The UNO Islamic Studies Program is set to host a talk on Thursday, May 11th at 7 pm at Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center (Rooms 201&205)  to illuminate the age-old theological question of why God allows pain and suffering in the world, particularly among children. The talk will feature Dr. Abla Hasan, an Associate Professor of Practice of Arabic Language & Culture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who will share insights from her recently published book "On Pain and Suffering: A Qur’anic Perspective."

In the wake of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, which claimed the lives of over 55,000 people and injured a further 150,000, the question of how a just and loving God can allow evil to occur has once again become a topic of discussion. Dr. Hasan's work provides a new perspective on this issue by examining the Qur'an's teachings on suffering and how it relates to the concept of God's justice and love.

Dr. Hasan, a native Arabic speaker, is well-respected in her field, and her research focuses on Qur'anic studies, Islamic feminism, and Arabic studies. Her new book has been praised for offering a fresh and nuanced perspective on the problem of evil, and the upcoming talk promises to be a fascinating exploration of her findings.

The talk is open to the public and will take place at the University of Nebraska at Omaha on May 11th at 7 pm at Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center, Rooms 201 & 205. It offers a unique opportunity to engage with a pressing theological issue and to gain insights from a renowned expert in the field. 

Speaker’s Bio: 

Dr. Abla Hasan is an Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, specializing in Arabic Language & Culture. She earned her PhD in Philosophy of Language and her MA in Philosophy as a Fulbright grantee from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and her BA in Philosophy from Damascus University in Syria. As a native speaker of Arabic, Dr. Hasan is passionate about teaching Arabic language and culture, as well as Islamic/Qur’anic Studies courses at UNL. Dr. Hasan is the founder, coordinator, and undergraduate adviser of the Arabic Language & Culture program, and has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to teaching and community engagement. She received the prestigious College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award in 2022 and the Community Engagement Award in 2021.

Her research and teaching interests are focused on Qur'anic Studies, Qur’anic Hermeneutics, Islamic feminism, and Arabic studies. Dr. Hasan's publications have been featured in numerous peer-reviewed international journals. She is the author of three books: Decoding the Egalitarianism of the Qur'an: Retrieving Lost Voices on Gender (Lexington: 2019), On Pain and Suffering: A Qur’anic Perspective (Lexington: 2022), and The Qur’anic Dilemma: A Hermeneutical Investigation of al-Khidr (Routledge: 2022).