Partner Event: IRF Summit 2025
2025-02-04 08:00 - 2025-02-05 17:00 UTC | Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave, N.W., Washington, DC, 20009, United States
Rumi Forum will once again proudly serve as a Convening Partner and Steering Committee Member of the IRF Summit 2025, the premier global gathering of religious freedom advocates and activists. This landmark event, set to take place on February 4–5, 2025, in Washington, DC, will bring together a diverse coalition of organizations and individuals committed to a shared and profound mission: Religious Freedom for everyone, everywhere, all the time.

The Summit will unite the dynamic IRF community for two days of impactful programming featuring survivors of persecution, leading experts in human rights and religious freedom, and government officials actively advancing this cause. Attendees will be able to engage in thought-provoking discussions, hear firsthand testimonies, and participate in collaborative initiatives to promote religious freedom worldwide.
With enhanced programming, IRF Summit 2025 will also introduce new opportunities for networking, strategic partnerships, and future collaborations. The Summit will feature four unique Breakout Tracks, each designed to address key areas of religious freedom advocacy:
🔹 Empower – Equipping individuals and communities with tools to advance religious freedom
🔹 Legislate – Exploring legal frameworks and policies that safeguard religious rights
🔹 Advocate – Strengthening global advocacy efforts and amplifying voices for change
🔹 Activate – Mobilizing grassroots movements and action-oriented initiatives
Rumi Forum looks forward to welcoming IRF Summit participants at its booth and the two breakout sessions under the ‘Advocate’ track:

Feb.4: 4:15–5 pm – Voices Behind Bars: Solutions-Based Advocacy for Prisoners of Conscience

Andrea Barron (Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International)

Feb.5: 1:–2 pm – A Bridge to Stability: Building Structural Capacity in Crisis-Affected Countries

Arbana Xharra (Alon Ben Meir Institute)

As a committed partner in advancing religious freedom, Rumi Forum looks forward to contributing to this vital conversation and working alongside fellow advocates to build a more just and inclusive world.

The Institute of World Politics Panel Discussion: "Abrahamic Peace Initiative"
2025-02-13 16:00 - 18:00 | The Institute of World Politics, 1521 16th St NW, Washington, DC, 20036, United States
Rumi Forum was pleased to partner with The Institute of World Politics (IWP) for a thought-provoking discussion on the Abrahamic Peace Initiative, exploring faith-based approaches to conflict resolution and peacemaking. This event took place at IWP in Washington, D.C., bringing together scholars, faith leaders, and policymakers to examine how religious traditions can serve as powerful forces for reconciliation, coexistence, and lasting peace.
About the Abrahamic Peace Initiative
Rooted in the shared values of the Abrahamic faiths—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, this initiative seeks to present an alternative to conflict and bloodshed by fostering dialogue, mutual understanding, and collaboration. The discussion will highlight historical and contemporary examples of faith-driven peace efforts and offer insights into how religious communities can be active agents of conflict resolution in today’s world.
Speakers

Thomas Cromwell is co-founder of the New America Initiative and Chairman of the Abrahamic Peace Initiative. He spent 25 years in the Middle East, 18 as publisher and editor of the Middle East Times. During his time in the region, he conducted a series of conferences that brought together Arabs and Israelis, Greeks, Turks, and Iranians to address shared challenges to their societies, from urbanization and agriculture to education and conflict resolution. He has traveled to 130 countries to understand and promote solutions to inter-religious and inter-ethnic conflicts. He has authored several books on these topics, including The Triumph of Good.

Ibrahim Anli is the Executive Director of the Rumi Forum. He was a visiting researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Ibrahim joined the Journalists and Writers Foundation’s (JWF) Ankara office as its diplomacy coordinator. He later served as the secretary general of Abant Platform, JWF’s Istanbul-based forum of intellectuals. Ibrahim taught International Relations and Diplomacy at Tishk International University in Erbil, Kurdistan, before joining Rumi Forum in 2019.
Ibrahim Anli has published several peer-reviewed book chapters and articles. 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. He is a member of the Braver Angels Scholars Council and also serves on the board of the Religion Communicators Council.

Panel Discussion: "Inspiration from the Prophet Muhammad"
2025-02-23 15:00 - 17:00 | Congregation Beth El, 8215 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Rumi Forum and our partner, Jewish Islamic Dialogue Society (JIDS), members frequently turn to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), peace be upon him, for inspiration. We submit that for any open-minded member of the family of Abraham/Ibrahim, Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) life and teachings offer a compelling object of study and contemplation. Yet, he remains a mystery for far too many in our communities.

On Sunday, February 23rd, we hope to shed light on this inspiring figure. We will bring together a diverse panel to speak from the heart about why this seventh-century man continues to profoundly impact their 21st-century lives. Our speakers include Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, a Palestinian American polymath whose areas of expertise range from astrophysics to chaplaincy; Dr. Sevde Arpaci Ayhan, a scholar in political economics and international development; and Kemal Taban, who will provide the perspective of a successful young adult who grew up in the DMV. We will also make time for Q&A and small group discussions. The hope is that all in attendance will better understand this incredible person and find their inspiration to study his message independently.

