“America,” he said, “is closer to having implemented Sharia law than any country in the world, including Saudi Arabia.”

When Americans think of Islam post-9/11, it is far too easy to think solely of radical extremists who wish to destroy the United States along with anything else Western.

In an effort to counter this way of thinking, Islamic scholar Salem Salem al-Hasi was invited to Covenant to lecture on the legal fundamentals of his religion. Over 100 people packed into Mills 270/280 to hear him speak on March 26.

Mr. Salem earned his master’s degree in Islamic Studies from the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences in Leesburg, VA. He has participated in numerous seminars and workshops related to Islam and Arabic and spends much of his time lecturing to non-Muslim audiences about the fundamentals of his faith.

Junior Gareth Jones, President of Covenant’s Pre-Law Society, worked to bring Mr. Salem to campus. “I’ve noticed a lot of interest in Islam on campus,” Jones said, “but also a lot of ignorance and misunderstanding about what Islam is really about. By bringing in an Islamic scholar who is himself a Muslim, I hoped to give students a clearer perspective of just what Islam is about.”

Professor of Education Daphne Haddad echoed Jones’ feelings in her introduction to the evening. “Most of us are fairly ignorant of Islam,” she warned. “We are here to be learners, not to demonize.”