Dr. Mahmoud Al-Denaway Hassanein, Iman of the Little Rock Islamic Center, will give a public lecture explaining the core ideas of the Islamic faith for those who are unfamiliar with Islam. 

The talk, “Demystifying Islam: An Introduction to the Faith,” will begin at 7 p.m. April 26, in Room 124 at the Arkansas Studies Institute, 401 President Clinton Ave. in Little Rock.

“Islam is a religion that is poorly understood by Americans,” said Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm, University of Arkansas at Little Rock assistant professor of political science. “The media often portrays extreme interpretations of the faith as if they were shared by all Muslims. In his talk, Dr. Al-Denaway will provide an overview of the basic tenets of Islam held by mainstream Muslims.”

Al-Denaway served as an assistant professor of Islamic Studies at Al-Azhar University from 2007 to 2015. He has hosted and appeared on many Egyptian television programs, has served as an English-Arabic interpreter, and has translated more than 10 academic books.

The UA Little Rock Middle Eastern Studies Program, the UA Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture, and the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies are presenting the event.

For more information, contact Wiebelhaus-Brahm at ejwiebelhaus@ualr.edu or 501.569.3331.