BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Rumi Forum - ECPv6.3.3.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://rumiforum.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Rumi Forum REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:UTC BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:UTC DTSTART:20170101T000000 END:STANDARD TZID:America/Halifax BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0300 TZNAME:ADT DTSTART:20200308T060000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0300 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:AST DTSTART:20201101T050000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251029T170000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251029T190000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20251008T172112Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251208T054600Z UID:22838-1761757200-1761764400@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:CFIG Panel:Fethullah Gülen’s Legacy&the Hizmet Movement’s Forward Trajectory DESCRIPTION: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. \nModerated 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. \nAs 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. \nEvent Video\n\nEvent Photos\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nPanelists\n \nOri 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. \nHe 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). \n \nAnwar 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. \nDr. 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). \nPanelists\n \nLyndsey 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. \nDr. Eksili holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration from Liberty University\, as well as certifications in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy\, Mindfulness\, and Clinical Trauma. URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/cfig-special-panel-fethullah-gulens-legacy-the-hizmet-movements-forward-trajectory/ LOCATION:University of Southern California Capital Campus\, 1771 N Street Northwest\, Washington\, DC\, DC\, 20036\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Source-Sans-Mona-3.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Center for Faith%2C Identity%2C and Globalization (CFIG)":MAILTO:cfig@rumiforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250406T143000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250406T170000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20250318T133201Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250501T213830Z UID:22404-1743949800-1743958800@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: "Jewish Luminaries of the 20th Century" DESCRIPTION: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. \nWe began with reflections from local rabbis on key 20th-century Jewish thinkers who have profoundly shaped contemporary Jewish thought: \n\nRabbi Charles Feinberg on Abraham Joshua Heschel\nRabbi Amelia Wolf on Moshe Shmuel Glasner’s non-political writings\nRabbi Robert Levy on Martin Buber\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nFollowing 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. URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/panel-discussion-tradition-embracing-modernity-jewish-luminaries-of-the-20th-century/ LOCATION:American Turkish Friendship Association\, 1420 Newbrook Dr.\, Chantilly\, VA\, 20152\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Speaker Series,Upcoming Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/HELP-FOR-VICTIMS-OF-EARTHQUAKE-IN-SOUTHERN-TURKEY-AND-SYRIA-42.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250319T170000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250319T200000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20250314T131809Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250318T163820Z UID:22376-1742403600-1742414400@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:ICRD Panel: "Radicalization and Religious Responses Post-Global War on Terror" DESCRIPTION: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. \nJoin 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. \n \nThe ICRD will also be livestreaming the event on their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/live/8Z7UjEegH8k. \nPanelists \n \nAdam 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. \nA 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. \nIbrahim 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. \nHe 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. \nModerator \n \nLuke 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. \nHis 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). URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/icrd-panel-radicalization-and-religious-responses-post-global-war-on-terror/ LOCATION:Eisenhower Institute\, 818 Connecticut Avenue NW #400\, Washington\, DC\, 20006\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Speaker Series,Upcoming Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/new-designs.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250223T150000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250223T170000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20250130T041142Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250218T164636Z UID:22205-1740322800-1740330000@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: "Inspiration from the Prophet Muhammad" DESCRIPTION: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. \n \nOn 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. URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/panel-discussion-inspiration-from-the-prophet-muhammad/ LOCATION:Congregation Beth El\, 8215 Old Georgetown Rd.\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20814\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Speaker Series,Upcoming Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/HELP-FOR-VICTIMS-OF-EARTHQUAKE-IN-SOUTHERN-TURKEY-AND-SYRIA-37.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250213T160000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250213T180000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20250131T165323Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250218T154933Z UID:22220-1739462400-1739469600@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:The Institute of World Politics Panel Discussion: "Abrahamic Peace Initiative" DESCRIPTION: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. \nAbout the Abrahamic Peace Initiative \nRooted 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. \nSpeakers \n \nThomas 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. \n \nIbrahim 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. \nIbrahim 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. URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/the-institute-of-world-politics-panel-discussion-abrahamic-peace-initiative/ LOCATION:The Institute of World Politics\, 1521 16th St NW\, Washington\, DC\, 20036\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/HELP-FOR-VICTIMS-OF-EARTHQUAKE-IN-SOUTHERN-TURKEY-AND-SYRIA-38.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250204T080000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250205T170000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20250129T213009Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250210T191809Z UID:22174-1738656000-1738774800@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Partner Event: IRF Summit 2025 DESCRIPTION: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. \n \nThe 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. \nWith 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: \n🔹 Empower – Equipping individuals and communities with tools to advance religious freedom\n🔹 Legislate – Exploring legal frameworks and policies that safeguard religious rights\n🔹 Advocate – Strengthening global advocacy efforts and amplifying voices for change\n🔹 Activate – Mobilizing grassroots movements and action-oriented initiatives \nRumi Forum looks forward to welcoming  IRF Summit participants at its booth and the two breakout sessions under the ‘Advocate’ track: \n\nFeb.4: 4:15–5 pm – Voices Behind Bars: Solutions-Based Advocacy for Prisoners of Conscience\n\nAndrea Barron (Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International)\n\n\nFeb.5: 1:–2 pm – A Bridge to Stability: Building Structural Capacity in Crisis-Affected Countries\n\nArbana Xharra (Alon Ben Meir Institute)\n\n\n\nAs 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. URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/partner-event-irf-summit-2025/ LOCATION:Washington Hilton\, 1919 Connecticut Ave\, N.W.\, Washington\, DC\, 20009\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/HELP-FOR-VICTIMS-OF-EARTHQUAKE-IN-SOUTHERN-TURKEY-AND-SYRIA-40.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20241028T160000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20241028T180000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20241026T163555Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241212T181048Z UID:21573-1730131200-1730138400@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:CFIG Inaugural Panel: Rethinking Religion and Nationalism in the Global Landscape DESCRIPTION:Rumi Forum’s Center for Faith\, Identity\, and Globalization was glad to hold its inaugural panel on October 28\, 2024\, “Rethinking Religion and Nationalism in the Global Landscape\,” featuring Mark Juergensmeyer of the University of California\, Santa Barbara\, and Paul Marshall of Baylor University\, and Allison K. Ralph\, Founder & Principal at Cohesion Strategy\, moderated the panel. \nEvent Photos \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nPanelists \nMark Juergensmeyer is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Global Studies\, Sociology and an affiliate of Religious Studies at the University of California\, Santa Barbara\, where he was the founding director of the Global and International Studies Program and the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies. He is also a William F. Podlich Distinguished Fellow and Professor of Religious Studies at Claremont McKenna College. He is an expert on religious violence\, conflict resolution\, and South Asian religion and politics. He has published more than three hundred articles and thirty books\, including When God Stops Fighting: How Religious Violence Ends (University of California Press\, 2022)\, God at War: A Meditation on Religion and Warfare (Oxford\, 2021)\, and Terror in the Mind of God (University of California Press\, 4th Edition\, 2017). \nPaul Marshall is the Director of the South and Southeast Asia Action Team at Religious Freedom Institute\, Wilson Professor of Religious Freedom at Baylor University\, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom\, and Senior Fellow at the Leimena Institute\, Jakarta. He is the author and editor of more than twenty books on religion and politics\, especially religious freedom\, including Persecuted (Thomas Nelson\, 2013)\, Silenced: How Apostasy and Blasphemy Codes Are Choking Freedom Worldwide (Oxford University Press\, 2011)\, Blind Spot: When Journalists Don’t Get Religion (Oxford University Press\, 2009)\, Religious Freedom in the World (Rowman and Littlefield\, 2008). He is the author of several hundred articles\, and his writings have been translated into over twenty languages. He is in frequent demand for lectures and media appearances. \nModerator \nAllison K. Ralph\, Ph.D.