by Rachel Schlegel
Islamic Society of Wichita members will engage in an inter-faith conversation with Hesston College students, faculty, staff and community members at 4 p.m. Nov. 14 in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary. Hesston College and Hesston Mennonite Church are joining together to facilitate the conversation about Islam.
The 206 students in the First Year Experience seminar at Hesston College have spent the last two weeks exploring the Muslim faith and culture through class discussions, guest lecturers and the assigned reading Three Cups of Tea . The book is a No. 1 New York Times bestseller about one man’s attempt at improving education in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“The goal of the class is to connect what we do with the larger world,” said Karen LeVan, faculty member at Hesston College and class coordinator. “The book is an important addition to the class because it exemplifies people working together for human rights and for one another. Mistakes, differences and imperfections do not stop the author or others from continuing to work together.”
The discussion with the Islamic Society of Wichita on campus will allow students and others to discover a greater understanding of Islamic practices and beliefs.
“The relationship between the Muslim world and the Christian world is one that we will carry into the foreseeable future with this generation and the next,” said Dave Osborne, faculty member at Hesston College. “To cope in this world we need to point inter-faith interactions in a positive direction. Anything we can do to improve those relationships is worth doing.”
Bassam Samarah from the Islamic Society of Wichita said the presentation will answer the questions, “What is Islam?” and “Who are the Muslims?” by addressing facts and common misconceptions recently seen in American society.
Following the free presentation, there will be a time of conversation over a light supper in Bontrager Student Center. Reservations and a $5 fee are required for people wanting to attend the supper. Call the church office for reservations by Nov. 10 at 620-327-4885 ext. 100 or e-mail hesstonmc@hesstonmc.org.
Hesston Mennonite Church is located at 309 South Main Street in Hesston.
Located 30 miles north of Wichita, Hesston College is the two-year liberal arts college of Mennonite Church USA.