7th International Conference on Peace and Nonviolent Action
ANUVRAT GLOBAL ORGANIZATION (ANUVIBHA)
(a transnational center for peace and nonviolent action associated with the Department of Public Information of the United Nations)
AN UPDATE
Name of the event : 7th International Conference on Peace and Nonviolent Action
First Part : International Dialogue on Evolving a New Model of Nonviolent Lifestyle for Peace and Sustainability (10th Nov. to 12th Nov. 2008)
Second Part : Second International Nonviolent Leadership Training Camp
(13th Nov. to 14th Nov. 2008)
Dear Friends of Peace,
Earlier we had sent you an invitation for our conference on peace and nonviolent action which is to be held in the world famous city of Jaipur in the first half of November 2008. We still have room for a number of participants - either as speaker or as listener and we have decided to extend free local hospitality to all delegates whose registration is confirmed.
The first part of the 7th ICPNA is an international dialogue on 'Evolving a New Model of Nonviolent Lifestyle for Universal Peace and Sustainability'. (Nov. 10 to 12, 2008)
The valedictory session of the above dialogue will be presided over by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the former President of India on 12th Nov. at 3.30pm.
The second part i.e. the Second International Nonviolence Leadership Training Camp will be held from 13th Nov. to 14th Nov. 2008.
The conference is being organized under the spiritual inspiration of the 89 year old holy man Acharya Mahapragya, who will also shower blessings on all of us.
You can take part in the dialogue or the Training Camp, or - as most do - both.
This conference is different from most other peace conferences in that it is not merely academic. Apart from the exchange of ideas on the highest possible level, it is our conviction that peace is not only a matter of discussion and the implication of good ideas, but that peace belongs to the inherent nature of human beings themselves. The aggression and many other problems in the world are a manifestation or reflection of the inner problems each man or woman, and humankind in its totality.
This conference will not only exist of intellectualism, but take the people into a recognition of inner peace and a deeper understanding of what 'peace' actually is. Especially in the second part, we will go into some special yoga and meditation exercises, which will be guided by experienced practitioners. Of paramount importance for humanity, especially in the long term, is to change our lifestyles. We are aware that world peace can not be accomplished today, not even tomorrow, but the effort has to be sustained at least as a counterbalance to other forces.
Acharya Mahapragya believes that mere preaching doesn't bring about attitudinal change and inner transformation in an individual. For it one has to undergo specific training in ahimsa. This consists of four components:
1. Nonviolence: Concept and Principles
2. Change of Heart: The Training of the Mind based on some Practical Exercises
3. Nonviolent Lifestyle: What it means and how it can be lived
4. Fair means of Livelihood: Training in Self-employment
Come, join it and learn the art of living a happy life free from stress, anxiety and fear.
Better late than never.
Last date for submitting proposals, presentations and workshops at the 7th ICPNA is Oct. 10, 2008
Those who are not presenters can register even on the day of their arrival but to ensure accommodation, you are advised to register as soon as possible.
The conference is being organized by Anuvrat Global Organization (ANUVIBHA) (a transnational center for peace and nonviolent action associated with the Department of Public Information of the United Nations) and is being cosponsored by several internationally acclaimed organizations. You can register online too.
For details and registration form, please visit our website www.anuvibha.in.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. S.L. Gandhi
President Anuvrat Global Organization (ANUVIBHA)
Opp. Gaurav Tower, Malviya Nagar,
Jaipur - 302 017 (Raj.) INDIA
Ph. : +91-141-2722412
Fax : +91-141-2710118, 2722412
Mobile : +91 98280 16989
email : anuvibha@anuvibha.in slgandhi@hotmail.com
Web : www.anuvibha.in
Invitation to the 9/24 Launch of a Major New Report on U.S. Relations with the Muslim World
We are pleased to invite you to the official release of
Changing Course: A New Direction for U.S. Relations with the Muslim World
The release will take place:
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at the National Press Club, 1:00 - 2:30 pm
The Report is the culmination of 18 months of work by a group of 34 distinguished American leaders. The Leadership Group's Report is the centerpiece of the U.S.-Muslim Engagement Project, an initiative of Search for Common Ground and the Consensus Building Institute.
Here is what Leadership Group members are saying about the Report:
Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State; Principal, The Albright Group LLC
"Few challenges matter more than reducing distrust and misunderstanding between the United States and people living in Muslim majority states. This timely Report is a groundbreaking, stereotype-shattering and thought-provoking contribution to that essential cause."
Richard Armitage, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State; President, Armitage International
"The United States needs to make a significant shift in our relations with Muslim countries, relying more on diplomacy and helping to lay the foundation for democratic development. I enthusiastically support the Report of the Leadership Group on U.S.-Muslim Engagement because it provides a clear, strong statement on how to achieve that shift. It is critically important for the next President and our business, faith and philanthropic leaders to act on its recommendations."
