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Kennesaw State University Invites All to Year of the Arabian Peninsula
Every year, Kennesaw State University picks a country or region to study and this year KSU President Dan Papp invites the public to attend a yearlong series of events about the Arabian Peninsula.
Papp said the “Year of” program, now in its 31st year, began under former KSU President Betty Siegel.
“She was — still is — someone who thinks that if you are educated, you need to know about things beyond the American shore, so that’s why she started it up,” Papp said.
The Year of the Arabian Peninsula studies seven countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Students and teachers gathered Thursday to hear Gabriel Said, professor of Islamic Studies and Theology at the University of Notre Dame, lecture on the origins of Islam.
Mary Scannavino of Kennesaw, a Sprayberry High School graduate majoring in world history at KSU, said she enjoyed the talk.
“What was most interesting to me was the different debates on how the Quran was written and what it really means,” she said. “I think that it’s the same with every text — that everyone reads it differently.”
Last year, KSU studied Japan and the year before, Ghana. Scannavino said she was pleased this year’s selection was the Arabian Peninsula.
“I like that they chose this one because there seems to be a lot of problems in the media about — kind of misinterpretations of — this region, and for me, taking this class helps me understand it better through our readings and listening to experts,” she said.
Christie Emerson, a senior lecturer in KSU’s WellStar School of Nursing, was on the planning committee that chose the region. Emerson said she has taken a group of nursing students to Abu Dhabi during the month of May five times.
“We observe culture in the United Arab Emirates in the health care setting so that the students can have an appreciation for the meaning of culture in the context of health care, so that was the origins of my interests in the region,” Emerson said.
Not everyone is pleased with the selection, however. Carolyn Sanford of Woodstock, a former Teacher of the Year at Floyd Middle School, whose daughters graduated from KSU and who did graduate work there herself, wrote a letter to the MDJ criticizing KSU’s decision.
“Is this celebration education or should it be more accurately described as indoctrination?” Sanford wrote. “Where is the celebration of Christianity? Of Judaism? Both are systems that believe Jehovah is God, not Allah. Where is the celebration of our own country, America? With each passing year, today’s university graduates understand less regarding the basics of American history.”
Sanford said she is not a racist.
“I am, however, an American citizen extremely alarmed, considering the monumental advance of radical Islam across our globe and on American soil,” she wrote.
Among those who attended Thursday’s lecture was Joe Dendy, chairman of the Cobb Republican Party, who said he agreed with Sanford’s remarks.
“It’s a concern, and that’s the reason I went,” Dendy said. “I’m concerned about our students today not learning the true foundations upon which our country is built and because political correctness is being waged to learn about everything but that.”
Papp said he understood why some people would be upset.
“I think clearly there’s an understandable concern about the extreme versions of Islam that are causing so much disruption in the world today,” Papp said.
But at the same time, Papp said the role of the university is to study the issues.
“The reality is, in the academic world, you need to analyze and discuss a wide variety of issues, and Islam, whether it be Islam or whether it be Buddhism or whether it be any religion or, for that matter, any area of the world, the role of the academic is to examine it and look at it,” Papp said.
KSU featured traditional music and dance from the region Saturday offering henna hand-painting, Arabic calligraphy and food tasting. On Sept. 30, the campus will put on a program called “Hijab for Day,” a participatory event, inviting women to learn the culture of the Islamic head covering.
Papp laughed when asked if his wife would be donning the hijab.
“Oh, come on, you know Susan better than that. That’s a negative,” he said.
On Oct. 1, the university will host a program titled “Tolerance, Understanding, Coexistence: Oman’s Message of Islam,” an exhibit from the Sultanate of Oman.
Papp said the talks he looks forward to attending examine national security.
“Given my background as an analyst of U.S. national security issues, and given the centrality of the Arabian Peninsula as many American national interests — economic and military and strategic — I would look forward to seeing and hearing what the thoughts of the reigning experts of the day are today,” Papp said.
Whether it’s about veils, food or Islam, Papp invites the public to attend one of the events this semester and next.
“Come out to the entire Year of the Arabian Peninsula,” he said.
To view the schedule of the events, visit www.dga.kennesaw.edu/content/arabianpeninsula.
Jon Gillooly
Marietta Daily Journal