A New Look—An August Web Talk on “Tahirih: Beyond Emancipation”

You won’t want to miss the one Wilmette Institute Web Talk in August. Dr. Roya Akhavan will be speaking on “Táhirih: Beyond Emancipation,” delving into Táhirih’s importance beyond her role in the emancipation of women. The talk is scheduled for August 19, 2018, at the usual time: 2 p.m. EDT (11 a.m. PDT, 8 p.m. Western European time). Use the link above to sign up for yourself, and invite others to join you.

Roya explains that much “research on the life and contributions of Táhirih has long framed her as a herald of emancipation for women.” But, having made an “in-depth study of Táhirih’s own poetic discourse as well as the Bahá’í writings,” Roya plans to “focus on illuminating the true meaning of Táhirih’s symbolic actions, including her removal of the veil at Badasht.” Her “primary thesis,” Roya says, “ is that “Táhirih’s role and station in human and religious history goes far beyond being a herald of emancipation for women.” Dr. Akhavan is Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at the Department of Mass Communications at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA. In addition to research and publication in the field of international mass communication, she has maintained a research interest in peace studies. She is a frequent speaker at national and international forums on gender issues, the root causes of war, and spirituality in the twenty-first century. Her most recent work is a book entitled Peace for Our Planet: A New Approach (Calumet Editions, 2017). Roya has lived and worked in four different cultures: Persian, American, Japanese, and Chinese. She currently lives in Maple Grove, Minnesota. On July 2, 2018, Dr. Akahavan gave a Web Talk entitled “Peace for Our Planet: A New Approach,” based on her book of the same title. You can watch it on the Wilmette Institute’s YouTube Channel and also access and print out her PowerPoint.