Rumi Forum Podcast

On September 13th, Dr. Katayoun Kishi, Research Associate at Pew Research Center, presented her findings from the ninth in a series of reports by Pew Research Center analyzing the extent to which governments and societies around the world impinge on religious beliefs and practices.

To measure global restrictions on religion in 2016 – the most recent year for which data are available – the study, released in June 2018, ranks 198 countries and territories by their levels of government restrictions on religion and social hostilities involving religion.

Speaker:

Katayoun Mirfendereski Kishi is a research associate at Pew Research Center. She oversees the Center’s annual study on global restrictions on religion. Her previous work has included research on topics such as identity politics and religion, international conflict, survey research, and food security. Before joining Pew Research Center, Kishi held positions at the United States Institute of Peace and the office of the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland. She earned a doctorate in government and politics, with a concentration in comparative politics and quantitative methodology, from the University of Maryland.

Moderator:

Kristen Looney is director of the Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum Institute. Kristen works closely with the President of the Freedom Forum Institute to full the mission of the center and to oversee the day-to-day operations of the following four program areas: Educating Leaders, Promoting Civil Dialogue, Engaging the Public, and Transforming Schools. From 2012 to 2016, Kristen was the head of programs and partnerships for the Tony Blair Faith Foundation in the United States. Previously, Kristen served as chaplain and department chair of religious studies at St. Paul’s School for Girls in Baltimore, Maryland and St. Timothy’s School in Stevenson, Maryland. Prior, Kristen served as clergy in parishes in Florida, California, and New York. Kristen is an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Maryland. She is an awarded graduate of Yale Divinity School (M.Div.).

 

On March 22nd, 2018 we discussed what challenges Christianity faces in a 21st century America with a group of distinguished panelists.

Rumi 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.

Speakers:

Joel Rainey, lead pastor of Covenant Church in Shepherdstown West Virginia, 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.

On March 15th Department Chair of Religion at George Washington University, Robert Eisen joined the Rumi Forum for a presentation on Jews and how they have survived centuries of persecution and thrived in the West.   Over time, Jews have endured great hardships and overcome challenging obstacles in order to be a successful minority religion in the West. Today, Jews make up roughly 2% of the total population in North America while other Western countries such as France (2%), and the United Kingdom (2%) retain similar shares of the global Jewish population. From the adversities that accompany maintaining a religious minority identity, Jews have amassed achievements in economic, intellectual and artistic spheres. In this talk, Professor Robert Eisen will share insights from a book he is currently writing about this occurrence. He will explain from an academic standpoint how Jewish religion and culture evolved over the centuries and prepared Jews for the challenges of the modern period. He will also attempt to share insights about what people from other cultures can learn from the success of Jews in the modern West.   Speaker:   Robert Eisen is a Professor of Religion and Judaic Studies and Chair of the Department of Religion. The focus of his most recent research approaches to peace and violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Eisen is the author of four books that reflect his varied interests: Gersonides on Providence, Covenant, and the Chosen People (State University of New York Press, 1995); The Book of Job in Medieval Jewish Philosophy (Oxford University Press, 2004); The Peace and Violence of Judaism: From the Bible to Modern Zionism (Oxford University Press, 2011); Religious Zionism, Jewish Law, and the Morality of War (Oxford University Press, 2017). He also co-edited Philosophers and the Jewish Bible (University of Maryland Press, 2008) with Charles Manekin. Eisen is currently working on a book about why Jews have been remarkably successful in the modern Western world economically, intellectually, and culturally. Eisen has received a number of grants and awards to support his research, including a Fulbright research grant at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1999-2000. He was also given a teaching award in 2005 from George Washington University in recognition of his contributions in the classroom. Eisen is active in adult education initiatives. He served from 1991-2008 on the Board of Directors for the Foundation for Jewish Studies which brings lecturers to Washington from academic institutions all over the world.  

The Jewish-Islamic Dialogue Society of Washington along with the Rumi Forum presented this event that examined religious minority communities in America. 

January 21st, 2018 
 
2:30 p.m.– 5:00 p.m.
 
