Rumi Forum

Unity Walk 2016: Know Your Neighbor
2016-09-09 | VA
Rumi Forum is a sponsor to this year’s Unity Walk organized by InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington on September 11, 2016.
On September 11th, 2016, people of all faiths and cultures from around the Washington, DC region will walk down Massachusetts Avenue and visit houses of worship and other religious centers in a public celebration of unity and support for everyone within our diverse community.
Today, more than ever, our message of friendship and solidarity is critical. We hope you will join us and add your voice to this powerful event.
The Unity Walk is open and free to everyone. There is a suggested donation of $25 for adults and $10 for students, seniors, and those of limited income. Please consider contributing to the walk beyond the suggested amount if you are able.
Register for the Walk here.
Unity Walk Schedule (Subject to Change):
Walkers are invited to join the walk at anytime along the route.

Walk-in registration, Resource Fair, and Donation Drop-off: 12:30-1:30 pm at Washington Hebrew Congregation, 3935 Macomb St. NW, Washington, DC 20016
Opening ceremony: 1:30pm at Washington Hebrew Congregation
The program will include: Greetings by Rabbi Lustig, Washington Hebrew Congregation, a prayer offered by a leader from the Sikh Gurdwara DC, and a musical send off by David Shneyer and a group of musicians from Kehila Chadasha.
Open House Block 1: 1:50pm-3pm
Embassy Church
Annunciation Catholic Church
Sikh Gurdwara
Washington National Cathedral
St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Open House Block 2: 3pm-4:15pm
Community of Christ Church
Soka Gakkai- USA, Buddhist Cultural Center
St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral
Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See to the United States
Indian Consulate
Closing Ceremony: 4:30pm, The Islamic Center of Washington, DC
The program will include: Remarks by Rev. Jim Winkler, President of the National Council of Churches, and a performance by Mosaic Harmony, a local interfaith choir.
Each house of worship will have their own programming including a demonstration of religious rituals, a tour of the building, an offering of traditional foods, and an introduction to the religion and its practices. For more information about our resource fair or our services projects that will be happening during the walk, please see below.
Thank you to our sponsors:
All Dulles Area Muslim Society
Community of Christ
Dar al Hikrah
Department of Human Services, Washington, D.C. Government
Foundation for Ethnic Understanding
Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land
Islamic Relief USA
Islamic Society of North America
Metropolitan Memorial UMC
Muslim Community Center
The Nation’s Mosque, Masjid Muhammad
Rock Spring Congregational UCC
Rumi Forum
Thank you to our regional partners:
Fairfax County Community Interfaith Coordination
Loudoun Interfaith BRIDGES
Mayor’s Interfaith Council of Washington, DC
Montgomery County Faith Community Working Group
Unity in the Community
Additional Activities:
Resource Fair: This is an excellent opportunity to share information about your organization with a diverse cross-section of people from throughout the greater DC area. For more information about the fair, or if you would like to take part, please email us at: unitywalk@ifcmw.org. The last day to sign up for the fair is Monday, September 5th.
Service Projects: We will have two service projects at the Unity Walk this year. The first will be at Washington Hebrew Congregation (WHC) between 12:30pm and 1:30pm. Together with WHC and Friendship Place, we will be collecting long underwear to help men, women, and children in need in the DC area. We invite all walkers to donate a pair (or more) of long underwear when they arrive at WHC. Sizes XL and larger are best, although all sizes are welcome.
The second will be apple bagging at Annunication Catholic Church, between 2pm and 3pm. This project is part of an ongoing gleaning program at The Society of St. Andrew in Virginia.
To serve as a volunteer during the day, please email us at: unitywalk@ifcmw.org
More questions about the walk? Visit our FAQ page for answers!
Additional contributions to the 2016 Unity Walk or to the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington are always welcome.
Click here for the press release for the walk

Source: http://ifcmw.org/unity-walk/

Abrahamic Discussion Series-Religious Freedoms and Minority Rights
2016-04-06 | VA
On April 6, 2016, the Rumi Forum held a discussion concerning religious freedom and minority rights with a distinguished Abrahamic panel.

