Archive for October, 2010

ICSC’s 2nd Annual Conference on Contemporary Islamic Thought

“Islam and Non-Muslims: Relations Beyond Confrontation” encourages mutual understanding between faiths

By: Shirin Nouh, ICSC Special Events Committee Director

The Islamic Center of Southern California’s (ICSC) second annual conference on contemporary Islamic thought was held at the Center’s lecture hall on Sunday, October 17, 2010. The theme of the conference focused on interfaith dialogue and was aptly named “Islam and Non-Muslims: Relations Beyond Confrontation.”

The well-attended event commenced with ICSC Spokesperson Dr. Maher Hathout’s remarks to the audience on Islam’s contribution to modern  civilization.  Dr. Hathout stated the importance of tolerance with respect to our diversity and underscored that God willed diversity among human beings, thus our dedication to Him should manifest in serving our diverse fellow beings and contributing to the betterment of society.   Dr. Hathout emphasized that in order to bring about positive change, we must go beyond the status quo and cultivate in ourselves qualities such as, critical questioning, intellectualism, an adventurous attitude to go beyond our comfort zone, and activism.

From “Accompanying Jesus through the Four Gospels” to “The Other,” Dr. Ghada Osman reflected on the work of her father, the late Dr. Fathi Osman, and his attempt to promote a climate of mutual understanding and respect among various faiths.  She stressed that in keeping with our diversity, we must equally struggle to preserve human dignity and justice for all.

Dr. Gasser Hathout reflected upon the status of science in the Muslim world and its impact on geopolitical relationships.  Unfortunately, statistics illustrate that Muslim countries are generally  lagging in scientific progress. In turn, this has a negative impact on the intellectual, psychological, and material aspects of society.  Dr. Gasser stressed the importance of encouraging the advancement of science in Muslim countries and suggested ways this can be accomplished in order to foster mutually beneficial gains with other countries.

The afternoon session focused on a healthy and positive interfaith dialogue with Dr. Hathout, Professor Khaled Abou El Fadl, Professor Najeeba Sayeed-Miller and Reverend Ed Bacon.

ICSC Chairman Hassan Zeenni provided the closing remarks and thanked the panelists, keynote speakers, organizers, and participants.  Above all, he thanked Allah (SWT) for blessing ICSC with such a great event.

The conference successfully addressed positive ways  in which relationships between Muslims and non-Muslims can be constructed regardless of any perceived differences. We are brothers and sisters in the household of God and our consciousness of Him should inspire us to do good and be just toward our fellow human beings.  The crowd echoed this feeling as they dispersed.