KINGSTON, R.I.– September 13, 1999 — Lectures, exhibitions, adult and children’s programs, and Muslim foods will be featured at the fourth annual Muslim Cultural Heritage Program and the 15th annual Islamic Conference of New England on October 2, 1999 at the University of Rhode Island’s Kingston Campus. All the activities are open, with registration, to the general public. The pre-registration is $20/person and $15/student by September 15, 1999, and on-site registration is $30/person and $25/student. For a complete schedule of events and other information, visit the web site: http://www.uri.edu/muslim/1999 or call Mohammed Sharif at 874-4119. With the theme “Ethical and Moral Dilemma of Contemporary Society: Islamic Perspective,” the objective of the conference is to promote understanding and cooperation between the Muslim community and other communities to find solutions to various ethical and moral dilemmas faced by our society. The conference will bring together research scholars, medical practitioners, religious leaders, social workers, and human rights activists to discuss issues such as abortion, assisted suicide, the death penalty, organ transplantation, genetic engineering, cloning, family values, blockades and sanctions against countries, business ethics, inequity and poverty, and character of the ruler. Contextual discussions will examine in-depth the ethical-moral codes of conduct laid out by Islam and will try to offer important suggestions on sorting out the dilemmas faced in society today. Reverend Dr. G. Simon Harak, S.J. will speak on the tragedy of blockades and sanctions against countries, the devastating effects they impose on men, women, and children, and the strengthening effect they have for the unjust rulers of sanctioned countries. Dr. Ahmed Elkadi and Dr. Ibrahim B. Syed will tackle the medical legal issues, Dr. Ishrat Husain of the U.S. Agency for International Development will speak on the growing inequity in income and wealth and its connections with rising poverty, hunger, and homelessness. Imam M. Abdur-Razzaq Miller will explore the problems of business ethics and Dr. Muneer W. Fareed will examine the implications of the ruler’s character on the conditions in the society. Academic scholars and media experts from around Rhode Island will act as discussants for all the lectures to generate a dialogue between the Muslim and non-Muslim experts. URI President Robert L. Carothers will open the conference at 9:30 a.m. Dr. Barbara Brown Zikmund, President of the Hartford Seminary will also speak at the opening session. Rev. James Miller of the Rhode Island Council of Churches, Mr. Anthony Maione of NCCJ, Ms. Carol Bragg of the R.I. Committee for Non-Violence Initiative, and Dr. Jane Smith of the MacDonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, among others will participate in the concluding session of the conference. The Conference is organized by the URI Muslim Students Association, the Southern Rhode Island Islamic Society, and the Islamic Council of New England. It is sponsored by the Office of the President, the Department of Philosophy, and John Hazen White, Sr. Center for Ethics and Public Service of URI, Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities, and Hartford Seminary. x-x-x For More Information: Jhodi Redlich, 401-874-2116