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Thu., Apr. 10, 7-8:15pm, Donahue Auditorium, Dolan Science Center

The Forest of the WitchÌýis a modern interpretation of Karagoz, literally Black-Eye, who is the hero of traditional Anatolian shadow play. The story of The Forest of the Witch is adapted from a play named The Bloody Poplar by Turkish shadow theatre performer Muhittin Sevilen. The story is turned into a screenplay after being rewritten by Ayhan Hulagu. Karagoz and Hacivat are the lead characters of an exemplary subject of The Forest of the Witch like all classic shadow texts.

The Forest of the Witch is a universal theme for everyone. Karagoz fights with a huge poplar that turns green in the middle of a neighborhood. He cuts all branches of the poplar and then prepares them as wood in order to set it on fire during winter. After a while, he learns that the poplar is magical.

The puppets of Karagoz and Hacivat are made from the hide of a camel or water buffalo like those made during the era of the Ottoman Empire. The puppets are designed and made from natural colors by the performing artist and they are staged with the aim of conventional methods. In general, classical Karagoz music is played during shadow play. All the characters are performed by a single artist.Ìý

The Forest of the Witch is being turned into a screenplay faithfully by taking into consideration that Karagoz theatre is included in UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.Ìý

For all ages. Running time: 45 minutes.

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Friday, Apr. 11, 7-9 pm, Donahue Auditorium, Dolan Science Center.

Journey West is a musical program chronicling the migration of melody through an interactive multi-media performance.

Their performance tracks melodies and changing instrumentation beginning in the Middle East, traveling through Eastern and Western Europe, and finally arriving in the United States. The program illustrates the primary factors involved in carrying melodies to distant land: wars, imperialism, nomadic dispersions, mass emigrations due to political oppression, and musical crazes that sweep the globe.

The musical performance is presented with changing PowerPoint slides to help illustrate the regional and musical differences encountered on theÌýJourney West. The musicians offer demonstrations on their respective instruments and provide basic theoretical explanations to accompany the technical examples.

TheÌýJourney WestÌýis designed with multiculturalism in mind; to educate those interested in distant ethnicities and to allow members of ethnicities presented in the program to enjoy music of their homeland or ancestors.Ìý

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Monday, April 7, 7-8pm, LSC Conference Room, Lombardo Student Center

Dr. Amir Hussain is Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he teaches courses on religion. His own particular speciality is the study of Islam, focusing on contemporary Muslim societies in North America. His academic degrees (BSc, MA, PhD) are all from the University of Toronto where he received a number of awards, including the university’s highest award for alumni service. He served as President of theÌýÌýin 2023. For the Fall semester of 2016, he was on a fellowship to theÌý.ÌýFrom 2011 to 2015, Amir was the editor of theÌý, the premier scholarly journal for the study of religion.

ÌýHe has a deep commitment to students, and holds the distinction of being the only male to serve as Dean of Women at University College, University of Toronto. Before coming to California in 1997, Amir taught courses in religious studies at several universities in Canada. He is active in academic groups such as the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion and the American Academy of Religion. He is on the editorial boards of four scholarly journals, theÌý; theÌý;Ìý; andÌý. Amir is also interested in areas such as religion and music, religion and literature, religion and film and religion and popular culture. He was an advisor for the television seriesÌý, and appears regularly onÌýAncient Aliens,ÌýHistory’s Greatest Mysteries with Laurence Fishburne,ÌýHoly Marvels with Dennis Quaid, andÌýThe UnXplained with William Shatner. In 2008, he was appointed a fellow of theÌý

Prior to his appointment at Loyola Marymount University, Amir taught at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) from 1997 to 2005. Amir won a number of awards at CSUN, both for his teaching and research. In 2001 he was selected for the outstanding faculty award by the National Center on Deafness. For the academic year 2003-04, he was selected as the Jerome Richfield Memorial Scholar. In both 2008 and 2009, Amir was chosen by vote of LMU students as the Professor of the Year. His latest book, published in 2025 by Fortress Press, isÌý. He is the co-editor for the fourth edition ofÌý, published by Oxford University Press in 2019. He is also the co-editor for the fifth editions ofÌý, andÌý, textbooks published in 2018 by OUP. In 2016, he wroteÌý, published by Baylor University Press. His first book was an introduction to Islam for North Americans entitledÌý(Kelowna: Copper House, 2006). He has published over 60 book chapters and scholarly articles about religion.

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Tuesday, April 8, 7-8:30pm, Donahue Auditorium, Dolan Science Center

In this 80-minute documentary, three 10-year-old children (Djamal from Senegal, Nabiollah from Tajikistan, and Rifdha from the Maldives) leave their native countries to participate in one of the Islamic world’s most famous competitions, a test of memory and recitation known as The International Holy Koran Competition. Up against much older students, these youngsters have committed the 600 pages of the Koran to memory, and will put their skills to the test before the elite of the world’s Muslim community in Cairo, Egypt. The children discuss their recitation techniques – with accompanying, completely improvised melodies – and talk about their nerves and excitement as they finally compete before a panel of judges. In addition to chronicling the excitement and pressure of the Koran Competition, award-winning filmmaker Greg Barker delicately captures touching moments with the children at home with their families, where they open up about life and religion, their academic dreams and career aspirations. As the competition reaches its climax, Koran By Heart offers a compelling and nuanced glimpse into some of the pressures faced by the next generation of Muslims. An HBO Production.ÌýÌý

After the screening, Dr. Zeki Saritoprak will lead a brief discussion part to answer the audience questions about the documentary. Dr. Saritoprak is a Professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies and Director of the Bediuzzaman Said Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies, at John Carroll University.ÌýA native of Turkey he has spent more than thirty years studying Islamic theology and mysticism. He is the author of many works on Islam, spirituality, and interfaith dialogue. Dr. Saritoprak received his Ph.D. in Islamic Theology from the University of Marmara in Turkey and has authored more than fifty academic articles and encyclopedia entries, in addition to his published books.