Rumi Forum, Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington, and Washington Theological Consortium presented the 4th Interfaith Leadership Forum: “Interfaith Engagement with the Environmental Crisis” on May 31, 2023. The program featured keynote speaker Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, an interfaith panel, and an opportunity for small group dialogues. Keynote by: Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, D.Min. started at Adat Shalom when the synagogue was only eight years old, and meeting at the JCC – he was still in rabbinic school, Founding Rabbi Sid was part-time, Shabbat morning services were every other week, and cell phones hardly existed. Upon ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1997, he became its first full-time rabbi and has joyfully served here ever since. Rabbi Fred currently serves as Chair of the National Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life and is on the boards of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment and Interfaith Power and Light (The Regeneration Project). Fred has also been deeply engaged in social and racial justice (including Jews United for Justice), multi-faith (a past board member of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington), and Israeli-progressive (J Street and more) efforts. Panelists: Sevim Kalyoncu: Growing up in Alabama surrounded by woods and creeks, Sevim Kalyoncu discovered early that her most direct connection with God came through nature. To this day, she still finds peace in natural surroundings and holds a deep concern regarding humankind’s responsibility as vicegerent of the earth. She is involved with multiple local climate action groups and is dedicated to helping educate youth about the importance of environmental awareness for spiritual, mental, and physical well-being. She holds a B.S. from Georgetown and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago and has many years of nonprofit experience in Washington, DC, and the San Francisco Bay Area. She is also a naturalist interpreter and a yoga instructor. Rev. Dr. Gilson Waldkoenig: Rev. Dr. Gilson Waldkoenig teaches methods for understanding ministry in context and applied theology rooted in the resilient grace of Christ. As Director of the Town and Country Church Institute (TCCI), Dr. Waldkoenig teaches courses in rural and Appalachian ministry and is sought out by synods, judicatories, and other seminaries for consultation and teaching. His research has included multiple-church ministries, environmental ministries, and a variety of other topics, all reflecting his practical theology of “means of grace and scenes of grace.” He belongs to St. James Lutheran Church in Gettysburg. His books include Cooperating Congregations and Symbiotic Community, The Lost Land, and his reviews appeared in Agricultural History, Journal of Appalachian Studies, Journal for Study of Religion, Nature & Culture, Christian Century, and others. Dr. Rajwant Singh: Dr. Rajwant Singh is the founder and President of EcoSikh, a global organization working on the climate crisis facing the planet. It has engaged the worldwide Sikh community to take action on environmental issues. He also co-founded the National Sikh Campaign, an initiative to inform Americans about the Sikh identity. Dr. Rajwant Singh is also the Chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE), an organization that has worked with the White House and the members of the United States Congress. He organized a large gathering of the Sikhs to interact with political and elected leaders at Capitol Hill. He was instrumental in organizing the first-ever celebration of Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary at the White House in 2009. Kristin Barker: Kristin Barker is co-founder and director of One Earth Sangha, whose mission is cultivating a Buddhist response to ecological crises. She graduated from Spirit Rock’s Community Dharma Leader program and now teaches with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington. As a co-founder of White Awake, Kristin has been supporting white people since 2011 with a Dharma approach to uprooting racism in ourselves and in our world. With a background in software engineering and environmental management, she has worked at several international environmental organizations. She is a GreenFaith Fellow and serves on the advisory board of Project Inside Out. Kristin was born and raised in northern New Mexico and currently lives in Washington, DC, the traditional lands of the Piscataway people. The Interfaith Leadership Forum (ILF) presented its 4th program during Days of Unity, entitled “Interfaith Engagement with the Environmental Crisis”. Rumi Forum and its partners were glad to collaborate with the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington (IFCMW) for the 4th ILF, which coincides with their 6th Annual Days of Unity during the month of May 2023.

This new book traces the lives of Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs in Israel and Palestine who have dedicated their lives to building peaceful relations among the two peoples and between individual people who seek to live in peace and harmony with one another. These people have acted courageously and consistently in their work for peace. In this book, the author profiles the lives, thoughts, feelings, and actions of six important peacebuilders — men and women, secular and religious, 3 Jewish Israelis: Rabbi Michael Melchior, Professor Galia Golan, and Mrs. Hadassah Froman, and 3 Palestinian Arabs: Professor Mohammed Dajani, Ms. Huda Abuarquob, and Bishop Munib Younan. The reader learns about their visions for peace and their activities to bring their ideas to fruition in the real world of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Too many people have given up on peace. In contrast, the people in this book persevere for peace, thus keeping a flicker of hope alive for Israelis and Palestinians who live in the same land for people everywhere who continue to yearn for a peace agreement to be reached in the region.  Co-sponsored by: Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP) is a coalition of over 170 organizations—and tens of thousands of Palestinians and Israelis—building people-to-people cooperation, coexistence, equality, shared society, mutual understanding, and peace among their communities. We add stability in times of crisis, foster cooperation that increases impact, and build an environment conducive to peace over the long term.  Author: Rabbi Dr. Ron Kronish is an independent scholar, writer, blogger, lecturer, teacher, and mentor. For several years, he has been a Library Fellow at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute. From 1991-2015, he served as the Founder and Director of the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel (ICCI), Israel’s premier interreligious institution. He was educated at Brandeis University (BA), Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is the editor of Coexistence and Reconciliation in Israel: Voices for Interreligious Dialogue (Paulist Press, 2015) and the author of The Other Peace Process: Interreligious Dialogue, A View from Jerusalem (Hamilton Books, 2017) and Profiles in Peace: Voices of Peacebuilders in the Midst of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (2022). He writes a regular blog for The Times of Israel and contributes to The Jerusalem Report. He teaches courses about Interreligious Dialogue and Peacebuilding at the Schechter Institutes for Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, in the Department for Adult Education, and at the Drew University Theological School (via Zoom) in Madison, NJ. Moderator: Rabbi Gerry Serotta served as Executive Director of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington from 2014 through 2020, where he continued his work as a leading voice for interfaith cooperation, religious freedom, and human rights. He is the founding rabbi of Shirat HaNefesh from 2008 to 2014. Rabbi Serotta has served as Executive Director of the interreligious organization Clergy Beyond Borders, Associate Rabbi of Temple Shalom in Chevy Chase, and Director of the Hillel Foundation at George Washington University. He was the founder and chair of Rabbis for Human Rights – North America and chaired the Board of Chaplains of George Washington University. Rabbi Serotta has received many awards for his communal work. He was named a Public Policy Conflict Resolution fellow by the University of Maryland School of Law and served as a senior rabbinic scholar in residence at the Religious Action Center of the Union for Reform Judaism. Rabbi Serotta received a master’s degree in Hebrew Literature from Hebrew Union College, a Master of Sacred Theology from New York Theological Seminary, and an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Hebrew Union College. Discussant: Ibrahim Anli is a civic entrepreneur with a career record that bridges nonprofit and academic experience. He was a visiting researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem from 2007-08. Ibrahim joined the Journalists and Writers Foundation’s (JWF) Ankara office as the diplomacy coordinator in 2010. In 2013, he became the secretary-general of Abant Platform, JWF’s Istanbul-based forum of intellectuals. Ibrahim Anli was a lecturer and acting chair at the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy at Tishk International University in Erbil in 2016-17. He is currently a volunteer instructor for the OLLI at George Mason University, a member of the Braver Angels Scholars Council, and a member of the Public Diplomacy Council of America. He holds a BA in Economics from Istanbul University, an MA in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from Sabanci University, and a certificate in Strategic Management for Leaders of NGOs from Harvard University.

This in-person book talk by Dr. Ori Z. Soltes was a discussion on “Between Thought & Action”, Fethullah Gulen`s intellectual biography of thoughts, words, and actions including interviews with Hizmet movement followers. This volume has two goals. One is to explore the life and the thought of Fethullah Gulen and the important educational and peace-inducing activities in which he and those inspired by him have been engaged for several decades. The outcome of those efforts—of creating schools and providing diverse social and cultural services that bring people together people from diverse backgrounds—has been to provide the face of civic and civil Islam as an antidote to the uglier side of political Islam. The second goal has been to make clear how the accusations against Mr. Gulen by the minions of Turkey`s President could hardly be more false: that what Gulen and the Hizmet (service) movement that he has inspired are ultimately about is improving the world and saving it from its uglier inclinations. A brief discussion of his life and thought has been supplemented by the voices of more than 70 interviews conducted over several years, with individuals intimate and more distant but all inspired to be part of the process of serving humanity. About the Author: Ori Z. Soltes teaches at Georgetown University across a range of disciplines, from art history and theology to philosophy and political history. He is the former Director of the B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum and has curated more than 85 exhibitions there and in other venues across the country and overseas. He has authored or edited 25 books and several hundred articles and essays. Recent volumes include “Our Sacred Signs: How Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Art Draw from the Same Source”; “Searching for Oneness: Mysticism in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam”; “Untangling the Web: Why the Middle East is a Mess and Always Has Been”; “Tradition and Transformation: Three Millennia of Jewish Art & Architecture”; and “God and the Goalposts: A Brief History of Religion, Sports, Politics, War, and Art”.

Dr. Parrillo and Dr. Ansari present a cross-cultural study of Hizmet schools in seven countries of varying histories and ethnic compositions. Some are fairly homogeneous, while others are longstanding multicultural, multiracial societies. Some have Muslim-majority populations, others a small Muslim minority. Through hundreds of interviews with students, parents, staff, and financial supporters, the authors explored individual perceptions and experiences, as well as the triad of student, parent, and school interaction. Analyzing the commonality of the schools' structures and processes in different settings, they offer their insights about the schools' success in achieving their twin goals of offering quality education and promoting interethnic harmony.   About the Author: Vincent N. Parrillo Prof. Emeritus, Sociology, William Paterson University Vincent N. Parrillo is the author of numerous books and journal articles, some of them translated into ten languages. He is a Professor Emeritus of sociology at William Paterson University and a Fulbright Scholar and Fulbright Senior Specialist. An internationally recognized expert on immigration, he is the author of two historical novels about Ellis Island: Guardians of the Gate and Defenders of Freedom. His newest book is "Hearts and Minds: Hizmet Schools and Interethnic Relations." He is also the executive producer, writer, and narrator of six award-winning PBS television documentaries: "Ellis Island: Gateway to America"; "Smokestacks and Steeples: A Portrait of Paterson"; "Gaetano Federici: The Sculptor Laureate of Paterson"; "Paterson and Its People"; "Silk City Artists and Musicians", and "Paterson: A Delicious Destination".

