On Thursday, March 25, 2010, Dr. Ingrid Mattson will give the seventh annual Thomas H. Lake Lecture. She posits that the traditional role of zakat, an obligatory tithe commanded by one of the five pillars of Islam, unites Muslim communities through its charitable distribution. Her address will discuss how this works and the ways in which trends of contemporary society are facilitating and inhibiting the influence of zakat on American-Muslim community cohesion.<\/div>\n
Dr. Ingrid Mattson is Director of and professor at the Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, as well as Director of Islamic Chaplaincy, at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut. Born in Canada, Dr. Mattson studied Philosophy at the University of Waterloo, Ontario (B.A. \u201987), after which she lived in Pakistan working with Afghan refugee women for a year. She earned her Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from the University of Chicago in 1999, and her research is focused on Islamic law and society. Among her articles are studies on slavery, poverty and Islamic legal theory. Dr. Mattson, who became Vice President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) in 2001 and President in 2006, is the first convert to Islam and the first female to lead the international organization.
Click here<\/a> to view a Pennsylvania State University \u201cCommon Ground Lobby Talk\u201d interview with Dr. Ingrid Mattson.<\/p>\nThe Islamic Society of North America is an independent membership organization dedicated to \u201cthe betterment of the Muslim community and society at large\u201d by eliminating prejudice and promoting peaceful coexistence among Muslims and also between Muslims and people of other diverse traditions. ISNA supports diplomatic solutions to conflict; develops educational, social and outreach programs designed to foster good relations among religious communities; and has also been involved in recent humanitarian relief work in areas such as Darfur and South East Asia.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.iupui.edu\/LakeFamilyInstitute\/images\/Ingrid%20Mattson.jpg\")
<\/a>5:00 \u2013 6:00pm Lecture<\/div>\n6:00 \u2013 6:45pm Reception & book signing<\/div>\n<\/div>\n(IUPUI Campus)<\/div>\n850 West Michigan Street<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/tracker\/7622297540113836091-6413352508459370739?l=exploringourmatrix.blogspot.com\")
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