Islam—the Basics and Role in Today’s World

Natana DeLong-Bas, PhD

Topic: Islam—the Basics and Role in Today’s World
Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Place: Irondequoit Country Club: 4045 East Ave. [14618]
Time: 6:00 Cocktails; 7:00 Dinner; 8:00 Speaker Presentation followed by Q and A
Cost: $55 per person ($58 if paying online), buffet style. Cash Bar
Dinner: Buffet style – 2 protein options, 1 vegetarian option

***Registration Policy: For reservations, please email MemberServices@WACROC.org. Mail your
check for the dinner[s] to: WACR, PO Box 25462, Rochester, NY 14625 no later than June 3, 2025.

Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Founded by the Prophet Muhammad in Mecca, in modern day Saudi Arabia in the 7th Century CE, Muslims believe in one God, called Allah. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number 1.9 billion worldwide and are the world’s second-largest religious population after Christians.

Widely practiced in the Middle East and North Africa, it also has many adherents in South Asia. Muslims believe several prophets were sent to teach Allah’s law…including Abraham, Moses, Noah and Jesus, contending that Muhammad was the final prophet.

In recent years, Islam’s supposed association with terrorism has sparked a political debate in many countries. While Muslims aim to clear up misconceptions about their faith, the religion continues to spread rapidly and Islam is now the fastest growing religion…predicted to surpass Christianity as the largest religion by the end of the century. As of 2020, Islam was the third-largest religion in the U.S. with 1.3% after Christianity with 67% and Judaism with 2.4%.

Dr .DeLong-Bas is an American academic scholar of Middle Eastern and Islamic studies and author of a number of academic publications on Islam on the subjects of Saudi Arabia, Islamic thought and history, Islam and politics, and contemporary jihadism. She is currently a professor at the Theology Department Faculty of Boston College, serves in a number of editorial, advisory and consulting roles, and also taught at Brandeis University and worked for the Rand corporation. She is frequently out-spoken about personal beliefs on various aspects of Islam and can often be found in the middle of frequent global dialogues on Islam in today’s world.