A poster of the February 11 event.

WASHINGTON, February 4 (IslamOnline.net) – Cornell University is to open Islam Awareness Week 2005 with an event entitled “an American Woman’s Jihad” to give non-Muslims and community members opportunity know more about Islam.

The event, due on February 11, comes at a critical time facing Islam worldwide, as many non-Muslims mistakenly believe the Arabic word of Jihad refers solely to a holy war of aggression and violence led by “extremists”.

It would open with a widely-acclaimed National Geographic documentary film “Inside Makkah,” in Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall, according to Cornell Chronicle newspaper of the university Thursday, February 3.

The one-hour film follows three Muslims on their pilgrimage to the Al-Masjid Al-Haram mosque in Makkah, called the Sacred Mosque by Muslims.

Spiritual Journey

Following the screening, Fidelma O’Leary, an Irish-American woman and revert to Islam who was one of the pilgrims featured in the film, would talk about her own spiritual journey to Islam.

O’Leary, an associate professor of biology at St. Edward's University, Austin, Texas, will describe her struggle to live as an American Muslim and an academic in modern-day society and how she has coped with her Irish Catholic family’s lack of acceptance of her Muslim beliefs.

She is a co-founder of the Freedom of Faith Foundation, an educational organization that seeks to create a tolerant society where all people can practice their faiths.

The event was thus chosen to shed light on the concept of “jihad,” which most Muslims interpret as an internal spiritual journey involving personal sacrifice, said Wasif Syed, a Ph.D. student in applied physics at Cornell, an organizer of the event.

Many press reports and non Muslims mistakenly consider Jihad a statement of holy assault on foreigners or people of other faiths by what they call “Muslim extremists”.

Women Image

O’Leary will describe her struggle to live as an American Muslim and an academic in modern-day society.

The event is further expected to give a true image of women in Islam, challenging claims of persecution in the west.

With her blond hair, green eyes and Western upbringing, O’Leary, “defies the image” many people have of Muslim women, said Syed.

And “the film takes you into the heartland of Saudi Arabia, to Makkah, and shows you images you don't see on Western television,” he added.

The documentary makers obtained special permission to film at Makkah's Sacred Mosque and the holy “Ka’abah” central to the site.

The black, cube-shaped stone structure is said to have been built as a shrine nearly 4,000 years ago by Prophet Abraham.

Muslims believe that their monotheistic religion had its beginnings at that site. They pray in its direction five times daily and, as Muslims, have a duty to visit it at least once in their lifetimes, Syed explained.

The site is the largest pilgrimage destination in the world and it attracted 2.5 million people this year. Many are overcome with emotion when they reach it because of its religious significance, he added.

Now in its second year, Islam Awareness Week is sponsored by the Muslim Educational and Cultural Association (MECA), a student group, and the Near Eastern Studies Department at Cornell.

It has broad campus support, reflected in the list of attendees, which will include guest of honor Susan Murphy, vice president for student and academic services.

“I am delighted that the Muslim students at Cornell have decided to put on a week of talks, speakers and events related to Islam Awareness Week,” noted Shawkat Toorawa, assistant professor, Near Eastern studies and adviser to MECA.

“Now, perhaps more than ever, the public deserves to learn about Islamic civilization.”