We think we have the answers, but we need to be asking a lot more questions. Partisanship is up, trust is down, and our social media feeds make us sure we’re right and everyone else is ignorant (or worse). But avoiding and attacking one another is breaking… everything. Journalist Mónica Guzmán is the loving liberal daughter of Mexican immigrants who voted—twice—for Donald Trump. When the country could no longer see straight across the political divide, Mónica set out to find what was blinding us and discovered the most eye-opening tool we’re not using: our own curiosity. In this timely, personal guide, Mónica Guzmán, takes you to the real front lines of a crisis that threatens to grind America to a halt—broken conversations among confounded people. She shows you how to overcome the fear and certainty that surround us to finally do what only seems impossible: understand and even learn from people in your life whose whole worldview is different from or even opposed to yours.   About the book: “I Never Thought of It That Way“ Drawing from cross-partisan conversations she’s had, organized, or witnessed everywhere from the echo chambers on social media to the wheat fields in Oregon to raw, unfiltered fights with her own family on election night, Mónica shows how you can put your natural sense of wonder to work for you immediately, finding the answers you need by talking with people—rather than about them—and asking the questions you want, curiously. In these pages, you’ll learn: • How to ask what you really want to know (even if you’re afraid to) • How to grow smarter from even the tensest interactions, online or off • How to cross boundaries and find common ground—with anyone Whether you’re left, right, center, or not a fan of labels: If you’re ready to fight back against the confusion, heartbreak, and madness of our dangerously divided times—in your own life, at least—Mónica’s got the tools and fresh, surprising insights to prove that seeing where people are coming from isn’t just possible. It’s easier than you think.   Author Mónica Guzmán is the Director of Digital and Storytelling at Braver Angels, a nonprofit working to depolarize America and host of the Crosscut interview series Northwest Newsmakers. She was a 2019 fellow at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, where she studied social and political division, and a 2016 fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University, where she studied how journalists can better meet the needs of a participatory public. Mónica lives for great conversations sparked by curious questions. Before committing to the project of helping people understand each other across the political divide, Mónica cofounded the award-winning Seattle newsletter The Evergrey and led a national network of groundbreaking local newsletters as VP of Local for WhereBy.Us. She was named one of the 50 most influential women in Seattle, served twice as a juror for the Pulitzer Prizes, and plays a barbarian named Shadrack in her besties’ Dungeons & Dragons campaign.   Discussant Brian Allain founded and leads Writing for Your Life, a resource center and conference for spiritual writers, which includes the Publishing in Color conference series, intended to increase the number of books published by spiritual writers of color. Brian also founded and leads the teams that produce Compassionate Christianity and How to Heal Our Divides. Previously Brian served as Founding Director of the Frederick Buechner Center where he led the launch of Mr. Buechner’s online presence and established several new programs and strategic partnerships. Brian has developed and led spiritual writers conferences at Princeton Theological Seminary, Drew Theological Seminary, Western Theological Seminary, the University of Southern California, Belmont University, New Brunswick Seminary, and several churches. He led the publishing effort for the book Buechner 101: An Introduction to Frederick Buechner, in collaboration with Anne Lamott, and also the book How to Heal Our Divides. All of this is a second career, coming after business and technology leadership in high-tech. Brian has an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was designated a Palmer Scholar, their highest academic award.

Religious nationalism is on the rise worldwide. In the U.S., it has primarily taken the form of White Christian Nationalism: the affiliation of being White and Christian with belonging and mattering in this country. This program explored the nature of global nationalism and its specific manifestation in the U.S. First, we heard from Dr. Mark Juergensmeyer, who is an expert who has been studying this trend for over thirty years. His keynote remarks were followed by a panel of diverse faith leaders who shared their views on building interfaith solidarity to resist the White Supremacist Christian ideology threatening our nation. This program was a forum for people of faith to learn, become activated, and feel equipped to respond together effectively. Program Outline: Opening Remarks Rev. David Lindsey, Executive Director, Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington (IFC) Keynote “The Capitol Insurrection and the Global Rise of Religious Nationalism” Dr. Mark Juergensmeyer, Founding Director of the Orfalea Center of Global and International Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara Panel Presentations Moderated by Rev. David Lindsey, IFC “The Interfaith Imperative” Rabbi Jack Moline – President, Interfaith Alliance “Doctrine of Discovery, Manifest Destiny and Christian Nationalism: Nothing New.” Charles Watson Jr. – Director of Education, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty “The Pro-Democracy Faith Movement” Maggie Siddiqi – Senior Director, Religion and Faith, Center for American Progress “Religious Liberty and the Shortfall of Advocacy” Simran Singh – Vice Chairman, IRF (International Religious Freedom) Secretariat

While anti-Semites and Islamophobes often speak as if our faiths have been frozen in ice (and primitive thinking) for many centuries, the fact is that Jews and Muslims belong to living, breathing, stimulating faiths. On February 9, 2022, JIDS and the Rumi Forum jointly presented a dialogue that presents some of the exciting ideas and personalities that have emerged within the past century to enrich our faiths. Jews and Muslims belong to living, breathing, and stimulating faiths. On this panel, we discovered some of their inspiring modern thinkers together. We heard presentations about two modern Jewish thinkers: Rami Shapiro, who has brought a passion for various eastern faiths into his study of Judaism, and Menachem Mendel Schneerson (aka the Lubavitcher Rebbe), whose ideas sparked the rapidly growing Chabad Movement within Judaism. We will also hear presentations about two modern Muslim thinkers: Said Nursi, whose commentary of the Qur’an inspired a renewed way of engaging with the modern age; and Muhammad Iqbal, who had a remarkable impact on the intellectual and cultural reconstruction of Islam in South Asia and beyond. These presentations were given, respectively, by four scholars: Herb Levy, Rabbi Lee Weissman, Dr. Zeki Saritoprak, and Dr. Marcia Hermansen. Rumi Forum and JIDS present this event as a collaborating partner of the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington (IFCMW) during the 3rd Annual World Interfaith Harmony Week in the DMV. We are glad that this panel discussion coincides with the annual worldwide observance during the month of February 2022.

Rumi Forum, Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights, and Prince George’s County Memorial Library System presented a virtual panel discussion on “How Do We Deal With Covid, Social Injustice, and Polarization?” on February 3, 2022, for a conversation for our time, in recognition of World Interfaith Harmony Week. How do we build and use interfaith harmony to develop restoration, reconciliation, and resiliency as applicable to the world that we live in now? We are plagued: by the Covid-19 pandemic, by social injustice, by economic inequities, limited and inequitable access to resources, environmental injustice, and the polarization of our times. Three faith leaders will consider these difficult questions and provide hope and practical solutions to taking steps towards restoration, reconciliation, and resiliency today. Panelists Rahmah A. Abdulaleem, Esq. - Executive Director, KARAMAH: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights   Rabbi Abbi Sharofsky - Director, Intergroup Relations, Jewish Community Relations Council   Pastor Charles A. Tapp - President, Potomac Conference Corporation, Seventh-­day Adventist Church

On December 9, 2021, participants joined this in-person book talk for a considered study of Muslim–Christian coexistence and dialogue in the time of Prophet Muhammad. The Christians that lived around the Arabian Peninsula during Muhammad’s lifetime are shrouded in mystery. Some of the stories of the Prophet’s interactions with them are based on legends and myths, while others are more authentic and plausible. But who exactly were these Christians? Why did Muhammad interact with them as he reportedly did? And what lessons can today’s Christians and Muslims learn from these encounters? Scholar Craig Considine, one of the most powerful global voices speaking in admiration of the prophet of Islam, provides answers to these questions. Through a careful study of works by historians and theologians, he highlights an idea central to Muhammad’s vision: an inclusive Ummah, or Muslim nation, rooted in citizenship rights, interfaith dialogue, and freedom of conscience, religion, and speech. In this unprecedented sociological analysis of one of history’s most influential human beings, Considine offers groundbreaking insight that could redefine Christian and Muslim relations. About the author: Dr. Craig Considine is an award-winning professor and the best–selling author of The Humanity of Muhammad – A Christian View (Blue Dome Press 2020). He is recognized as an authority in interfaith dialogue, particularly Christian and Muslim relations. Dr. Considine has written seven books for the field of Islamic studies, including People of the Book – Prophet Muhammad’s Encounter with Christians (Hurst & Oxford 2021), Muslims in America: Examining the Facts (ABC–CLIO 2018), and Islam, Race, and Pluralism in the Pakistani Diaspora (Routledge 2017). Throughout the years, Dr. Considine’s peer-reviewed articles have appeared in Sociology and Religions and his op-eds have been published in Newsweek and Foreign Policy. Dr. Considine’s opinions appear regularly in the leading news and media outlets around the world. He also has experience in filmmaking, having directed the critically acclaimed documentary film Journey into America. Dr. Considine has spoken to audiences for Oxford University, the University of Edinburgh, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Doha). He is a practicing Roman Catholic with ancestral roots mainly in Sant’Elia Fiumerapido and Monacilioni, Italy and Lisdoonvarna, Ireland, but also England and Scotland. Craig is a native of Needham, Massachusetts. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, an MSc Lond. in international relations from Royal Holloway, the University of London, and a BA in international relations from American University in Washington, DC.

Using inside sources and extensive field reporting about the secretive, high-stakes world of international diplomacy, Vatican reporter Victor Gaetan takes readers to the Holy See to explicate Pope Francis‘s diplomacy, show why it works, and offer readers a startling contrast to the dangerous inadequacies of recent U.S. international decisions.   About the author Victor Gaetan, Ph.D., has served as an international correspondent for Catholic News Service and the National Catholic Register. He contributes to Foreign Affairs and America magazine. He has written from Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East—experiences that provided a wealth of contacts with the notoriously tight-lipped papal diplomatic corps. He gathered rare insight in the Vatican Secret Archives, which is not open to the public. For over 20 years he has filed stories from countries in turmoil: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cuba, Lebanon, Kosovo, Peru, Turkey, and Ukraine as well as from Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan. He has received numerous awards from the Catholic Press Association of North America and has written for secular publications ranging from Art & Auction to Le Figaro. Gaetan received a Ph.D. in Ideology in Literature from Tufts University; a master`s degree from the Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy (MALD), and a license in Byzantine and Ottoman Studies from Sorbonne University in Paris (comparable to a BA). About the discussant: Martine Miller is the Vice President of International Center for Religion & Diplomacy and a mediator and conflict transformation specialist with over 20 years of engaged experience—with communities, governments, regional bodies (i.e. EU, AU, and ASEAN), UN agencies, a range of inter/national non-governmental organizations and academic institutions. Her work has engaged her directly in fluid war to post-war reconstruction and development contexts across 70 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, West to East Europe, and North and South America.

