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Madame Jehan Sadat, the former Egyptian first lady who broke barriers for Middle Eastern women, will share her experiences and insight tonight as part of the 2006-2007 Distinguished Speakers Series.
Widow of the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, Sadat has played an active role in peace and women's rights movements over the past three-and-a-half decades and will share those experiences in the conclusion of the Distinguished Speaker Series at 8 tonight at Eisenhower Auditorium.
Since the assassination of her husband in 1981, Sedat has worked to continue and expand her husband's peace efforts. As an educator and lecturer, she has addressed crowds around the world in hopes of promoting conflict resolution in the Middle East and international peace. She is also senior fellow of the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland.
Sedat released her best-selling autobiography, A Woman of Egypt, in 1987 and is currently working on a new book about her life since her husband's assassination.
Howard Wu, chairman of the Distinguished Speaker Series Committee, said the group wanted to bring in speakers from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
"In recent years we have had some women speakers but not quite as many as we would like," Wu said. "So this year we wanted someone to come and speak about women's issues. Madame Sadat has a very unique experience as a woman in the Middle East and former first lady of Egypt."
Sedat's role in the Middle Eastern women's movement includes her foundation of the Arab-African Women's League and the Talla Society, a program promoting empowerment of illiterate, impoverished Egyptian women. She was also the first wife of a Muslim leader to have her picture in a newspaper and the first to leave the country to promote a social cause.
The 2006-2007 Distinguished Speaker Series has already featured a debate between American Civil Liberties Union President Nadine Strossen and political analyst Pat Buchanan, as well as speeches by former joint chief of staff General Richard Myers and conservationist Jeff Corwin last year.
Literacy advocate and "Star Trek" star LeVar Burton spoke on Jan. 19 when he announced his retirement from Reading Rainbow. Sedat will conclude the series tonight.
Although Burton drew an audience of more than 700 last month, Wu said the inclement weather might have adverse effects on tonight's attendance.
"Turnout usually depends on the weather, especially with a free event. We haven't been too lucky with that lately," he said. "But I am certainly hoping for the best."
Carley Bria, another committee member, said she is still expecting a big crowd and thinks it's important for students to hear Sedat speak. "I think she has just as good of a message as [Burton] does, if not a better one -- promoting peace and speaking out on women's rights," she said.
The committee is accepting suggestions for next year's series. Those with ideas can e-mail Wu at hcw114@psu.edu.
The event is free, but tickets are required. Students can get tickets at the State College Downtown Theatre Center, the HUB Information Desk or the Eisenhower Auditorium.
Article reprinted from The Daily Collegian, referred to online as:
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