really courageous for initiating this series of conversations across the state — conversations that are fascinating and timely but also sensitive and that can touch on people’s fears and biases. He handles it all with grace, scholarship, and candor.”
The Mariposa Museum and World Culture Center is dedicated to fostering peace, global awareness, and understanding across cultural boundaries. For more information, please visit www.mariposamuseum.org.