Working on an aid program in one of the most violent places in the world, North East Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, philanthropist, and business leader Steve Killelea asked himself, ‘What are the most peaceful nations?’ Unable to find an answer, he created the world’s leading measure of peace, the Global Peace Index, which receives over 16 billion media impressions annually and has become the definitive go-to index for heads of state. Steve Killelea then went on to establish a world-renowned think tank, the Institute for Economics and Peace. Today its work is used by organizations such as the World Bank, United Nations, and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and taught in thousands of university courses around the world. "Peace in The Age of Chaos" tells of Steve’s personal journey to measure and understand peace. It explores the practical application of his work, which is gathering momentum at a rapid pace. In this time when we are faced with environmental, social, and economic challenges, this book shows us a way forward where Positive Peace, described as creating the optimal environment for human potential to flourish, can lead to a paradigm shift in the ways societies can be managed, making them more resilient and better capable of adapting to their changing environments. Speaker Steve Killelea is the Founder and Executive Chairman of the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), one of the world’s most impactful think tanks on peace and what creates it. Steve is also the creator of the Global Peace Index, the world's leading measure of peace that ranks 163 countries and independent territories by their levels of peacefulness each year, and is used by major organizations such as the World Bank, OECD, UN, as well as governments and thousands of universities worldwide. Over the last two decades, Steve has applied his business skills as one of Australia's leading entrepreneurs to his many global philanthropic activities, including his private family charity, The Charitable Foundation, which now has over three million direct beneficiaries. In recognition of his contribution to the global peace movement, Steve has twice been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and was awarded the Luxembourg Peace Prize in 2016. He has also been recognized by the Action on Armed Violence group as one of the 100 most influential people in the world on reducing armed violence. "Today, Steve serves on the President’s Circle for Club de Madrid, the largest forum of former world leaders working democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers working to strengthen democracy, and is an honorary president for Religions for Peace, the largest organization in the world working on inter-religious challenges. Discussant Chic Dambach is an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins and American Universities, and he is a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow. He was President and CEO (currently President Emeritus) of the National Peace Corps Association; former President of the Alliance for Peacebuilding, and former Chief of Staff for Congressman John Garamendi. Previously, he held executive positions in the arts, sports, and health, and he was an “expert” advisor to the director of the Peace Corps. He serves as Chair of the Mali Affinity Group, and he has served on dozens of nonprofit boards. He lectures regularly at colleges and universities and at conferences, and he was a senior consultant with BoardSource where he helped write two books on nonprofit governance.

The Qur’an often addresses Jews and Christians as “People of Scripture” to indicate that they have received revelation from God. Yet, while acknowledging the special relationship and knowledge that this revelation brings, the Qur’an at the same time criticizes the People of Scripture for not remaining true to God’s guidance and claiming special power over God’s gifts. The mixture of acknowledgment and criticism is based on actual encounters with Jews and Christians at the time of the revelation of the Qur’an. This Christian commentary on the 31 texts in which the Qur’an discusses and addresses the People of Scripture includes the Muslim tradition of interpretation of these texts and adds Christian resonances in order to contribute to future dialogue between Muslims and Christians on the common heritage and the differences between them. Speaker: Dr. Pim Valkenberg studied theology and religious studies in the Netherlands, where he was involved in dialogue between the three Abrahamic religions at the Radboud University of Nijmegen where he worked for twenty years until he came to the United States with his family to work at Loyola University Maryland and, since 2011, the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. His fields of specialization are comparative theology, interreligious dialogue and Christian - Muslim relations. Among his publications are: World Religions in Dialogue (2014, 2017), Renewing Islam By Service: A Christian View of Fethullah Gülen and the Hizmet Movement (2015), and Nostra Aetate: Celebrating Fifty Years of the Catholic Church's Dialogue with Jews and Muslims (2016). His latest book is published in 2021 by Peeters in Leuven: No Power over God's Bounty: A Christian Commentary on the "People of Scripture" in the Qur'ān.

Arson and vandalism at houses of worship. Bullying at schools and harassment at the grocery store. Political scapegoating and institutionalized discrimination. Muslims in the United States and beyond have faced Islamophobia in a range of forms. This ground-breaking book argues that Christians though they are not the targets of Islamophobia should be at the forefront of efforts to end the prejudice and discrimination that Muslims face. Writing for Christians of all denominations, Jordan Denari Duffner offers an introduction to Islamophobia, discusses the unfortunate ways that Christians have contributed to it, and offers practical steps for standing in solidarity with Muslims. Viewing Islamophobia as both a social justice and a religious freedom issue, Duffner makes the case that Christian faith calls us to combat religious discrimination even when it is not directed toward our own faith community. She weaves together insights from Catholic social teaching, examples from Protestant leaders, and expertise from Muslim scholars and activists, resulting in a compelling book that will be of interest to academic and lay audiences alike. Speaker/Author Jordan Denari Duffner is an author, educator, and scholar of Muslim-Christian relations. Her books are Islamophobia: What Christians Should Know (and Do) about Anti-Muslim Discrimination and Finding Jesus among Muslims: How Loving Islam Makes Me a Better Catholic. She is currently pursuing a PhD in theology and religious studies at Georgetown University and is an associate of the Bridge Initiative. Moderator Susan Douglass received a PhD in world history from George Mason University in 2016, and holds an M.A. in Arab Studies from Georgetown’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies. Her research field is education history and policy in teaching about the world and world religions. She works on instructional design, and has published widely on American textbooks and curriculum standards policy, and has authored teaching resources for Unity Productions Foundation films, grant projects for the National Endowment for the Humanities, the British Council, and the National Center for History in the Schools and others. She is currently K-14 Education Outreach Coordinator at CCAS and has conducted teacher workshops for ACMCU since 2007.

Fratelli Tutti (All brothers and sisters), subtitled “on Fraternity and Social Friendship” is the third encyclical of Pope Francis. The document was signed on October 3, 2020 during Pope Francis’s visit to the top of his namesake St. Francis of Assisi and was released on his feast day. It borrows its title from St. Francis’s Admonitions. Fratelli Tutti is Catholic in terms of its origin, yet universal in terms of its substance. The encyclical addresses a set of contemporary global challenges that threaten global peace and highlights “fraternity” as a remedy to build a just world. As a sign of recognition of its global appeal, the United Nations declared February 4 as the International Day of Human Fraternity beginning in 2021. Fratelli Tutti is the focal point of the 2nd Interfaith Leadership Forum. This conversation will bring together a diverse array of faith leaders and scholars in the DMV area and beyond for an interactive exchange on some of the most pressing issues of our age. As the search for answers on how to emerge better into a post-pandemic society continues, a collective reflection on Fratelli Tutti can renew hopes and illuminate the way forward.

This event is a Muslim-Jewish interfaith dialogue for college students and young professionals in the DMV area. The conversation, which will feature guest speakers, will center around combating antisemitism and Islamophobia from the outside while also addressing prejudice and misunderstanding within our own communities. We hope to bring Muslim and Jewish young adults together to learn about one another's faiths and experiences and to use this knowledge and empathy to become better allies united against hatred. Amidst rising antisemitism and Islamophobia throughout the United States, we need to have these conversations and advance Muslim-Jewish solidarity. Our partners in carrying out this event will be Jewish and Muslim institutions across DMV area college campuses, faith organizations for young professionals, and interfaith institutions.

This panel is intended to explore the connection between faith and women empowerment with a particular focus on women leadership. Our aim is to highlight the potential of faith in efforts for women’s participation in decision making, elimination of violence, achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls within the framework of the SDG5. The event will shed a spotlight on the role of women leaders of faith as key stakeholders and entrepreneurs of change in achieving these goals. This event is co-hosted by the UNA-NCA, which will specifically explore the effort to adopt CEDAW at the municipal level. Speakers Samirah Majumdar, Pew Research Center, Research Associate Gayatri Patel, CARE International, Director of Advocacy Jill Christianson, UN Association of the National Capital Area, Board Chair-Elect

Using Rumi Poetry to Flip the Modern-Day Script Join author S. A. Snyder for an online discussion of her latest book, “The Value of Your Soul: Rumi Verse for Life’s Annoying Moments.” Drawing from her 2019 memoir of living at a spiritual retreat in Scotland, this new book is a witty collection of short tales. With the help of select verses from Rumi, Snyder teases out some lessons learned from her funny experiences and offers a soupçon of homespun guidance for coping with people, situations, and life. Her witty style and unique experiences combine to make this a fun, light read with a reminder not to take life too seriously. She’ll introduce her new book, read select passages, and answer questions. Learn more about the book at https://www.lunarivervoices.com/books/value-of-your-soul/

Dialogue as the path, cooperation as the code, understanding as the method. The Legacy It is hard to exaggerate the legacy of the meeting between St. Francis of Assisi and Sultan Malik Al-Kamil in 1219, a historical encounter that took place in the midst of the Fifth Crusade. This event is still remembered as a landmark of religion’s transformative power despite differences even during the most unwelcoming moments. On 3-5 February 2019, His Holiness Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayyeb signed “A Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together” in the United Arabic Emirates to mark the 800th anniversary of the iconic meeting. The Document The Human Fraternity Document, rather than being a symbolic commemorative text, draws inspiration from the past for concrete future action. It is realistic in admitting the challenges humanity faces today, straightforward in highlighting the vital role of religion while addressing them, inclusive in recognizing the role that various stakeholders can play in the solution, and interdisciplinary in inviting many forms of human expertise to the universal endeavor. In an act of due recognition of this initiative by the global community, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on December 15 2020 (A/75/L.52) that proclaims February 4 as the “International Day of Human Fraternity”, to be observed each year beginning in 2021. The Event The eminent signatories of the Human Fraternity “ask that this Document become the object of research and reflection in all schools, universities and institutes of formation”. Rumi Forum welcomes this call by hosting the panel “In the Name of Human Fraternity” on the first International Day of Human Fraternity. Join us for a spectrum of reflections by a panel of prominent Catholic and Muslim speakers and an interactive session that will follow. The panel aims to observe the first International Day of Human Fraternity by highlighting the operational vision of the Human Fraternity Document rather than being a ceremonial text of goodwill. Speakers Dr. Pim Valkenberg, Catholic University of America The Document on Human Fraternity and Pope Francis: Initiatives toward Encounters of Friendship Dr. Zeki Saritoprak, John Carroll University On the Necessity of Human Fraternity: Theological and Practical Reflections Genevieve Mougey, Director of the Office for Social Concerns, Archdiocese of Washington The Work of Social Friendship, Dialogue, and Pastoral Applications: A Catholic Perspective on Interfaith Dialogue

“From the secretive circles of Yemen's ancient Sufi mystics to the Constantinople court of the Ottoman Sultans to the backstreets of Mercantile London, coffee has changed every society that fell under its heady sway. Abdul-Rehman Malik has spent a lifetime searching for the soul of coffee. Join us as we explore the culture, politics, spirituality and the extraordinary history of the world’s most second traded commodity – and learned how a humble bean – quite literally – changed the world.”   Speaker: Abdul-Rehman Malik is an award winning journalist, educator and cultural organizer. A Lecturer and Associate Research Scholar at the Yale Divinity School, he also serves at the Program Coordinator at Yale University’s Council on Middle East Studies, and is responsible for developing curricula and partnerships with public schools to promote better cultural, language and religious literacy about the Middle East to educators and students alike. Abdul-Rehman also serves as Director of the Muslim Leadership Lab, an innovative student leadership program being incubated at the Dwight Hall Center of Social Justice at Yale. His work has spanned the UK, United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sudan, Mali, Morocco, Singapore, Canada, Malaysia and beyond.   Full Bio: https://divinity.yale.edu/faculty-and...​        

“Few are guilty, but all are responsible.” So said Abraham Joshua Heschel, reminding us of one the key teachings of our Abrahamic Prophets. We are indeed all responsible for confronting and resisting injustice. But how do we do this wisely, effectively, and morally? Rumi Forum and JIDS will bring in two diverse experts to provide insights on this question. Dr. Sophia Pandya is currently a full professor and department chair at California State University at Long Beach, in the Department of Religious Studies. She has written extensively on the topic of resistance efforts in the Muslim world. Rabbi Michael Pollack is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and now serves as the Executive Director of March on Harrisburg. It is our hope that by having an interfaith dialogue led by an esteemed academic and a community activist who fights injustice in the trenches, we can truly honor the spirit of Dr. King in addressing such a hallowed topic.

