Lecture Series Aims to Educate
Rev. Dr. Terry Kleven lectures on current events in the Middle East at St. James in Oskaloosa Monday evening.
BY HAILEY BROWN
OSKALOOSA – Many Americans have heard of the militant Sunni Islamist organization called Al-Qā‛ida, whether it’s been brought up in recent conversation or learned from news personalities on major networks. Other topics that have hit headlines across the nation include terminology like “jihad,” or “holy war,” as well as the continued conflict in Israel and Palestine. Even more pressing, talk show banter about the emergence of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, called ISIL or ISIS, continues to pop up. But outside of those fleeting conversations and three-minute news briefs, what can happen when individuals push past the surface to better understand current events in the Middle East? Perhaps the Rev. Dr. Terry Kleven, minister at St. James’ Church in Oskaloosa, will find out as he embarks on a community lecture series held Monday nights at St. James. Dr. Kleven is also a professor of Old Testament, Islamic Studies, and Political Philosophy at Central College in nearby Pella.
The first installation in his lecture series focused on the emergence and ideology of Al-Qā‛ida (meaning “The Foundation”).
“An Al-Qā‛ida Congress was formed in 1988,” he explained. “This doesn’t mean that there wasn’t a time when there were other jihadi movements in the Middle East, but Al-Qā‛ida would become more official, and this was not very long ago, actually, and at that time it became very public.”
The lecture featured an introduction to the many unstable regimes found in the Middle East, beginning with Saddam Hussein in Iraq and the al-Assad family in Syria.
“This is all in our lifetime,” he remarked during the lecture as a few in the crowd nodded along in agreement.
Monday’s discussion also offered a snapshot of many high-profile ringleaders, such as Osama bin Ladin, Ayman al-Zawahiri and Anwar al-Awkaki. The session concluded with an analysis that put Western society under the scope, as well as a slight perspective on Christianity and the role it has played in the conflict. However, all great conflicts come with proposed solutions. Dr. Kleven emphasized what he viewed as main solutions, first and foremost being the need for long-range bipartisan international policies.
“Real change takes time, and you have to have a long view,” he explained, emphasizing a commitment to foreign policy decisions. He also stressed the need for education, specifically for society to read books and gain valuable insight, as well as a hope that others would recognize weaknesses and issues while evaluating secularism. This educational series will continue to be held the next three Mondays from 7:00-8:00 p.m. at St. James’ Church. During the next lecture, on September 19, Dr. Kleven will focus on Core Islamic Texts on Jihād (from the Qur’ān and from Islamic Scholars).
Background
Having taught and published in the area of Middle Eastern Studies for many years, Dr. Kleven and his family have lived in Jerusalem, Cairo, and Beirut, and he has traveled extensively and studied in Turkey, Morocco, and Jordan. He is particularly interested in the study of the relation between religion and politics in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.