Richard Land, President, The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Southern Baptist Convention; Member, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
"This initiative is a serious, comprehensive, bipartisan effort that seeks to address a critical and dangerous problem: The world Muslim community misunderstands Americans and Americans misunderstand them. This initiative lays out a detailed and comprehensive plan to vastly decrease that misunderstanding through a multi-faceted approach that will build constructive bridges of mutual understanding between Americans and the Muslim world."
Ingrid Mattson, President, The Islamic Society of North America; Professor of Islamic Studies, Director of Islamic Chaplaincy, and Director, Duncan Black Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, Hartford Seminary
"It is a sign of great hope that the Leadership Group, despite having substantial differences over policies and politics, was able to come together to develop this Report. This was made possible by a shared belief that the vital interests of the American people need not, and must not, conflict with core American values affirming the dignity of all people and their right to freedom and self-determination. This is a message that the mainstream majority in the Muslim world will surely welcome, and it will help them in their desire to improve relations between their people and the United States."
Robert Fersh, David Fairman, Co-Directors
Paula Gutlove, Manager
Search for Common Ground-USA
1601 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20009
www.sfcg.org
Consensus Building Institute
238 Main Street, Suite 400
Cambridge, MA 02142
www.cbuilding.org
To become a member of CSID, please click here.
To make a donation, please click here.
Your membership fees and donation allow CSID to continue its mission of promoting democracy in the Muslim world and educating Americans - and American policy makers - about Islam and the Muslim world, and therefore contribute to peace, human rights, and harmony in the world.
With our best wishes and regards,
Sincerely,
Radwan A. Masmoudi
President
Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy
UN DPI’s 11th annual student observance of the International Day of Peace
To whom it may concern,
Every year for the past 10 years the United Nations Department of Public Information (UN DPI) has
convened a student conference as an important and integral part of the observance of the International Day of Peace. The International Day of Peace is observed by the United Nations and countries and peoples around the world on 21 September. This year the day falls on a Sunday. The UN DPI will therefore organize the student conference on Friday, 19 September.
I am pleased to invite members of your student body to participate in the UN DPI’s 11th annual student observance of the International Day of Peace on Friday, 19th September 2008. The satellite video-conference event, from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm (New York time), will bring together about 600 middle and high school students at United Nations Headquarters with others at participating sites in United Nations peacekeeping missions around the world.
This year’s student ceremony to mark the “International day of global ceasefire, non-violence and the culture of peace” will also involve United Nations Messengers of Peace who are available to attend. Last year Michael Douglas, Jane Goodall, Dr. Elie Wiesel and recent appointee HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan attended the annual Peace Bell ceremony and, subsequently, interacted with students participating from the field as well as at United Nations Headquarters.
The student conference will begin with opening remarks by Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and the President of the 63rd General Assembly, to be followed by an exchange between the Messengers of Peace and students assembled at peacekeeping mission sites and the student audience at UN Headquarters in New York. The programme will continue with a discussion between the youths in New York and those assembled at peacekeeping video sites.
Registration of each student and teacher attending must be completed before 10 September. Please send each participant’s name and the contact information for each group to: acostay@un.org and ndolo@un.org. Seats will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. Additional information on the day’s programme will be sent to you during the first week of September. View last year’s event at http://www.cyberschoolbus.un.org/peaceday/2007
We look forward to the participation of students from your school to make this a memorable event to focus attention on peace and non-violence.
Yours sincerely,
In a powerful statement reminiscent of Gandhi's Walks, every church, synagogue, mosque and temple on Embassy Row opens their doors to each other and symbolically the world. People of all faiths will come together on September 14th for the 4th Annual 9/11 Unity Walk, the signature event in Washington, DC for building bridges between faiths.
Striking scenes broadcast worldwide on BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera include gospel singing and a Muslim call to prayer at Washington's largest synagogue and a Christian evangelical preaching and Jewish cantors singing from the Islamic Center!
Chaired by Rev Mpho Tutu, leaders of all major faiths including Christian evangelicals, rabbis, imams and gurus tell us not to compromise our own faith, but challenge us to understand our neighbors.
In a city known for power, the simple act of people coming together with no signs, banners or an agenda - like Gandhi's walks - makes the most powerful statement. The Unity Walk moves us towards a world where we are united rather than divided by our many faiths. Come be moved by the Unity Walk!!