\, is the Founder & Principal of Cohesion Strategy. A thought leader in religious pluralism and social cohesion\, Allison brings 20 years of experience in strategy\, research\, and nonprofit and philanthropic leadership. She previously worked at The Aspen Institute Religion & Society Program\, where she served as Assistant\, Associate\, and Interim Director of the program and Director of its Religion and Philanthropy Initiative. She also managed events at the El-Hibri Foundation and The Catholic University of America. She has spoken from the main stage at the International Religious Freedom Summit and the El-Hibri Foundation Peace Awards Ceremony. She has given talks at Upswell\, the United Philanthropy Forum\, and the American Academy of Religion. URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/cfig-inaugural-panel-rethinking-religion-and-nationalism-in-the-global-landscape/ LOCATION:Microsoft Innovation & Policy Center\, 901 K Street Northwest\, 11th floor\, Washington\, DC\, 20001\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Speaker Series,Upcoming Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Oct.-28-Panel.png ORGANIZER;CN="Center for Faith%2C Identity%2C and Globalization (CFIG)":MAILTO:cfig@rumiforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20240925T100000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20240925T163000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20241029T145518Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241029T145518Z UID:21614-1727258400-1727281800@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Partner Event: SDGs Conference 2024 DESCRIPTION:In the margins of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79)\, the Journalists and Writers Foundation\, in collaboration with 56 civil society organizations from 30 countries\, including Rumi Forum\, hosted the 9th Annual SDGs Conference 2024 in New York on Wednesday\, September 25\, 2024.   \nAt this pivotal moment\, civil society leaders\, human rights advocates\, journalists\, and intellectuals from diverse backgrounds must intensify their partnerships to amplify the progressive efforts of the United Nations as the world navigates a significant period of transformation. The SDGs Conference 2024 brought together renowned experts and high-level speakers from various disciplines to tackle three pressing issues: (1) The Summit of the Future: Revitalizing the Pact for the Future\, (2) Information Integrity on Digital Platforms and Mainstream Media and (3) Transforming Inclusive Global Governance. \nRumi Forum`s Blog Series on Human Rights and SDGs \n           \n           URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/partner-event-sdgs-conference-2024/ LOCATION:630 Second\, 630 Second Ave-Grand Ballroom\, New York\, NY\, 10016\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/HELP-FOR-VICTIMS-OF-EARTHQUAKE-IN-SOUTHERN-TURKEY-AND-SYRIA-28.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20240130T080000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20240131T170000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20240126T170244Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240202T165123Z UID:20906-1706601600-1706720400@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Partner Event: IRF Summit 2024 DESCRIPTION:Rumi Forum was once again a proud Convening Partner and Steering Committee Member of the IRF Summit 2024\, the preeminent global gathering of religious freedom advocates and activists. This one-of-a-kind event\, which took place January 30 – 31 in Washington\, DC\, convened a diverse coalition of groups and individuals dedicated to a simple but profound goal: Religious Freedom for everyone\, everywhere\, all the time. \nThe Summit brought the dynamic IRF community together for two days packed with amazing programs featuring survivors of persecution\, the foremost experts in human rights and religious freedom\, and government leaders on the frontlines of this issue. In addition to enhanced programming\, this year’s Summit also offered new opportunities to network and build future collaborations. \n#IRFSummit2024 featured four unique Breakout Tracks focused on key global religious freedom areas of work: \n\nVulnerable\nVoices\nVictories\nViolations \n\n \nVoices of IRF Summit 2023 \n\n  URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/partner-event-irf-summit-2024/ LOCATION:Washington Hilton\, 1919 Connecticut Ave\, N.W.\, Washington\, DC\, 20009\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Rumi-Forum-banner.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20231205T183000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20231205T203000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20231113T165658Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231206T142519Z UID:20452-1701801000-1701808200@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Partner Event: Film Screening and Discussion-"Reuniting America" DESCRIPTION:Rumi Forum\, GMU Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution\, Braver Angels\, ICRD\, and Focolare Forum brought together an evening of rich discussion on bridging the divide in the face of the growing partisan hatred that threatens our nation. It was great to see people coming together who are heartsick about the rancor tearing our country apart and who think that our opponents should not be our enemies and that America’s best days can lie ahead. \nEvent Program: \n6:30 pm: Welcome by Carter School Representative \n6:45 pm: Remarks by Rumi Forum\, ICRD\, and Focolare Forum on their depolarization work \n7:00 pm: Remarks by two Braver Angels Ambassadors \n7:10 pm: Film \n8:00 pm: Discussion \n8:30 pm: End of program URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/partner-event-film-screening-and-discussion-reuniting-america/ LOCATION:George Mason University Van Metre Hall\, 3351 Fairfax Drive (Room 308)\, Arlington\, VA\, 22201\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HELP-FOR-VICTIMS-OF-EARTHQUAKE-IN-SOUTHERN-TURKEY-AND-SYRIA-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20231029T150000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20231029T173000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20231023T192520Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231118T050439Z UID:20394-1698591600-1698600600@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: "Faith and Polarization" DESCRIPTION:Rumi Forum\, Jewish Islamic Dialogue Society (JIDS)\, and Braver Angels have looked at political polarization before. However\, on October 29\, 2023\, we’ll look at the subject through a different prism: faith. What roles does faith play in the political and cultural schisms that mar our society? Is it a cause of the problem? Or is it a potential antidote? And most importantly\, what can we\, as people of faith or members of faith communities\, do to confront these issues? \nJoin Rumi Forum\, JIDS\, Braver Angels\, and our host\, Kol Ami Reconstructionist Community\, in what figures to be a fascinating afternoon. It will kick off with presentations by Ibrahim Anli\, Executive Director of Rumi Forum\, a Braver Angels Scholars Council member\, and Sofi Hersher Andorsky\, V.P. of Strategy and Communications at A More Perfect Union: The Jewish Partnership for Democracy. One-on-one conversations\, small group discussions\, and a return to plenary session for an action-oriented conclusion to the event will follow. \nPresenters \n \nIbrahim Anli is a civic entrepreneur with a career record that bridges nonprofit and academic experience. He was a visiting researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2007-08. Ibrahim joined the Journalists and Writers Foundation’s (JWF) Ankara office as the diplomacy coordinator in 2010. In 2013\, he became the secretary-general of Abant Platform\, JWF’s Istanbul-based forum of intellectuals. Ibrahim Anli was a lecturer and acting chair at the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy at Tishk International University in Erbil in 2016-17. He is currently a volunteer instructor for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at American University\, a member of the Braver Angels Scholars Council\, and a member of the Public Diplomacy Council of America. \n Sofi Hersher Andorsky has spent her career at the intersection of religion\, technology\, and creativity\, working for non-profit sectors to serve greater goodwill and understanding within and across communities. She is also the founder of Grand View Strategies and a lifelong student of religion. Her portfolio includes projects for the National Council of Jewish Women\, Newseum\, Washington National Cathedral\, Rose Community Foundation\, and Together Beat Hate. Sofi also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC)\, works as a local interfaith organizer\, and volunteers with various charities serving Afghan refugees and those seeking abortion services. URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/panel-discussion-faith-and-polarization/ LOCATION:UU Church of Arlington\, 4444 Arlington Blvd.\, Arlington\, VA\, 22204\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/HELP-FOR-VICTIMS-OF-EARTHQUAKE-IN-SOUTHERN-TURKEY-AND-SYRIA-4.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230920T100000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230920T160000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20230808T052129Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231001T052045Z UID:20166-1695204000-1695225600@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Partner Event: SDGs Conference 2023 DESCRIPTION:In the margins of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)\, the Journalists and Writers Foundation (JWF) and its 36 Global Partners from 24 countries are organizing the hybrid SDGs Conference 2023 to convene world leaders\, diplomats\, civil society members\, journalists\, and academics to discuss contemporary impediments for the timely and effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). \nThe SDGs Conference 2023\, formerly known as the UNGA Conference\, is the flagship event of the Journalists and Writers Foundation\, creating a platform for diverse stakeholders to discuss the Global Agenda 2030\, offer innovative solutions\, strategies\, and policy recommendations to advance the culture of peace\, human rights\, and sustainable development. As 2023 marks the 8th annual SDGs Conference\, this global event gathered over 150 high-level speakers across the globe\, forming an interdisciplinary group of distinguished panelists to discuss a particular set of agenda over three-panel sessions and propose a framework for action for the full and effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. \nAs a result of the diligent review of the 2022-2023 agenda items and priority working areas of diverse UN agencies and offices\, as well as world-renowned international summits\, the SDGs Conference 2023 will address: \n(1) Building a New Momentum Towards the 2030 Deadline for the SDGs\, \n(2) Press Freedom as an Instrument to Defend Human Rights for All\, and \n(3) Widening Gap between Erosion of Democracy and Rise of Autocracy. \nin the margins of the UNGA 78th Session on Wednesday\, 20 September 2023 from 10 am to 4 pm. \n[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container] URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/partner-event-sdgs-conference-2023/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/I-Never-Thought-Of-It-That-Way.