Local libraries present discussion of The Butterfly Mosque as part of Bridging Cultures series

Dominican University’s Rebecca Crown Library, the Oak Park Public Library and the River Forest Public Library continue their Bridging Cultures: Muslim Journeys series with a discussion of G. Willow Wilson’s The Butterfly Mosque on Tuesday, January 21. The discussion will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Dominican University.

The Butterfly Mosque is G. Willow Wilson’s memoir of her conversion to Islam in a post-9/11 world. Raised by atheists in Boulder, Colorado, Wilson graduated from Boston University and was involved in a year-long stint teaching English at a high school in Cairo, Egypt when she found herself embracing the daily rituals of Islam and the lives of her Muslim colleagues. She learned Arabic and fell in love with an Egyptian physics teacher at the high school before making the decision to convert.  She and her Egyptian husband, Omar, now live in Seattle, Washington. Wilson’s memoir was named the best book of 2010 by the Seattle Times. She is also the author of Alif the Unseen, which won the 2013 World Fantasy Award, and the graphic novel Cairo (2007).

Leading the discussion of The Butterfly Mosque will be Dr. Mohamed Askar, associate professor of management at Dominican University’s Brennan School of Business. Prior to joining Dominican, Askar taught at American University in Cairo. He received his bachelor’s degree from Cairo University and his master’s and doctoral degrees at Illinois Institute of Technology.

The discussion will be held in Dominican University’s Springer Suites. For more information, please contact Felice Maciejewski, university librarian, at fmaciejewski@dom.edu.

This discussion is part of a series of programs designed to provide area residents with a comprehensive introduction to Islamic art, culture and history. The series revolves around a collection of books and materials, funded through grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Library Association (ALA).

 The next program in the series will be held on Tuesday, February 25 at Dominican University when Makki Hind of the Interfaith Youth Core will discuss The Quiet Revolution by Leila Ahmed. All of the books used in the Bridging Cultures: Muslim Journeys program can be checked out from each of the participating libraries.