In many societies around the world where religious differences have boiled into armed conflict, young people are at particular risk. Often, they are recruited by religious extremists to join in terror campaigns against rival religious communities. But as we hear from in this report written by VOA's Mohamed Elshinnawi, a growing interfaith youth movement is working to counter the extremists, and to give young people the tools and training they need to build more peaceful, tolerant societies.
The Interfaith Youth Core teaches young American Muslims value of religious tolerance
From its headquarters in the midwestern city of Chicago, a private organization known as the Interfaith Youth Core is training what it hopes will be tomorrow's peace-makers. The not-for-profit American group teaches young people how to build bridges of friendship and understanding across cultures and faiths. It provides leadership training, program funding and support for networking projects among groups of young people around the world.
2008 Eliav-Sartawi Awards for Middle Eastern Journalism
Search for Common Ground (SFCG) requests submissions for the annual Eliav-Sartawi Awards for Middle Eastern Journalism competition to recognize and encourage journalism that contributes to better understanding between people and to maintaining political dialogue in the Middle East.
Each article submitted for consideration will be reviewed by a panel of international judges. Each winner will be invited to Jerusalem in the Fall of 2008 for an award ceremony at the International YMCA, Jerusalem and will receive a monetary prize of $1,000 (USD).
Awards will be offered for articles originally published in either Arabic, Hebrew, or English. The articles must have been published between May 1st, 2007 and July 1st, 2008 in a recognized newspaper, magazine, web-publication or other periodical. Each individual applicant is invited to submit one article for consideration. Media outlets and press clubs may nominate up to three articles for consideration.
Please consider the following questions, which will be used by the judges, while selecting articles for submission:
· Does the article address societal, national, or regional issues related to the Middle East?
· Does the language used in the article reflect on or give voice to multiple sides and points of view in a balanced manner?
· Does the article suggest or have an implied suggestion for how to manage conflict better or to work towards a constructive solution of the issue addressed?
· Are the issues handled in a self-reflective way that helps to broaden understanding among or about peoples in the Middle East? Does the article acknowledge the needs, experiences, histories, values, emotions, or beliefs of those involved, even those with whom the author disagrees?
· Is the topic, focus, or handling of the article distinctive? Does it raise questions that are not commonly raised in the media, or does it raise them in a way that is unique? Does it highlight issues that may merit further attention? Is the article timely, reflecting the context of the time and place it was published?
· Does the article display skillful writing and reporting? Is there clarity and strength of message? Is it thought provoking? Moving?
SFCG reserves the right to submit articles that meet the awards’ criteria for consideration from the judges. SFCG also assumes the right to reproduce the winning articles or portions thereof. Application materials will not be returned.
Please send submissions (original or quality copy of published article) for the 2008 awards competition before July 15th 2008 to Search for Common Ground; fax +972 (2) 582 0117; e-mail: AwardsME2008@sfcg.org.
For further questions please call 972-(0)2-581-2049 or email rpolivy@sfcg.org and shusseini@sfcg.org
Here is a lovely report on the celebration of Poson:
Asoka was a harsh king. He was known among his subjects as “Chandasoka”, meaning “cruel Asoka”, but after embracing Buddhism he came to be known as “Dharmasoka”. He accepted the new religion that was fast spreading in his native India and wished to propagate the Buddha Dhamma in the island adjacent to his country.
Arahath Mahinda, after putting King Devanampiyatissa to the test with a series of questions and satisfying himself on the matter of the king’s wisdom, then introduced the Buddhist philosophy to Sri Lanka. This year’s Poson marks the 2,311th year of that historic event.
The Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue concludes conference with recommendations
Call for promoting respect for all religions
Web posted at: 5/15/2008 3:5:33 Source ::: The Peninsula
The Chairman of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage, H E Sheikh Meshhaal bin Jassem bin Mohammed Al Thani opening the Doha International Centre for Interfaith Dialogue yesterday in the presence of Muslim, Christian and Jewish religious leaders.
Doha • The sixth Doha Conference of Interfaith Dialogue, which concluded here yesterday, expressed concern over the widespread disrespect for religious symbols in society and called on governmental and non-governmental organisations to initiate steps to promote respect among all religions and communities.
Japanese priest speaks on dialogue between Shintoism and Christianity
Japanese priest Fr Yuji Sugawara SJ, professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University, outlined the relationship between Shintoism and Christianity in Japan, in an interview with Agenzia Fides.
Fr Yuji said that Shintoism is the oldest traditional religion in Japan, begun by the pre-historic peoples living in central Asia, and has been left as it is today after a long co-existence shared with Buddhism. In Shintoism, there are no doctrines or explicit ethical norms. It is based on an animist vision, the Kami, spiritual essences or gods that are manifested through nature. The worship of ancestors and the Emperor (until the modern reform), who was considered to have divine origin, are also at the center of this religion.
