"Within a hyper-Islamized-American context, evangelicals have responded to Islam in a myriad of ways. On the one hand, some evangelicals have responded through expressions of fear and condemnation. This is a response which views Islam as terroristic, violent and a threat to 'Western values.' Yet another reaction is confusion and paralysis. As a result, many evangelicals have opted for a posture of silence. In this case, the most urgent and pressing questions among evangelicals remain dormant—relegated to conversations over dinner with friends or following a board meeting with like-minded people.
"In October 2015, the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy (ICRD), Peace Catalyst International (PCI), and the Dialogue Institute (DI) convened a conference at Temple University designed to help evangelicals and others understand the consequences of and develop thoughtful responses to Islamophobia in the United States."
This is from the Introduction of the latest edition of Fuller Seminary's online Journal, all about Evangelicals and Islamophobia. The journal issue features a variety of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish voices as well as papers from the above-mentioned Temple Conference. This is a rich resource with a diversity of perspectives, and we highly recommend it!
BROWSE THE JOURNAL to read articles from Rick Love, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, and others, and leave your comments to let us know what you think!
The Islamic Center of San Diego has long been more than a mosque to me, many of us at Peace Catalyst and the whole community. It has been a place of friendship, learning, hospitality, and our shared work for peace. Imam Taha and the community there have welcomed us for years as partners in interfaith dialogue, justice, and care for our city. For me personally, it is a place tied to close relationships and memories that have shaped my understanding of love, faith, and neighborliness.
Last Tuesday evening, I had the incredible privilege to attend a lecture at the University of Sarajevo by Dr. Ahmet Kuru, Director of Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies and professor of political science at San Diego State University. He spoke about his book, Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment: A Global & Historical Comparison. As a Christian listening in with scholarly, self-reflective, and inspiring Muslim thought leaders, I was incredibly impressed and left with several takeaways.
What is Ramadan? Who observes it, and how does it work? We asked our friend Afnan to explain the basics and tell us what Ramadan means to her.
Islam and Christianity are different religions, but in both faith traditions Miriam/Mary is a revered figure and someone around whom we can have important conversations. So who is Miriam in Islam and Mary in Christianity? And where is the common ground?
What do you have to do to get a bunch of teenagers out of bed at the crack of dawn during their summer vacation? Would you guess the answer is giving them a way to serve their community? Last Saturday we gathered together to help Habitat for Humanity for a day of interfaith community service. We started bright and early, and right on time as the doors opened we had 21 high school and college students ready to get to work. All together we had 36 Muslim, Jewish, and Christian friends, and one Hindu.
Christian refugee workers and ministry leaders from around the world visited a mosque in Sarajevo this month to learn from local Muslims about Islam, the refugee crisis, and the opportunities and challenges that occur when doing humanitarian work and talking about faith. Here’s what we can all learn from their conversation.
So, what do Muslims believe about Jesus? That was one question on the minds of representatives of the Valley Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Reseda, CA, on a recent evening at a local mosque. It is indeed possible to have productive and respectful conversation with those who differ from us, and these two Reseda communities are showing us the way.
Ramadan is coming to a close, and that means it's time to celebrate Eid. If you're not familiar with Islamic holidays, you may have heard of Eid, but there are two holidays referred to by the word, so it can be confusing. Here are the basics.
During Ramadan you’ll hear a lot of talk about “Iftar.” But what exactly is Iftar? Here’s a short explainer.
Last week Peace Catalyst President Rick Love sat down with Imam Taha Hassan of the Islamic Center of San Diego. They discussed immigration, living as a Muslim in America, Sharia, and what Christians should know about interacting with Muslims.
