In the United States, it’s often hard to imagine that extreme acts of violence are taken out on others based solely on religious beliefs. But think about history. The Crusades, The Spanish Inquistion and, more recently, the war on terror are examples of violence and conflict brought about by religion. In an effort to examine the complexities of religion and its impact on society throughout history, a semester-long series of lectures titled “In the Name of God: The Role of Religion in Ethnic Conflict, Genocide and Terrorism” began last week at San Diego State. The lectures are free of charge and open to the public. Organized and funded by the Fred J. Hansen Institute for World Peace along with the Charles Hostler Institute on World Affairs, the series of lectures this spring will aim to foster discussion and promote understanding from a multi-subject perspective. “Religion is a social solace to so many people yet it is the fountainhead of conflict and violence at the same time,” said political science professor Dipak Gupta. “We want to explore what it is about religion that makes it a basis of which people carry out extreme acts of violence on others.”Professor Gupta helped to organize the lectures, along with Ronald Bee, the director of the Charles Hostler Institute. He will present his own lecture “In Our Own Image: Religion in the Context of Political Action” tonight.Many international ambassadors, professors, experts and scholars will come to San Diego State to speak in the lecture series throughout the semester. On May 1, the lecture presented will bring the focus to the SDSU community. When a 14-year-old gang member murdered Azim Khamisa’s only son, Tariq, a graduate of SDSU, he made the brave decision not only to forgive the killer but also, with the help of the killer’s grandfather, to start the Tariq Khamisa Foundation in memory of his son. Political science professor Brian Loveman has been heavily involved with the reconciliation efforts in Chile and will compare his experiences with that of Azim Khamisa. The lectures will allow others to gain an understanding of the influence of religion on the world from a coherent perspective. Drawing upon Mahatma Ghandi’s words, Gupta insists, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and the whole world would soon be blind and toothless.” Dipak will give his lecture at 7 p.m. in Hardy Tower.