A UC-Berkeley professor will be speaking tonight on America’s role in the Israel-Palestine conflict at 7 p.m. in the University Center Auditorium.

The Muslim Student Association is sponsoring The Trail of Tears in the Holy Land: The Massacre in Palestine and Our Country’s Contribution by Hatem Bazian, a native Palestinian who immigrated to the United States and now teaches Islamic studies.

Since Bazian has a comprehensive background in the history of the struggles in Palestine, he is qualified to be able to give an educated and unbiased presentation of today’s situation, said MSA member Sadaf Shaukat.

According to Shaukat, it is important for students to be educated about the situation where civilians are being killed before drawing any conclusions.

Most people know that there is conflict in the Middle East, Shaukat said. But how many are actually aware of the complexities of the situation?

Maha Ayesh, secretary for the MSA, said people’s overall perception comes from a pro-Israel media.

In our society, we tend to accept whatever the media says as the ultimate truth, Ayesh said. The media says the Palestinians are the aggressors and they are to blame.

Ayesh hopes for a large student crowd at the lecture.

They should come because they desire peace and justice and advocate human rights, Ayesh said. They should come so that they know this isn’t an isolated situation that doesn’t involve the United States. They should come because the fate of the Holy Land is important to Christians, Muslims and Jews.

Students must understand the origins of the conflict, Ayesh said.

Universities are historically places for change, Ayesh said. As students of knowledge we have to make ourselves aware of the problems if we ever hope to change them.

In addition to writing numerous articles on various aspects of the Middle East, Bazian has played a role in the civil rights, anti-Apartheid and affirmative action movements at Berkeley.