Launching of Guru Granth Tri-centennial in North America
Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, the head of Sikhs’ highest seat Akal Takhat, formally launched the Tri-Centennial Celebration of the Ordination of Sri Guru Granth as the Sikhs’ eternal guru at the International Seminar held here.
The Guru Granth was compiled and canonized by Guru Arjan in 1604. It contains the hymns of 36 gurus and holy men from all world religions originating in the Indian sub-continent using all major languages of the South East Asia and Middle East. The last Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh ordained the Granth as the Eternal Guru in the last sermon he delivered in 1708.
2008 Eliav-Sartawi Awards for Middle Eastern Journalism
2008 Eliav-Sartawi Awards for Middle Eastern Journalism
Search for Common Ground (SFCG) requests submissions for the annual Eliav-Sartawi Awards for Middle Eastern Journalism competition to recognize and encourage journalism that contributes to better understanding between people and to maintaining political dialogue in the Middle East.
Each article submitted for consideration will be reviewed by a panel of international judges. Each winner will be invited to Jerusalem in the Fall of 2008 for an award ceremony at the International YMCA, Jerusalem and will receive a monetary prize of $1,000 (USD).
Awards will be offered for articles originally published in either Arabic, Hebrew, or English.The articles must have been published between May 1st, 2007 and July 1st, 2008 in a recognized newspaper, magazine, web-publication or other periodical. Each individual applicant is invited to submit one article for consideration. Media outlets and press clubs may nominate up to three articles for consideration.
Please consider the following questions, which will be used by the judges, while selecting articles for submission:
·Does the article address societal, national, or regional issues related to the Middle East?
·Does the language used in the article reflect on or give voice to multiple sides and points of view in a balanced manner?
·Does the article suggest or have an implied suggestion for how to manage conflict better or to work towards a constructive solution of the issue addressed?
·Are the issues handled in a self-reflective way that helps to broaden understanding among or about peoples in the Middle East? Does the article acknowledge the needs, experiences, histories, values, emotions, or beliefs of those involved, even those with whom the author disagrees?
·Is the topic, focus, or handling of the article distinctive? Does it raise questions that are not commonly raised in the media, or does it raise them in a way that is unique? Does it highlight issues that may merit further attention? Is the article timely, reflecting the context of the time and place it was published?
·Does the article display skillful writing and reporting?Is there clarity and strength of message? Is it thought provoking? Moving?
SFCG reserves the right to submit articles that meet the awards’ criteria for consideration from the judges. SFCG also assumes the right to reproduce the winning articles or portions thereof. Application materials will not be returned.
Please send submissions (original or quality copy of published article) for the 2008 awards competition before July 15th 2008 to Search for Common Ground; fax +972 (2) 582 0117; e-mail: AwardsME2008@sfcg.org.
Belief in aliens doesn't negate faith in God, Vatican says
The mainstream media tends not to cover religion too well (though that is changing slowly, which is encouraging). Here is an LATimes article which on first blush seems like a topic of fun or passing curiosity, but the fact is that it is important for a major religion, with a strong Western, scholarly, and philosophical and theological is issuing a statement with broad implications for an eternal question, and one especially urgent for this time, namely the relationship between religion and science.
Belief in aliens doesn't negate faith in God, Vatican says
The Catholic Church's chief astronomer say any extra-terrestrial being would also be a 'part of creation.'
From the Associated Press
1:26 PM PDT, May 17, 2008
VATICAN CITY — Believing that there may be extraterrestrial life does not contradict a faith in God, the Vatican's chief astronomer said in a recent interview.
Father Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory www.vaticanobservatory.org was quoted as saying the vastness of the universe means it is possible that there could be other forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones.
"How can we rule out that life may have developed elsewhere?" Funes said. "Just as we consider earthly creatures as 'a brother,' and 'sister,' why should we not talk about an 'extraterrestrial brother'? It would still be part of creation."
In the interview by the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, Funes said such a notion "doesn't contradict our faith" because extraterrestrials would also be God's creatures. Ruling out their existence would be like "putting limits" on God's creative freedom, he said.
The interview, headlined "The extraterrestrial is my brother," also covered the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and science, and the theological implications of the existence of life on other planets.
Funes said science, especially astronomy, did not contradict religion, touching on a theme of Pope Benedict XVI, who has made exploring the relationship between faith and reason a key aspect of his papacy.
The Bible "is not a science book," Funes said, adding that he thinks the Big Bang theory is the most "reasonable" explanation for the creation of the universe. The theory holds that the universe began billions of years ago in the explosion of a single, super-dense point that contained all matter.
But he continues to believe that "God is the creator of the universe and that we are not the result of chance," he said.
