I’m in Abu Dhabi to give a talk on the Covenants of Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of his time. I’ll focus on what the Covenants tell us about living in a “Muslim state” and shed light on the Covenants’ implications on “global order.” More specifically, I’ll unpack some concepts, including inclusive citizenship, the civic nation, religious pluralism, the dialogue of civilizations, and the culture of encounter, among others. This talk is part of the 5th annual Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies.
Had the privilege of speaking at Hub Talks in Pleasanton, CA back in July. The talk, titled “Christian & Muslim Perspectives of Loving Thy Neighbor,” focused on the fear & ignorance fueling Islamophobia & offered solutions by means of Christian teachings. Shared my own personal/academic approaches to the matter, mainly DEUCE (dialogue, education, understanding, commitment, & engagement). Inspired by Pope Francis’ commitment to the “culture of encounter” & the “new civilization” based on love & pluralism. The full talk has been posted on the personal website (see link on profile page) as well as Twitter & Facebook.
It was an honor to present “An Offering of the Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad to the Christians of the 21st Century” at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Toronto, Canada. I had the pleasure of finally meeting Dr. John Andrew Morrow, the groundbreaking scholar and lead member of the Covenants Initiative. The CI is a movement of diverse scholars working to share and bolster the pluralist vision of humanity as found in the Covenants. It also was a pleasure to meet, for the first time, Imam Abdul Malik of SoundVision, who spoke on the various approaches towards peacemaking as initiated by Muhammad himself. Thanks also to Charles and Jenny Upton for their invaluable contributions to making this presentation possible. Finally, the great author and activist, Rabia Chaudry, was in attendance, and I had the chance to finally interact with her as well. There were many great people at our session - it was a real pleasure. The world will be a better place if we use the Covenants as an anchor for community building. I genuinely believe that.
Very happy for Julian Bear Runner, my friend and kindred spirit. Yesterday, he was elected President of the Oglala Sioux Nation. Julian ran a promising campaign that focused on spirituality and taking care of the canunpa, or sacred pipe of the people. He also situated himself as part of a new generation of leadership (like myself, Julian is only 33 years old). Throughout the campaign, he stressed his knowledge and connection to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where he grew up. Back in the spring of 2017, we had the honor of hosting Julian at Rice University for a talk on the Standing Rock resistance to the North Dakota Access Pipeline, where he protested. Julian also served three years in the 101st Airborne Division of the Army. Here is Julian with Theresa "Huck" Two Bulls, recent South Dakota State Senator. Congratulations Julian! You will do an amazing job!
Wow great clip. Thanks for posting!
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