On October 30, Rumi Forum held a discussion of the Netflix show ‘Stateless’. ‘Stateless’, released on Netflix this summer, is a six-episode series based on a true story of an Australian citizen who was held in one of Australia’s immigrant detention centers. It follows the stories of several characters as they come into contact with Australia’s immigration system, including migrants who have fled violence and persecution in their home countries, employees of the center and Australia’s immigration agency, and advocates for immigrant rights. The experiences of the characters and their intertwining journeys are rife with lessons and opportunities for empathic consideration. We gathered via Zoom for a 75 min conversation about the content and salient themes of the show, and our takeaways from viewing it. Our discussion was centered on the ethical dilemmas faced by the different characters in their varying positions. This event was not intended to be a debate about immigration policy.

On October 25, the inaugural event of the new Interfaith Leadership Forum explored how to deepen interfaith work in religious communities, professional life, and our culture. Leaders from all segments of society, and those who want to become leaders, joined us for this virtual event. The ILF aims to promote pluralism by convening leaders of various religious, ethnic, racial, cultural, and gender backgrounds to exchange ideas and generate action-oriented agenda. It provides a venue where a diverse group of community leaders, scholars, clergy, and public officials can engage in in-depth discussions on shared values and explore ways to harness them for social action. ILF is open to all individuals who are interested in advancing their interfaith literacy and serving the community as interfaith mobilizers in their professional or individual capacities. Objectives: * To strengthen interfaith relationships, literacy, and leadership by: • Equipping one another with various models of dialogue with distinct ends. • Experiencing deeper levels of interfaith encounter and dialogue • Strengthening literacy about other’s faiths and about one’s own • Overcoming prejudices and misconceptions about other faiths • Elicit social action through interfaith engagement Topics and workshops for the event include: Stories of Interfaith Dialogue Tackling Prejudices Learning from Differences Engaging a Racialized America, and The Life Cycle of Dialogue Presenters at the Forum will include: Ibrahim A. Anli, Executive Director, The Rumi Forum Ann Delorey, Program Director, Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington Dr. Beverly Goines, Assistant Pastor, National City Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Washington, D.C.; Associate Director, Disciples Center for Public Witness; Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Theology & Religious Studies, Georgetown University Dr. Ori Soltes, Professor, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University Dr. Pim (Wilhelmus) Valkenberg, Ordinary Professor of Religion and Culture, The Catholic University of America Moderator: Dr. Larry Golemon, Executive Director, Washington Theological Consortium Special thanks to the following for their sponsorship of the event: The Rumi Forum The Washington Theological Consortium The Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington Washington, D.C. Mayor’s Office of Religious Affairs  

On October 15, Rumi Forum held a book talk, Thirty Days With King David, by pastor, educator and leadership coach Larry Buxton. King David ranks among the world’s greatest heroes for defeating Goliath and for preaching Psalms. He is honored by Jews, Christians and Muslims. In turbulent times, he united a nation—and his hard-earned wisdom can bring us together today. In this book, pastor, educator and leadership coach Larry Buxton shows us how David embodies 14 crucial values shared by effective leaders to this day. Buxton dedicates this book “to everyone who believes that the character of any leader is of critical importance to our nation, our institutions, our congregations and our homes; and to all those who seek to let God shape their character as more virtuous human beings, that their influence may spread to heal our world.”

On October 2nd, the International Day of Non-Violence, we would like to thank Rev. Canon Leonard Hamlin, Hardy Merriman, Rivera Sun, and Mary Elizabeth King for the excellent discussion on the current state and relevance of nonviolent action in the contemporary globe. Grievance and deprivation, perceived or real, tempt groups into violent behavior. Rapid change, social upheaval, and uncertainty make violent expressions of social discontent even more likely. It is in those moments that we are called to demonstrate a heightened sense of restraint and sound judgment. It is in those moments that nonviolence presents as a timely and timeless concept for contemporary societies. And yet, while few would disagree about the virtue of nonviolence, a similarly firm belief and understanding about its power, strategy, and discipline is much harder to locate. The M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence and Rumi Forum, proudly inspired by two masters of nonviolent action, are co-hosting this event on Gandhi’s birthday, the International Day of Nonviolence. The program features a panel from scholarly as well as practitioner backgrounds. Our speakers will guide an exploration of the current state of nonviolent action around the globe, its growing relevance amid social unrest, and efforts to make it an inherent element of individual and collective behavior. Moderator: The Rev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin, Sr.  Canon Missioner, Washington National Cathedral The Rev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin, Sr. began his tenure at the Washington National Cathedral in April 2018. In his role as Canon Missioner, Dr. Hamlin oversees the Cathedral’s outreach and social justice initiatives, including gun violence prevention and racial justice and reconciliation. In particular, Dr. Hamlin assists in the building of partnerships and the equipping of the Cathedral community and the congregation to serve as the hands and feet of Christ in the world. Prior to his arrival at the Cathedral, Dr. Hamlin served as the Pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church in Arlington, Va. for 22 years. Under his leadership, the congregation was strengthened numerically and spiritually while numerous ministries, discipleship classes and mission efforts were organized to meet the needs of the congregation and the community locally, regionally and nationally. Dr. Hamlin received his Bachelor of Business Administration Degree (1983) from the Howard University School of Business, Master of Divinity Degree (1994), and a Doctor of Ministry Degree from the Howard University School of Divinity (1996). He has served and been appointed to numerous community, faith based and governmental boards, commissions, agencies. Dr. Hamlin is married to Machell Nicholson Hamlin, Esquire, assistant vice president of staff counsel for the GEICO Corporation, and they are the proud parents of one son, Leonard L. Hamlin, Jr. Speakers Hardy Merriman  President and CEO, International Center on Nonviolent Conflict He has worked in the field of civil resistance for over 18 years, presenting at workshops for activists and organizers around the world; speaking widely about civil resistance movements with scholars, journalists, and members of international organizations; and developing resources for practitioners and scholars.  His writings have been translated into numerous languages. From 2016-2018 he was also an adjunct lecturer at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts University). Title of presentation: “Civil Resistance: Powerful, Underrecognized, and Crucial in this Moment”   Dr. Mary Elizabeth King  Director, James Lawson Institute Mary Elizabeth King is a political scientist and author of acclaimed books on civil resistance, most recently “Gandhian Nonviolent Struggle and Untouchability in South India: The 1924–25 Vykom Satyagraha and the Mechanisms of Change.” She is professor of peace and conflict studies at the UN-affiliated University for Peace; Distinguished Rothermere American Institute Fellow at the University of Oxford, Britain; and director of the James Lawson Institute. Her academic specialty in the study of nonviolent action dates to four years working in Atlanta and Mississippi for the 1960s U.S. civil rights movement on staff of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC. There she learned the basics of nonviolent struggle from the Reverend James M. Lawson in this profound experience that would define her life. Her website is maryking.info. Title of presentation: “Rediscovering How Gandhi Put Nonviolent Methods on the World Political Map” Rivera Sun  Editor, Nonviolence News Author/Activist Rivera Sun is the editor of Nonviolence News and a nationwide trainer in strategy for nonviolent change. She has written numerous books and novels, including The Dandelion Insurrection and The Way Between.  She serves on the Advisory Boards of World Beyond War and Backbone Campaign.  Her writings on nonviolence as syndicated by Peace Voice and have appeared in over 100 journals. www.riverasun.com. Title of presentation: “Challenges – And Possibilities – Of Teaching Nonviolence As A Way Of Making Change”  

On September 9, our speakers Katherine Marshall, Kim R. Ford, Jerome Tennille, our moderator Stephen Moseley, and our partner UNA-NCA had a great discussion about how community solidarity has displayed itself in ways that we haven’t seen before to eradicate poverty in the age of pandemic. At a time when everyone around the world is grappling with unprecedented changes and challenges in their lives, one of the most fundamental values that continues to make positive changes in our lives is generosity. The inevitable quality of giving continues bringing individuals of all backgrounds regardless of their languages, ethnicities, races, faiths, opinions together across the globe. We have witnessed various shades of generosity as they are implemented as a means of standing together in unity. Whether that's through educating ourselves on social issues, raising awareness about humanitarian causes, supporting communities through monetary contributions or reaching out to a neighbor next door or across the continents, every act of goodwill has touched people’s lives. In this time of uncertainty, there's a fundamental truth that gives us hope - that together we can do extraordinary things. Together! In 2012, September 5th was designated the “International Day of Charity” by the UN General Assembly to commemorate the anniversary of the passing away of Mother Teresa, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 "for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace." In this spirit, on September 9th, Rumi Forum and UNA-NCA would like to invite you to a virtual panel highlighting how individual and/or collective initiatives keep us connected. Speakers: Katherine Marshall, Executive Director, World Faiths Development Dialogue Katherine Marshall is a senior fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, where she leads the center's work on religion and global development, and a professor of the practice of development, conflict, and religion in the Walsh School of Foreign Service. She helped to create and now serves as the executive director of the World Faiths Development Dialogue. Marshall, who worked at the World Bank from 1971 to 2006, has nearly five decades of experience on a wide range of development issues in Africa, Latin America, East Asia, and the Middle East, particularly those facing the world’s poorest countries. She led the World Bank’s faith and ethics initiative between 2000 and 2006. Marshall is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and was previously a trustee of Princeton University. Marshall has a B.A. from Wellesley College, an M.A. from Princeton University, an MPA from Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Cambodia. Jerome Tennille, Manager, Marriott International Jerome Tennille is the Manager of Social Impact & Volunteerism for Marriott International. Jerome is also an independent consultant and advisor in the subject matter of Sustainability and Social Impact. Prior to that Jerome held the position of Senior Manager of Impact Analysis and Assessment for Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), a national organization that offers help, hope, and healing to all those grieving the death of a loved one serving in America’s armed forces. Jerome also served on the board of directors of Peace Through Action USA for four years and also serves on the PsychArmor Institute Advisory Committee for the School of Volunteers & Nonprofits. Jerome holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in operations management and a Master of Sustainability Leadership (MSL) from Arizona State University. Jerome is designated as Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA) and is also a veteran of the US Navy. Kim R. Ford, President and CEO, Martha's Table Kim R. Ford serves as President and CEO of Martha’s Table. Ford previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education. Previously, Ford served as the Dean of Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning at the University of the District of Columbia Community College (UDC-CC). Prior to joining UDC-CC, Ford served in the Obama Administration’s Recovery Implementation Office. She directed working relationships between the Office of the Vice President and eight federal agencies on Recovery Act programs. Ford holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business from Vanderbilt University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania.

