2008 Woodie Awards
Keynote addresses cultural conflict
By: Robin Nagayda
Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: News
Professor Henri Beunders will speak Thursday about Islam in contemporary Europe and some of the problems that have arisen between the cultures.
His presentation, entitled "Fortuyn (killed), Van Gogh (killed) and Ayaan Hirsi Ali (banished): Driving Out the Unholy Trinity from the Netherlands," is the inaugural keynote address for the CMU Graduate History Colloquium.
Beunders will address the integration of the Islamic population into European countries at 3 p.m. Thursday in the Charles V. Park Library Auditorium, said Andrew D. Devenney, a temporary history faculty member.
"Many parts of western European societies have high Muslim populations, and they are having issues integrating them into the society," Devenney said.
Beunders is an exchange professor from Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and is co-teaching a course on the history of warfare. He also has been a prominent journalist in the Netherlands, said history professor Eric Johnson.
Beunders said he will discuss the differences between the U.S. and Europe to help his audience better understand the situation.
Though Michigan has the highest percentage of Islamic people in the United States, they only make up a small percentage of the state's overall population, Johnson said.
The Islamic population in Europe is much more significant and continues to grow, Johnson said.
Johnson compared some of the controversy surrounding Islamic immigration in Europe to Mexican immigration in the U.S. However there is no real political organization of Mexican radicalism endangering America, he said.
European countries experience violence caused by Islamic radicalism and the clashing cultures, Johnson said.
"Islamic immigration to Europe is a far bigger issue," Johnson said.
"Islamic radicalism is a big concern in the U.S., but it's more of a problem for them internally."
The address focuses on the Netherlands, which has had difficulty adjusting to an Americanized way of life and multi-cultural society, Beunders said. The country has experienced a lot of violence because of these difficulties.
"It's a very fragile situation," Beunders said.
Johnson said it is important for students to understand the importance of Islam to our partners in Europe and the great difficulties they have with it.
"Contemporary issues of Islam and terrorism are on a lot of people's minds," Devenney said. "This address will have some interesting perspectives students can benefit from. It's good to look outside the box once in a while."
news@cm-life.com
His presentation, entitled "Fortuyn (killed), Van Gogh (killed) and Ayaan Hirsi Ali (banished): Driving Out the Unholy Trinity from the Netherlands," is the inaugural keynote address for the CMU Graduate History Colloquium.
Beunders will address the integration of the Islamic population into European countries at 3 p.m. Thursday in the Charles V. Park Library Auditorium, said Andrew D. Devenney, a temporary history faculty member.
"Many parts of western European societies have high Muslim populations, and they are having issues integrating them into the society," Devenney said.
Beunders is an exchange professor from Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and is co-teaching a course on the history of warfare. He also has been a prominent journalist in the Netherlands, said history professor Eric Johnson.
Beunders said he will discuss the differences between the U.S. and Europe to help his audience better understand the situation.
Though Michigan has the highest percentage of Islamic people in the United States, they only make up a small percentage of the state's overall population, Johnson said.
The Islamic population in Europe is much more significant and continues to grow, Johnson said.
Johnson compared some of the controversy surrounding Islamic immigration in Europe to Mexican immigration in the U.S. However there is no real political organization of Mexican radicalism endangering America, he said.
European countries experience violence caused by Islamic radicalism and the clashing cultures, Johnson said.
"Islamic immigration to Europe is a far bigger issue," Johnson said.
"Islamic radicalism is a big concern in the U.S., but it's more of a problem for them internally."
The address focuses on the Netherlands, which has had difficulty adjusting to an Americanized way of life and multi-cultural society, Beunders said. The country has experienced a lot of violence because of these difficulties.
"It's a very fragile situation," Beunders said.
Johnson said it is important for students to understand the importance of Islam to our partners in Europe and the great difficulties they have with it.
"Contemporary issues of Islam and terrorism are on a lot of people's minds," Devenney said. "This address will have some interesting perspectives students can benefit from. It's good to look outside the box once in a while."
news@cm-life.com
Be the first to comment on this story