ICRD Panel: "Radicalization and Religious Responses Post-Global War on Terror"
2025-03-19 17:00 - 20:00 | Eisenhower Institute, 818 Connecticut Avenue NW #400, Washington, DC, 20006, United States
Studies and practices focused on active radical movements and individual interventions in the long years of the Global War on Terror have led the American national security community and various social movements originating from the Islamic world to spend decades working to understand the political sociology of radicalization and approach the conditions of social breakdown in productive and integrative ways.
Join the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy (ICRD) for an exploration of the American national security community’s and the Hizmet Movement’s approaches to social breakdown and ideological and religious radicalization for the 21st Century and their implications for various sorts of domestic political radicalization and political violence in the United States.

The ICRD will also be livestreaming the event on their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/live/8Z7UjEegH8k.
Panelists

Adam Garfinkle is the Founding Editor of The American Interest and a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
A seasoned scholar and practitioner in the American national security community, Garfinkle served as principal speechwriter to Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice (2003–2005). He is the author of several books, including Jewcentricity: How the Jews Get Praised, Blamed, and Used to Explain Nearly Everything (Wiley, 2009) and Telltale Hearts: The Origin and Impact of the Vietnam Antiwar Movement (St. Martin’s, 1995), the latter recognized as a “Notable Book of the Year” by the New York Times Book Review.
Ibrahim Anli is the Executive Director of the Rumi Forum and a civic entrepreneur with extensive experience in religious reconciliation, social entrepreneurship, and interfaith dialogue. A longtime practitioner in the international Hizmet Movement, he has worked in the Middle East and the United States to promote peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
He previously served as diplomacy coordinator at the Journalists and Writers Foundation (JWF) in Ankara and later as Secretary General of the Abant Platform, JWF’s Istanbul-based intellectual forum. Before joining Rumi Forum in 2019, he was a visiting researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and taught International Relations and Diplomacy at Tishk International University in Erbil, Kurdistan.
Moderator

Luke Nathan Phillips is a writer, tour guide, and MC based in Northern Virginia. He has extensive experience in policy, civic engagement, and public discourse and has worked with nonprofits, civic organizations, magazines, and research institutions in bipartisan, reformist, and conservative spaces since 2017. Luke has organized, hosted, and facilitated numerous panels, debates, and workshops across the U.S., engaging policy experts, activists, and young professionals. He also provides customized tours in Washington, D.C., tailored for student and civic groups.
His writings have appeared in American Affairs, The National Interest, The Dispatch, The American Conservative, and RealClearPolicy, among others. A Braver Angels volunteer since 2017, he served as Publius Fellow for Public Discourse (2021–2024) and was David Brooks’ scheduler (2019–2021).

Panel Discussion: "Jewish Luminaries of the 20th Century"
2025-04-06 14:30 - 17:00 | American Turkish Friendship Association, 1420 Newbrook Dr., Chantilly, VA, 20152, United States
On April 6, 2025, the Rumi Forum, in partnership with the Jewish Islamic Dialogue Society (JIDS), explored some of the influential modern voices in Judaism, the oldest tradition in the Abrahamic family that continues to thrive today.
We began with reflections from local rabbis on key 20th-century Jewish thinkers who have profoundly shaped contemporary Jewish thought:

Rabbi Charles Feinberg on Abraham Joshua Heschel
Rabbi Amelia Wolf on Moshe Shmuel Glasner’s non-political writings
Rabbi Robert Levy on Martin Buber

Following these presentations, Rumi Forum`s Executive Director, Ibrahim Anli, offered a response, providing an interfaith perspective. The evening concluded with time for Q&A and, as always, the opportunity to engage in meaningful small-group conversations, learning, reflecting, and deepening your understanding of the Jewish faith and its connections to the broader Abrahamic family.

Book Talk: "The Motorhome Prophecies" with Carrie Sheffield
2025-05-28 18:00 - 21:00 | The Institute on Religion and Democracy, 1023 15th Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC, 20005, United States
Join the Rumi Forum, the Institute for Religion and Democracy (IRD), and the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy (ICRD) for a book talk with journalist and broadcaster Carrie Sheffield. Her recent memoir, “The Motorhome Prophecies: A Journey of Healing and Forgiveness,” recounts and explores her relationships in her communities and her family, and her explorations through the development of her faith across religious communities, toward the ultimate peace and healing she found in her relationship with God. In a time of great political divisions with deep religious and spiritual undertones reaching from the political to the personal, we hope to explore how family reconciliation and personal conversion might help us think about our national public life with Carrie.