Funes urged the church and the scientific community to leave behind divisions caused by Galileo's persecution 400 years ago, saying the incident had "caused wounds."
In 1633 the astronomer was tried as a heretic and forced to recant his theory that Earth revolved around the sun. Church teaching at the time placed Earth at the center of the universe.
"The church has somehow recognized its mistakes," he said. "Maybe it could have done it better, but now it's time to heal those wounds and this can be done through calm dialogue and collaboration."
Pope John Paul II declared in 1992 that the ruling against Galileo was an error resulting from "tragic mutual incomprehension."
The Vatican Observatory has been at the forefront of efforts to bridge the gap between religion and science. Its scientist-clerics have generated top-notch research and its meteorite collection is considered one of the world's best.
The observatory, founded by Pope Leo XIII in 1891, is based in Castel Gandolfo, a lakeside town in the hills outside Rome where the pope has a summer residence. It also conducts research at an observatory at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Leaders of Different Faiths Inaugurate Historic Religions for Peace Inter-religious Council–Sri Lanka
—Representatives from North and South Convene in Unprecedented Multi-Religious Summit in War-Torn Region—
( New York, 30 April 2008)—Senior religious leaders of diverse faiths from around the world—Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Christian—launched the groundbreaking Religions for Peace Inter-religious Council (IRC)–Sri Lanka in Kandy and war-torn Trincomalee on 28 April and 30 April 2008, respectively. Religions for Peace is the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition.
The conference was organized by Religions for Peace–International in partnership with its local affiliate, Religions for Peace–Sri Lanka, and the National Peace Council. The 22-member Religions for Peace IRC–Sri Lanka becomes the country’s most representative multi-religious body and includes such senior Buddhist leaders from the South and senior Tamil religious leaders from the North as Most Rev. Rayappu Joseph, Bishop of Mannar. The Council will offer mediation, reject extremist tendencies, and educate the public on the positive, socially transformative power of multi-religious cooperation. The Council has begun building district-level IRCs in Kandy and Trincomalee.
“ Sri Lanka has endured decades of violent conflict, and cooperation among the religious communities is vital for peace,” said Dr. William F. Vendley, Secretary General of Religions for Peace. “With the new Council, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, and Muslim goodwill now has a channel for sustained cooperation.”
The international delegation at the meeting included members of the Religions for Peace World Council, His Holiness Tep Vong, Great Supreme Patriarch, Kingdom of Cambodia, and Bishop Gunnar J. Stålsett, Moderator, Religions for Peace European Council of Religious Leaders; Religions for Peace Honorary Presidents Ms. Ela Gandhi, a granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi and Trustee of the Mahatma Gandhi Trust, and Dr. M. Din Syamsuddin, Chairman, Muhammadiyah; and Religions for Peace International Trustee Rev. Norio Sakai, Chairman Emeritus, Rissho Kosei-kai. They were supported by Rev. Kyoichi Sugino, Religions for Peace Director of Inter-religious Council Development and Field Coordination.
Sri Lankan religious leaders included Most Ven. Tibbotuwawe Sri Siddharatha Maha Nayake Thero, Malwatte Maha Nikaya, Kandy; Most Ven. Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Maha Nayake Thero, Asgiri Maha Nikaya, Kandy; Karthikeja Santhirasegara Sarma, International Secretary, Hindu Priest Organization, Jaffna; Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed Rizwe, President, All Ceylon Jamiyattul Ulama’s Association, Colombo; Neelakandan Kandiah, Honorary General Secretary, All Ceylon Hindu Congress; and Bishop Dr. Joseph Vianney Fernando, Bishop of Kandy, President, Bishops Conference of Sri Lanka.
Religions for Peace, in partnership with its affiliate in Sri Lanka and the National Peace Council, the country’s leading peace NGO, has facilitated private negotiations and a series of public consultations with senior leaders of major religious communities, the government and the LTTE. The milestones of Religions for Peace work in Sri Lanka include its facilitation in the issuance of a historic statement by Mahanayakes (Buddhist high priests) in support of peace, rejecting Sinhala Buddhist extremism, accepting Sri Lanka as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country, and calling for solidarity from the international community. Religions for Peace has also since 2004 undertaken strategic multi-religious humanitarian projects, including the building of rain-fed water tanks as confidence building measures for Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim communities in Trincomalee and other border districts as a symbol of inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony. Furthermore, Religions for Peace held an international summit in Jaffna, the war-torn Northern city, in December 2007, to bring together 10 international and 50 Sri Lankan senior religious leaders from the North, East and South of the country.
Religions for Peace is the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition advancing common action for peace since 1970. Headquartered in New York and accredited to the United Nations, Religions for Peace works through affiliated inter-religious councils in 70 countries in six continents.