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230330T170000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230330T203000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20230405T144018Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230405T144856Z UID:19872-1680195600-1680208200@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: Interfaith Bridges\, Intrafaith Divides\, and Polarization DESCRIPTION:On March 30\, 2023\, Rumi Forum and the Braver Angels D.C. Project organized a special America’s Public Forum event on interfaith alignments\, intrafaith divisions\, and the experiences of religious communities in American polarization in our time. \nDiscussants were Rich Tafel\, Minister of the Church of the Holy City in downtown Washington\, D.C.\, and Ibrahim Anli\, Executive Director of Rumi Forum. Between their interfaith and pastoral and intellectual work\, they brought decades’ worth of experience to questions of the place of religion in American public life amid all the divides of the recent past. Luke Nathan Phillips of Braver Angels hosted a conversation with them examining the ongoing divides in and between religious communities\, the lasting common ground and prospects for new bridges among them\, and the ways religious communities’ navigation of these divisions might inform approaches to American polarization as a whole. \nFollowing the conversation\, including audience Q&A\, participants joined an Iftar dinner courtesy of the Rumi Forum. The event took place at the Friends Meeting of Washington\, DC. \nEvent Photos \n[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”409″ display=”basic_thumbnail” thumbnail_crop=”0″] URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/panel-discussion-interfaith-bridges-intrafaith-divides-and-polarization/ LOCATION:Friends Meeting of Washington\, 2111 Decatur Pl. NW\, Washington\, DC\, 20008\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Millie-Caughey.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230216T080000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230217T170000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20230222T201802Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230223T040738Z UID:19746-1676534400-1676653200@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Conference: "The Hizmet Movement: Responses to Contemporary Challenges" DESCRIPTION:On February 16 and 17\, 2023\, The Department of Religious Studies at California State University\, Long Beach\, organized a conference on the Islam-inspired Hizmet Movement (a.k.a. Gulen Movement) entitled “The Hizmet Movement: Responses to Contemporary Challenges.” The conference mainly focused on the Hizmet Movement’s status in Turkey and around the world\, as well as how the Movement responds to the challenges which are posed or exacerbated by global trends and events. This includes the Movement’s status and direction both transnationally and locally. \nConference Schedule \nAcademic Board \nPresenter Bios \nEvent Photos \n[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”407″ display=”basic_thumbnail” thumbnail_crop=”0″]  \nOrganizing Institution: \nThe program in Religious Studies develops students’ critical understanding of the forms of religious phenomena in their cultural and historical contexts and a sensitivity to different value systems. The program provides students with an introduction to the major religious traditions and to religion in the modern world. Because religion infuses human cultures in visible and invisible ways\, Religious Studies place special emphasis on relating the religious dimension of human life to the humanities\, sciences\, and social sciences. URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/the-hizmet-movement-responses-to-contemporary-challenges/ LOCATION:California State University\, Long Beach\, 1250 Bellflower Blvd\, Long Beach\, CA\, 90840\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/HELP-FOR-VICTIMS-OF-EARTHQUAKE-IN-SOUTHERN-TURKEY-AND-SYRIA-1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230131T080000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230201T170000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20230119T043147Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230214T042617Z UID:19655-1675152000-1675270800@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Partner Event: IRF Summit 2023 DESCRIPTION:Rumi Forum is a proud Convening Partner and Steering Committee Member of the IRF Summit 2023\, which will bring together a broad coalition that passionately supports religious freedom around the globe for a two-day in-person event in Washington D.C.\, January 31st–February 1st. \nTogether we will raise the profile of international religious freedom on a wide variety of issues using an array of mechanisms best suited for each circumstance. The Summit will connect resources and advocates interested in religious freedom and highlight the personal testimonies of survivors of religious persecution and restrictions on religious freedom. \nBringing attention to the plight of religious adherents who are persecuted\, individually and collectively\, will grow the grassroots and global movement for religious freedom. Breakout sessions hosted by the convening partners will go deep on important IRF topics. \nTogether we will gain political support for the global religious freedom movement and encourage civil society\, people of faith\, and governments to take a stand for religious freedom. \nEvent Photos \n[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”406″ display=”basic_thumbnail” thumbnail_crop=”0″] \nRumi Forum welcomed participants at the booth and supported the ‘Documenting After IRF Violations’ panel. \n \nSummit Co-Chairs \n \nDr. Katrina Lantos Swett serves as President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice\, established in 2008 to continue the legacy of her father\, the late Congressman Tom Lantos. Under her leadership\, The Lantos Foundation has rapidly become a distinguished and respected voice on key human rights concerns. Dr. Lantos Swett is the former Chair and Vice-Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and teaches Human Rights and American Foreign Policy at Tufts University. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Board of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) and the Budapest-based Tom Lantos Institute. \nDr. Lantos Swett also serves on the Advisory Board of UN Watch\, the annual Anne Frank Award and Lecture\, and The Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice\, Leadership\, and Public Policy. Lantos Swett earned a Political Science degree from Yale University at the age of 18\, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California\, Hastings College of the Law\, and a Ph.D. in History from The University of Southern Denmark. \nSam Brownback served as Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom from February 2018 to January 2021. He served as Governor of Kansas from 2011 to 2018. Prior to that he represented his home state in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. While a member of the Senate\, he worked actively on the issue of religious freedom in multiple countries and was a key sponsor of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. Prior to his public service\, Ambassador Brownback practiced law and taught agricultural law at Kansas State University. He earned a B.S. from Kansas State University and a J.D. from the University of Kansas. \nAmbassador Brownback currently serves as co-chair for the International Religious Freedom Summit and as a Senior Fellow at Open Doors USA. He and his wife Mary have five children and six grandchildren. URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/partner-event-irf-summit-2023/ LOCATION:Washington Hilton\, 1919 Connecticut Ave\, N.W.\, Washington\, DC\, 20009\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Speaker Series,Upcoming Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Banner-IRF-Summit_Rumi-Forum.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220209T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220209T210000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20220109T154059Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220308T172247Z UID:18340-1644433200-1644440400@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: "Modern Muslim and Jewish Thinkers Who Have Inspired Us" DESCRIPTION:On February 9\, 2022\, at 7:00 p.m.\, the Jewish Islamic Dialogue Society (JIDS) and Rumi Forum brought in four scholars to talk about Muslim and Jewish thinkers who left their mark on the modern world. We heard presentations about two modern Jewish thinkers: Rami Shapiro\, who has brought a passion for various eastern faiths into his study of Judaism\, and Menachem Mendel Schneerson (aka the Lubavitcher Rebbe)\, whose ideas sparked the rapidly growing Chabad Movement within Judaism. We will also hear presentations about two modern Muslim thinkers: Said Nursi\, whose commentary of the Qur’an inspired a renewed way of engaging with the modern age; and Muhammad Iqbal\, who had a remarkable impact on the intellectual and cultural reconstruction of Islam in South Asia and beyond. \n As a collaborating partner of the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington (IFCMW)\, the event took place during the 3rd Annual World Interfaith Harmony Week in the DMV. Dan Spiro\, who’s the president of JIDS\, moderated the dialogue between these scholars to lead to an enriching conversation between the participants.  \nEvent Video \n\n  \nDr. Marcia Hermansen talked about Muhammad Iqbal\, who was known as the “intellectual father of Pakistan” due to his contribution to the reconstruction of Islam in South Asia. Iqbal was deeply intrigued by contemporary Western thought and reached his audience through poetry in Urdu and Persian while also delivering critical analyses in English. Herb Levy discussed Rabbi Rami Shapiro\, who had a multilingual approach to Judaism and taught a Judaism that was free from chosenness\, xenophobia\, and ethnonationalism. He saw religions as languages\, asserting that no language is true or false\, and believed writing is nature’s way of showing us how sloppy our thinking is. Like Iqbal\, he also used poetry to speak to his audience. Dr. Zeki Saritoprak brought up Said Nursi\, whose writings were inspirations for modern sciences and technologies. Nursi emphasized the importance of knowledge and dialogue\, preached non-violence\, and portrayed the prominence of shared values. Rabbi Lee Weissman talked about the Lubavitcher Rebbe\, who was often referred to as the “leader of the generation.” His view was inclusive of the entirety of Jewish people\, and he took mystical philosophy and turned it into an activist movement. \nAll of these thinkers brought changes and inspirations to many people\, emphasizing the importance of knowledge\, writing\, and shared understanding. They depicted the beauty of faith within oneself and how it flourishes within a community. \n  \n \nThese presentations were given\, respectively\, by four scholars: Herb Levy\, Rabbi Lee Weissman\, Dr. Zeki Saritoprak\, and Dr. Marcia Hermansen. \nRumi Forum and JIDS present this event as a collaborating partner of the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington (IFCMW) during the 3rd Annual World Interfaith Harmony Week in the DMV. We are glad that this panel discussion coincides with the annual worldwide observance during the month of February 2022. \n  \nPanelists: \nHerb Levy was raised in an Orthodox home in Baltimore\, completing the high school department of the (then) Baltimore Hebrew College\, in addition to public high school. Through his college years\, he became disconnected from the Judaism that he was raised on but began to reconstruct Judaism to address the social change commitment he made in his life. He spent over 40 years working in affordable housing as his contribution to Tikkun Olam. He’s been active in Kol Ami Reconstructionist of Arlington VA since its birth in December 2000. \n  \nRabbi Lee Weissman has been a Jewish educator in California for over 25 years. For over 10 years\, Lee has been an interfaith activist both online and in person. His Facebook forum “Abraham’s Tent” offers a place for Muslims and Jews to communicate on religious issues. His Twitter account @JihadiJew has a wide interfaith following. Lee’s personal passion is Chassidic philosophy\, particularly the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. Lee currently attends Magen David Sephardic Congregation. \n  \n  \nDr. Zeki Saritoprak is the Bediuzzaman Said Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies and a Professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland\, Ohio. He holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Theology from the University of Marmara in Turkey. His dissertation which examines the personification of evil in the Islamic tradition was published in 1992. Professor Saritoprak is the author of over thirty academic articles and encyclopedia entries on topics in Islam. His most recent books are “Islam’s Jesus” (University Press of Florida\, 2014) and “Islamic Spirituality: Theology and Practice for the Modern World” (Bloomsbury\, 2017). \n  \nDr. Marcia Hermansen is Director of the Islamic World Studies Program and Professor in the Theology Department at Loyola University Chicago where she teaches courses in Islamic Studies and the academic study of religion. She received her Ph.D. in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of Chicago and her numerous authored and co-edited books include Religious Diversity at School: Educating for New Pluralistic Contexts (2021)\, Varieties of American Sufism (2020)\, Islam\, Religions\, and Pluralism in Europe (2016)\, Islam and Citizenship Education (2015)\, and Muslima Theology: The Voices of Muslim Women Theologians (2013)\, as well as translations of works of Shah Wali Allah of Delhi. URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/modern-muslim-and-jewish-thinkers-who-have-inspired-us/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Modern-Muslim-and-Jewish-Thinkers-Who-Have-Inspired-Us.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220203T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220203T210000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20220111T181357Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220210T181543Z UID:18365-1643914800-1643922000@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Panel Discussion:"How Do We Deal With Covid\, Social Injustice\, and Polarization?" DESCRIPTION:Rumi Forum\, Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights\, and Prince George’s County Memorial Library System presented a virtual panel discussion on “How Do We Deal With Covid\, Social Injustice\, and Polarization?” on February 3\, 2022\, for a conversation for our time\, in recognition of World Interfaith Harmony Week. \nEvent Video \n\nHow do we build and use interfaith harmony to develop restoration\, reconciliation\, and resiliency as applicable to the world that we live in now? We are plagued: by the Covid-19 pandemic\, by social injustice\, by economic inequities\, limited and inequitable access to resources\, environmental injustice\, and the polarization of our times. Three faith leaders will consider these difficult questions and provide hope and practical solutions to taking steps towards restoration\, reconciliation\, and resiliency today. Join Rumi Forum\, Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights\, and Prince George’s County Memorial Library System on February 3rd at 7 pm for a conversation for our time\, in recognition of World Interfaith Harmony Week. \nPanelists: \nRahmah A. Abdulaleem is the Executive Director of KARAMAH: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights where she works to create a global network of advocates knowledgeable about the gender-equitable principles of Islam and are able to advance the cause of Muslim women’s rights in legal and social environments. Ms. Abdulaleem was raised in Philadelphia and was an active member of Masjidullah in Philadelphia during her youth. She graduated from Duke University with a double major in Religion and Sociology and a certificate in Markets & Management Studies. Ms. Abdulaleem obtained her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and worked at a top international corporate law firm for 14 years.  \n  \nRabbi Abbi Sharofsky is the JCRC’s Director of Intergroup Relations/JCRC Rabbi in Residence. She studied at the Jewish Theological Seminary and was ordained in 2012. Abbi also holds a master’s degree from the Davidson School of Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary\, specializing in experiential Jewish education. Abbi was the deputy director of the Jewish Welfare Board Jewish Chaplains Council\, where she worked with Jewish military personnel and veterans. Rabbi Sharofsky is the recipient of the 2016 JPRO Network Young Professional Award for her dedication to the Jewish community through her work in the Jewish not-for-profit field. She is a Rabbis Without Borders fellow\, 2018 cohort.  \n  \n \nCharles A. Tapp was elected President of the Potomac Conference Corporation in March of 2021. Prior to taking this post\, Tapp served as senior pastor of the Sligo Seventh-day Adventist church. \nFor nearly 40 years and in many scenarios\, Tapp has served as a pastor\, professor\, administrator\, writer\, and radio/television host sharing God’s love and saving grace with the world. His ministry is fueled by the message found in Zechariah 4:6: “Not by might\, nor by power\, but by my Spirit\, says the LORD Almighty.” Prayer is at the center of his life and the way he leads the ministry of Sligo Church. \n  \n \nRumi Forum presents this event as a collaborating partner of the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington (IFCMW) during the 3rd Annual World Interfaith Harmony Week in the DMV. We are glad that this panel discussion coincides with the annual worldwide observance during the month of February 2022. URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/how-do-we-deal-with-covid-social-injustice-and-polarization/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/3R-Interfaith-Panel-Feb.3.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20211202T183000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20211202T200000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20211026T201537Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211216T194452Z UID:18116-1638469800-1638475200@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: "How to Heal Our Divides" DESCRIPTION:Rumi Forum launches 3R Series \nRestoration\, Reconciliation\, Resiliency\nCOVID came along and dominated our lives almost two years ago at a time when we were already battered by interracial tensions and divisive political rhetoric. The isolation that the pandemic forced us into has affected the psyche of all\, and COVID-related economic difficulties made the lives of many rather difficult. In the middle of these historic moments\, we had a contentious election that peaked with an attack on the Congress\, the symbol of our nation. \nIt appears that we are in dire need of restoring our trust in our political system\, in our government and agencies\, in our civil society\, and more importantly in each other. Our goal with the 3R Series is to inspire a vision of Restoration through Reconciliation and to remind ourselves of the Resiliency Americans have demonstrated again and again in difficult times throughout our history. We hope this effort will inspire hope\, instill an urgency\, and drive people to act to bridge the divides in our society so that we can heal and be whole once again. \n Event Video \n\n  \nAbout the book\, “How to Heal our Divides” \n\nIf we didn’t recognize them already\, 2020 put a spotlight on several serious\, deep divides that have had strong negative impacts on our society – racial\, political\, religious\, and other divides. Much has been written describing these divides and how they came about or encouraging us to look deeply inside ourselves to discover our own flaws. All good things! But there has been a lack of attention regarding what to do about it. “How to Heal Our Divides” is a project aimed at building awareness of organizations that are taking real action to address these issues. The project is not an attempt to gloss over serious problems or “make happy” but instead to highlight tangible efforts that are solving problems – actually healing divides in effective and practical ways. \nPerhaps you are tempted to just write off “the other side” and lambast them for all the terrible things they’ve done. But is that really in the best interest of our country and our culture? Shouldn’t we instead try to listen and learn and actually talk to each other? Are there at least some things we can work on together\, even if we don’t agree on everything? (How many people have you met with whom you agree on absolutely everything?) Granted\, some will never listen. But some will. We owe it to our children to try to make things better. \n\nModerator \nAllison K. Ralph\, Ph.D.