Arcapita's Charles Ogburn Talks to the ISB
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Charles H. Ogburn is Executive Director of
Corporate Investment at Arcapita, a platinum sponsor of the Atlanta Premiere of Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think. Before joining Arcapita, Mr. Ogburn spent over 15 years at the
Robinson-Humphrey Company, Inc, the corporate and investment banking arm of
SunTrust Banks, Inc. Mr. Ogburn earned his law degree from Vanderbilt
University School of Law and brings a wealth of experience to Arcapita as a
corporate finance lawyer. He is married and has two adult children. He spoke with the ISB's Zaynab Ansari recently.
ZA: Mr. Ogburn, thank you so much for
speaking with us. Please introduce our readers to Arcapita.
CO: Arcapita is an international
investment firm headquartered in Bahrain, with offices in North America,
Europe, and Asia. Our clientele base is in the Middle East, where investors
seek products which have been filtered for compliance with Islamic investment
principles.
ZA: Why is it important for investors to
have access to these types of products?
CO: Previously, our investors had to deal
with products which had been filtered for Western investors or go to regional
banks which only offered limited, low-yielding financial products. The founders
of Arcapita recognized that there was a market opportunity to develop sophisticated
products which are Islamically compliant. Part of the business strategy we have
pursued is to offer financial products which appeal to investors in the Middle
East, a largely untapped market. Arcapita was founded in 1997 and made its
first investment the next year. From an original starting point in private
equity, we have expanded to real estate, infrastructure, and venture capital.
ZA: So Arcapita has brought different
worlds together in a unique way?
CO: Yes,
we have brought Western sophistication to alternative investment strategies and
assets. Our investors can feel confident that our financial products are
compliant with Islamic principles.
ZA: Why is Arcapita interested in bringing
a documentary film to Atlanta?
CO: We are a business organization but we
see everyday the lack of understanding about Islam and Muslims. We know that the Muslims and non-Muslims that
we employ have learned a great deal about each other. We believe that anything
that enhances general cultural awareness about Islam is a positive thing. In
addition, I have personally met Alex Kronemer [executive producer of the
documentary] and feel that the film will play an important role in raising awareness
about Islam in the American society at large.
ZA: It sounds like you are in a very
unique position in the work that you do. Tell us more.
CO: I've been in Atlanta for 30 years,
working as a financial professional. I went to work at Arcapita in March of
2001. I had this kind of unique experience being an Episcopalian from Kentucky
working for a Bahraini firm on 9/11. I took this opportunity to get to know
people overseas. I got to know the
principals from Bahrain and had a wonderful experience traveling to the region.
I consider my friends and partners overseas as outstanding people and have had a
wonderful experience taking my family to the Arab Gulf.
ZA: Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy
the premiere!
CO: Thank you.
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Don't Miss It!
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A Documentary Film from Unity Productions Foundation
Executive Producers: Alexander Kronemer & Michael Wolfe
Producer & Director: Rob Gardner
Where: The Rialto Center for the Arts
80 Forsyth Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30303
When: Monday, October 12, 2009
Seating begins at 7:15 PM
Hosted by: Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta, Georgia State University's
Department of Religious Studies and Middle East Institute, and the British
Consulate
Click here for flyer.
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Hosts Iftar Dinner
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ISB Executive Director, Soumaya Khalifa, pictured here with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, attended the Annual State Department Iftar Dinner on Tuesday, September 15, 2009. Secretary of State Clinton introduced her new Special Representative to Muslim Communities, Farah Anwar Pandith, to the approximately 250 dignitaries in attendance.
The guest list included the ambassadors of over 30 nations, Congressman Keith Ellison and other government officials, media executives, journalists, analysts, academics, entrepreneurs, interfaith leaders, and philanthropists. You can read a transcript of the Secretary's remarks and view the accompanying video through our Quick Links section. The dinner is a continuation of a tradition that began under President Bill Clinton's administration in 1996.
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ISB Atlanta Invites AJC Leadership to Iftar
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On September 10, 2009, Soumaya & Mohamed Khalifa hosted members of the ISB and the Atlanta Chapter of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) at their home for a traditional Ramadan
iftar (fast breaking). AJC Executive Director Judy Marx, Greg
Averbuch, Kirk Dornbush, and Eric Miller attended the gathering.