For the first time, an American rabbi will be traveling to Iran Tuesday on a mission of interfaith dialogue and understanding.
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, one of the early forces behind the Jewish Renewal movement in America, will co-lead a delegation of 21 peace activists to the Islamic Republic on a mission "to humanize the face of Iran, lest we end up with a disaster of global proportions we cannot imagine,"
Gottlieb
said her participation in the mission came out of Tuesday's threat by Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton that an Iranian assault on Israel would be met with an American response that would "obliterate" Iran.
"It is important to negotiate and not threaten obliteration," Gottlieb believes, "in particular because there are between 30,000 and 40,000 Jewish people living in Iran, the oldest extant Jewish community in the Middle East, which has been there since the first exile in 586 BCE."
UK Muslims Launch Body to Promote Secular Democracy
London (CNSNews.com) - It's time for the "silent majority" of British Muslims to be heard over the noise made by religious extremists, speakers launching a new community organization in Britain said on Thursday.
A small group of radicals had hijacked the image of British Muslims, activists said at the launch of British Muslims for Secular Democracy (BMSD).
Launched at a London press conference, the Quilliam Foundation said its aim was to combat the influence of extreme Islamist ideology.
Mustafa said in a statement it was time to question the capitalist system and liberal western values associated with it.
"Our campaign will show the sublime values of Islam and the ability of the Islamic system to solve modern problems," he said. "The Muslim world is crying out for Islam."
Nonviolence in a Violent Age:
Resources from Spiritual Leaders
with
Richard Deats
Fellowship of Reconciliation
Nurah Amat’ullah
Muslim Women’s Institute for Research and Development
Gupreet Singh
Mid-Hudson Sikh Cultural Association
Philip Carr-Harris
Dutchess Interfaith Council
Trudi Jinpu Hirsch
ACPE Chaplain Supervisor at Vassar Hospital
May 7, 2008
7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
UTS-The Interfaith Seminary
Barrytown, NY
Schedule
7:00-8:30 Breakfast and Registration
8:30-8:45 Small Group Introduction
8:45-9:00 Welcoming Remarks
Dr. Tyler Hendricks
9:00-10:50 Session 1: Resources from Spiritual Leaders: Nurah Amat’ullah, Gupreet Singh, Trudi Jinpu Hirsch, Q & A
Small Group Discussion
11:00-11:50 Interfaith Chapel Service:
Dr. Richard Deats
12:00-12:45 Lunch
1:00-3:00 Session 2: Non-Violence of Gandhi and King: Dr. Richard Deats
3:15-4:15 Small Group Discussion
4:15-4:30 Closing Remarks
*Registration fee: $20 (includes Breakfast, Lunch, & Seminar Package: partial fee goes to support the work of Dutchess Interfaith Council)
**Pre-registration by Sunday, May 4, 2008: Please visit www.idcmay7.com
***Special Discount fee for Students is $15.00.
For millions of Muslim women like Chaterina swimming is more complicated than just jumping into the water. Though most Indonesians practice a tolerant form of the religion, which sometimes incorporates Hindu and animist beliefs, women are still obliged as Muslims to cover their bodies, leaving only their face and palms of their hands exposed.
A SAMIRA one-piece suit covers the body head to toe and has a loose shirt that comes in a variety of printed over it so it is not revealing when wet.
The bathing suit, which sells for 225,000 rupiah (25 dollars), is available online as well as in stores nationwide. Their workshop in Bintaro, south of Jakarta, is havinga hard time acquiring enough Lycra and Spandex material to meet the demand in a country where 90 per cent of the 230 million population are followers of Islam.
INVITATION - Two Important Conferences in April in Washington DC
Dear Friends and Members of CSID: Please join us at one or both of these TWO conferences, which have excellent programs and stimulating discussions about timely and important issues. We hope to see you there!
ACSIS 2008 Program
"Studying Islam: What Have We Learned?"
