Rumi Forum

Book Talk: "The Motorhome Prophecies" with Carrie Sheffield
2025-05-28 18:00 - 21:00 UTC | 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.
