Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf speaks on
"Advancing Peaceful Coexistence between Christians, Jews and Muslims"
Saturday, September 22, 2012
7:30 p.m.
Filene Recital Hall
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Islamic Center
of New York, the Interfaith Center of New York and the World Economic Forum and founder
and CEO of the Cordoba Initiative.
A highly respected advocate of inter-religious dialogue and well-known goodwill ambassador, Rauf is the author of several books on Islam, most recently Moving the Mountain: Beyond Ground Zero to a New Vision of Islam in America, published by Free Press this May. His interpretation of the Qur'an and his articulation of Islam as a peaceful religion have challenged the preconceptions held by many in the West as well as the popularly held beliefs in Islam itself. He states in his new book that it is his mission "to reclaim religious and political discourse from the extremists of all faiths who dominate so many of the headlines."
On the practical front, Feisal has dedicated the Cordoba Initiative to the promulgation of innovative solutions to conflicts in the Middle East, in which he sees a large role for the religious communities. Principally, he challenges American Muslims to become leaders in a worldwide Islamic movement to reclaim the Qur'an in support of modern, moderate, just, open and egalitarian societies. But he has also challenged Christianity and Judaism to take peacemaking roles as well by delivering justice, not religion. The interfaith nature of his concerns underlies his vision to create Cordoba House, a center along the lines of the 92nd Street Y or the Jewish Community Center in NYC.
Feisal has received numerous awards including Time magazine's "100 most influential people of the world" and Arianna Huffington's "2010
Game Changer" Award, and was listed as one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers of 2010
by Foreign Policy magazine. Serving as respondents to Feisal's talk will be Gregory Spinner, assistant
professor of religious studies and a specialist in Judaism and Islam, and the Rev.
Richard Chrisman, drector of Religious and Spiritual Life. A question-and-answer period
will follow.
The event is a collaboration of Skidmore's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life
and the Saratoga Peace Week Committee. Co-sponsoring groups on the Skidmore campus
include the Jewish Student Life Office, the Jacob Perlow Fund, the Department of Philosophy
and Religion, the International Affairs Program and the Intercultural Center. This
event is also supported by funding from the President's Discretionary Fund and from
the Nordlys Foundation.