The FBI agent was a sharply dressed young woman. I wondered why she was attending the Somali Peace Feast. Another friend who works with local internationals said this FBI agent had been a friend to the international community, helping both the agency and the local police department be more sympathetic with the immigrant populations.

Peace Catalyst president Rick Love was recently interviewed by EthicsDaily, a website challenging people of faith to work for the common good. We'd like to share here a video of the interview for your viewing pleasure. Rick's latest blog on Pakistani peacemakers is also featured on their website here. 

During the recent meeting of the Interfaith Leaders Network (ILN) in Nepal, I was in awe as I heard the stories of Pakistani Muslim peacemakers and learned about their work. I have faced many sorts of conflict and been in countless dialogues with Muslims, but this was different. Pakistan was different.

Meet Mossarat Qadeem. She illustrates the side of Pakistan that most Americans never hear about. She leads an organization called Mothers for Change, a womens group unlike any other I have heard of. The goal of her organization is to identify mothers whose sons are being radicalized - young men who are being drawn into Taliban or Al Qaeda type terrorist organizations.

I was invited to put on a peacemaking seminar and speak at a large evangelical church. A few months after I confirmed, they also asked me if I would be willing to speak to elementary school children at their Christian school. I do not usually speak to children and was not too excited about it. But when I remembered how Jesus rebuked his disciples for not receiving and blessing children, I knew I had to speak.

Why would I link the illustrious (principal) author of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and its third president with 38-year-old Indian Muslim immigrant Eboo Patel, founder of the Interfaith Youth Core? The answer is that Jefferson consciously paved the way for Muslims to be citizens of the country he helped to found.

I think I am allergic to interfaith dialogue. When I get near interfaith dialogue events, I begin to gnash my teeth in frustration at the tendency toward superficial, lowest-common-denominator discussions about how similar we all are and the often-aggressive hostility toward very basic religious practices such as evangelization. When I, as a Christian, am asked to come to such events but am told that no sharing of faith will be allowed, I feel as if I am being asked to leave a part of my faith at the door. How can an event be interfaith if I cannot bring my faith fully and wholly?

Inspired by my own memories of being warmly welcomed into Azerbaijani homes for traditional holidays during my two years in the Peace Corps, I envisioned international students celebrating Thanksgiving at friendship dinners. What better way to develop friendships between Muslims and Christians than over great food and conversation? The Thanksgiving holiday seemed like a perfect time to include guests from Muslim backgrounds at the table.

The war in Syria is complex and catastrophic. The United Nations has called this conflict one of the very worst humanitarian disasters the world has seen. Even worse, the governments of the world seem incapable of helping. So what can people of faith do about this?