Temple Rodef Shalom
2100 Westmoreland Street
Falls Church, VA 22043

 

America 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.  

 

Nisa Muhammad 
Assistant Dean for Religious Life at Howard University

Gagan Narang
Director- Organizational Development and Learning at Public Company Accounting Oversight (PCAOB)

Dr. Ira Weiss
A scholar who frequently lectures on Palestinian-Israel relations

Senior Researcher Besheer Mohamed of the Pew Research Center joined the Rumi Forum for a presentation on a survey of U.S. Muslims on January 16th.

Date: Tuesday, January 16th, 2018

Time: 6:30 pm to 7:00 pm (Reception)

7:00 pm to 8:00 pm (Main Event) 

Daniels Run Peace Church
3729 Old Lee Highway Fairfax, VA 22030

 

The early days of Donald Trump’s presidency have been an anxious time for many Muslim Americans, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. This new survey asked U.S. Muslims; a diverse and growing young population that is currently estimated at 3.35 million, about a wide variety of topics, including religious beliefs and practices, social values, views on extremism and political preferences. The survey was conducted from Jan. 23 to May 2, 2017, on landlines and cellphones, among a representative sample of 1,001 Muslim adults living in the United States. This is the third time Pew Research Center has conducted a comprehensive survey of U.S. Muslims (2007, 2011). 

Besheer Mohamed is a senior researcher at Pew Research Center. He is involved in the design and implementation of many of the Center’s domestic religion polls. He specializes in studying religious minorities in the U.S., with a specific focus on Muslim Americans. Mohamed received a doctorate in sociology as well as a master’s degree in Middle East studies from the University of Chicago. He is the author of “Hybrid identity among Black American Muslims,” as well as “Muslim Immigrants: Hurt by Recession but Not Complaining.” He has worked on the Center’s surveys of U.S. Muslims, Mormons and Jews as well as its polling on attitudes toward religious groups. Mohamed has presented his work at academic conferences and been interviewed by a variety of broadcast and print media.

 

On December 7th Meira Neggaz of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding joined us for a detailed presentation on American Muslims. 

 

Date: Thursday, December 7th
Time: 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm 
Location: 11200 Waples Mill Rd. Suite 360 Fairfax, VA 22030

 

Who are American Muslims? What do they hold dear? What do they believe in? What are their concerns, their fears, their dreams? Who is my neighbor? This discussion aims to open up all of these questions, among others that you, your friend, your community and your country has had.

American Muslims have been thrown into social and political debates since the aftermath of the devastating events of 9/11 that sent the entire country into mourning. Many of those who lost their lives during the attacks were American Muslims. Yet, because of the actions that were taken by a few extremists against American civilians, it was this group that was punished for their actions. In 2015, 14 years after that fateful day, physical assaults against Muslims in the United States have reached 9/11-era levels (with 93 assaults reported to the FBI in 2001, and 91 reported in 2015). There have been anecdotal reports of a continued rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes in the current year.

Muslims have been in America since before the birth of this nation and have continued to build and improve communities across this country. They are one of the largest religions in America yet still face prejudices about who they are and what they believe in. This presentation will draw upon the religion and history of Muslims, along with data that will allow insight into the American Muslim community.

Meira Neggaz is the Executive Director of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), where she is responsible for the institution’s overall leadership, representation, strategy, and growth. Before joining ISPU, Meira was the Senior Program Officer for Marie Stopes International (MSI), a leading international health organization working in 42 countries. There, she led and managed programs in multiple countries, developed partnerships, and managed key grants and donor relationships. Formerly, Meira was the first Executive Director of WINGS in Guatemala, where she grew the organization from its infancy to become a national leader in the health sector, the Guatemalan Country Representative for Curamericas, establishing country presence and leading a USAID funded health program, and the Intake Team Leader at the Big Brother Association of Greater Boston. She holds a BA from Huron University, a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and an International Health Certificate from Boston University.

On October 19th Fairfax Presbyterian Church hosted the Rumi Forum for a discussion on social justice through the context of faith.

We 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.