\, is the Associate Director of the Inclusive America Project at the Aspen Institute. Prior to joining the Inclusive America Project as Assistant Director in 2019\, she served the Project as consultant and advisor for two years\, including as editor of Pluralism in Peril: Challenges to an American Ideal. She began her career in the non-profit sector at the El-Hibri Foundation after earning her doctorate in Church History from The Catholic University of America in 2015. She also holds a B.A. in History from the University of North Florida and an M.Phil. in Church History from the University of Cambridge. At heart\, she is still the blue-collar farm girl and custom picture framer she was raised as at the family home and business. \nPanelists \n Martin Brooks is the President of Peace Catalyst International. He has been with Peace Catalyst International since 2011 when he and his wife Susan returned from Turkish Cyprus. Drawing on the teachings and examples of Jesus\, Martin has worked with local churches and mosques to create safe spaces to ask questions and build greater trust between Christians and Muslims. He has organized dialogue events\, iftar meals\, and Peace Feasts with Palestinians\, Syrians\, Turks\, Pakistanis\, Somalis\, Kurds\, and Iranians. A gifted collaborator\, he works with city officials\, refugee agencies\, local clergy\, and interfaith groups to seek the peace of the city and mutual thriving for all. \nJeff Burns\, D.Min\, is a peace and human rights\, activist. He has been active in building bridges of reconciliation\, peacemaking\, and friendship between Muslims and Christians in the U.S. and overseas for the last ten years. Jeff served as the East Coast Regional Director for Peace Catalyst International for four years. PCI focuses on reconciliation and peacemaking in the way of Jesus. Before his calling as a peacemaker Jeff served as a senior pastor for 18 years. He went on to become a part of the house church movement in the U.S. As a leader in the house church movement; Jeff served as an elder in the Sojourners Simple Church Network in Raleigh\, NC for nine years where he started an intentional community that focused on peacemaking with the local Muslim community. \nRev. Richard L. Tafel serves as the minister at the Church of the Holy City. With an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and a graduate degree in Theology from Harvard University\, Tafel is ordained and his first job was as Assistant Minister of Harvard University’s Memorial Church. With his knowledge of politics and vision for social change\, he launched his first company that helped nonprofits engage in public policy. He worked domestically with College Summit on access for low-income students to college. In addition\, he created the global strategy for the AIDS Responsibility Project that helped facilitate the delivery of AIDS drugs to Africa. In addition\, they worked with Brazil\, Mexico\, and Jamaica on ending HIV/AIDS discrimination. URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/how-to-heal-our-divides/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/3R-Series-How-to-Heal-Our-Divides-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Halifax:20200909T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Halifax:20200909T190000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20200818T193059Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211214T175151Z UID:16116-1599674400-1599678000@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: "Charity In the Age of a Pandemic" DESCRIPTION:On September 9\, 2020\, with our partner UNA-NCA\, speakers Katherine Marshall\, Kim R. Ford\, Jerome Tennille\, and moderator Stephen Moseley had a great discussion about how community solidarity has displayed itself in ways that we haven’t seen before to eradicate poverty in the age of pandemic. \n\n\n \n \nAt a time when everyone around the world is grappling with unprecedented changes and challenges in their lives\, one of the most fundamental values that continue to make positive changes in our lives is generosity. The inevitable quality of giving continues bringing individuals of all backgrounds regardless of their languages\, ethnicities\, races\, faiths\, opinions together across the globe. We have witnessed various shades of generosity as they are implemented as a means of standing together in unity. Whether that’s through educating ourselves on social issues\, raising awareness about humanitarian causes\, supporting communities through monetary contributions\, or reaching out to a neighbor next door or across the continents\, every act of goodwill has touched people’s lives. In this time of uncertainty\, there’s a fundamental truth that gives us hope – that together we can do extraordinary things. Together.  \nIn 2012\, September 5th was designated the “International Day of Charity” by the UN General Assembly to commemorate the anniversary of the passing away of Mother Teresa\, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 “for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress\, which also constitute a threat to peace.” \nIn this spirit\, on September 9\, 2020\, Rumi Forum and UNA-NCA invited participants to a panel highlighting how individual and/or collective initiatives keep us connected. \n  \nFull Event Video\n\n \n  \nScreenshot from the Event URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/charity-in-the-age-of-a-pandemic/ LOCATION:ONLINE EVENT CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Charity-In-the-Age-of-a-Pandemic-e1597778972233.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20190814T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20190814T203000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20190814T194338Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211214T194056Z UID:17390-1565809200-1565814600@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: "Religious Freedom and Minority Rights" DESCRIPTION:On Wednesday\, August 14\, 2019\, Rumi Forum of Maryland and America Turkish Friendship Association organized an Abrahamic Panel-interfaith discussion and Eid-al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) reception. Religious Freedom and Minority Rights were addressed from the lens of Abrahamic faiths’ perspectives.   \nAbraham`s Tent initiative provided space for people of different religious and cultural traditions to get to know one another through casual conversation starting with the occasion of the Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) celebration. Through this event\, people of different religious and cultural traditions joined hands to get to know one another and sought to build a community around it. \nSpeakers: \nRabbi Amy Scheinerman is a teacher\, writer\, and hospice chaplain for the Jewish Federation of Howard County. She is a former trustee on the Board of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR)\, former president of the Baltimore Board of Rabbis\, a current member of the CCAR Responsa Committee\, and editor of the Torah Commentary column of the CCAR newsletter. Her recent book\, The Talmud of Relationships (Volume 1: God\, Self\, and Family & Volume 2: The Jewish Community and Beyond)\, was honored as a finalist in the Jewish Book Council’s 2018 National Jewish Book Awards. She also teaches in a variety of venues\, including the Melton Program in Baltimore. \nRev. Charles Watson\, Jr. is a faculty at the Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum Institute in Washington\, DC\, and a graduate of The Citadel: The Military College of South Carolina. He received a commission into the U.S. Air Force and obtained the rank of captain. He is a graduate of Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology. His career led him to leadership roles as a consultant for DeWolff\, Boberg & Associates\, Inc. and at his current position as the Director of Education for BJC for Religious Liberty in Washington. As a seminary-trained religious liberty advocate and educator\, he routinely speaks across the nation and has published articles in Ethics Daily\, New Baptist Covenant\, and cbfBlog.com.\n  \nDr. Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad is President of the Minaret of Freedom Institute. He is an internationally known interdisciplinary scientist of Palestinian descent and the author of Signs in the Heavens: A Muslim Astronomer’s Perspective on Religion and Science and he teaches courses on Islamic religion\, history and civilization and religion\, science\, and freedom at Wesley Theological Seminary and a course on “Changing Views of the Universe” at American University. Among others\, Dr. Ahmad has received the “Star Cup for Outstanding Public Service” award from Montgomery County Civic Federation. \n  \nEvent Photo URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/abrahamic-discussion-eid-reception/ LOCATION:MARTI\, 6470 Dobbin Rd.\, Columbia\, MD\, 21045\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/unnamed.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="MARTI":MAILTO:dialog@themarti.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190331 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190401 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20190331T194643Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211214T180500Z UID:17394-1553990400-1554076799@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: "Food and Faith" DESCRIPTION:On March 31\, 2019\, Rumi Forum organized the Food and Faith event at Sakina Halal Grill in Washington\, DC. Food and Faith both bring people together. Faith traditions have a specific relationship with food. Whether it be the role food plays in daily life or providing food to the needy\, faith traditions recognize this necessity as something more. \nPanelists: \nRev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin\, Sr. began his tenure at the Washington National Cathedral in April 2018. In his role as Canon Missioner\, Dr. Hamlin oversees the Cathedral’s outreach and social justice initiatives. Prior to his arrival at the Cathedral\, Dr. Hamlin served as the Pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church in Arlington\, VA for 22 years. Dr. Hamlin received his Bachelor of Business Administration Degree (1983) from the Howard University School of Business\, Master of Divinity Degree (1994)\, and a Doctor of Ministry Degree from the Howard University School of Divinity (1996). He has served and been appointed to numerous community\, faith-based and governmental boards\, commissions\, agencies. \nDr. Zulfiqar A. Kazmi is the founder and Executive Director of The Common Ground USA. This organizational network is dedicated to the promotion of peace through educational programs\, workshops\, conferences\, and research. Dr. Kazmi participated and lectured in more than 200 World Peace Conferences including UN co-sponsored seminars\, symposiums\, and convocations. He launched Scandinavian Peace initiatives and convened a series of seminars at The Washington Times. Dr. Kazmi made history offering special prayers and Salaat ul Maghrib during the last Christmas Dinner hosted by President Obama and First Lady at The White House. He is the recipient of the Fairfax County Proclamation 1998. In 2007 he achieved a nomination for America’s highest Civil Award “Benjamin Franklin Award”. \nJodi Balis\, RD has worked for 15 years in the community and public health in the non-profit sector as a culinary educator\, dietitian\, and nutrition director\, where she implemented cooking and wellness programs for underserved communities in the DC region\, and worked to ensure access to healthy food. Jodi recently pivoted in her career and is now a personal chef\, culinary educator\, bodyworker\, and ritual facilitator. Jodi co-creates Food Rituals with groups and individuals\, which is a visual meditation and embodiment practice that marks milestone moments in life through the collaborative and artful arrangement of vibrant colorful food\, herbs\, spices\, and stones. Jodi is also the creator and host of the podcast Purple Honey\, a gathering of female voices\, where Jewish wisdom and feminine spirituality are explored through the lens of health and wellness. \nFull Event Video  \n\n  \nEvent Photo URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/food-and-faith-at-sakina-halal-grill/ LOCATION:DC CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/WhatsApp-Image-2019-04-01-at-7.43.58-PM.