On September, 24 moderators, Joel O. Rainey, and speaker, Jason Criss Hawk, speaker, engaged in an authentic exchange on “A Baptist Army Veteran’s Journey with Islam”. Our next Coffee Night speaker program featured podcast host, award-winning author, and university lecturer Jason Howk. An army veteran of Baptist confession, Howk shared with us his stimulating story that connected his first career as a military officer to a second and no less interesting one as an interfaith speaker and lecturer on Islam. “...Howk believes in a different approach to interfaith work. Typically, a Christian explains Christianity, a Jew explains Judaism, a Muslim explains Islam and so on. He’s flipped that formula on its head – and it’s worked.” Stephen Lanzi, Auburn Magazine.   Moderator:   Joel O. Rainey, Ph.D. Joel O. Rainey  is currently Lead Pastor at Covenant Church in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. He is a sought-after speaker, and in addition to his pastoral duties, serves on the adjunct faculty of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina. Dr. Rainey has been involved in planting more than 100 new churches in North America, has trained pastors and church planters nationally, and internationally, and has intercultural experience on five continents.   In addition to the following books, The Story: God's Grand Narrative; Our Great Hope (CreateSpace, 2017),  Speaking from a Firm Foundation (CreateSpace, 2013), Planting Churches in the Real World (Missional Press, 2012), Side-Stepping Landmines: Five Principles for Pastor Search Teams (CreateSpace, 2012), he was also a contributing author to the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Broadman & Holman, 2003), and has written numerous articles for publication related to the church and its global mission. His writing has appeared in the Great Commission Research Journal, SBC Voices, The Gospel Coalition, Evangelical Missions Quarterly, churchleaders.com, The Christian Post, and the Washington Post, and he has represented the evangelical perspective to news outlets such as Al Jazeera America, and the Baltimore Sun.     Speaker: Jason Criss Howk, Retired U.S. Army Foreign Area Officer Jason spent over twenty years focused on the Broader Middle East and Islam in the Department of Defense. He is currently the host of “We’re Just Talking About It,” a podcast that explains Islam to non-Muslims in plain English. For over 5 years he has led religious dialogue discussions about Islam across the United States to dispel myths and stereotypes about Muslim cultures. He is the award winning author of The Qur’an: A Modern-English Chronological Interpretation and numerous other works. Jason is an Islamic studies professor at the USAF Special Operations School. For over 29 years he has conducted defense, diplomacy, education, and intelligence missions globally. Jason holds a MA in Middle East and South Asia Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School. Jason studied Dari (Afghan Farsi) and Arabic at the Defense LanguageInstitute and is a Malone Fellow in Arab and Islamic Studies. Jason was a term-member in the Council on Foreign Relations and is sought by various journalists for his insights. For his work on Afghanistan over a 12 year period Major Howk was awarded two Bronze Star Medals and the Legion of Merit from the U.S. Department of Defense. For his direct work with Afghan officials he was awarded the Afghanistan Governmental Success Medal from the President of Afghanistan.

On August 22 as we mark the second International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief Sabrina Dent, Richard T. Foltin, Kristen Lavery, and The Rev. William H. Lamar IV shared their insights on religious freedom. Freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is the protection of the conscience and the free exercise of people’s understanding of the ultimate truth. It is not only a fundamental right but also an individual, institutional, private and public right as well. As enshrined in the First Amendment, the Articles 18,19, and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights also protect the rights to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to peaceful assembly and association. However, not every region is always a stronghold of allowing people to live by their core values and beliefs. The rate of ill-treatment against religious institutions, people, objects, or events is increasing significantly. On August 22, 2019, UN General Assembly recognized this by adopting a resolution declaring “International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief”. Upholding these rights and responding to the alarming increase in persecutions of religious people and communities around the world, we believe within the scope of open, constructive, and respectful exchanges at various platforms across local, national, and international levels will be invaluable assets in confronting these ongoing acts of intolerance. To that end, Rumi Forum has invited distinguished speakers to address various dimensions of the topic. On August 20th, our moderator Sabrina Dent and speakers Richard T. Foltin, Kirsten Lavery, and Rev. William H. Lamar IV, will share their insights on highlight mechanisms to prevent unfair treatments towards individuals, communities, and minorities. Moderator: Sabrina Dent, Senior Faith Adviser, Americans United for Separation of Church and State Sabrina is a life-long advocate for human rights and social justice. Throughout her career, she has worked with vulnerable populations including women and children impacted by domestic violence and abuse, youth with mental health and behavioral challenges, and racial and religious minorities. However, she developed a passion as a religious freedom advocate in 2015 when she became a Fellow with the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Freedom. Before joining the AU team, Sabrina worked as director of recruitment and admissions at the Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum. Prior to her time at the Religious Freedom Center, Sabrina served as program coordinator for the Doctor of Ministry Program at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University (STVU). Sabrina is the past president of the Interfaith Community of Greater Richmond. Sabrina earned her master of divinity degree and doctor of ministry degree from STVU. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech. Speakers: Richard T. Foltin, Fellow, Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum Richard T. Foltin is a fellow at the Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum. He served in a number of positions at the American Jewish Committee, most recently as director of national and legislative affairs in the AJC’s Office of Government and International Affairs in Washington, D.C., from 2009 to 2018. Prior to coming to AJC, he was an associate with the litigation department of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, a New York law firm. Mr. Foltin serves on the governing council of the American Bar Association’s Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice and as co-chair of the section’s Religious Freedom Committee; he previously served as chair and co-chair of the section’s First Amendment Rights Committee. Mr. Foltin is a member of the Committee on Religious Liberty, founded by the National Council of Churches and today convened by the Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum. Mr. Foltin received his B.A. in Political Science from New York University and his J.D. from Harvard Law School. He is a member of the bars of New York State, Washington DC, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Kirsten Lavery, Supervisory Policy Analyst, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Kirsten Lavery is Supervisory Policy Analyst and Team Lead for International Law, Africa, and Latin America for the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Prior to joining USCIRF, Ms. Lavery worked at the Public International Law & Policy Group and provided legal and policy assistance to civil society representatives in conflict and post-conflict states. Her work focused on transitional justice and human rights documentation, as well as legal and policy reforms to advance human rights protections. Ms. Lavery has also worked on a range of international legal issues at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the UN Office of Legal Affairs, the UN Office of Human Resources Management, and the International Narcotics Control Board. Ms. Lavery previously practiced law in the New York office of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, where she focused on international criminal investigations. Through her pro bono practice and prior clinic work, she has experience representing clients in immigration proceedings, including in asylum cases based on religious persecution. She holds a B.A. in Government and Spanish from Franklin & Marshall College and a J.D. with a specialization in International & Comparative Law from Tulane University Law School. Rev. William H. Lamar IV, Pastor, Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church The Rev. William H. Lamar IV is pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. He previously served Turner Memorial AME Church in Maryland and three churches in Florida: Monticello, Orlando and Jacksonville. He is a former managing director at Leadership Education at Duke Divinity. While he continues to advocate for his community of Washington, D.C., you can find Rev. Lamar fueling his faith by proudly supporting the Poor People’s Campaign, the Washington Interfaith Network or every Sunday at pulpit of AME Church. Lamar is a graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and Duke Divinity School. He is the co-host of "Can These Bones," the Faith & Leadership podcast.

On Thursday, August 6, with her mesmerizing storytelling narrative, Sarah Snyder was with us. She presented an illuminating and vivid depiction of her journey, which started at a retreat center in Scotland, followed by a succession of unforgettable memories. Her presentation of the humorous memoir Plant Trees, Carry Sheep: A Woman’s Spiritual Journey Among the Sufis of Scotland included the following segments. When Sarah Snyder left her home in Montana to volunteer to plant trees at a private estate in Scotland, she expected a pleasurable six-month break from her humdrum life. When she arrived, however, she learned she would also be caring for a menagerie of poultry, doing rigorous household chores, and shepherding a flock of truant sheep. Her experience turned out to be a soul-forging adventure that changed her entire relationship with life—and with God—forever. Six months turned into two years and resulted in her memoir Plant Trees, Carry Sheep: A Woman’s Spiritual Journey Among the Sufis of Scotland. With self-deprecating humor, the memoir chronicles her time at the spiritual retreat, where people from all over the world came to study Ibn Arabi and Rumi. Among the backdrop of relentless cold and rain, unruly livestock and never-ending chores, she navigates peculiar rituals, the challenges of communal living, and spiritual teachings that, at first, appeared at odds with her own Christian upbringing. Here, Sarah’s exposure to Islam helped her better understand the religion and see God, as well as herself, in a different light. Sarah discussed the retreat, told a few stories, and answered questions.

