The second-annual Iowa Conference on Islam, designed to educate Iowans about Muslims and Islam, is this weekend.

The conference gives non-Muslims a chance to clear up any misconceptions they may have about Islam, said Raza Ul-Mustafa, member of the ISU Muslim Student Association.

“The main goal is to create educational awareness,” said Ul-Mustafa, graduate student in electrical and computer engineering. “We’re targeting non-Muslim students who are curious about our faith.”

Registration for the conference will begin Friday at noon in the Memorial Union main lounge. Events will officially begin with welcoming remarks at 3 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union.

The theme of the conference is “Islam – Salvation Through Faith & Practice.” This motif will be illustrated through lectures, workshops and cultural presentations throughout the weekend, Ul-Mustafa said.

“We’ve been privileged to bring several nationally recognized speakers here to Iowa State,” Ul-Mustafa said.

Jamal Badawi, author and director of the Islamic Information Foundation, will be a featured presenter at the conference.

Muslim Student Association member Saqib Malik said Badawi’s lecture will focus on Islam and world peace after Sept. 11.

“Badawi has done research on an international level on how Muslims have been affected by the terrorist attacks,” said Malik, graduate student in electrical and computer engineering.

Other featured speakers will include Muslim activist Siraj Wahhaj, author Jeffrey Lang and photographer Peter Sanders.

Muslim Youth Organization President Aras Konjhodzic will present a three-part lecture on Islam, Bosnia and migration.

Ihab El-Kady, Muslim Student Association member, said Konjhodzic’s lecture will be part of a parallel conference geared toward Bosnian Muslims.

“The Bosnian community is an important focus of this conference,” said El-Kady, graduate student in physics and astronomy. “There will also be workshops held in the Bosnian language.”

El-Kady said the most important aspect of the conference is to encourage open dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims. The American media depicts Muslims unfairly to Americans who may not know anything about Islam, and that leads to “dangerous stereotypes,” he said.

“We want to show that Islam does not preach violence,” El-Kady said. “Mistakes of people are not mistakes of God, and it’s very frustrating to see how the media portrays Muslims.”

El-Kady said the ISU community is “very accepting” of Muslims and other cultures in general.

“People here tend to accept ideologies that are different from their own,” El-Kady said. “This conference can help people keep their open minds.”