FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The University of South Alabama Baldwin County will host Dr. Mir Zohair Husain, a USA associate professor of political science, who will present “The Importance of Understanding Islam and the Muslim World,” as part of its Distinguished Lecture Series.

This free event is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 19, at 3 p.m., in the USABC Performance Center at the corner of St. James Avenue and Summit Street in Fairhope.

Husain said he will focus on Islam and those who practice its teachings. He will also talk about how mainstream Muslims differ from the radical Islamics who are a small minority but command the majority of the media attention.

Husain will continue with his lecture and PowerPoint presentation, by discussing how we are interdependent as part of a global economy.

“One of the points is how much Islam shares with Judaism and Christianity,” Husain said Monday. “Many think Islam is an alien, violent and intolerant religion. The mass media likes to sensationalize the terrorist activities.”

Husain noted there are 1.4 billion Muslims in the world today, but only a few thousand are radicals who twist the religion for their own misguided gain. He added, “They are giving Islam a bad name. This has colored people’s views. Islam has gotten a bad rap.”

He appears to be right, as recent political history suggests.

A fear of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s religious leanings continues to bubble to the surface even as the Illinois Democrat edges closer to a possible presidential win in less than three weeks. Obama’s middle name, Hussein, draws a mention every so often by various political pundits in order to suggest he is a Muslim, even though he is known to be a longtime member of the Church of Christ.

Islam is not the only religion with a few bad seeds. Husain said, “This Jew was insane or a zealot, and this Christian was an extremist, but there are many good ones. There are also some bad (Catholic) priests, and there are many good priests.”

He said because Christians and Jews “don’t know Muslims on a daily basis,” there tends to be a great misunderstanding hung on media hype.

“We had the Inquisition, the Crusades and Colonialism, which were not started by Muslims, but they were on the other side,” Husain said.

The Muslim population is growing in the United States, and around the world. Husain said Islam is practiced by more than two-thirds of those living in Asia and a little less than half on the African continent. There are currently over seven million Muslims in the U.S. and more than 20 million in Europe, who Husain said are making positive contributions to the Western world in our global economy.

We are increasingly reliant on Muslim countries when it comes to raw materials such as crude oil, but they also hold some of the largest reserves of natural gas, iron ore and phosphate rock in the world, he said. Islamic regions also are purveyors of inexpensive labor, and are important consumers of American goods and services.

Husain said because of our interdependence, it is more important than ever to better understand the Muslim culture.

The professor will discuss the current wave of anti-Americanism sweeping parts of the world, and how it can be erradicated. He said he will also tackle the issues regarding an increase in suicide bombings overseas.

During the afternoon presentation, Husain plans to give a brief overview of his two related books, Global Islamic Politics (second edition), and Global Studies: Islam and the Muslim World. The books will be available for purchase, and there will be a book signing immediately following the lecture.

Husain spent the first 18 years of his life in Karachi, Pakistan. He moved to the United States in 1972 to earn his bachelor of arts degree in economics, political science and international relations from the University of Pennsylvania.

While there, he completed his doctorate in international relations and set his goal on becoming a professor in the United States. After completing his Ph.D., he joined USA’s Department of Political Science in 1986.

Reservations for the lecture are requested. Call (251) 928-8133, or e-mail usabc@usouthal.edu to reserve your seat.