Miami University Students for Israel (MSI) will host a lecture by Egyptian-born American writer and activist Nonie Darwish at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12 in the Multi Purpose Room of the Shriver Center.
Darwish is the daughter of an Egyptian Army lieutenant general who was assassinated by the Israeli army.
MSI President Ilya Budik said Darwish is an advocate for progress, minority rights, human and women's rights in the Middle East and the highly acclaimed author of Now They Call Me Infidel: Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel and the War on Terror.
Sophomore Una Hrnjak, secretary of the Diversity Affairs Council who started the Diversity Speakers Summit at Miami, said the summit is meant to bring together different organizations around campus.
Hrnjak explained that Darwish was chosen to be part of the Diversity Speakers Summit because she has the ability to bring together so many people.
"(Our goal is to) promote coalition building between different groups on campus," Hrnjak said.
By bringing Darwish to Miami, Hrnjak said MSI hopes to educate the community about Israel and issues in the Middle East.
She said that when discussing speakers for the year, Budik and Hrnjak agreed that Darwish would be perfect, because she is able to address a wide variety of issues based on her experiences.
Hrnjak said Darwish is passionate about what she does and she appeals to a diverse audience.
According to her book, for many years Darwish blamed Israel for her father's death, until she realized that it was her native culture of anger and hatred that contributed to her father's death.
Darwish is also the founder of Arabs for Israel, an organization that promotes reconciliation and acceptance between Israelis and Arabs, according to her Web site.
Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter
Darwish will speak to students, faculty and others about her book and her life.
In her biography, Nonie Darwish recalls how she was taught hatred, jihad, vengeance and retaliation and how her childhood led her to support American liberty and tolerance. She speaks out about how she became appalled by the dark side of her native culture and how it drove her to immigrate to America.
Following her lecture Wednesday, there will be a book signing and meet-and-greet session for students and faculty.
Budik said Miami Students for Israel is excited for this great opportunity.
Miami Students for Israel is a pro-Israel, non-religious organization whose main purpose is to promote a better understanding and educate people about Israel and other issues in Middle East, according to Budik.
Budik said the organization tries to reach out to people in the community who don't know much about Israel and MSI tries to correct any false preconceptions.
Budik said a strong American-Israeli relationship is important because it ensures that the United Sates has a friend in the Middle East who is dedicated to democracy and shares its values.
"There are people everywhere that see a future of peace and are working for it," Budik said.
Read More
How one professor and her classes are preserving Oxford’s Black history
By Sean Scott | March 20, 2024Jazma Sutton, an assistant professor of history, teaches The Black Midwest (HST 350Q) and Black Women in America (HST 450D) classes. In both courses, she has students working with the Smith Library of Regional History and Miami’s archives to document and preserve Black history in Oxford.
Miami faculty members recount Freedom Summer in new documentary
By Luke Macy | February 25, 2022After seven years of work, “Training for Freedom,” a documentary highlighting Oxford’s involvement in the Freedom Summer of 1964, premiered on PBS Western Reserve on Valentine’s Day.
“Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic”: History in the making
By Alice Momany | August 29, 2021In March 2020, Miami University’s archives launched “Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic,” a collection focused on life during the COVID-19 pandemic.