Jamil Khader of Stetson University will speak on 'Islam in America' at United Church of Christ in New Smyrna Beach
Photo for Headline Surfer / Jamil Khader of Stetson University will be the featured speaker Saturday, Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. as the United Church of Christ in New Smyrna Beach concludes its Community Forum Series for 2012-2013.NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Jamil Khader will speak on the "Profile of Islam in America," touching on such subjects such as the view of Jesus in Islam, mistrust of Islam in Western nations, and possible avenues to dialogue between Christians and Muslims. Admission is free.
The 90-minute event will be held in the Community Hall of the United Church of Christ. An audience question and answer period will follow his talk. Khader teaches in the English Department at Stetson and chairs the Gender Studies Program. A Palestinian Arab from Israel, Khader completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English Literature at Haifa University, Israel, and his doctorate on a Fulbright scholarship at Penn State University.
The Stetson professor said that in his youth he was always fascinated by the Quran’s telling of the story of Jesus, or Issa as he is referred to in Arabic. He calls it his “favorite story,” describing it as “full of poetry, wonder, and magic.” Given the elevated place Jesus occupies in Islam, Khader said he came to the US expecting a reverence he did not find toward his own faith, and the Prophet Mohammad.
.jpg)
A DeLeon Springs man was shot and kiled by a deputy after refusing to put down a rifle while a warrant was being served at his residence as shown in the ocator map.
.jpg)
New Smyrna Speedway is a lot closer to where Ed Bennett was reared compared to the world famous Daytona International Speedway, home to the Great American Race, the Daytona 500. Despite the aded weight of the big responsibilities he has to carry on his shoulders as a rising star in NASCAR's corporate offices in Daytona, Bennett has his priorities straight with his emerging family, as shown in the inset. As a side note, his wife, Mindy France Bennett, was 'Miss NSB HS 1997.' 
Resignation shows on the face of 45-year-old Fredrick Bardell of New Smyrna Beach, in his June 20 booking mug before beginning a lengthy prison sentence for downloading and hoarding more than 20,000 photos and movies of small children engaged in lewd sex acts. 
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Alleged serial arsonist James Bates admitted to setting fires as far back as the 1970s, but said he managed to suppress the urge for some time, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office in announcing his arrest in March.
A ruling by Circuit Judge William Parsons, chief judge of the 7th judicial circuit, denied condemned death row murderer Jerone Hunter, shown here, a chance in January at having his death sentences set aside for his role in the 2004 Deltona Xbox murders of six people in a Telford Lane home, the largest mass murder case in Volusia County's history.
A killing in Osteen may be connected to drug growing operating on Trotting Trail as shown in this locator map.