The American Institute for Yemeni Studies will present “Islam in Focus: Contemporary Religion and Political Movements in North Africa and the Middle East,” a day of lectures and discussion on contemporary Islam, on Wednesday, Nov. 30, starting at 8:30 a.m. in the Atkinson Room (232) at the Lane University Center at Frostburg State University. The symposium will provide an introduction to contemporary expressions of Islam, of culture in Muslim societies and of the politics of contemporary Islamic movements.

Three scholars of the Muslim world will present topics on religion and religion’s relationship to politics from the contemporary Muslim world. Following each presentation, the entire panel will engage in an open discussion about Islam, Islamic politics and political movements. The lectures are designed to stimulate questions from the audience about their understanding of Islam and politics in the Muslim world. Dr. Charles Schmitz from the American Institute for Yemeni Studies will open the symposium at 9 a.m. with an overview of the institute, its history, its accomplishments and the services it offers scholars of Yemen today. Schmitz will also give an overview of the three lectures, emphasizing the importance of understanding the Muslim world and Islam for global literacy among American students today.

The first presentation by Abdulla Hamidaddin at 8:45 a.m. will address religion and its relationship to politics and society in Saudi Arabia. Hamidaddin is a native of Saudi Arabia and a doctoral candidate at King’s College in the U.K. He has been in close interaction with the staff of the Embassy of the United States in Saudi Arabia and has lectured at the Foreign Service Institute of the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C.

At 10:00 a.m., Dr. Anouar Boukhars from McDaniel College in Westminister, Md., will speak about contemporary Islamic ...

The founder of the Water School, a global organization striving to provide cleaner water and better sanitation in the developing world, will speak at Frostburg State University on Wednesday, September 28. Robert Dell will present “The Water School: A Little Bit of Science, A Lot of Common Sense” in the Atkinson Room (232) of Lane University Center at 7:00 p.m. His presentation is free and open to the public.

According to the World Health Organization, 3.5 million people die each year from inadequate access to safe drinking water and poor hygiene. One and a half million of these deaths are children. These alarming facts are exactly why the Water School was formed in the first place. Its mission is provide a simple, practical and affordable method of improving the quality ...