The director of the documentary film An Act of Worship, Nausheen Dadabhoy, suggested to that I contribute to the PBS/POV discussion guide for the film. Thankfully it I was able to contribute and you can download the file from here.
Can the World’s Religions Help Save Us from Ecological Peril?
Visotzky brought in theologian Hussein Rashid ’96CC, who was exploring similar questions from a Muslim ethical standpoint. The scholars, who had spun off from a larger interfaith study group at Fordham Law School, decided to examine the issue of water as a way to focus their work, and for World Water Day 2017 they published a series of tracts around water-related themes. That got them invited to the Vatican to meet with the pope about Laudato si’.
“For me, reading the encyclical made me think of an eighth-century figure named Ja‘far al-Ṣādiq,” says Rashid, who teaches at the New School and UTS. “There’s a work attributed to him where he says for a believer there are four relationships that keep you in balance: to God, to yourself, to other people, and to the rest of creation. My understanding of what Pope Francis was doing really resonated with that.”
Shoulder to Shoulder hosted a panel discussion featuring Harman Singh from The Sikh Coalition, Taneeza Islam from South Dakota Voices for Peace, and Hussein Rashid representing the Interfaith Center of New York to learn more about what CRT is and isn’t and what we can do to create communities where all people, regardless of their faith, culture, or background are treated fairly, respectfully, and with dignity.
Beyond Omar
Tuesday, December 14, 2021
6:00pm ET
Register here: https://ticketing.spoletousa.org/5137/5139
The story of West African Muslims in the United States does not begin or end with Omar Ibn Said. While Said’s autobiography shares a remarkable first-hand account, the enslaved Muslim experience in America was not monolithic. During this talk, panelists Dr. Muhammad Fraser-Rahim (Professor, The Citadel) and Okolo Rashid (Co-Founder, President, and CEO, International Museum of Muslim Cultures) will discuss the lives and faith of several enslaved African Muslims, such as Ibrahima Abdur Rahman and Ayuba Suleiman Diallo—both princes in their homelands—and Salih Bilali and Bilali Mohammed, who worshipped along Georgia’s coastal islands. Discover these figures’ shared and disparate histories, cultural practices, and legacies left behind.
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Spoleto’s ongoing discussion series returns with a new focus and expanded scope. More On That Now will cover a wide range of topics drawing inspiration from themes found in the upcoming 2022 Festival program and the broader artistic industry. Expert panelists will gather virtually and address the arts’ connection and intersection with religion, education, social justice, and identity politics. Dr. Hussein Rashid—an educator and academic whose research focuses on Muslim and American pop culture—will serve as the series-long moderator.
I was fortunate to moderate a panel on spiritual struggle during the lifetime of Omar ibn Said for the Spoleto Festival. Video is embedded below.
Got to do a little introduction to my art, the value of communication, and integrity, on the Word of Pod podcast.
I'll be speaking on a panel for Values and Voices.
American Values, Religious Voices: 100 Days, 100 Letters is a national nonpartisan campaign bringing together scholars of diverse faiths to speak to our leaders in Washington, DC and a wider interfaith following about the religious texts and teachings connected to our American values and the pressing issues our day. Gain insight from these religious thought leaders who provide hope and unity during a time of hardship and division and challenge us to live up to our nation's highest ideals.
The event is free, but does require registration here.
Exploring Omar Discussion Series | Spoleto Festival USA 2020.
Omar Ibn Said definitively arrived on the shores of Charleston as a Muslim. And while we know he was a forced member of a Christian family and belonged to a Presbyterian church at the time of his death, can we say for sure he departed this life as a Christian? This conversation examines the latter end of Ibn Said’s life and discusses how religion has, throughout U.S. history, drawn people to resist or remain resilient in the context of social justice. Hussein Rashid, a professor at The New School in New York City, whose research focuses on Muslims and American popular culture, serves as moderator.
Hussein