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20190306T120000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20190306T133000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20190226T171918Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220309T175704Z UID:15220-1551873600-1551879000@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Discussion: "A Survey about American Muslims DESCRIPTION:On March 6\, 2019\, Rumi Forum hosted American Muslim Institute’s (AMI) Executive Director Shahid Rahman as he discussed a recent study looking at the perception of American Muslims in the USA and the DMV area. The research examines the public’s perceptions of Muslim Americans. The “Americans’ Views of Muslims Survey” was conducted leading up to the midterm elections in November 2018 – a time period when myths and misinformation about Muslims have figured prominently in some local\, state\, and federal elections. The research includes insight into public perceptions of Muslim Americans at both the national and local levels in Houston\, Orlando\, Tampa\, and the Washington\, DC\, metropolitan area. \nSpeaker: \nShahid Rahman is the executive director of the American Muslim Institution (AMI). He has a Master’s in Islamic Studies. Prior to joining our AMI\, he was the president of Teach and Travel. URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/rumi-forum-and-american-turkish-friendship-association-atfa-present-a-survey-about-american-muslims/ LOCATION:Rumi Forum\, 2000 P Street NW Suite #503\, Washington\, DC\, 20036\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Scriptural-Reasoning-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190127 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190128 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20190127T194836Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211214T191413Z UID:17396-1548547200-1548633599@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: "Getting Closer to God" DESCRIPTION:On January 27\, 2019\, Rumi Forum and The Jewish-Islamic Dialogue Society of Washington (JIDS) held a joint event on Jewish and Muslim Perspectives on Mysticism at the Islamic Society of the Washington Area (ISWA). Mysticism plays an important role in the spirituality of both Judaism and Islam. It is central to developing our relationship with God and in inspiring us to serve humankind. In this session\, we’ll consider both the Jewish and Muslim mystical traditions first by hearing from devoted practitioners and then by engaging in small-group discussions. \nPanelists: \nGabriel Abasi is a lifelong Sufi who has graced the DC-area interfaith community over the years with a devotion to selfless service and a commitment to mysticism. This devotion to service recently inspired him to work on an exciting concept called “The Culture of Compassion\,” which includes creative use of blogs\, social media\, and other forms of technology to heal the planet. \nHerb Levy is an experienced teacher of Kabbalah classes at multiple D.C.-area venues and a lay leader of Kol Ami\, a Northern VA Reconstructionist Jewish Community. For the last 18 years\, Herb has been active in Kol Ami\, the Northern Virginia Reconstructionist Jewish Community. During that period\, he has led over 100 services and has taught Kabbalah classes both at Kol Ami and at a metaphysical bookstore in Old Town\, Alexandria called the Sacred Circle. He currently serves as Treasurer of the JIDS Board of Directors. \nAndra Baylus is one of DC’s leading interfaith organizers and a disciple of Meher Baba\, a Sufi-inspired spiritual leader. Andra has served as President of the Greater Washington Muslim Jewish Forum and has been active in various other interfaith and bridge-building organizations. Her service is inspired by a deep love for mysticism\, generally\, and for the teachings of Sufi spiritual master Meher Baba in particular. A former elementary school teacher\, Andra has combined her passion for service\, spirituality\, and teaching to become a truly powerful force for peace in our community. \nFull Event Video URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/getting-closer-to-god-jewish-and-muslim-perspectives-on-mysticism/ LOCATION:DC CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/0127191408_HDR-e1548865126680.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20180421T170000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20180421T183000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20180214T205755Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211214T200930Z UID:14826-1524330000-1524335400@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: “Abrahamic Perspectives on Preserving the Environment” DESCRIPTION:On April 21st\, 2018\, Rumi Forum organized an interfaith conversation on the environment from the perspectives of the three Abrahamic religions. \nThe biblical starting point for any discussion of religious environmental stewardship is anchored around the Book of Genesis. Likewise\, The Holy Qur’an and Sunnah are a guiding light for Muslims to promote sustainable development within their home countries and around the world. In modern times\, however\, the Abrahamic vision of the relationship between God\, man\, and nature becomes muddled.  In light of these contemporary confusions about the true nature of stewardship\, and because the concept is so central to the concern of religious tradition\, this panel will hope to shed light on the common concerns\, beliefs\, and aspirations of environmental stewardship. \nSpeakers: \n \nElizabeth (Lizz) Goldstein is a native of Branford\, CT\, in New Haven county. She completed her undergraduate studies in 2010 at Hampshire College in Amherst\, MA\, where she studied the sociology and anthropology of violence and how the environment plays a role in violent conflicts. She spent the Fall 2008 semester in Israel at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. In 2016\, Lizz graduated from the Academy for Jewish Religion in Yonkers\, NY in May as an ordained rabbi. She moved down to Virginia to serve as the rabbi of Congregation Ner Shalom shortly after ordination. As an activist\, Lizz has been involved in many Tikkun Olam projects\, was a Global Justice Fellow with American Jewish World Service\, and has advocated on behalf of the environment\, as well as for people. She is dedicated to a career of drawing from Jewish history and values to work toward social justice and is happy to share some of those lessons and values with others. \n  \nTaalibah Hassan\, M.Ed.\, has been a guest speaker on Islam since the 1980’s and is an experienced interfaith dialogue facilitator. She co-authored the chapter “Dialogue as A Way to Know the Other\,” in the book Faithful Neighbors (2016). Taalibah serves on the Board of Directors of the Muslim Association of Virginia\, which has the largest mosque in Prince William County. She is the Vice President. The Muslim Association of Virginia not only oversees the daily\, Friday Congregational\, and Holiday Eid prayers but also Qur’an classes and has both Boy and Girl Scout troops. The Association has a variety of programs that support the religious and social needs of the community\, of more than three thousand people. She also chairs the Interfaith committee that holds several programs each year to educate people about Islam and Muslims. Taalibah has a Graduate Certificate in Muslim-Christian Studies from the Washington Theological Consortium. She is currently enrolled at Hartford Seminary in the Imam and Muslim Community Leadership Certificate program. She is a retired Biology teacher and resides in Dale City with her husband of forty –one years and has two adult children. \n  \n \nRev. Dr. Lisa Kenkeremath serves as Manassas Presbyterian Interim Pastor. She has served pastorates in the Washington\, DC area since 2001\, most recently as Interim Pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church in Springfield\, VA. She holds M.Div. and D.Min. degrees from Virginia Theological Seminary and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary\, respectively\, and has studied in Jerusalem and Aberdeen\, Scotland. She is also the author of the book\, Relentless Mercy\, which is a collection of sermons seeking to illuminate the ways in which God\, in mercy\, acts to touch\, heal\, and repair our broken hearts and broken world. Lisa and her husband\, Deepak Kenkeremath\, have two adult sons and live in Falls Church\, VA.  URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/abrahamic-perspectives-on-preserving-the-environment/ LOCATION:Congregation Ner Shalom \, 14010 Spriggs Rd.\, Woodbridge\, VA\, 22193\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/interfaith-environment-e1526315257584.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180329 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180330 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20180514T195237Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211214T202814Z UID:17400-1522281600-1522367999@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: "Exploring an Interfaith Connection Between Faith and Food" DESCRIPTION:Rumi Forum assisted the US Department of Agriculture with organizing an Abrahamic panel of faith and food on March 29\, 2018. The panel discussion\, titled “Faith and Food: Exploring an Interfaith Connection Between Faith and Food“\, examined the deep connection that faith communities have with food and agriculture.  \nDr. Herbert Brown from Black Church Food Security Network\, Imam Albert Sabir from the Nation’s Mosque\, and Cantor Hinda Labovitz from Ohr Kodesh Congregation talked about the connection between faith and food. The panel was moderated by Peter Kovach. URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/faith-and-food-exploring-an-interfaith-connection-between-faith-and-food-agriculture/ LOCATION:US Department of Agriculture\, 1400 Independence Ave SW\, Washington\, DC\, 20250\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Rumi-Forum-USDA-Panel-good-friday-1-e1526312078981.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20180322T183000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20180322T203000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20180108T195925Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211214T204345Z UID:17408-1521743400-1521750600@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: "Challenges to Christianity in the US-Lessons for other faith communities" DESCRIPTION:On March 22nd\, 2018 we discussed what challenges Christianity faces in 21st century America with a group of distinguished panelists. \n \nRumi Forum and faith leaders discussed the challenges and lessons of Christianity in America. On March 22nd\, panelists presented their own narratives and facilitated strategical interfaith applications for the community. Speakers included Joel Rainey\, lead pastor of Covenant Church in Shepherdstown West Virginia\, Brian Hamilton\, co-pastor of Westminister DC and former professor of sociology in addition to Patrick Carolan\, executive director of the Franciscan Action Network and co-founder of the Global Catholic Climate Movement. The event was moderated by William Dinges who shared his expertise in religion in America. \nSpeakers: \nJoel Rainey\, the lead pastor of Covenant Church in Shepherdstown West Virginia\, is located in the tri-state area of Maryland\, West Virginia\, and the NOVA/Washington DC area. The author of three books\, Dr. Rainey is a former missionary and evangelical denominational executive with intercultural experience on 5 continents. He has led efforts to plant more than 100 new evangelical churches in the US and around the world. He lives in Shepherdstown with his wife Amy and their three children. \n  \n  \nBrian Hamilton\, co-pastor of Westminster DC with his partner Ruth\, was ordained on Sept. 9\, 1992\, and has served parishes in Philadelphia\, Detroit\, and Westminster.  