"A Celebration of South and Southeast Asian Cultures" is slated to take place from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the university's Sierra Quad in the center of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge.

Mohamad, Nadeem and other speakers will talk about Islam in the South and Southeast Asia; South and Southeast Asian art, theater, music and journalism; the mobility of artists across international borders; and the political roles of art and artists.

"The goal is to give people an appreciation of the cultures," said Amir Hussain, Northridge religious studies professor and event coordinator. "Most Americans have very little knowledge about South and Southeast Asia. This event will help to educate people.

CSUN has long been the educational and cultural heart of the Valley. We want it to become one of the educational and cultural centers in all of Southern California," Hussain said.

The daylong celebration schedule is as follows:

• 2 p.m. Ð live South Asian music;
• 3 p.m. Ð a reading of the Sufism-themed play Bulha Shah, directed by Nadeem;
• 4:30 p.m. Ð a post-play forum with Nadeem discussing Bulha Shah and historical Sufism;
• 5:15 p.m. Ð a discussion of current issues of artist mobility across borders and the event sponsor Network of Culture and Media's mission;
• 5:30 p.m. Ð a reading of Mohammad's operetta, The King's Witch;
• 6:30 p.m. Ð a salon-style interview with Mohammad on the geography and geopolitics of Indonesia; and
• 7:30 p.m. Ð an outdoor screening of Nadeem's film, The Holy Warrior, a story of the reintegration of two warriors into mainstream society.

For more information about the celebration, call Hussain at (818) 677-2741.

California State University, Northridge has 33,000 full- and part-time students and offers 61 bachelor's and 42 master's degrees as well as 28 education credential programs. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley and the fourth largest in the 23-campus CSU system. The university serves as the intellectual, economic and cultural heart of the Valley and beyond.