Dr. Reuven Firestone,Professor of Medieval Jewish and Islamic Studies, at Hebrew Union College, will come to Penn Hillel to talk about his new book, "An Introduction to Islam for Jews." In his book, Dr. Firestone explains the remarkable similarities and profound differences between Judaism and Islam, the complex history of Jihad, the legal and religious positions of Jews in the world of Islam, how various expressions of Islam (Sunni, Shi`a, Sufi, Salafi, etc.) regard Jews, the range of Muslim views about Israel, and much more. He addresses these issues and others with candor and integrity, and he writes with language, symbols, and ideas that make sense to Jews. Dr. Firestone's areas of expertise include: * Early Islam and its relationship with Jews and Judaism * Scriptural interpretation of the Bible and Qur'an * The phenomenon of holy war * Judaism, Christianity, and Islam * Jihad: its meaning, historical application, and influences on the Arab/Palestinian-Israeli conflict * Inter-religious Polemic
