Islamic Justice Series Opens February 22

Beginning February 22, The World Affairs Council of Sacramento, in conjunction with the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, will present a four-part speaker series on “Concepts of Islamic Justice and Community.

Kicking off the series, Ambassador Ed Peck will share insights gained from his lengthy diplomatic career, including what Americans needs to know about Muslims and the Middle East. A frequent Middle East for television and radio commentator, Ambassador Peck also lectures and teaches internationally on a broad range of foreign relations issues for governments, civic organizations, and businesses.

During a 32-year diplomatic career, Peck served as Chief of Mission in Iraq and Mauritania, and as an Embassy Officer in Sweden, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt. In Washington, he served in several posts, including Deputy Director of the Cabinet Task Force on Terrorism in the Reagan White House and Deputy Coordinator for Covert Intelligence Programs.

Ambassador Peck will speak at 5 p.m., Thursday, February 22, 2007 in Pacific McGeorge’s courtroom. The talk is free and open to the public and a reception will follow at 6 p.m.

Future speakers in the series will discuss topics including the conceptual differences between Western and Islamic legal traditions, the role and status of women in contemporary Islam, and the effect of the U.S. government’s anti-terrorist efforts on American Muslim communities.

The second event in the “Concepts of Islamic Justice and Community” series will take place on Wednesday, March 14 with a presentation from criminal defense attorneys Wazhma Mojaddidi, ’02, and Johnny Griffin III, ’84, who represented a Lodi father and son accused of terroris-related activities. That presentation is scheduled for 5 p.m. in the second floor lobby of the Pacific McGeorge Center for Global Business and Development.

For more information please call (916) 397-7271, or visit www.worldaffairs.org.