The Role of Islam on the Global Stage

Natana DeLong-Bas, PhD

Topic: The Role of Islam on the Global Stage
Date: Tuesday, June 9, 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: $60 per person ($62 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 and remit payment ($60/pp) to: WACR, PO Box 25462, Rochester, NY 14625 OR
go to Meeting Registration – World Affairs Council of Rochester (wacroc.org) and register on-line ($62/pp to cover bank fees) no later than June 2, 2026.

As conflict continues to engulf the Middle East, many wonder what role Islam plays in either fanning the flames of war or calling for peacemaking. This presentation takes the case studies of the Israel-Hamas conflict and the ongoing military confrontation in Iran to consider where and how Islamic Just War Theory might be applied, how religious rhetoric has been used to frame the conflict in Iran and its role in government, and where religious symbolism may appear in the future, whether in apocalyptic visions of the End Times or leading toward justice, reconciliation, and rebuilding in the aftermath of war.

Natana J. DeLong-Bas is the author of Islam: A Living Faith; Shariah: What Everyone Needs to Know; and Wahhabi Islam: From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad. She is also the editor of The Oxford Handbook of Islamic Reform; Islam, Revival & Reform: Redefining Tradition for the Twenty-First Century; and Editor-in-Chief of Oxford Bibliographies Online – Islamic Studies and the award-winning two-volume The Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Women.

She is Professor of the Practice and Director of the Minor in Theology and Interreligious Studies at Boston College. She serves as a consultant to the United Nations, the media, and many governments and corporations.