On Tuesday, July 7, Sabeeha Rehman and Walter Ruby shared the wonderful story of their upcoming book, “We Refuse to be Enemies”, about how the paths of a Muslim woman and a Jewish man crossed and led to a joint endeavor for a meaningful purpose. Sabeeha Rehman and Walter Ruby, a Muslim-American woman of Pakistani origin and a Jewish-American man who spent his formative years in Israel, will share their story of how they connected and embarked on a mission to bring their respective communities together in their common homeland, America. Growing up in Pakistan, Sabeeha never met a Jew, her view colored by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In his youth, Walter never met a Muslim, his opinion shaped by Leon Uris's Exodus. What changed their perceptions? How did they fare in nurturing Muslim-Jewish communication and cooperation? Sabeeha and Walter will share their experiences of facing pushback from their communities, overcoming obstacles and bringing together Muslims and Jews to explore unexpected commonalities between their faiths; to work together to help people in need and stand together against bigotry. Finally, they will offer their vision for reconciliation. Sabeeha and Walter have co-authored a book, We Refuse to be Enemies. How Muslims and Jews can make Peace, One Friendship at a Time, due for publication in Spring 2021. It is their hope that this book will inspire people of all faiths and ethnicities to reach out to each other and heal our nation. Speakers of the Event SABEEHA REHMAN is the author of the 2016 memoir, “Threading My Prayer Rug. One Woman’s Journey from Pakistani Muslim to American Muslim,”  Short-Listed for the 2018 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, the book also received several other nominations and awards. She is also an op-ed contributor to the Wall Street Journal and New York Daily News. In the early 1980s, concerned about raising her sons as Muslims in the absence of a Muslim community, she set to work, and her commitment culminated in the building of a mosque on Staten Island where her family lived. Sabeeha, who holds a Masters in Healthcare Administration, served as a hospital executive for 25 years.  Thereafter, responding to her grandson’s autism diagnosis, she co-founded the NY Chapter of the National Autism Association and served as its President from 2008-11. As a public speaker, she has spent several decades engaging in interfaith dialogue and now serves as a board member of the Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee as well as the NY Chapter of the National Autism Association. She blogs on topics related to American Muslim experience at www.sabeeharehman.com/blog. She lives in New York City with her husband Khalid, a retired Hematologist/Oncologist. WALTER RUBY is a veteran activist in Muslim-Jewish relations. From 2008-2017, in the position of Muslim-Jewish Relations Director at the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, he organized hundreds of twinning events; bringing together thousands of Jews and Muslims in over 30 countries on five continents, including members of mosques and synagogues and Muslim and Jewish organizations. Ruby presently serves as executive director of Jews, Muslims and Allies Acting Together (JAMAAT), a grassroots community of Muslim, Jewish and Interfaith activists in Greater Washington; and as Coordinator of the Washington Area Chapter of Project Rozana, which works to strengthen ties between Israelis and Palestinians through health care. Ruby is currently co-authoring a book with Muslim-American author Sabeeha Rehman entitled We Refuse To Be Enemies: How Muslims and Jews Can Make Peace, One Friendship at a Time. Ruby has worked as a reporter and commentator for more than 40 years, mainly for American Jewish and Israeli publications. His articles and op-eds have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, USA Today and other media. Walter lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife Tatayna.

On Tuesday, May 12, Rumi Forum hosted Dr. Yehuda Stolov, the executive director of the Interfaith Encounter Association (IEA), for a discussion about IEA’s outstanding story of building interfaith bridges in Israel and Palestine. He highlighted an inter-communal model where ongoing groups of interfaith encounters prevail the opportunity to meet the ‘other’. Based in Jerusalem, IEA plants seeds of the desired long-lasting friendships coupled with respect for the unique identity of each. The IEA invites people from different traditional and cultural backgrounds and faiths to join its groups. Within the groups, participants have meaningful encounters which bring them closer to each other. Prejudice, hostility, and suspicion are transformed into a direct acquaintance, mutual respect and friendship. IEA groups are both a model for inter-communal relations of appreciation and care, and vehicles to promote them. About the Speaker Yehuda Stolov is the executive director of the Interfaith Encounter Association (www.interfaith-encounter.org), an organization that works since 2001 to build peaceful inter-communal relations in the Holy Land by fostering mutual respect and trust between people and communities through active interfaith dialogue. Dr. Stolov has lectured on the role of religious dialogue in peace-building throughout the world, including Jordan, India, Indonesia, Turkey, South Korea, North America and Europe. He also published many papers on related issues. In 2006, he was awarded the Immortal Chaplains Foundation Prize for Humanity, which honors those who "risked all to protect others of a different faith or ethnic origin"; and in 2015 he was awarded the IIE Victor J. Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East. Among other activities, Dr. Stolov was a member of the International Council of the International Association for Religious Freedom and a member of the steering committee for the United Nations Decade of Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace. He holds a B.Sc. and a M.Sc. in Physics and a Ph.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is married and father of three children, living in Jerusalem.

On Thursday, May 7, Rumi Forum participated in the National Day of Prayer with its third prayer event. A diverse group of leaders and clergy participated in the exceptional hour of healing words, blessings, and prayers.

On Sunday, May 3, Rumi Forum participated in the Day of Unity coordinated by Inter with its special event, “Healing with Rumi”. Three leading scholars walked us through the legacy of Rumi with a particular focus on healing during difficult times. Rumi; the great jurist, mystic, poet, and scholar was a pioneer of reconciliation and healing during the time he lived, and continues to inspire hearts and minds to this day. Rumi Forum is proud to announce its special Day of Unity event “Healing with Rumi” where we will reflect on and celebrate this legacy. Please join us for a stimulating journey into Rumi’s universe with three renowned speakers. This webinar is a great opportunity for those interested in religion, mysticism, and poetry to rediscover the healing potential of Rumi’s great example in challenging times.  The Day of Unity (DOU) is an annual, coordinated day of interfaith local, grassroots action and community building around the DC metro area. This year’s Day of Unity will be held virtually due to the COVID-19 emergency.   Speakers of the Event Sara Towe Horsfall, Retired Professor of Sociology, Texas Wesleyan University Before joining the academia, she has worked as a foreign correspondent and international journalist in India, Greece and England for the New York City Tribune and the Middle East Times. This gave her unique insight into social problems and their solutions around the world. She taught Sociology at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, Texas for 15 years, before retiring in 2013. She is co-editor of Chaos, Complexity, and Sociology and Music Sociology books and author of A Neighborhood Portrait and Social Problems books. She worked as a music teacher while completing her Ph.D. in Texas, and is currently a member of the Baltimore Classical Guitar Orchestra. She also teaches part-time at Frederick Community College in Frederick, MD and is the organizer of monthly Rumi Poetry Reading and Sharing group around Baltimore region.  Zeki Saritoprak, Ph.D, is Professor and the Bediüzzaman Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies at John Carroll University. He holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Theology from the University of Marmara in Turkey. Professor Saritoprak is the author of Islam’s Jesus (University Press of Florida, 2014) and over thirty academic articles and encyclopedia entries on topics in Islam. He has served as guest editor for issues of the journals Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations and the Muslim World. He is editor and co-translator of Fundamentals of Rumi’s Thought: A Mevlevi Sufi Perspective (in English; New Jersey: The Light, 2004) and the editor of a critical edition of al-Sarakhsi’s Sifat Ashrat al-Sa’a (in Arabic; Cairo, 1993). His He is currently preparing a book on Islamic spirituality tentatively titled Islamic Spirituality: Theology and Practice for the Modern World. Ori Z. Soltes teaches at Georgetown University across a range of disciplines, from art history and theology to philosophy and political history. He is the former Director of the B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum, and has curated more than 85 exhibitions there and in other venues across the country and overseas. He has authored or edited 21 books and scores of articles and essays. Some of his recent books include Our Sacred Signs: How Jewish, Christian and Muslim Art Draw from the Same Source; Searching for Oneness: Mysticism in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; Untangling the Web: Why the Middle East is a Mess and Always Has Been; and Embracing the World: Fetullah Gulen's Thought and Its Relationship to Jelaluddin Rumi and Others.

On Thursday, April 23, Rumi Forum in collaboration with Atlantic Institue hosted Dr. John L. Esposito from Georgetown University, who gave a great talk about pluralism in the US, recent trends in the social landscape, and the particular impact of COVID19. This marked the sixth Virtual Coffee Night Series. Needless to say, coffee has had a significant place in our lives for ages. We often say “Let’s have a cup of coffee” to imply “Let’s have a conversation”. That being said, we believe that nothing beats a nice relaxed conversation and invite you both to relieve ourselves over a cup of coffee and to stimulate our minds with various light-hearted talks. Prominent speakers from a variety of backgrounds have been and will be part of this series and all together we will have enriched conversations. About the Speaker Dr. John L. Esposito is University Professor, Professor of Religion and International Affairs and Founding Director of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and The Bridge Initiative: Protecting Pluralism – Ending Islamophobia at Georgetown University. In 2019, he was S. Rajaratnam Professor of Strategic Studies, Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore. Past President of the American Academy of Religion and Middle East Studies Association, his more than 55 books include: Islam and Democracy after the Arab Spring, What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam, Shariah, What Everyone Needs to Know, The Future of Islam, Who Speaks for Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think, Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam, The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality?, Islamophobia and the Challenge of Pluralism in the 21st Century. Esposito’s writings are translated into more than 45 languages. Esposito has served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of State and other agencies, European and Asian governments, corporations, universities, and media worldwide and has been a member of the World Economic Forum’s Council of 100 Leaders and the E. C. European Network of Experts on De-Radicalisation

On Wednesday, April 22, Rumi Forum in collaboration with the American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA) and Institute of Islamic and Turkish Studies (IIST) brought leaders from various faiths to offer blessings and prayers to ask for the deliverance of humanity from troubles during these testing times.

On Monday, April 20, Rumi Forum hosted Petra Alsoofy, Outreach & Partnerships Manager at Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) for the fifth Virtual Coffee Night speaker series. Petra Alsoofy gave an illuminating data-based presentation about Muslim women the US in a variety of dimensions; including family, education, wellness, and institutional capacity. Needless to say, coffee has had a significant place in our lives for ages. We often say “Let’s have a cup of coffee” to imply “Let’s have a conversation”. That being said, we believe that nothing beats a nice relaxed conversation and invite you both to relieve ourselves over a cup of coffee and to stimulate our minds with various light-hearted talks. Prominent speakers from a variety of backgrounds have been and will be part of this series and all together we will have enriched conversations. About the Speaker: Petra Alsoofy is the Outreach & Partnerships Manager at ISPU, where she strengthens our valued partnerships and forges new ones with organizations who share our goal of empowering American Muslims. She joins ISPU after serving more than four years as an educator at the Arab American National Museum, where she worked with educators, students, and professionals. In her role at the museum, Petra educated visitors about the history and the contributions of Arab Americans as well as stereotypes and challenges they face. She also serves as a board member on the Michigan Council for History Education. Petra is a graduate of Grand Valley State University where she earned a BA in political science.