American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies
25th Annual Conference
http://www.lasalle.edu/acsis
April 11-12, 2008
The College of William & Mary Washington Center
1779 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., 8th Floor
Washington DC
Friday, April 11, 2008
8:30AM Coffee, bagels
9:00AM Welcome - Vivienne SM. Angeles, President
9:15AM Reopening the Gates of Ijtihad
Sponsored by SAMSA
Convener and Chair: Theodore P. Wright, Jr., SUNY Albany
Discussant: Mumtaz Ahmad, Hampton University
"The Shi`a Approach to Ijtihad"
Syed Nadeem Hasnain, Lucknow and St. Lawrence University
"Reopening the Gates of Ijtihad: A Feminist Perspective"
Etin Anwar, Hobart & Wm. Smith Colleges
"Ijtihad as Intellectual Jihad: Renewal of the 'Spirit of Islam' in Wahiduddin Khan's Thought"
Irfan A. Omar, Marquette University
"Asgherali Engineer, Bohra Reformist of Mumbai and Ijtihad"
Theodore P. Wright, SUNY Albany
10:45AM New Perspectives on Muslim Women
Chair and Discussant: Vivienne SM. Angeles, La Salle University
"American Muslim Women and the 'Compartmentalization' of Feminism"
Farha Ternikar, Le Moyne College
"The Role of Female Religious Leaders in Social Transformation in the Ferghana Valley"
Svetlana Peshkova, Syracuse University
"Muslim Women and Peace-building"
Azita Ranjbar, George Mason University (student)
Noon Lunch (List of nearby restaurants will be provided.)
2:00PM New Approaches to Islamic Identities
Chair and Discussant: Gisela Webb, Seton Hall University
"Islam and Education: What Have We Learned?"
Helen N. Boyle, Center for Middle East and Francophone Africa Programs
"Exploring Sociological Measures of Islamic Religious Tradition and
Religiosity in Majority Muslim Countries"
Alessandra Gonzalez, Baylor University (student)
3:00PM New Perspectives on Islamic Law
Chair and Discussant: Tamara Sonn, College of William & Mary
"Muslim Soldiers Fatwa: A Sociolinguistic Study of an Islamic Legal Opinion"
Rebecca Skreslet, Georgetown University (student)
"Customs, Islamic Law, and Western Scholarship"
Ayman Shabana, UCLA (student)
"The Key Issue of Foundling (Laqit) in the Shafi`i School of Law"
Mohamad Md. Som Sujimon, Universiti Brunei Darussalam
"The Application of Islamic Legal Methodology in Analyzing Muslim Legal Traditions in Malaysia"
Ismail bin Mat, Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Institute of Islamic Studies
"Islamic Legal Maxims for Attainment of Maqasid al-Shari`a in Criminal Law:
A Critical Examination of Judicial Procedure in Safiyyatu Hussaini v.
Sokoto State of Nigeria Adultery Case"
Luqman Zakariyah, The Muslim College London (student)
5:30PM Refreshments and Dinner
Keynote:
"Charting the Future of Islam and the West:
What Do a Billion Muslims Really Think?"
John L. Esposito
Prince Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding
Georgetown University
Saturday, April 12, 2008
9:30AM New Perspectives on Political Islam
Chair and Discussant: Tariq Karim, University of Maryland
"Understanding Hamas: Islamist Politics in Context and US Policy Implications"
Jason B. Nicholson, Major, US Army
"A New Hamas for a New Era: The Effects of Politics on Radical Ideologies and Behaviors"
Chrystie Flournoy Swiney, Georgetown University (student)
"Variation of Shiite Islam in Iran and Iraq"
Hossein Moghaddam, Australian National University
"Islam and State in Indonesia: Between Secularism and Theocracy"
Zaenal Muttaqin, Temple University (student)
11:00AM Translating Islam
Chair and Discussant: Charles Butterworth, University of Maryland
"In Praise of Academic Grazing: From Script to Print to Script"
Dagmar Riedel, Columbia University
"Bringing Sacred Law and Dogma into English: Competing Translation Networks Among Muslims in the West"
Martin Nguyen, Harvard University
Noon: Board Meeting and Lunch
Registration for ACSIS 25, College of William & Mary Washington Center, 1779 Massachusetts Ave., Washington DC, April 11-12, 2008:
_____Registration for ACSIS members at conference -- $50.00
_____Registration without ACSIS membership at conference -- $60.00
_____Registration for Students Presenting Papers -- $25.00
Please fill out form and mail with U.S. check payable to ACSIS for the amount above to:
Ms. Anne Hischar
American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies
421 St. Augustine Center
Villanova University
Villanova. PA 19085
USA
==================================================
U.S. INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM POLICY:
ASSESSING THE RESULTS
April 21, 2008, 9:00am – 3:00pm
Copley Formal Lounge, Georgetown University
RSVP: e-mail to: berkleycenter@georgetown.edu
Second in a series of three symposia on the theme of
"Religious Freedom and U.S. Foreign Policy: Taking Stock, Looking Forward"
9:00am-10:45am: “U.S. Foreign Policy Practitioners: The State Department, the Commission, Congress, and the White House”
Robert A. Seiple, President of the Council for America’s First Freedom and former U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom
Tad Stahnke, Director of the Fighting Discrimination Program at Human Rights First and former senior staffer at U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
David Killion, senior staff of House Committee on Foreign Affairs and former senior staffer on human rights issues for Rep. Tom Lantos
William Inboden, Senior Vice-President of the Legatum Institute and former senior staff at National Security Council
Chris Seiple, President of the Institute for Global Engagement (moderator)
11:00am-12:30pm: “U.S. Foreign Policy Scholars: International Religious Freedom Policy, American Ideals, and American National Interests”
Ruth Wedgwood, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
Philip Gordon, Brookings Institution
Joshua Muravchik, American Enterprise Institute
Walter Russell Mead, Council on Foreign Relations (invited)
Thomas Farr, Georgetown School of Foreign Service (moderator)
12:30-1:30: Lunch
1:30pm-3:00pm : “U.S. International Religious Freedom Policy: The Critique from the Muslim World”
Abdolkarim Soroush, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs
Asma Afsarrudin, University of Notre Dame
Radwan Masmoudi, Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy
Thomas Farr, Georgetown School of Foreign Service (moderator)
Light breakfast and lunch served; RSVP required at HYPERLINK "mailto:berkleycenter@georgetown.edu" berkleycenter@georgetown.edu.