April 6, 2016 6:30 PM- 8:00 PM
ATFA 3949 University Dr. Fairfax VA 22030
Rabi Kahn started off with mentioning three Turkish people that have played an important role in his lifetime. By defining the roots of the word Shalom, he introduced the importance of protecting others’ faith, religious freedom, and minority rights. He discussed a verse in the biblical book of leviticus, stating, “Love your fellow as yourself.” In addition, he followed up with multiple verses from various biblical texts concerning the general idea of religious tolerance and minority rights. One eye catching verse was, “The one who saves one person is like they have saved the world,” which is universal in the religion of Islam as well. In the holy books there are numerous verses regarding freedom of religion and minority groups, which he connected with the history of Judaism and its followers. He included the struggles that Jews faced and how they have always been a small minority group with a different set of central beliefs. He brought up the nation of Israel and its many achievements and collaborations with neighboring countries. He wrapped it up by stating the growing alliance between religious and political organizations.
Rev. Buxton began and reminisced about his times with Bilal Akkaya in Turkey and the times he visited turkish homes. Like Khan, he mentioned ethnic minority and how it isn’t very much related to Christianity due to the way it is organized. After introducing Christianity, he summarized its history. He mentioned the small 20 year time from of Christianity being a minority group and eventually breaking apart from Judaism into its own faith and later from Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox into the Protestant sect. In addition, he included the debates that questions that spur separation in Christianity, most recently the topic of whether homosexuality is acceptable. Another point he came across was that the idea that no religious group remains a minority for long, as one day they break apart. He asked a very insightful question to the audience, “How do we interpret the bible?” This question helps to explain why followers of Christianity break up and form their own smaller specific set of beliefs. He concluded with another deep question, “When is a minority asked to be a minority with humility?”
Rabia Chaudry she began with explaining how she has multiple perspectives in regard to situations, as she is an American, Pakistani, and a certified attorney. She began to delve into how America is all about religious freedom and how it compares to Europe. She connected how Islam also speaks directly towards the protection of religious minorities by touching on an instance where Muhammad (pbuh) reassured Christians on their safety, freedom, and trust in practicing their own faith. In fact, she included the words of Muhammad (pbuh) regarding the covenant that ensures that Muslims will have respect and honor towards people of the Christian faith, quoting, “Nobody of the muslim nation is to disobey this covenant which will not be broken until the day of judgment.” She also talked about her addiction in helping out people of faith in Pakistan, who don’t have nearly as many rights as in America. While mentioning the covenant, she introduced how it plays a role in American politics, where fellow Christians and Jews are debating whether having a muslim or not in the cabinet. “Muslims are the ethnic minority in America,” she said. By stating this, she continued on how the racism and hate crimes in America go unnoticed and are a real problem. She finished by saying that Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike should be able to recognize and defend each other when they are an ethnic minority and are not under protection.
Rev. Dr. Larry Buxton has been the Senior Pastor at Burke since 2007. He is a graduate of The University of Virginia, Yale Divinity School, and Wesley Theological Seminary. Larry served for years on the Virginia Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and remains active on the Alexandria District Committee on Ordained Ministry. He teaches The Practice of Preaching at the summer Course of Study School at Wesley Theological Seminary. Larry is also a Board Certified Coach (BCC) and a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the standard professional organization for personal and professional coaching.
Rabia Chaudry is a wife, mother, attorney, President of the Safe Nation Collaborative, National Security Fellow at the New America Foundation, and a senior CVE consultant. As a civically engaged legal practitioner, Rabia has experience in immigration law, civil liberties, and national security. Her work with the New America Foundation focuses on the empowerment and inclusion of American Muslim communities in the national security realm. Her firm Safe Nation Collaborative works on two fronts: providing CVE and cultural competency training to law enforcement, correctional, and homeland security officials, and providing national security and CVE training to Muslim communities and institutions.
Rabbi Bruce Kahn is Rabbi Emeritus at the Temple Shalom, where he served as its rabbi from 1980-88 and as its senior rabbi from 1988-2001. Ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1974, he spent the next two years on active duty as a US Navy Chaplain. He then continued his military career in the Navy’s Ready Reserve force while he accepted the pulpit of Congregation Or Ami in Richmond, Virginia before coming to Shalom in 1980. Bruce Kahn worked with Temple Shalom’s leadership to establish the Mitzvah Corps, the Madrichim program, the chavurah expansion, numerous advances in our social justice, b’nei mitzvah, confirmation, post confirmation, adult education, liturgical programs, and much more. His constant emphasis was on service to God through helping individual members, groups of members and the congregation in its entirety use our faith to move towards wholeness of being.

