Fashion, Islam and freedom topics of UH Mānoa guest speaker series

Ali Amer Taha Al-Hindawi

Ali Amer Taha Al-Hindawi, an Iraqi refugee who is currently working at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland, will present a series of talks at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, April 23–27.

Al-Hindawi has extensive training on Model United Nations, conflict management, human rights, and growing up in non-peaceful environments. He has conducted workshops and given seminars on interfaith harmony, global cultural diversity and breast cancer.

Schedule of talks:

Monday, April 23, 11 a.m.–12 p.m., Miller 208: Al-Hindawi is available to meet with students and faculty.

Tuesday, April 24, 4–5 p.m., Miller 101: “My Life as a Young Arab in the West”  Al-Hindawi will discuss his experiences of moving to Europe, having his asylum case rejected and working with refugees in the humanitarian field. The talk is meant to challenge stereotypes about refugees and immigrants. 

• 6–8 p.m., Miller 101:  “The New Challenges of Diversity”  Critical discussion of diversity and difference within different cultural contexts (e.g., Western vs. Arabian) and implications for society and government.

Wednesday, April 25, 10 a.m.–1 p.m., Miller 208:  Al-Hindawi is available to meet with students and faculty.

Thursday, April 26, 9–10:15 a.m., Kuykendall 306: “Fashion and Freedom”  Al-Hindawi will discuss how clothes can be political, representative of freedom, and dangerous to non-conformists; topics will include Islamic, Christian and Jewish clothing traditions, hate crimes and victim blaming. 

• 6–8 p.m., Miller 101: “Clothing and Islam” Interactive activity using games and simulation to discuss feelings and attitudes and behaviors related to Islamic clothing.

Friday, April 27, 9 a.m.–12 p.m., Miller 208:  Al-Hindawi is available to meet with students and faculty.

The lectures are sponsored by CTAHR, UH Mānoa Student Equity, Excellence & Diversity (SEED IDEAS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, HATCH Grant #1001559 and the Prevention, Awareness, Understanding (PAU) Violence Program.

(Note to editors: Ali Al-Hindawi is available for media interviews on Monday, April 23, at 11 a.m. To schedule an interview, please contact Andy Reilly at 808-956-5061 or areilly@hawaii.edu.)