You may attend one, two, or all sessions.
___________________________________________________________________
Please also join us on October 10, 2008 for the final symposium in the series, entitled “The Future of U.S. International Religious Freedom Policy: Recommendations for a New Administration”
* * *
ABOUT THE SERIES:
In October 1998 Congress passed, and President Clinton signed, the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). The IRFA mandated the promotion of religious liberty around the world as a central element of American foreign policy. In 2008 three symposia at Georgetown examine the origins (February 25), performance (April 21) and promise (October 10) of IRF policy. Experts from across the spectrum of American public life—scholars, policymakers, experts and journalists—as well as informed officials and observers from around the globe, will analyze policy. The October symposium, building on the earlier two, presents recommendations for the new administration.
This series is hosted by Georgetown University and co-organized by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University and the Council on Faith & International Affairs at the Institute for Global Engagement.
The series is also made possible in part through the generous support of the Henry Luce Foundation / Georgetown School of Foreign Service http://www1.georgetown.edu/centers/berkley/31646.html
Program on Religion and International Affairs.
Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID)
1625 Massachusetts Avenue N.W., Suite 601 - Washington, DC 20036-2212
Tel.: (202) 265-1200 - Fax: (202) 265-1222
Cambodia hosts inter-religion meeting for Asian Pacific countries
An inter-religion meeting was launched here on Thursday for religious leaders from 15 countries in Asian Pacific region to talk about cooperation, peace and harmony in the world.
All religious sects have to work together to help this globe to have peace, food security and contribute to poverty reduction, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said while addressing the meeting.
"We have to have tolerance among all religions, and help to build morality in society, share cultures and arts for people to understand deeply," he added.
The meeting, held on April 3-4, talks about security, respect for religious belief, understanding and tolerance, equal opportunity, solidarity, cooperation and conflict resolution, a press release said.
The meeting is sponsored by Australian and Indonesian governments while Cambodia hosts the meeting, it said.
British Muslim achievements recognized at annual awards ceremony
Muslim achievements in Britain were extolled by ministers and political leaders at the annual ceremony for the latest The Muslim News Awards for Excellence in London Tuesday.
"These awards celebrate the achievements of British Muslims in all walks of life. They identify Muslim achievers and highlight the wonderful contribution that British Muslims make," Prime Minister Gordon Brown said.
"Equally importantly, they challenge the stereotypes and negative portrayal of Muslims in many parts of the media. They provide us with role models we can all be proud of," the Prime Minister said in a video message to the annual ceremony.
Officials in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) had run a well received comic strip campaign against right-wing extremism in 2004 starring Andi, a schoolboy hero who stands up against xenophobia and racism.
The comic -- printed in 100,000 copies and distributed to every secondary school in Germany's most populous state -- aims to show young people the difference between peaceful mainstream Islam and the violent, intolerant version peddled by militants.
"We were always careful not to hurt feelings and anger people by painting a caricature of Islam," said Hartwig Moeller, head of the NRW interior ministry's department for protection of the constitution, responsible for intelligence gathering.
"We had to make clear we weren't aiming against Muslims, but only those people who want to misuse Islam for political aims," added Moeller, who despite his intelligence role says 50 to 60 percent of his work is educating the public about threats.
Read the whole, very interesting article here (<-- click)
Asoka was a harsh king. He was known among his subjects as “Chandasoka”, meaning “cruel Asoka”, but after embracing Buddhism he came to be known as “Dharmasoka”. He accepted the new religion that was fast spreading in his native India and wished to propagate the Buddha Dhamma in the island adjacent to his country.
