MABDA Report 29/5/2011

Importance of interfaith dialogue emphasized

Deputy Education Minister of Saudi Arabia, Faisal bin Muammar, emphasized the importance of interfaith dialogue in order to promote peaceful coexistence among the followers of different religions and cultures.

"It is also essential to make joint efforts to stop the deterioration of moral values and fight poverty, terrorism and other crimes," the minister said while addressing the Bordeaux Religious Leaders Summit.

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article427679.ece

Change the World Through Interfaith Dialogue

We may see ways in which the outer world needs to change, but how about the ways our inner world needs to change?

Western Hills United Methodist Church in El Paso, Texas, sought to answer this question in an ordinary yet radical way--sitting down to dinner with neighbors. While many churches saw the Change the World weekend as an opportunity to engage in acts of Christian service, one group of Texas churches led by Western Hills saw the event as a chance to listen to and learn from Muslim neighbors in partnership with the Institute of Interfaith Dialogue/Turkish Raindrop House in El Paso, Texas.

Western Hills joined with the Bond Memorial United Methodist Church in Clint, Texas, and First United Methodist Church of Fabens, Texas, to share an Interfaith Dialogue Dinner at the Raindrop Turkish House.

He announced the plan to establish an international interfaith dialogue center in Vienna. "Saudi Arabia, Austria and Spain have agreed to sign an agreement to establish the center within a few weeks," he said.

https://web.archive.org/web/20120327094346/http://gbgm-umc.org/global_news/full_article.cfm?articleid=6050

Hundreds gather to oppose Islamophobia

Hundreds of people took part in a conference on confronting anti-Muslim racism on Saturday in east London.The conference, organised by the Enough coalition, brought together activists and academics, Muslims and non-Muslims to discuss where Islamophobia comes from and how to tackle it.The conference, held in the London Muslim Centre, brought together the British Muslim Initiative, Stop the War Coalition, Unite Against Fascism and One Society Many Cultures.Weyman Bennett, joint secretary of Unite Against Fascism, told the opening session, “The narrative of the media and the government of the riots ten years ago was that Muslims have self-segregated.

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=24918

Muslim Charles Alawan explains his faith in speech

Charles Alawan from the Inter-Faith Outreach Office of the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn was the keynote speaker at the First Congregational Church Thursday night First Congregational as a part of a Bridges to Cultural Understanding's program, "Learning About the Muslim Culture and Islamic Religion.". Alawan spoke about the teaching of the Islamic faith and the prophet Mohammed, as well as sharing some of the customs of the culture. / Al Lassen/For The Enquirer.

Alawan said his purpose at the event was to inform the public on matters such as whether or not Muslims worship the prophet Muhammad (they don't, he said) and that Islam is not an Arab-only religion. He also said that Jesus, Muhammad and Moses have a lot in common.

http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20110527/NEWS01/105270315

Getting It Right About Islam and American Muslims
American Muslims deserve a break. There are as many as 6 million to 8 million Muslims living in the United States and contributing to the country as doctors, engineers, artists, actors and professionals, but for a decade many have found themselves and their religion wrongly equated with the acts of terrorists like Osama bin Laden. Many have been the victims of fear, suspicion, prejudice, Muslim-bashing, unlawful surveillance, illegal search, arrest and imprisonment.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-l-esposito/american-muslims_b_865262.html