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Of course, as Pal acknowledged to an audience of about 100, that is not the prevalent perception among non-Muslims, who often see Islam as a religion largely spread and defined by violence 麻豆精品 S� a notion made worse by the tragedy of 9/11. Drawing from his new book, 麻豆精品 S淚slam Means Peace: Understanding the Muslim Principle of Nonviolence Today, 麻豆精品 S� Pal recommended re-examining the sources of Islam, such as the Quran, to find nonviolent elements.
As part of his presentation, Pal sought to clarify the meaning of certain terms such as jihad, which he described as often misunderstood. 麻豆精品 S淛ihad does not mean war, bloodshed, violence or attack; rather, it means struggle, both internal and external, 麻豆精品 S� he said.
When asked why he, a Hindu native of India, chose to write a book sorting through the confusion and misperceptions about Islam, Pal pointed out that the connection was natural. 麻豆精品 S淎 Pashtun friend of Mahatma Gandhi, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, founded a movement dedicated to nonviolence and social reform, 麻豆精品 S� he said. Pal also spent most of his childhood in an environment where Hindus and Muslims lived and worked together.
The event was a feature of the Al Ghazali Islamic Studies Program, housed in the UCF Global Perspectives Office, in partnership with the UCF College of Arts & Humanities. It was also part of two 2012 themes, 麻豆精品 S淧eople Power, Politics and Global Change 麻豆精品 S� and 麻豆精品 S淐overing Global Crises from the Frontlines, 麻豆精品 S� as well as the 麻豆精品 S淚ndia Speaker Series. 麻豆精品 S�
Other sponsors and partners included the UCF Middle Eastern Studies Program, the UCF Political Science Department, the UCF Diplomacy Program, The India Program at UCF, the UCF Nicholson School of Communication, the UCF Book Festival 2012 in association with the Morgridge International Reading Center, the UCF International Services Center, UCF LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.