Herald News (Chicago, IL)

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Reading event set for today

Staff Report

PLAINFIELD - The 2008 Reading Across Plainfield community reading program will be highlighted in a program from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. today in the auditorium at Plainfield North High School, 12005 S. 248th St.

The focus will be on the book "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.

"An Evening of Culture and Conversation" will feature two speakers who will share their experiences and insights about the Muslim culture and Mortenson's work.

At 6:30 p.m. Plainfield resident Sadia Ashraf, the fundraising/outreach consultant for Central Asia Institute, Mortenson's nonprofit foundation, will discuss Mortenson's journey and the work of the institute.

She will also show a slideshow and DVD about Pennies for Peace, one of Mortenson's main fundraising initiatives. She will also answer questions about Muslim women and Pakistan.

At 7:30 p.m., Dr. Salim Diab will speak on Muslim culture, Middle Eastern history and the meaning of a book like "Tea" in the broader scope of Middle Eastern and Western relations.

Diab was born in Israel and is a Palestinian and Catholic who came to the United States as a student in 1968. He taught chemistry for 30 years at the University of St. Francis.

Reading Across Plainfield is a cooperative communitywide reading initiative between the Plainfield Library, Plainfield School District and Joliet Public Library.

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