Israel and Palestine. Egypt and Jordan. Gaza, the West Bank, and the Settlements. The PLO, Labor, and Likud. Arafat and Sharon. We hear these terms and names but often only vaguely understand what they mean. We know we should understand why the Holy Land and events in the Middle East are important but often don’t. We now President Clinton came very close to brokering a major peace accord, but may not know why those plans have faltered under President Bush. We’ve heard many Church teachings and much Mormon rhetoric about this region, its history and destiny, but we’re not sure how much has come through official channels and how much from our favorite ward “expert” filling the information vacuum with his or her speculations. We know you’ll enjoy an engaging evening with prominent Middle East scholar, analyst, and Latter-day Saint Omar Kader as he touches on these subjects and suggests ways we as concerned citizens and Church members might become genuine agents of peace and understanding in our communities and wards.

Dr. Omar M. Kader