LEWISTON, Maine – Shamshad Sheikh, Muslim chaplain at Mount Holyoke College, will discuss her experiences in a Bates College lecture titled "From Pakistan to Afghanistan via the United States: A Muslim Peace Pilgrim's Journey," at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29, in Skelton Lounge, Chase Hall, Campus Avenue. The public is invited to attend this discussion, part of the "Spiritual Journeys: Stories of the Soul 2002-03" series sponsored by the Office of the Chaplain, free of charge. Call 207-786-8272 for more information.
 Raised in Karachi, Pakistan, Sheikh received her bachelor's degree from Karachi University, a degree in Islamic law from SM Law College in Karachi and a master's degree from the American International College in Springfield, Mass. 

An educator and human rights activist, Sheikh traveled in December 2001 to a refugee camp on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan to "bear witness to the suffering of Afghani women." Of her journey, she has said: "This was from my heart. They have suffered simply for being women, and I had to see that with my own eyes."

Sheikh will discuss the findings from her journey, including what she discovered about herself as a Muslim woman who advocates for the well-being of her sisters and brothers everywhere.     

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