Confusion, misconceptions and shock have filled the minds of many Americans in the attempt to understand the Sept. 11 attacks.

A forum designed to inform people about events leading up to the attacks and the aftermath will take place at 7 p.m. today in the Holmes Student Center’s Carl Sandburg Auditorium.

The forum, sponsored by the Honors Program, will include four panelists from NIU. Each panelist will state facts and express his or her views on the controversy and truth behind the attacks.

The first panelist is professor of philosophy Tomis Kapitan, who has spent time in the Middle East teaching philosophy at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, and five years teaching at the West Bank University of Birzeit. He will speak on America’s foreign policy in the Middle East and how the policy influences Middle Easterners’ perception of America.

Mechanical engineering professor Mohamed Seif will examine the infamous message from Osama bin Laden to the U.S. televised on the Al-Jazeera Arabic news agency. Seif also will give an Islamic perspective on the events.

The third panelist, the Rev. Joe Gastiger from the First Congregation Church of DeKalb, will talk about the fundamental conflicts faced by everyone since the attack and also give a Christian perspective on the events.

The final panelist, Daniel Kempton, chair of the department of political science, will talk about other issues regarding American foreign policy.

Each panelist will lead off the forum with a 10-to 15-minute overview and then the floor will be open for a question-and-answer session.

A lot of people are looking for answers, and the more discussion we create, the better the understanding, said Evelyn Zuroske, Honors Program coordinator.