University Advancement

Public Relations and Strategic Communications

MEDIA ADVISORY for Monday, Oct. 23, 2006

Middle East Scholar Reza Aslan Launches
CSUN’s New ‘Speak Your Mind’ Lecture Series

What:

A speech by Middle East scholar Reza Aslan on tensions in the region kicks off a new campus-only lecture series at Cal State Northridge, "Speak Your Mind," intended to present students with provocative views on some of today’s most compelling issues.

A religious scholar and media commentator, Aslan will speak on "The Future of Islam: Toward the Islamic Reformation." He argues the current conflicts in the Middle East are not the result of a "clash of civilizations" between Islam and the West as some argue, but rather the consequences of an "Islamic reformation" occurring within the Muslim world.

Aslan, a native of Iran who fled the country with his family at age 7 to escape the Islamic revolution there, is considered one of the nation’s most respected experts on Islam and the Middle East. He is the author of the critically acclaimed book, "No god but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam."

Who:

Middle East scholar and author Reza Aslan

When:

2:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23

Where:

Plaza del Sol Performance Hall
University Student Union
California State University, Northridge
East side of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge
Thomas Guide Grid 501 A-6

Contacts:

John Chandler, CSUN Public Relations, (818) 677-5674
Kevin Lizarraga, University Student Union, (818) 677-2875