The ISB
was represented by board members Rashid and Jelena Naim, Amin Tomeh, M. Yusuf Mohamed, Zaheer Faruqi, and Bassem
Fakhoury, as well as ISB supporter Hud Williams. Participants cited their reasons for attending the dinner as an
opportunity to engage in interfaith dialogue and learn more about
another minority religion with likely shared experiences. In the words of one attendee, the event was "an American experience."
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Americans of Diverse Faith Traditions Discuss Atonement
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Soumaya Khalifa participated in a panel discussion at Young Harris College at the recommendation of College President Cathy Cox, former Georgia Secretary of State. Ms. Khalifa and Dr. Cox last met at the Governor's mansion
when the Aga Khan visited Atlanta.
The
topic of the panel was atonement in major faith traditions. The panelists were Zvi Altman, a Jewish cantor, John Kay, a Methodist professor, Father Richard Wise, of the Catholic faith, and Ms. Khalifa, representing the Muslim community. Each of the panelists had five to eight minutes to give an overview of atonement
in their faith tradition, followed by questions from the
moderator, questions from the other panelists, and finally questions
from the student audience.
The evening was very engaging and resulted in a good exchange of knowledge about America's major faith communities.
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Greetings!
We are so excited about this month's edition of your ISB newsletter!
We are counting down to the premiere of Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think, which is showing at the Rialto on October 12. To understand why this film is so important, we speak with Charles Ogburn, head of corporate investment at Arcapita, a platinum sponsor of the event.
Next, we speak with Devita Parnell, a partner in interfaith dialogue with the ISB. Ms. Parnell has reached out to the Muslim community over the last few months and she tells us why.
And don't miss our other stories! During Ramadan, we visited the State Department for an iftar dinner and sat down right here in Atlanta with members of the American Jewish Committee.
Please feel free to share your stories of interfaith partnership with us. You may email us at dirisbatl@yahoo.com or call us at 404.377.8380.
All the best,
Soumaya Khalifa
Executive Director
ISB Atlanta
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Interfaith Partner Devita Parnell
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Devita Parnell is the Congregational Resources Specialist with
the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), a "fellowship of Baptist Christians and
churches who share a passion for the Great Commission of Jesus Christ and a
commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice."[1]
Devita grew up in Sandersville, GA, which is about 140 miles southeast of metro
Atlanta. She is the mother of a seven-year old and a three-year old, and is
married to Mark.
Devita spoke with Zaynab Ansari about her work and why she has
reached out to local Muslims.
ZA: Thanks so much for speaking with us. Please tell us about
your work and your involvement with your church.
DP: Prior to coming to Atlanta to work in the national CBF
office, I worked with the state office, which is based in Macon. Through my
work there, organizationally, I began to branch out and connected with the
American Jewish Committee and the Istanbul Center. We held dialogues and tried
to educate our congregations on making and building relationships with members
of other faith communities. I also participate in a Sunday school class at
First Baptist Church of Decatur. Our class has been doing book study on Islam
and I suggested that we engage with people of the Muslim faith. They eagerly
accepted.
ZA: When did you first hear about the ISB?
DP: I first became aware of the ISB when I met Soumaya Khalifa
at the ACCESS Atlanta interfaith panel [covered in the May 2009 ISB
newsletter]. We introduced ourselves and I invited the ISB to speak at my church. Bassem Fakhoury honored this
invitation and spent two hours with our Sunday school class. His spirit,
personality, and warmth endeared him to our group.
ZA: Tell us what has happened since then.
DP: We felt like we needed to take this engagement to another
level, so we invited Bassem and Soumaya to join us for dinner and dialogue. It
was an open and honest experience. Our next step is to visit a Friday prayer
service in a mosque, and the ISB is working with us to facilitate that.
ZA: What inspiration can you share with our readers who would
like to reach out to members of other faiths?
DP: I feel like hospitality and inclusion of all people is how I
understand God and want to live my life. I'm curious about people and life and
faith. I'm naturally drawn to people who are different from me because I want
to grow and learn.
ZA: Thank you so much!
DP: Thank you!
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 The Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta is a 501(c)3 non-profit, apolitical
educational organization that provides certified Muslim speakers to
promote awareness about Islam and Muslims. The ISB is a local affiliate
of the Islamic Networks Group (ING). Donations to the ISB are tax deductible and may be mailed to ISB
Atlanta, P.O. Box 2608, Peachtree City, GA 30269. Alternatively,
supporters may send their contributions through our secure website.
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