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Cultural traditions, similarities part of Global Education series

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By Brandon Smith-Hebson, Staff Writer 4:25 PM Saturday, February 4, 2012

SPRINGFIELD — The Jewish skullcap (kippah), the Muslim woman’s head scarf (hijab) and the Christian nun’s headdress (coif) all hint at commonality between the religious orders.

That’s the message Dr. Akber Mohammed will deliver at a free event Thursday at Wittenberg University.

“Do you ever see a picture of Mary without her head covered?” Mohammed said. “And the Islamic traditional head covering has really got a lot of attention recently, particularly in Europe.”

Mohammed is a cardiologist and a 16-year resident of Springfield. He’s one of the original group that converged after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to promote multiculturalism in the city through the Global Education and Peace Network.

Its monthly speaker series is now in its 10th year. The month’s talk, “Life Cycle Observances from Abraham to Mohammed: Head Coverings and Circumcision,” will begin with refreshments at 6 p.m. Thursday in room 105 of the Shouvlin Center at Wittenberg. Mohammed will speak at 6:30 p.m. and a question-and-answer session will follow. The event is expected to end around 7:30 p.m.

Mohammed, who is from India, worked for a time with Mother Teresa — she always wore a head covering, he said.

“I looked at the Old Testament and the Gospel. With these (rites), all the religions think of piety,” he said. “If we think about bans, the people who make those think it’s oppression. Which is not the true intent.”

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