On Friday, April 17, Dr. Craig Considine from Rice University was with us to talk about the humanity of Muhammad from a Christian view with an emphasis on the Identification with All Humanity (IWAH) as a moral concept. It was the fourth Virtual Coffee Night speaker series. Needless to say, coffee has had a significant place in our lives for ages. We often say “Let’s have a cup of coffee” to imply “Let’s have a conversation”. That being said, we believe that nothing beats a nice relaxed conversation and invite you both to relieve ourselves over a cup of coffee and to stimulate our minds with various light-hearted talks. Prominent speakers from a variety of backgrounds have been and will be part of this series and all together we will have enriched conversations. About the Speaker Dr. Craig Considine is a scholar, professor, global speaker, media contributor, & public intellectual based at the Department of Sociology at Rice University. He is the author of many books & articles. Dr. Considine's opinions have been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, BBC, CBS News, Fox News, MSNBC, Newsweek, & Al Jazeera. He has been invited to speak at some of the leading international organizations & universities in the world. Dr. Considine is visible on social media. He holds a PhD from Trinity College (University of Dublin), MSc from Royal Holloway (University of London), & BA from American University in Washington, DC. Dr. Considine is a U.S. Catholic of Irish and Italian descent.

On Wednesday, Aril 15, for the third Virtual Coffee Night speaker series, Melissa Rogers, a leading expert and scholar on religion in American public life, gave a fascinating talk on how the First Amendment encompasses common ground, and for sharing insights on controversies about religion in public life. Needless to say, coffee has had a significant place in our lives for ages. We often say “Let’s have a cup of coffee” to imply “Let’s have a conversation”. That being said, we believe that nothing beats a nice relaxed conversation and invite you both to relieve ourselves over a cup of coffee and to stimulate our minds with various light-hearted talks. Prominent speakers from a variety of backgrounds have been and will be part of this series and all together we will have enriched conversations. About the Speaker: Melissa Rogers is a nationally known expert on religion in American public life. Her areas of expertise include the United States Constitution’s religious liberty guarantees and the interplay of religion, law, policy, and politics. Rogers currently serves as Visiting Professor at Wake Forest University School of Divinity and as a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Rogers previously served as Special Assistant to President Barack Obama and Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships (2013-2017), Chair of President Obama’s inaugural Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships (2009-2010), Director of the Center for Religion and Public Affairs at the Wake Forest University School of Divinity (2003 – 2013), Executive Director of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life (2000 – 2003), and Associate Counsel/General Counsel of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (1994 – 2000). Rogers is author of Faith in American Public Life (2019) and co-author of Religious Freedom and the Supreme Court (2008). She has received an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from both Wake Forest University and the John Leland Center for Theological Studies. Rogers holds a J.D. from University of Pennsylvania Law School and a B.A. from Baylor University. In 2017, President Barack Obama appointed Rogers to serve as a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. Baylor University awarded her its Pro Texana Medal of Service and the First Freedom Center gave Rogers its Virginia First Freedom Award. National Journal has recognized Rogers as one of the church-state experts “politicians will call on when they get serious about addressing an important public policy issue.”

On Monday, April 13, Rumi Forum featured Baxter Oliphant from Pew Research Center to talk about up to date Pew Research findings of how American public opinion responds to COVID-19 news in the media for the second Virtual Coffee Night speaker series. Needless to say, coffee has had a significant place in our lives for ages. We often say “Let’s have a cup of coffee” to imply “Let’s have a conversation”. That being said, we believe that nothing beats a nice relaxed conversation and invite you both to relieve ourselves over a cup of coffee and to stimulate our minds with various light-hearted talks. Prominent speakers from a variety of backgrounds have been and will be part of this series and all together we will have enriched conversations. About the Speaker: Baxter Oliphant is a senior researcher at Pew Research Center, where he focuses on U.S. politics and policy research including partisan polarization, trust in government, gun policy and U.S. foreign policy. He received doctoral and master’s degrees in politics from Princeton University and holds a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University. His dissertation explored the impact of moments on U.S. presidential elections. Before graduate school, he worked in political polling for campaigns and industry groups. Oliphant is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research and the American Political Science Association.

On Friday, Aril 10, Rumi Forum launched the first Virtual Coffee Night speaker series. Dr. Peter Cohen talked about ways to project empathy and compassion during these testing times. Needless to say, coffee has had a significant place in our lives for ages. We often say “Let’s have a cup of coffee” to imply “Let’s have a conversation”. That being said, we believe that nothing beats a nice relaxed conversation and invite you both to relieve ourselves over a cup of coffee and to stimulate our minds with various light-hearted talks. Prominent speakers from a variety of backgrounds have been and will be part of this series and all together we will have enriched conversations. SPEAKER: Dr. Peter Cohen received his Ph.D. from Florida State University in Humanities and Religion, his M.A. from Florida State University in Biblical Studies and his B.A. in Religion and Philosophy from Springfield College. His dissertation was entitled "A Motif Index of the Angel of Death in Early Rabbinic Literature." Dr. Cohen came to Clemson in 1995 after teaching at Appalachian State University, Florida State University, Florida A&M University and Tallahassee Community College. His teaching interests revolve around looking at the common traits shared by the religious traditions of the world, rather than looking for their differences. Dr. Cohen can often be found teaching adult education in area churches on Sunday mornings or as an instructor in the University's Osher Life Long Learning Institute for retired people from the community. Presently, he is teaching the general education courses in Religion for the department.

On Tuesday, February 4, 2020, Rumi Forum and its’ key partners, George Washington University Interfaith Council, United Nations Association-National Capital Area, and Twelve Gates Foundation, celebrated the UN World Interfaith Harmony Week with a panel discussion about “Living Harmoniously in an Interfaith World: A Muslim Contribution”.   A world of interfaith harmony will not be achieved by religious organizations agreeing on theology. Each faith tradition has its own unique teachings and traditions, and each individual is unique in their own personal understanding of the truth. A durable peace among the diverse peoples of the world will be achieved when individuals become mature in their faith and learn to embrace those from other traditions as fellows of the human family.   The purpose of this program, then, was to raise awareness of the theological and spiritual resources that empower a life of faith in harmony with a world of diverse beliefs and practices and to encourage the development and dissemination of these resources within each faith tradition as a way to elevate the minds, hearts, and actions of people everywhere. In this program, we invited a Muslim scholar, Dr. Y. Alp Aslandogan, to present the basis for his faith`s contribution to the creation of a peaceful world of interfaith harmony.   Speaker: Dr. Y. Alp Aslandogan is the Executive Director of the Alliance for Shared Values. Prior to his current position, Dr. Aslandogan served as the board president of the Institute of Interfaith Dialog in Houston, Texas. In that role, he oversaw the organization of academic as well as grassroots activities of the Institute around topics such as shared values of humanity, social cognition and conflicts, the art of living together, foundations and methodology of interfaith and intercultural dialogue, and the role of faithful citizens in a democracy. He recently co-authored a book entitled “The Messenger: Prophet Muhammad and His Life of Compassion” and co-edited a book entitled “Muslim Citizens of the Globalized World”.   Dr. Aslandogan is an author and an editor of the Fountain magazine, and a board member of the Journal of Interreligious Dialogue. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago and served as a faculty member at the University of Texas at Arlington, and Prairie View A&M University.        

On Monday, November 18, Rumi Forum presented a comparative reading on the prominent 13th-century Sufi mystic Jelalludin Rumi and renowned 18th-century Swedish scientist, philosopher, and theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. With Ori Z. Soltes from Georgetown University and Richard Tafel from the Church of the Holy City as speakers, we will discuss personal philosophy, legacy, and impact of these two prominent luminaries. It was a captivating exchange between Rev. Tafel and Dr. Soltes as they presented how similar two prominent mystics were in such a variety of dimensions. Ori Z. Soltes teaches at Georgetown University across a range of disciplines, from art history and theology to philosophy and political history. He is the former Director of the B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum, and has curated more than 85 exhibitions there and in other venues across the country and overseas. He has authored or edited 21 books and scores of articles and essays. Some of his recent books include Our Sacred Signs: How Jewish, Christian and Muslim Art Draw from the Same Source; Searching for Oneness: Mysticism in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; Untangling the Web: Why the Middle East is a Mess and Always Has Been; and Embracing the World: Fetullah Gulen’s Thought and Its Relationship to Jelaluddin Rumi and Others. Rev. Richard Tafel is the pastor of Church of the Holy City where he working to create a spiritual entrepreneur incubator. Rich also serves as the Director of Marcum Social Capital Advisors helping social ventures with strategy and investment opportunities. He leads a democracy project at Pepperdine School of Public Policy called the American Project. He is the co-host of two podcasts: Democracy in America and Catalyst for Change. He serves on the governing board of the National Council of Churches where is the co-facilitator of the annual Christian Muslim Dialogue. He’s a graduate of Harvard Divinity School.

A Fresh Perspective on Religious Freedom from One of the Nation’s Top Attorneys. On Wednesday, November 14, Rumi Forum had the honor to host Luke Goodrich of Becket Law for a talk about his latest book, Free to Believe. Goodrich discussed why religious freedom is important and how it can be defended in contemporary America. Many Americans feel like their religious freedoms are under attack and their beliefs will soon be punished as a form of bigotry. Others say these fears are overblown and Christians should stop complaining about imaginary persecution. In Free to Believe, leading religious freedom attorney Luke Goodrich challenges both sides of this debate, offering surprising insights on the most controversial religious freedom conflicts today—including gay rights, abortion rights, Islam, and the public square. Goodrich shows that threats to religious freedom are real—but they might not be what you think. As a lawyer at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Goodrich has won several historic Supreme Court victories for clients like the Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby. Combining frontline experience with faithful attention to Scripture, Goodrich offers a groundbreaking book—full of clear insight, practical wisdom, and refreshing hope for all people of faith.

On October 7, 2019, Rumi Forum hosted author Dr. Jon Pahl for a book talk and discussion on his recent biography of Rumi Forum's Honorary President Fethullah Gulen. The event was moderated by Ori Z. Soltes from Georgetown University. In this first critical biography of Fethullah Gülen in English, historian Dr. Jon Pahl took us on a journey where we discovered wisdom and controversy, from 1940's Turkey to the U.S. in the twenty-first century. Dr. Pahl told the story of a pious Muslim boy from a tiny and remote Turkish village who on the one hand has inspired a global movement of millions of individuals dedicated to literacy, social enterprise, and interreligious dialogue, but who on the other hand has been monitored by Turkish police, seen as a threat by autocrats, and recently declared number one enemy by the current Turkish government. With lively prose and extensive research, Dr. Pahl traces Fethullah Gülen's life and thought in its contexts, states clearly his own positions, and then lets readers draw their own conclusions from the evidence about this undeniably significant historical figure. In his book, Dr. Pahl weaves this fascinating life into a narrative marked by five key elements, patterns, or relationships in Gülen’s life: integrity of participation in the nonviolent practices of Islam; principled pluralism—manifest in a commitment to dialogue; engaged empathy—deep feeling for the suffering of the world, and willingness to engage on behalf of alleviating that suffering; a commitment to spiritual and scientific literacy; and an organizational model of social enterprise.   Dr. Pahl, a strong believer of religions as catalysts for peace, crafts through the story of Gülen and the Hizmet Movement an introduction to Islam for non-Muslim readers, for the questions he brings to Gülen’s life story are also the questions others bring to Islam more broadly.  