NOVA Region Responds to Syrian Refugee Crises
2016-03-29 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | ATFA, 14120 Newbrook Dr., Chantilly, VA, 20151, United States

Welcoming the Stranger: Refugees and Immigrants in Our Midst
2016-02-25 | VA
On February 25, 2016, the Rumi Forum hosted an Abrahamic Discussion Series panel on the issue of refugees and immigrants.
Naseem Rizvi, Dr. Patricia Maloof, Rabbi Gerry Serotta and Sandra Chisholm discussed the issue from the viewpoint of Abrahamic traditions.
Date: February 25, 2016 at 6:30 PM
Venue: ATFA 3949 University Dr. Fairfax, VA 22031

Naseem Rizvi has numerous years of experience in the field of International Affairs as well as in the non-profit sector. Rizvi obtained her master’s degree in International Affairs at the Quid- e- Azam University in Islamabad, Pakistan. She has worked as an adjunct instructor at the University of Loyola in Chicago where she taught several classes on U.S.-Afghanistan Foreign Policy as well as human rights and international affairs in Asia. She has also served as a panelist speaking about Islam and women issues. Rizvi then became a case manager and a program coordinator at the Council of Peoples Organization in Brooklyn, New York to assist diverse communities in health, employment, education, and legal issues. From 2008 to 2014, Naseem Rizvi worked at the Open Society Foundations and conducted extensive research and produced papers on international funding trends.
Dr. Patricia Maloof is the Program Director of Migration and Refugee Services for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington (VA). She was formerly the Director of Development with the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), the largest charitable immigration legal services network in the United States. Dr. Maloof began her work with refugees in the 1980s. She advocates, publishes, and conducts research on barriers to health care access and the provision of services to refugees and immigrants. Dr. Maloof is trained as a medical interpreter and is a part-time faculty member in the Department of Anthropology at the Catholic University of America. Three of her publications can be found on-line: Muslim Refugees in the United States; Mind/Body/Spirit: Toward a Biopsychosocial-Spiritual Model of Health; and A Review of the Literature — Mentoring: An Evidence-based Strategy to Increase Diversity Among Students and Faculty from Racial and Ethnic Groups Underrepresented in Maternal and Child Health Training Programs. She has a Ph.D. in Medical Anthropology from the Catholic University of America and a B.A. and M.A. in Anthropology from George Washington University.
Rabbi Gerald Serotta is the Executive Director of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington (IFC) Prior to his position at the IFC he was the Founding Executive Director of Clergy Beyond Borders. Rabbi Serotta formerly served as a University Chaplain and Hillel Rabbi for 28 years, the last twenty years at The George Washington University, where he was Chair of the Board of Chaplains. He also served as President of the Association of Hillel and Jewish Campus Professionals. While on Sabbatical from Hillel, he held the position of Senior Rabbinic Scholar-in-Residence at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, working on issues of globalization and economic justice from a Jewish perspective. He also served Temple Shalom and Shirat HaNefesh Congregations in Chevy Chase, MD., as spiritual leader.
Sandra Chisholm has been the Fairfax County Community Interfaith Liaison for over 15 years and directs the Fairfax County Community Interfaith Coordination Program within the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services. During her time, she has increased the coordination between communities, non-profit organizations, and government organizations to help strengthen their service systems and structures. She was the recipient of the prestigious Onthank Award in 2010 to honor her outstanding work in advancing and improving public service. Chisholm has also been involved in creating several interfaith task forces to increase awareness for emergency preparation by providing training and engaging places of worship.

Sacrifice and Selflessness in Abrahamic Traditions
2015-11-09 | VA
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 | VA
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 | VA
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 | VA

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

Emir Abdelkader--Fanatic or Freedom Fighter? His Relevance for Today
2009-06-02 16:30 - 18:00 | VA
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.
