Middle East Studies Undergraduates to Present Conference Papers on Islam and Identity

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The King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies will present an undergraduate forum entitled "Muslim Identities: Expressions of Faith and Changing Traditions" at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, in Arkansas Union Room 507-508.

The King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies will present an undergraduate forum titled "Muslim Identities: Expressions of Faith and Changing Traditions" at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, in Arkansas Union Room 507-508.

Presenters are students in the class MEST 2003 Islam: History and Practice who have had paper abstracts accepted for presentation at the Southeast and Southwest Regional annual meetings of the American Academy of Religion to be held in March 2014 in Atlanta, Ga., and Irving, Texas.

The following papers will be presented:

• "The Logical Standpoint of Islam and Atheism" by Derek M. Walker (junior, communications)
• "Martyrdom and Jihad in the Arab Spring" by Walt D. Wright (senior, international relations/Middle East studies)
• "The Last Frontier on Basic Human Rights: Western Influence and its Effects on the LGBTQ Community in Oman" by Brendan R. Sparks (junior, international relations/Middle East studies
• "The Light of the Prophet, The Light of the Soul: The Musical Traditions of Sufism" by Joseph D. Largent (freshman, chemistry)

This program is sponsored by the King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies, an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental area studies center that offers diverse cultural, intellectual, and educational opportunities for the University of Arkansas community. It promotes research and teaching in interdisciplinary Middle East studies as part of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas.

For more information visit mest.uark.edu or call 479-575-2175, or follow the King Fahd Center on Facebook and Twitter.