LEWISTON – “Women in Islam” will be the focus of a community discussion at Lewiston-Auburn College from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30.

Sister Aminah Assilmi, a renowned scholar of Islam and president of the International Union of Muslim Women, will lead the discussion. It will be held in Room 170 at the college, 51 Westminster St. A light dinner will be served, and the public is invited to attend at no charge.

Assilmi was a Southern Baptist, a feminist and a broadcast journalist when she discovered Islam in college. After accepting Islam, she experienced much turmoil in her life, including the loss of her job as an award-winning broadcaster for wearing the hijab (covering of the head and body).

A defining moment came when she tried to cash a check at her bank wearing the face veil. A bank security guard drew his gun and threatened to shoot if she made any questionable moves.

In addition, she suffered the loss of her marriage and custody of her children because a court ruled that her “unorthodox religion” would be detrimental to them. Since then, Assilmi says her children have converted to Islam, as have her parents and her ex-husband.

A bone cancer survivor, Assilmi has made two pilgrimages to Mecca, a holy trip that Muslims are instructed to take in their lifetime.

The International Student Organization of Lewiston-Auburn, a multicultural and international student group, is hosting the event. The ISOLA mission is the promotion of diversity in the United States.

For more information about Thursday’s event, contact Khadra Jama at [email protected].