Rumi Forum

Sacrifice and Selflessness in Abrahamic Traditions
2015-11-09 | DC
Rumi Forum organized an Abrahamic Table Discussion on “Selfless and Sacrifice” in partnership with the American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA).

Imam Yahya Hendi is the Muslim Chaplain at Georgetown University, the first American University to hire a full-time Muslim chaplain. Imam Hendi is a Public Policy Conflict Resolution Fellow of the Center for Dispute Resolution of the University of Maryland School of Law and the Maryland Judiciary’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office. Imam Hendi is the founder and the President of Clergy Beyond Borders. He also serves as a member of the Islamic Jurisprudence Council of North America. Mr. Hendi’s undergraduate education was in Islamic Studies and his graduate education was in comparative religions with interest in Christianity, Judaism, comparative religions and inter-religious dialogue and relations. Imam Hendi often visits and lectures at churches and synagogues hoping to create a new positive relationship between the followers of the three Abrahamic religions. In 2012, Imam Yahya Hendi was named as one of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims for his work as an interfaith dialogue activist and trainer.
The Rev. Tim Tutt is the Senior Minister at the Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ in Bethesda, MD. He is a native of Longview, Texas, and a graduate of Baylor University and Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond in Richmond, Virginia. Prior to entering the seminary, he worked on Capitol Hill as a Legislative Assistant. After seminary, he served as Protestant Chaplain at Georgetown University for a school year. From June of 2001 until July of 2012, Tim served as Senior Pastor of United Christian Church in Austin, Texas. Tim is active in Action in Montgomery and the College of Pastoral Leaders at Austin Presbyterian Seminary. He serves on the Board of Reach Beyond Mission and on various denomination committees. He is an occasional writer at OnFaith.
Rabbi Doug Heifetz serves as the Rabbi of Oseh Shalom, a Reconstructionist Jewish congregation in Laurel, Maryland. He is currently the President of the Washington Board of Rabbis and has served as a founding steering committee member for Interfaith Worker Justice of Maryland. He is the co-founder of Mosaicverse, a forthcoming web and mobile service for the sharing and discussion of the sacred writings of the world’s faith tradition. He speaks and writes about spiritual, Jewish and social topics of interest, often including tikkun olam, social and economic justice, cultivating gratitude, environmental sustainability, wellness and health, and political reconciliation. Rabbi Heifetz received a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University, where he completed an internationally oriented liberal arts program, focused on Middle Eastern Regional Studies. He also obtained a Certificate in Peace and Justice Studies. After graduation, he worked as a union organizer helping low-income working people to pursue social justice.

Social Justice in Theology and Practice - the Abrahamic Traditions
2014-02-25
A panel consisting of Rabbi Batya Steinlauf, The Rev. Dr. Carol Flett, and Aisha Rahman esq. discussed social justice in theology and practice on Tuesday, February 25, 2014.

Rabbi Batya Steinlauf, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington’s Director of Social Justice and Interfaith Initiatives, is a Conservative rabbi, ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1998. Batya works with local Jewish organizations to promote social justice projects and awareness in the community, and is actively engaged with the diverse and vibrant interfaith and multiethnic community in the greater Washington area. She serves as President of the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington as well and is a co-chair of the Montgomery County Executive’s Faith Community Advisory Working Group. She has a BA in Political Science from Rutgers University, a degree in Master of Hebrew Letters from The University of Judaism, as well as a Master’s degree and Rabbinic Ordination from J.T.S. Batya has worked in Jewish Education at all levels and at a number of social service agencies. Batya lives in Washington D.C. with her husband, Rabbi Gil Steinlauf, and their three children, Elana, Noah and Meirav.
The Rev. Dr. Carol Flett, Ecumenical & Inter-religious Officer for the Episcopal diocese of Washington, served as a parish priest for 25 years in Massachusetts and the Washington area. She earned a Doctorate of Ministry in 2000, focusing on congregational development and anti-racism education. Post-911, she began using her anti-racism education training to develop interfaith dialogues through the Massachusetts Council of Church, and in DC, at the Washington National Cathedral. She initiated the Bethesda-Rockville Interfaith group, and in DC, continues to coordinate the Abrahamic Roundtable and the Daughters of Abraham book group. She enjoys travel and has visited Israel four times, joined an interfaith group that traveled in Spain, and an interfaith group that traveled in Turkey. She and her husband have visited in Spain, France, Italy, England, Scotland, Ireland, Mexico and Honduras.
Aisha Rahman, Esq. is Executive Director of KARAMAH and also serves as the head of the organization’s Family Law Division. Ms. Rahman received her higher education at Emory University and The University of Tennessee College of Law, where she was a staff editor of the Tennessee Journal of Law and Policy and headed the Muslim Law Student Association. Ms. Rahman came to KARAMAH from Legal Aid of East Tennessee where she was a staff attorney litigating cases on domestic violence. In her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, Ms. Rahman chaired the Social Justice Committee of the Shura (consultative council) at the Muslim Community of Knoxville, an important leadership position.

