Panelists Marc Bernstein, Michigan State University Professor of Hebrew and Israeli Culture, Robert Anderson, MSU Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies, and Abdalmajid Katranji, Islamic scholar and Director of the Katranji Hand Center, participate in a panel discussion entitled Islam and the Qur'an in the Abrahamic Tradition", held at the MSU Main Library. The event is sponsored by the MSU Libraries and the MSU Muslim Studies Program and is conducted in response to the burning of a Qur'an in East Lansing on September 11, 2010. The discussion is moderated by Mohammed Ayoob, Distinguished Professor of International Relations and Coordinator of the Muslim Studies Program at MSU. Dr. Ayoob introduces the discussion by talking about fear of the other. Dr. Bernstein discusses the historical coexistence of Jews and Muslims, the common origins of Jewish and Islamic traditions, and where Islamic theology places Mohammad in relation to Jesus and the Jewish prophets. Dr. Anderson discusses the treatment of Mary and Jesus in the Qur'an and additional stories not found in the Bible. Dr. Katranji comments on the importance of Abraham in Islam, Mohammad's linage, the prominence of Hebrew figures in the Qur'an and their impact on Mohammad, and makes reference to statements about religious freedom by Jefferson and others. The event is introduced by Clifford H. Haka, Director of the MSU Libraries. Part of the MSU Libraries Colloquia Series.
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