Author

Carrie Sheffield is a columnist and broadcaster in Washington, DC. She earned a full-tuition Harvard scholarship, managed billions of dollars in risk at Wall Street firms, and competed in a Miss USA system beauty pageant. A journalist and former White House correspondent, she challenged the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and testified as an economic expert before the US Congress. Carrie achieved all this while overcoming a life of extreme poverty and psychological, spiritual, and sexual abuse. A recovered agnostic, Carrie eventually found peace and anchoring in Christianity.
Carrie shares insights on networks like CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, CBS News, CNBC, and BBC. From ABC’s Good Morning America to HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, PBS, and C-SPAN, she uses her dynamic voice to resonate with audiences of millions. Carrie, a traveling enthusiast, visited every continent—including Antarctica—before age 30. She ran the Marine Corps Marathon and won the National Press Club 5K thrice. Named a “Most Inspiring New Yorker” by the popular connection app Bumble, Carrie is passionate about instilling resilience and joy in others.
Moderator

Luke Nathan Phillips is a writer, tour guide, and MC based in Northern Virginia. He has extensive experience in policy, civic engagement, and public discourse and has worked with nonprofits, civic organizations, magazines, and research institutions in bipartisan, reformist, and conservative spaces since 2017. Luke has organized, hosted, and facilitated numerous panels, debates, and workshops across the U.S., engaging policy experts, activists, and young professionals. He also provides customized tours in Washington, D.C., tailored for student and civic groups.
His writings have appeared in American Affairs, The National Interest, The Dispatch, The American Conservative, and RealClearPolicy, among others. A Braver Angels volunteer since 2017, he served as Publius Fellow for Public Discourse (2021–2024) and was David Brooks’ scheduler (2019–2021).

CFIG Panel:Fethullah Gülen’s Legacy&the Hizmet Movement’s Forward Trajectory
2025-10-29 17:00 - 19:00 | University of Southern California Capital Campus, 1771 N Street Northwest, Washington, DC, DC, 20036, United States
On the first anniversary of Fethullah Gülen’s passing, the Rumi Forum’s Center for Faith, Identity, and Globalization (CFIG) hosted a special panel featuring two distinguished scholars—Dr. Ori Z. Soltes and Dr. Anwar Alam—to reflect on Gülen’s intellectual, spiritual, and social legacy. The event drew a strong turnout and featured a lively, illuminating dialogue on how the Hizmet Movement continues to evolve in today’s complex global landscape.
Moderated by Lyndsey Eksili, the discussion explored how Gülen’s philosophy of education, interfaith dialogue, and civic engagement continues to inspire new generations to pursue peace, pluralism, and service (“hizmet”) across borders.
As participants marked a year since his passing, the conversation served as a meaningful reflection on Gülen’s enduring contributions and an engaging exploration of the path forward for the Hizmet Movement—its challenges, hopes, and role in shaping a more compassionate and pluralistic future.
Event Video

Event Photos

Panelists

Ori Z. Soltes, Ph.D., is Professorial Lecturer in Theology and Fine Arts at Georgetown University and former Director of the B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, where he curated over 80 exhibitions on a variety of subjects. He is the author of articles, exhibition catalogs, essays, and books on a range of topics, including Our Sacred Signs: How Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Art Draw from the Same Source; The Ashen Rainbow: Essays on the Arts and the Holocaust; Christianity and Islam: Searching for Oneness; Tradition and Transformation: Three Millennia of Jewish Art and Architecture; Magic and Religion in the Greco-Roman World: The Beginnings of Judaism and Christianity; and God and the Goalposts: A Brief History of Sports, Religion, Politics, War, and Art.
He also wrote Embracing the World: Fethullah Gülen’s Thought & Its Relationship with Jelaluddin Rumi and Others (2013) and Between Thought and Action: An Intellectual Biography of Fethullah Gülen (2022).

Anwar Alam, Ph.D., is currently a Professor with the Department of International Relations, Ala-Too International University, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and a Distinguished Fellow with Policy Perspectives Foundation, New Delhi. Earlier he served as Full Professor of International Relations and Deputy Vice Chancellor at Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja; Full Professor at Department of International Studies, Zirve University, Gaziantep, Turkey, Professor and Director at Centre for West Asian Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, (New Delhi); Associate Professor at Centre for West Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and Assistant Professor at Department of Political Science, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh.
Dr. Alam has authored more than 35 articles in national and international journals, as well as two books, six edited books, one co-edited book, and 17 chapters in edited books, all related to West Asia, Indian politics, Indian foreign policy, Islamic movements, and Muslim Politics. His latest publications are For the Sake of Allah: The Origin, Development and Discourse of The Gülen Movement (2019) and The Disintegration of ISIS: Implications for Indian National Security (2023).
Panelists

Lyndsey Eksili, Ed.D., is an experienced educator, writer, and advocate for holistic development and mental health. As the editorial director for Youth Titles at Tughra Books and a content editor for The Fountain Magazine, she combines nearly 20 years of educational leadership with her passion for creating meaningful, youth-focused content. She serves as the School Board President at Pinnacle Academy, contributes to the Early Childhood Development Task Force of Childhood Education International, and writes for and serves on the board of the Green Dome Foundation. Through her work, she champions early intervention, cultural understanding, and the intersection of faith and mental well-being.
Dr. Eksili holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration from Liberty University, as well as certifications in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, and Clinical Trauma.