"The Concept of a Just War According to the Teachings of Judaism, Christianity & Islam"
2013-10-06
Marc Gopin, Ian S. Markham and Imam Abdullah Antepli discussed the varying perceptions of a “just war” in the 3 Abrahamic religions.
The discussion was addressed by the 3 scholars in a chronological order, reflecting the evolution of the concept. In the end, many similarities were found regarding how the 3 religions conceptualized the legitimate use of violence.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/rumiforum/The_Concept_of_a_Just_War_According_to_the_Teachings_of_Judaism_Christianity__Islam.mp3
Event Summary:
Marc Gopin, the director of the Center for World Religions, focused on the Jewish perspective of just war. He began by noting that just war is a highly developed intellectual subject, and briefly explained some of the conflicting viewpoints expressed in the different biblical books including the book of Genesis, Deuteronomy, and Samuel. He highlighted the controversies by quoting the commands in the book of Deuteronomy to kill men, women, and children in the Canaanite nations, but on the other end of the spectrum, he recalled that there are many statements against war in the books of the Prophets. Judaism, in its true nature, is rabbinic Judaism which is formulated in its details and its legal structures by rabbis. Gopin also referenced the different types of wars: obligatory war and permissible war. Old theories of just war focused on kings and authorities that were not elected, where people had absolutely no voice. He concluded that even though the theories of just war in Judaism have very rich ethics of violence and nonviolence, ancient just war theory is not relevant to today because most conditions to declare war are ancient and not present in the modern world.
To elucidate just war theories in Christianity Ian S. Markham began by emphasizing the great challenge to talk about the tradition as a whole. Markham then focused on pacifism, the teaching of Jesus. He called attention to the fact that Jesus found the principle of an eye for an eye insufficient, although a good one. Additionally, Jesus claimed that in cases of violence one is to turn their cheek, that is, to go farther in peace than returning equal violence. Augustine of Hippo is one of the most significant figures to develop the tradition of just war. Later Markham revealed the two key conditions for just war; first the war needs to be established by an appropriate authority and second, the cause needs to be self-defense. The main goal of the restrictions or rather rules for just war is to promote peace. Just war principles could extend to action that needs to be taken to prevent the preventable and be legitimate. Sometimes the only way to prevent war and bring peace is to pause and to think about options other than war.
Imam Abdullah Antepli began his explanation by reminding the audience of a horrible event, 9/11. He underlined how the concept of war, violence, destruction, and terrorism is now used as a synonym for Muslims and Muslim theology. Antepli explained the 4 major Islams and how for each and every category there are different dynamics involved with just war. He described the first Islam as theology, second Islam as Muslims/people, third Islam as history and fourth Islam as a source of fear. Just war is discussed in detail and canonized in the Quran. He stressed that revenge is not the way to go and just like Gopin, he stated that most of this literature today is irrelevant because of the modern warfare and technology.
Marc Gopin is the Director of the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution (CRDC), the James H. Laue Professor at the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University and co-owner of MEJDI, a peace tourism business. Gopin has pioneered projects at CRDC in Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Palestine, and Israel.
Ian S. Markham currently serves as Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia and as Priest Associate at St. Paul’s Church in Alexandria. Prior to Dean Markham’s appointment in 2007, he served as Dean and Professor of Theology and Ethics at Harford Seminary in Connecticut, and as Visiting Professor of Globalization, Ethics, and Islam at Leeds Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom. Dean Markham’s awards include the Robertson Fellow 2006; Teape Lecturera in India 2004; Claggett Fellow attached to Washington National Cathedral in 2000; and Frank Woods Fellow at Trinity College, Melbourne in 1997. With degrees from London, Cambridge, and Exeter Universities he is the author and editor of numerous books including A Theology of Engagement; Truth and the Reality of God; Do Morals Matter; Understanding Christian Doctrine, and Liturgical Life Principles.
Imam Abdullah Antepli completed his basic training and education in his native Turkey. From 1996-2003 he worked on a variety of faith-based humanitarian and relief projects in Myanmar (Burma) and Malaysia with the Association of Social and Economic Solidarity with Pacific Countries. He is the founder and executive board member of the Muslim Chaplains Association and a member of the National Association of College and University Chaplains. From 2003 to 2005 he served as the first Muslim chaplain at Wesleyan University. He then moved to Hartford Seminary in Connecticut, where he was the associate director of the Islamic Chaplaincy Program & Interfaith Relations, as well as an adjunct faculty member.

Ambassadors Speaking: Iraq, A Personal View
2009-06-30 16:00 - 17:30 UTC

Global Financial Crisis and the Fate of Capitalism
2009-06-25 16:00 - 17:30

Emir Abdelkader--Fanatic or Freedom Fighter? His Relevance for Today
2009-06-02 16:30 - 18:00
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.
Abraham`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 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.
Speakers:
Rabbi 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.
Rev. Charles Watson, Jr. is a faculty at 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.

Dr. 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.