We sat down with author Ken Bedell on October 11th to talk about his new book Realizing the Civil Rights Dream: Diagnosing and Treating American Racism.

Book Synopsis:

This book explains why America can realize the civil rights dream in the 21st century—if U.S. citizens take actions as individuals as well as work together for equality.

It has been more than 53 years since Martin Luther King Jr. made his “I Have a Dream” speech. Why has the United States still not been able to make King’s dream a reality after a half a century of effort and progress? Is there still hope of full participation for all in America?

In Realizing the Civil Rights Dream: Diagnosing and Treating American Racism, author Kenneth B. Bedell proposes a civil rights dream that grows out of American history and speaks to the 21st-century reality. He makes the case that by adopting a larger perspective of the role of racism in preserving U.S. social, cultural, economic, and political institutions and practices, Americans can understand why it has been so difficult to fulfill the promises of the 1960s civil rights dream. Bedell describes and applies sociological theories that serve to explain why racism is still prevalent in the United States and identifies the steps that are necessary to overcome racism. The book concludes with proposals for ways to apply social science to realize the civil rights dream and examples of how individuals can take action to make a difference.

Features:

• Asks—and answers—the troubling question: Why have the civil rights hopes of the 1960s not yet been realized?
• Demonstrates the relationship between what happens in everyday life and racism’s persistence
• Provides insightful historical context for racism as it exists in the 21st century
• Presents a framework for understanding how social forces preserve racism
• Offers a refreshingly optimistic perspective that racism can be overcome

Available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Realizing-Civil-Rights-Dream-Diagnosing/dp/1440853754

 

Ken Bedell, author of Realizing the Civil Rights Dream: Diagnosing and Treating American Racism earned his doctorate in sociology from Temple University and has graduate degrees in education (New York University), theology ( the University of South Africa and Colgate Rochester/Crozer Divinity School), and in chemistry (Cornell University). Bedell is ordained in the United Methodist Church where he has served local congregation for 18 years in New York, Maryland, and Ohio. His work in the church included teaching sociology and communications at United Theological Seminary (Dayton), heading up higher education work as Associate General Secretary of the Board of Higher Education and Ministry, holding leadership positions in the Methodist Federation for Social Action and the Reconciling Ministries Network, and serving on the Board of Trustees of Rust College, a HBCU in Mississippi. As the Executive Secretary for the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges and Universities, Ken traveled extensively visiting educational institutions in Brazil, Argentina, Korea, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Mozambique, and Austria. Most recently he served in the Obama administration as a Senior Advisor in the Department of Education. There he worked in the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships and directed the President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge. Bedell published widely on topics as varied as the history of worship, the sociology of technology, computer technology in education, and race relations. The World Association for Christian Communication published his book, Different Ships, Same Boat, as part of a series on “In Search of Common Values.”

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.

This 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. 

Speakers:

Imam 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.

The 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. 

Rabbi 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.

On September 6th, 2017 Radwan Ziadeh, a Syrian democracy, and human rights advocate joined us for a presentation on Syrian refugees.

 

The Syrian Refugee Crisis: The Need for a Strategy

Date: Wednesday, September, 6th

Time: 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm 

Location: 11200 Waples Mill Rd.  Suite 360 Fairfax, VA 22030

 

Throughout its internal conflict the “Syria issue” has become more and more complex with issues such as refugees, regional interventions, terrorism, etc. pushing any country, including America, to hesitate to take a position on any of the issues the country faces. The need to address these problems was passed on from the Obama administration to the Trump administration, which has escalated the U.S. military’s role in Syria but has yet to articulate to the public its goals and limitations of those goals, or release a new strategy for the war-torn country to combat ISIL, to deal with the refugee crisis and to push for a political transition to remove Assad. Failure to develop a strategy will further harm the possibility of political stability the country so desperately needs, and is unlikely to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis at hand. The West is currently witnessing the largest forced migration since World War II, testing Europe’s capacity and the American commitment to the international refugee conventions. Failure to bring forth a coherent strategy has wide-reaching impacts beyond simply the humanitarian but also impacts international alliances and the battle against extremism