THE RAOUL WALLENBERG INSTITUTE OF ETHICS

HOSTED BY THE ISLAMIC CENTER OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

 

FINDING OUR COMMON HUMANITY

A MUSLIM/JEWISH DIALOGUE

Sunday, May 22, 2005 from 2:00-6:30

 

Please join with the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Ethics and members of the Muslim and Jewish communities in an afternoon where Jews and Muslims will have an opportunity in a small group setting to engage in dialogue on topics of mutual interest, eat, and get to know each other better. PLEASE RSVP TO RESERVE A PLACE!

 

• Participants will share their experiences from a Jewish/Muslim online dialogue that encouraged both groups to come to consensus on a joint statement about human rights.
• Then, Dr. Reuven Firestone and Mehnaz Afridi will engage in a dialogue with each other related to Jewish/Muslim sacred texts. Then, everyone will be invited to participate in a dialogue/discussion together.

 

Throughout the day, we will have an opportunity to engage in deep discussion with each other, learn about each other's traditions, and plan for future ways to continue the dialogue and bring others into the conversation. We will end with an opportunity to share our experiences over dinner, a great conclusion to an enlightening day.

 

Time:              2:00pm-6:30 pm including vegetarian dinner. Free.

Place:             The Islamic Center, 434 S Vermont Ave, LA, 90020 - 213- 382-9200. Parking:             Parking lot behind the Center. No charge.

 

MEHNAZ M. AFRIDI, MUSLIM SCHOLAR

 

Mehnaz M. Afridi has a B.A. and MA in Religious Studies from Syracuse University and has studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Her extensive background in both Jewish and Islamic thought and culture has led to numerous prestigious research grants and fostered the development of courses in Jewish and Islamic Studies programs. She has taught at Syracuse University, Hamilton College, Antioch College, National University, American Intercontinental University and Loyola Marymount University.

 

RABBI REUVEN FIRESTONE, PH.D., JEWISH SCHOLAR

 

Rabbi Reuven Firestone has studied at Antioch College, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and received his M.A. and Rabbinic Ordination from Hebrew Union College and a PhD from New York University in Arabic and Islamic studies. Professor Firestone is director of the Institute for the Study and Enhancement of Muslim-Jewish Interrelations (ISEMJI). Professor Firestone has authored many books on Jewish and Islamic topics including, Journeys in Holy Lands: The Evolution of the Abraham-Ishmael Legends in Islamic Exegesis (SUNY Press), Jihad: The Origin of Holy War in Islam (Oxford University Press), Children of Abraham: An Introduction to Judaism for Muslims (Ktav), and dozens of articles on Judaism, Islam, and comparative studies between Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

 

THE RAOUL WALLENBERG INSTITUTE OF ETHICS

Hosted by the Islamic Center of Los Angeles

 

FINDING OUR COMMON HUMANITY

Sunday, May 22, 2005

 

 

Program Agenda

 

2:00-2:15             Register

2:15-2:30        Introductory Comments

Dr. Stephen Sideroff, Director, Raoul Wallenberg Institute

Roger Eaton, Online Dialogue Director

2:30-2:45        Group Introductions

2:45-4:30        Dialogue and Presentation and Small Groups

 Led by Dr. Reuven Firestone and Mehnaz Afridi

·       Online Dialogue Discussion

·       Dialogue on Sacred Texts

·       Small Break-Out Dialogue Groups on Sacred Texts

4:30-4:50             Break

4:50-5:30            Debrief the Dialogue and Discussion of Future Events

                         Led by Dr. Cheryl Weiner

5:30-6:30            Dinner and Concluding Remarks

Led by Dr. Stephen Sideroff