Turkish journalist to speak at Clemson about Muslim culture

Published: April 5, 2012

By Taylor Reeves

CLEMSON — Turkish journalist Mustafa Aykol will deliver a lecture about cultural globalization at Clemson University at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, at the Strom Thurmond Institute auditorium. The lecture, “Change Within Islam: Arguments for a Liberal Muslim Culture,” is co-sponsored by the South Carolina Dialogue Foundation and Clemson’s department of political science as part of the Globalization Lecture Series.

A native of Turkey currently based in Istanbul, Aykol is a notable scholar and political commentator in the Turkish media. He is a regular columnist for Turkey’s leading English language newspaper, the Hurryiet Daily News, and he also writes a column for the Turkish language newspaper, Star. His articles have appeared in such media as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Newsweek and The Huffington Post. Aykol also has appeared on numerous television and radio shows. His latest book, “Islam without Extremes: a Muslim Case for Liberty,” was published in July 2011.

The South Carolina Dialogue Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting understanding and communication among various ethnic, racial and cultural communities in South Carolina. Established in 2010, the organization hosts dinners, lectures and excursions to promote intercultural dialogue and also raises support for international humanitarian causes.

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