On May 1, 2019, Rumi Forum held an event about the diversity of the Muslim American community and their various situations. Muslims make up about 1% of the American public, but there are also many Americans who have a connection to Islam but do not personally identify as Muslim. This presentation discussed which Americans are most likely to personally know someone who is Muslim, intermarried couples, people who were raised Muslim but no longer identify, and people who identify as Muslim but say religion is not very important to them. How common are there situations? Are these patterns more common among some demographic groups than others? Speaker: Besheer Mohamed is a Senior Researcher at Pew Research Center. He is an expert on the views, demographic profile and size of U.S. Muslim communities. He also has extensive experience with computational science, as well as developing best practices for quantitative data collection on small populations. Mohamed has appeared in numerous media outlets and regularly briefs policymakers, academics and other important stakeholders. He has also published in traditional academic publications through Oxford University Press and NYU Press, along with the American Sociological Association’s magazine, Contexts. He received his doctorate in sociology and master’s degree in Middle East Studies from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from Cornell University. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DufX3VKOtS0&t=4s

On April 1st, Rumi Forum organized a book event for Anwar Alam's new book titled For the Sake of Allah at Ezher Mosque. Speaker/Author: Anwar Alam, PhD, is Senior Fellow with Policy Perspectives Foundation, New Delhi. Earlier he served as Professor of International Relations at Zirve University, Gaziantep, Turkey, and Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi; Director of Centre for West Asian Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, and Associate Professor at School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is a recipient of the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship, Germany, and specializes in West Asian and South Asian Studies.

On March 31st, Rumi Forum organized the Food and Faith Event at Sakina Halal Grill. Food and Faith both bring people together. Faith traditions have a specific relationship with food. Whether it be the role food plays in daily life or providing food to the needy, faith traditions recognize this necessity as something more. Panelists: Rev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin, Sr. began his tenure at the Washington National Cathedral in April 2018. In his role as Canon Missioner, Dr. Hamlin oversees the Cathedral’s outreach and social justice initiatives. Prior to his arrival at the Cathedral, Dr. Hamlin served as the Pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church in Arlington, VA for 22 years. Dr. Hamlin received his Bachelor of Business Administration Degree (1983) from the Howard University School of Business, Master of Divinity Degree (1994), and a Doctor of Ministry Degree from the Howard University School of Divinity (1996). He has served and been appointed to numerous community, faith-based and governmental boards, commissions, agencies. Dr. Zulfiqar A. Kazmi is the founder and Executive Director of The Commongrounds USA. This organizational network is dedicated to the promotion of peace through educational programs, workshops, conferences, and research. Dr. Kazmi participated and lectured in more than 200 World Peace Conferences including UN cosponsored seminars, symposiums and convocations. He launched Scandinavian Peace initiatives and convened a series of seminars at The Washington Times. Dr. Kazmi made history offering special prayers and Salaat ul Maghrib during the last Christmas Dinner hosted by President Obama and First Lady at The White House. He is the recipient of the Fairfax County Proclamation 1998. In 2007 he achieved a nomination for America's highest Civil Award “Benjamin Franklin Award”. Jodi Balis RD has worked for 15 years in community and public health in the non-profit sector as a culinary educator, dietitian and Nutrition Director, where she implemented cooking and wellness programs for underserved communities in the DC region, and worked to ensure access to healthy food. Jodi recently pivoted in her career, and is now a personal chef, culinary educator, body worker and ritual facilitator. Jodi co-creates Food Rituals with groups and individuals, which is a visual meditation and embodiment practice that marks milestone moments in life through the collaborative and artful arrangement of vibrant colorful food, herbs, spices and stones. Jodi is also creator and host of the podcast Purple Honey, a gathering of female voices, where Jewish wisdom and feminine spirituality are explored through the lense of health and wellness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvjh4-aFo68&feature=youtu.be

On January 27, 2019, Rumi Forum and The Jewish-Islamic Dialogue Society of Washington (JIDS) held a joint event on mysticism at ISWA. Mysticism plays an important role in the spirituality of both Judaism and Islam. It is central to developing our relationship with God and in inspiring us to serve humankind. In this session, we’ll consider both the Jewish and Muslim mystical traditions first by hearing from devoted practitioners and then by engaging in small-group discussions. Panelists: Gabriel Abasi is a lifelong Sufi who has graced the DC-area interfaith community over the years with a devotion to selfless service and a commitment to mysticism.This devotion to service recently inspired him to work on an exciting concept called “The Culture of Compassion,” which includes creative use of blogs, social media and other forms of technology to heal the planet. Herb Levy is an experienced teacher of Kabbalah classes at multiple D.C.-area venues and a lay leader of Kol Ami, a N. VA. Reconstructionist Jewish Community. For the last 18 years, Herb has been active in Kol Ami, the Northern Virginia Reconstructionist Jewish Community. During that period, he has led over 100 services and has taught Kabbalah classes both at Kol Ami and at a metaphysical bookstore in Old Town, Alexandria called the Sacred Circle. He currently serves as Treasurer of the JIDS Board of Directors. Andra Baylus is one of DC’s leading interfaith organizers and a disciple of Meher Baba, a Sufi-inspired spiritual leader. Andra has served as President of the Greater-Washington Muslim Jewish Forum and has been active in various other interfaith and bridge-building organizations. Her service is inspired by a deep love for mysticism, generally, and for the teachings of Sufi spiritual master Meher Baba in particular. A former elementary school teacher, Andra has combined her passion for service, spirituality, and teaching to become a truly powerful force for peace in our community.

On November 14th, Rumi Forum held a book event at our offices for God and the Goalposts: A brief History of Religion, Sports, Politics, War, and Art. The interpenetration of sports and religion is as old as history and as wide as geography. The angles of interpenetration have been diverse—from the Bible to the Iliad and the Aeneid, from gladiatorial contests to the Crusades to chess, from the Mayan game of pok-a-pok to Lacrosse to contemporary NBA championship games. Moreover, the sports/religion matrix has always been interwoven with politics (from which religion has rarely strayed) and war (for which sports has always offered a surrogate)—and art (which captures so much of this in words and images—from Greek vase paintings to contemporary films. Give this subject an hour and you will never watch a game the same way again. Speaker/Author: Ori Z. Soltes teaches art history, theology, philosophy and political history at Georgetown University. He is the author of over 280 books, articles, exhibition catalogs, and essays on a variety of topics. Recent books include Our Sacred Signs: How Jewish, Christian and Muslim Art Draw from the Same Source; Searching for Oneness: Mysticism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam; Untangling the Web of the Middle East; and most recently, God and the Goalposts: A Brief History of Sports, Religion, Politics, War and Art. Soltes is an enthusiastic sports fan, and an avid basketball player a few days a week—although God has rarely intervened to guide his jump shot.

On October 5th, Dr. Saritoprak’s talk examined the place of Jesus in the Qu’ran and Hadiths. He explored Islamic theological perspectives on Jesus, including classical and contemporary theologians’ views of Jesus. Dr. Saritoprak also discussed the different theological views of the descent. Finally, he addressed the important role that Jesus can play in interfaith dialogue. Speaker/Author: Zeki Saritoprak, Ph.D, is Professor and the Bediüzzaman Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies at John Carroll University. He holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Theology from the University of Marmara in Turkey. Professor Saritoprak is the author of Islam’s Jesus (University Press of Florida, 2014) and over thirty academic articles and encyclopedia entries on topics in Islam. He has served as guest editor for issues of the journals Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations and the Muslim World. He is editor and co-translator of Fundamentals of Rumi’s Thought: A Mevlevi Sufi Perspective (in English; New Jersey: The Light, 2004) and the editor of a critical edition of al-Sarakhsi’s Sifat Ashrat al-Sa’a (in Arabic; Cairo, 1993). His He is currently preparing a book on Islamic spirituality tentatively titled Islamic Spirituality: Theology and Practice for the Modern World.

On September 13th, Dr. Katayoun Kishi, Research Associate at Pew Research Center, presented her findings from the ninth in a series of reports by Pew Research Center analyzing the extent to which governments and societies around the world impinge on religious beliefs and practices. To measure global restrictions on religion in 2016 – the most recent year for which data are available – the study, released in June 2018, ranks 198 countries and territories by their levels of government restrictions on religion and social hostilities involving religion. Speaker: Katayoun Mirfendereski Kishi is a research associate at Pew Research Center. She oversees the Center’s annual study on global restrictions on religion. Her previous work has included research on topics such as identity politics and religion, international conflict, survey research, and food security. Before joining Pew Research Center, Kishi held positions at the United States Institute of Peace and the office of the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland. She earned a doctorate in government and politics, with a concentration in comparative politics and quantitative methodology, from the University of Maryland. Moderator: Kristen Looney is director of the Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum Institute. Kristen works closely with the President of the Freedom Forum Institute to full the mission of the center and to oversee the day-to-day operations of the following four program areas: Educating Leaders, Promoting Civil Dialogue, Engaging the Public, and Transforming Schools. From 2012 to 2016, Kristen was the head of programs and partnerships for the Tony Blair Faith Foundation in the United States. Previously, Kristen served as chaplain and department chair of religious studies at St. Paul’s School for Girls in Baltimore, Maryland and St. Timothy’s School in Stevenson, Maryland. Prior, Kristen served as clergy in parishes in Florida, California, and New York. Kristen is an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Maryland. She is an awarded graduate of Yale Divinity School (M.Div.).

  On March 22nd, 2018 we discussed what challenges Christianity faces in a 21st century America with a group of distinguished panelists. Rumi Forum and faith leaders discussed the challenges and lessons of Christianity in America. On March 22nd, panelists presented their own narratives and facilitated strategical interfaith applications for the community. Speakers included Joel Rainey, lead pastor of Covenant Church in Shepherdstown West Virginia, Brian Hamilton, co-pastor of Westminister DC and former professor of sociology in addition to Patrick Carolan, executive director of the Franciscan Action Network and co-founder of the Global Catholic Climate Movement. The event was moderated by William Dinges who shared his expertise in religion in America. Speakers: Joel Rainey, lead pastor of Covenant Church in Shepherdstown West Virginia, located in the tri-state area of Maryland, West Virginia, and the NOVA/Washington DC area. The author of three books, Dr. Rainey is a former missionary and evangelical denominational executive with intercultural experience on 5 continents. He has led efforts to plant more than 100 new evangelical churches in the US and around the world. He lives in Shepherdstown with his wife Amy and their three children.