May 15, 2012 | 7:00 PM
FREE

Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema, 3rd Floor
Goldcorp Centre for the Arts

SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement and the Iona-Pacific Inter-Religious Centre present:

Islamophobia and Interfaith Dialogue: Challenges and Opportunities

A Public Talk with Daniel Tutt

Followed by an interfaith dialogue with local participants

Free admission, but seating is limited. RSVP via EventBrite:
http://islamophobiaandinterfaithdialogue.eventbrite.com

Islamophobia is worse now than it was immediately following the September 11th, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington. Since the election of Barack Obama to President, hate groups have expanded, and American Muslims report higher levels of employment discrimination, hate crimes, and attitudes are generally unfavorable towards Muslims in the United States. Looking historically, the example of homophobia, racism towards African Americans, and other movements present models for activists and community leaders to emulate, however, Islamophobia in America presents unique challenges, and is intimately tied to international politics and a whole range of foreign policy concerns.

The media’s role in perpetuating the “otherizing” of Muslims and Islam contributes to the problem. In this lecture, Daniel Tutt will describe the ways in which Islamophobia can be curbed, as well as share innovative resources that can be applied at a grassroots level.

The talk will be followed by a moderated discussion with local participants and a Q and A with the audience.

Daniel Tutt’s work focuses on creating dialogue and action around persisting problems between Muslims and American mainstream culture. He has directed “20,000 Dialogues,” a project of Unity Productions Foundation that uses film and dialogue to bring different affinity groups together for transformative dialogue on Islam in America. Currently, he is a Fellow at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, a non-partisan think tank that seeks to provide commentary and analysis on issues relating to Islam and Muslims. He serves as an advisor for social justice organizations such as the 9/11 Unity Walk and Religious Freedom U.S.A.

Moderated by Peter Elliot, Christ Church Cathedral

Panellists include:

• Seemi Ghazi, Instructor in Arabic Studies, UBC
• Ali Lakhani, Editor of Sacred Web
• Meharoona Ghani, Former director of the provincial multiculturalism and anti-racism program in B.C
• Robert Daum, Director, Iona-Pacific Inter-Religious Centre
• Paula Carr, Collingwood Neighbourhood House

Besides the keynote address by Karen Armstrong at the Student Conference, delegates will have the opportunity to listen and learn from a host of storytellers from diverse religious backgrounds, including First Nations (Chief Joseph Gosnell), Sikh (Pallbiner Shergill), Jewish (Shoshana Litman), Muslim (Meharoona Ghani), Christian (Stephen Farris), Hindu (Gira Bhatt), Baha’i (Jelana Bighorn) and Buddhist (Michael Ling). Profiles of these storytellers can be found at:

http://www.ionapacific.ca/learning/public-events/storytellers

A limited number of spots remain open to post-secondary students for the Student Conference. To find out more information about the conference, and to register, please visit:
https://www.vst.edu/main/programs/continuing-education/compassion-and-religion
or contact Aliya Hirji at aliya@vst.edu

Also, come find the Student Conference on Facebook by visiting Karen Armstrong Student Conference on Compassion in Religion.

DR. ELLIOT WOLFSON
VST Sommerville Scholar
Iona Pacific Visiting Scholar
Visiting Speaker, UBC

Dr. Elliot Wolfson is the Lieberman Professor of Hebrew & Judaic Studies at New York University. Dr. Wolfson’s recent publications include New Studies in Jewish Philosophy (2009), Open Secret: Postmessianic Messianism and the Mystical Revision of Menahem Mendel Schneerson (2009), and A Dream Interpreted Within a Dream: Oneiropoiesis and the Prism of Imagination  (2011). Co-sponsored by Vancouver School of Theology, Iona Pacific Inter-religious Centre, and the UBC Dept. of Classical, Near Eastern & Religious Studies.

Mysticism is often associated with experiences that are difficult to classify and analyze. This lecture focuses on one critical aspect of mystical union, termed by Dr. Wolfson as the univeral singularity. This refers to the universal erasure of boundaries, which nevertheless each ethnic-religious group executes as an expression of its identity. Dr. Wolfson will explore how the mystical quest for the underlying interconnectivity of all does not lead to the erasing of religious differences but rather a heightened perception of the unity embodied in diversity. It is our differences that make us the same.