He’s a second-career pastor\, working before as a sociology professor and community developer. Brian grew up in Princeton\, Maine. He received his BA in Sociology from Eastern Baptist College. He received his Master of Divinity from Union Theological in New York City.   \n  \n  \nPatrick Carolan has been executive director of the Franciscan Action Network since 2010. He is also a co-founder of the Global Catholic Climate Movement\, an organization working on global climate justice issues as well as Faithful Democracy\, a faith coalition focused on the issue of Money in Politics\, working to educate on the corruptive influence of big money on our democracy. He is a recipient of the 2015 White House Champion for Change Award for his work in the Climate Change arena\, a Senior Fellow at the Center for Earth Ethics and is personally dedicated to social justice to bring about individual and societal transformation. \n  \nWilliam D. Dinges is an Ordinary Professor of Religious Studies in the School of Theology and Religious Studies and a fellow of the Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies at The Catholic University of America. He received his Ph.D. in American Studies in 1983 from the University of Kansas. He has been on the faculty at Catholic University for the past thirty-one years. Dr. Dinges’ research interests include a variety of religion and culture topics: Religion in America (Catholicism in particular)\, religious movements\, religion and globalization\, fundamentalism\, and religion and ecology. He has published articles on these and related topics in Sociological Analysis\, U.S. Catholic Historian\, Journal of Contemporary Religion\, Religion and American Culture\, The Way\, The Living Light\, America\, Commonweal\, and in other scholarly and popular journals and anthologies.  URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/challenges-to-christianity-in-america-lessons-for-other-faith-communities/ LOCATION:Westminster Church\, 400 I Street SW20024\, Washington\, DC\, 20024\, United States CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Challenges-to-Christianity-Main.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180121 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180122 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20171129T200105Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210408T200315Z UID:17410-1516492800-1516579199@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Challenges of Survival: Religious Minority Communities in a Secular Melting Pot Nation DESCRIPTION:The Jewish-Islamic Dialogue Society of Washington along with the Rumi Forum presented this event that examined religious minority communities in America.  \n \nJanuary 21st\, 2018 \n \n2:30 p.m.– 5:00 p.m.\n \nTemple Rodef Shalom\n2100 Westmoreland Street\nFalls Church\, VA 22043 \n  \nAmerica is rightfully celebrated for how it protects all religions. Yet our nation is not simply shaped by its religious freedom laws but also by a melting pot culture that has grown increasingly secular. For our minority religions\, the desire to assimilate into that culture has become more of a threat with each successive generation. Come hear members of the Muslim\, Jewish and Sikh communities reflect on these potentially existential challenges to the survival of their communities on these shores.   \n \n  \nPanelists: \nNisa Muhammad \nAssistant Dean for Religious Life at Howard University\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nGagan Narang\nDirector- Organizational Development and Learning at Public Company Accounting Oversight (PCAOB)\n \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nDr. Ira Weiss\nA scholar who frequently lectures on Palestinian-Israel relations\n  \n  \n  URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/challenges-of-survival-religious-minority-communities-in-a-secular-melting-pot-nation-2/ LOCATION:DC CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Challenges-of-Survival_-Religious-Minority-Communities-Main.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171019 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171020 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20170912T200521Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210408T200641Z UID:17414-1508371200-1508457599@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Peaceful Communities: Faiths for Social Justice DESCRIPTION:On October 19th Fairfax Presbyterian Church hosted the Rumi Forum for a discussion on social justice through the context of faith. \nDate: Thursday\, October\, 19th \nTime: 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm \nLocation: Fairfax Presbyterian Church\n10723 Main Street\, Fairfax\, VA 22030 \n“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi \nWe define social justice as a concept of fair and just relation between the individual and society and struggle over how to promote and achieve that perfect equality. There are various ways to approach social justice from embracing your community\, to celebrating diversity\, to listening more to others\, adopting a politician\, etc.  For this event\, however\, we will approach social justice from a faith perspective. There are many elements of social justice that are referenced in various religious texts and this event aims to highlight those through the three Abrahamic faiths. By doing so\, we hope that the community can learn from each other and ways to channel their religious beliefs into social justice action. \n \nSpeakers:  \nHenry G. Brinton is the Senior Pastor at Fairfax Presbyterian Church Henry grew up in Bowie\, Maryland. He was active in the Christian Community Presbyterian Church throughout his youth and was ordained a deacon as a teenager. After falling in love with religious studies as an undergraduate at Duke University\, he earned a Master of Divinity at Yale Divinity School. In his first pastoral call\, Henry served as associate pastor of First United Church of Christ in Milford\, Connecticut\, a 1200-member congregation with a corporate style of ministry. In 1989\, Henry was called as pastor to Calvary Presbyterian Church in Alexandria. Henry writes freelance articles on religious topics for The Washington Post and USA Today and has been a writer for the preaching journal Homiletics since 1998. \nHenry met his wife Nancy Freeborne in their church youth group in Bowie. They were married in 1985 and have two children\, Sadie and Sam. \n  \n  \nHurunnessa Fariad and her family fled the war in Afghanistan in the late 1970’s and eventually settled in New York City.  She attended a music major high school and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and English Literature.  She is the youngest of 10 kids. She moved to Northern Virginia in 2004 and she currently lives in Sterling\, Va with her 4 daughters.  She was the President of her own IT company for 10 years.  She served as the Vice Principal of ADAMS Radiant Hearts Academy for 8 years until she changed departments and now serves as the Outreach/Interfaith/Communications Coordinator\, Branch Liaison and the ADAMS BEAT Music Director at the ADAMS Center under the leadership of Imam Mohamed Mag. \n  \nRabbi Emeritus Bill Rudolph has been with Congregation Beth El since 1983. He served on a part-time basis about half of that period\, during which he was the associate international director of Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. He was number two at Hillel when it achieved the Renaissance that changed the face of the American Jewish community. He was elected as Beth El’s associate rabbi in 1996 and rabbi in 2001. Rabbi Rudolph took a leadership role in Beth El’s multi-faceted response to Middle East crises in 2002 and 2006\, including two $1 million dollar rallies for the Israel Emergency Campaign. He is the recipient of the Federation’s Matthew Simon Rabbinic Leadership Award. His position with the Federation includes the Federation Board (many terms)\, its Planning & Allocations Committee\, its Rabbinic Cabinet\, and its Missions Committee. He was co-chair of the Community Division and the Affinity Division of the Annual Campaign. URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/peaceful-communities-faiths-for-social-justice-2/ LOCATION:DC CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Design-Untitled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170916 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170917 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20170814T200718Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210408T200842Z UID:17416-1505520000-1505606399@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:A Discussion of God’s Compassion and Forgiveness DESCRIPTION:On Saturday\, September 16th\, 2017 we hosted an interfaith panel around the discussion of God’s Compassion and Forgiveness at the Ohr Kodesh Temple co-sponsored by the Beth El Congregation of Montgomery County. \nInterfaith Panel on God’s Compassion and Forgiveness  \nEvent Time: 9 PM to 10:30 PM \n–Break for Refreshments–  \nService Time: 11 PM \nOhr Kodesh Temple \n8300 Meadowbrook Ln\, Chevy Chase\, MD 20815 \n  \nThis program was part of the celebrations marking the start of Jewish High Holy Days held at Ohr Kodesh Temple in Chevy Chase. Every year on the Saturday night preceding Rosh Ha-Shanah\, they have a late-night service called “Selichot” and this year we had an interfaith panel as part of that service to include speakers from each of the Abrahamic faiths who discussed God’s compassion and forgiveness from each of their faith’s viewpoints.  \n  \nBackground on the Jewish High Holy Days \nAlthough the High Holidays themselves–the two days of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) — occupy three days only\, they lie within a web of liturgy and customs that extend from the beginning of the preceding Hebrew month of Elul through Yom Kippur. The focus of this entire period is the process of teshuvah\, or repentance\, whereby a Jew admits to sins\, asks for forgiveness\, and resolves not to repeat the sins. Recognizing the psychological difficulty of self-examination and personal change\, the rabbis instituted a 40-day period whose intensity spirals toward its culmination on Yom Kippur\, a day devoted entirely to fasting and repentance. \nThe High Holiday period begins on the first day of the Jewish month of Elul. In the Ashkenazi tradition\, during this month of soul searching\, the shofar\, or ram’s horn\, is blown each morning except on the Sabbath\, to call upon listeners to begin the difficult process of repentance. Also in Elul special haftarot–prophetic portions–focusing on consolation acknowledge the vulnerability of an individual grappling with personal change. During the week before Rosh Hashanah\, intensity increases as traditional Jews begin reciting selichot\, prayers that involve confessing sins and requesting God’s forgiveness and help. On the Sabbath before Rosh Hashanah\, the selichot is chanted at midnight\, rather than their usual early morning hour. \nBackground Source: http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-high-holidays/ \nTemple Information: http://www.ohrkodesh.org/ \nSpeakers: \nImam Ali Siddiqui Classically educated Imam\, Khatib\, Interfaith Leader\, organizer\, Chaplain\, and Advocate for Mutual Understanding and Respect\, Peace\, Economic Justice\, and Humane Immigration with 43 years of interfaith experience working with Jews\, Christians\, Catholics\, Mormons\, Quakers\, Buddhists\, Sikh\, and the other faiths in the area of community service. Imam Siddiqui is very engaged and frequently delivers invocations and benedictions at City Councils and School Boards\, civic and political groups\, and Graduation Ceremonies. He teaches Islam\, comparative religion\, history of Islam and Muslims of Americas\, contemporary issues to Muslims and non-Muslims at the institutions of higher learning including Sonoma State\, Santa Rosa Community College\, School of Religion (Claremont Graduate University)\, California Baptist University\, Disciple of Christ Seminary\, School of Theology (now Lincoln University)\, and La Verne University\, and Open University Denver. \n  \nThe Reverend Doctor Roy Howard has been the pastor of Saint Mark Presbyterian Church in Rockville since 2001. Prior to that he served congregations in Virginia and Kentucky. He earned his master’s degree in Social Work from Florida State University\, his masters in divinity from Emory University in Atlanta and his Doctorate in Ministry from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC Pastor Howard has been active in interfaith relations throughout his career particularly with Jewish-Christian encounters since his first trip to Israel in 1985. Since that time he has traveled to Israel many times and been instrumental in creating a dialogue with Jews and Christians\, as well as Muslims. In 2006 he and Rabbi Bill Rudolph established a dialogue group between Beth El and Saint Mark including a joint congregations visit to Israel. His most recent trip to Israel was with Interfaith Partners for Peace accompanied by Rabbi Greg Harris of Beth El and Rabbi Batya Glacier of the Jewish Community Relations Council.  \n  \nRabbi Lyle Fishman has been the religious leader of Ohr Kodesh Congregation since 1984. He served the Greenburgh Hebrew Center in Dobbs Ferry\, New York\, before that. He graduated with honors from Yale University majoring in religious studies. He spent his junior year at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He then attended The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York from which he received a Master’s degree in Hebrew Literature and then rabbinical ordination. He taught at the Herzl Institute of New York while serving as a rabbi. He has authored “Why Did Nadav and Avihu” for the Proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly (1989) and “The Value Base of Jewish Family Life Education: A Rabbinic View” in “A Generation of Service: History of the Department on Religious Affairs 1952-1982” (1982). Rabbi Fishman is also very active in his community\, helping to create the Washington Chevra Chapter to foster a better interchange of ideas among community rabbis\, among other initiatives. URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/a-discussion-of-gods-compassion-and-forgiveness/ LOCATION:DC CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/A-Discussion-of-Gods-Compassion-and-Forgive-Main-2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170503 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170504 DTSTAMP:20260526T111617 CREATED:20170404T200857Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210408T201002Z UID:17418-1493769600-1493855999@rumiforum.org SUMMARY:Women of Faith's Contribution to Society: Role Models from History DESCRIPTION:The Rumi Forum hosted a panel event at Temple B’nai Shalom for a presentation on women of faith and their contribution to society.  \nDate & Time: \nMay 3rd\, 2017 \n6:30 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. \nVenue: \nTemple B’nai Shalom\n7612 Old Ox Road\nFairfax Station\, VA 22039 \nThe Rumi Forum organized an event highlighting the experiences of women in the three Abrahamic faith traditions. The event featured a panel discussion followed by a question and answer session where audience members had the opportunity to direct questions towards any of the three-panel members\, each one representing a different religion. \n \nReverend Meg Peery McLaughlin\, a pastor at Burke Presbyterian Church\, spoke first about the inherent equality between men and women illustrated in the book of Genesis with God’s creation of a single creature who is then separated into a man and a woman. However\, cultural and societal norms often overshadow this inherent equality found in the Bible. Reverend McLaughlin gave insight into the ways that Christian women have often struggled silently or behind the scenes in order to do God’s work. Her remarks touched upon her own family history\, as the child of generations of Presbyterian ministers\, as well as the story of Jo Ann Robinson\, a civil rights activist who was a key organizer in the bus boycott in Montgomery\, Alabama. Reverend McLaughlin spoke about how Robinson among many other women played important roles in orchestrating God’s work\, despite never receiving recognition\, and how it is often in silence where we can hear and feel God strongly. \nRiham Osman\, Communications Coordinator at the Muslim Public Affairs Council built upon the idea of silence\, speaking upon the absence of positive stories about Muslims; Muslim women in particular\, in the news or on social media. She emphasized the difficulty in working to bring these positive stories to connect with a wider audience. Osman then spoke about two Muslim women in history named Khadija and Aisha\, who provide powerful examples of female leadership in the religion of Islam. Both women were wives of the Prophet Muhammed and challenged traditional gender roles of the time. In Khadija’s case\, she engaged in trade and business (a male-dominated profession) which then allowed her to provide for her husband. Aisha\, on the other hand\, challenged gender norms of her time by becoming a scholar of Islamic jurisprudence\, which gave her the ability to interpret the law and the Quran from the very beginning. \nThe final speaker was Rabbi Laura Rappaport\, Assistant Rabbi\, and Educator at Temple B’nai Shalom\, who discussed the damaging effect of preconceived notions of gender and the different expectations that society sets for individuals as a result. Rappaport noted that Jewish women in every field have made important contributions to history\, not just in the roles typically reserved for women. She mentioned the biblical hero Esther\, who strove to save her people despite the limited resources available to her demonstrating that there are many ways to achieve greatness and forward God’s work. A lesson that Rabbi Rappaport drew from this story and from other examples of women of faith acting in ways that challenged expectations is the need to look beyond the stereotypes that we hold of others and to use these examples to broaden narrow definitions of value and appropriate behavior. \nThe discussion concluded with a question and answer session where all three panelists talked about the process of change within religion and the difficulties in adapting ancient faiths to contemporary issues. Questions touched upon the issues surrounding women’s leadership in prayer and religious ritual\, spiritual guidance in the wake of recent political events\, and the struggles of younger generations to find meaning and comfort in traditional houses of worship. Through this discussion\, the panelists were able to highlight the diverse contributions of women in religion and bring nuance to the term “woman of faith” while stressing the need for unity among faith communities in order to help bridge societal divides. \nSpeakers: \nRabbi Laura Rappaport is Assistant Rabbi and Educator at Temple B’nai Shalom. She brings a wealth of experience as a pulpit rabbi\, a Director of Congregational Learning\, a board-certified hospital chaplain\, a director of non-profits\, an adjunct college faculty member\, an educator for all ages in many settings and the mother of two. Rabbi Rappaport grew up in rural Northwest New Jersey and received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She received her M.A.H.L. and Rabbinic Ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (Jerusalem and Cincinnati campuses). She has also completed Masters’ level courses in Bio-ethics from Rush University and the University of Washington and Doctoral level courses in Jewish Studies from Spertus College in Chicago. \n  \n  \n  \nThe Reverend Meg Peery McLaughlin serves as Co-Pastor at Burke Presbyterian Church\, alongside her husband\, Jarrett. She is a native of North Carolina\, graduated with a Bachelor’s in English Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and with a Master’s in Divinity and in Christian Education from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond\, VA. Meg was ordained as a Teaching Elder (Minister of Word and Sacrament) in 2006\, at Village Presbyterian Church near Kansas City\, MO\, where she served for seven years in the role of Pastoral Care. \n  \n  \nRiham Osman joined the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) in September 2013 as the Program Assistant in the Washington\, DC office\, where she provided leadership in several office initiatives. Riham currently serves as the Communications Coordinator in Washington\, DC where she specializes in digital media\, manages the organization’s online presence and works to ensure the media accurately portrays American Muslims.\nPrior to joining MPAC\, Riham was an MPAC Young Leader and participated in MPAC’s 2013 Government Summit\, which sparked an interest in her to pursue a career at the crossroads of policy and media. Riham is a 2013 University of Mary Washington alumna and received her undergraduate education in International Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies. Riham has appeared on multiple media outlets\, including NPR\, ABC7\, NBC\, and CCTV. She has also commented on issues such as countering violent extremism and Islamophobia in the Washington Post\, Bloomberg\, the Huffington Post\, and the International Business Times. \n  \nCheck out the full story\, featured in the Burke Connection: https://rumiforum.org/seeking-that-which-unites-us/ URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/women-of-faiths-contribution-to-society-role-models-from-history/ LOCATION:DC CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rumiforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Women-of-Faith-Role-Models-from-History-Main.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR