| Greetings!
Happy springtime! In our latest edition of ISB news, we feature a thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi, an award-winning scholar, writer, and researcher, and a partner with the ISB in interfaith dialogue and understanding.
Spring is a time of renewal and we urge you to do your part to renew your commitment to building bridges of understanding in your community.
We also want you to know that we are reaching out to Atlanta's Muslim community through a series of Meaningful Conversations dialogues and leadership meetings. We hope that these initiatives will serve as a basis for further cooperation between all segments of Atlanta's diverse population.
All the best,
Soumaya Khalifa
Executive Director
ISB Atlanta
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| Dr. Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi: The ISB is a Human Face of the Islamic Community in America |
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Dr. Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi is Professor of World Christianity at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. He was the winner of the ISB's 2007 Building Bridges Award for his work in furthering Muslim-Christian understanding through a series of dialogues he initiated between seminary students and members of the Atlanta Muslim community. He was the first incumbent of the World Christianity post at Columbia Theological, where he has taught for 16 years.
Dr. Cardoza-Orlandi earned a B.A. from the University of Puerto Rico; an M.Div. from the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico; and a Th.M. (Master of Theology) and Ph.D. in Mission, Ecumenics, and History of Religions from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Aida Lizzette Oquendo. They are the proud parents of three sons, Carlos Andres, 23, Juan Carlos, 19, and Carlos Esteban, 11.
In August of this year, Dr. Cardoza-Orlandi will be joining the faculty of Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, where he will hold the position of Professor of Global Christianities and Mission Studies.
He spoke with Zaynab Ansari about his formative years in Puerto Rico, his calling to theological studies, and his perspective of the ISB.
ZA: Dr. Cardoza, I'm delighted to speak with you. Please tell us how you were inspired from childhood to seek a path in the Christian church, and, ultimately, pursue theological studies.
DC: I was born to a lower middle class family in Puerto Rico. One of the most formative experiences of my childhood was my parents' divorce, which was very difficult in the context of a traditional culture. The sense of loss I felt was profound. During those years of divorce, the Christian community sustained me. This support was crucial in my understanding of the Christian religion as something that nourishes people for life. I met my wife in that Christian community and was encouraged to take a bachelors degree. All of those dramatic changes in my family life made me very committed to trying my utmost to be a good father, husband, son, and brother.
ZA: Before you enrolled at Princeton Theological Seminary, you spent considerable time pastoring at the grassroots level. Please tell us more.
DC: I was a pastor for almost 10 years, even while pursuing my M.Div. As a young pastor, what motivated me was the inspiration of a Hebrew Bible professor and my grassroots work with people in the congregations I was pastoring. There was a fulcrum between those two forces and that's what guided me to do theological studies in the field of mission studies, ecumenics, and the history of religion.
ZA: How did your studies at Princeton Theological prepare you to teach World Christianity?
DC: My experience at Princeton opened me to other Christian traditions, such as Orthodox and Coptic, and opened up my mind to other religions. My area of expertise is Afro-Caribbean diaspora religion, which includes Islam.
ZA: And your understanding of the globality of the Christian faith shaped the evolution of the program at Columbia.
DC: Correct. At Columbia, one of the basic principles guiding my work was the awareness that Christianity in the non-Western world had a long history of encounters and interactions with people of different religions. I made it an objective of the program that I would teach students about the encounter of Christianity with other religions, both negative and positive, and the different character that Christianity had when it was a minority among other religious majorities, or was finding its place in a very different context than the West.
ZA: How has your work with the ISB contributed to your calling?
DC: Like the hadith literature in Muslim life, which serves as a spiritual and moral compass, my friends in the ISB have renewed me in my Christian vocation. I view the ISB as, firstly, a
trustworthy organization, which I have used as a way to introduce my students to the Islamic faith. Secondly, the ISB is a
positive entry point for encounter and dialogue between Protestant Christians and U.S. Muslims. Thirdly, the ISB
provides a facilitating community, not only for the exposition of Islam and U.S. Muslims, but for the awareness of the history of Muslims in the United States, which did not begin with the recent flow of immigrants but goes back to the antebellum years as a religion which sustained enslaved African men and women. The ISB sponsored an eye-opening documentary, Prince Among Slaves, which chronicled this early history. Fourthly, t he ISB is a human face of the Islamic community in the United States.
ZA: Thank you and best wishes for your work at Southern Methodist!
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| ISB Presents to Parkview Students |
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In March, the ISB was invited to present to 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students in a Comparative Religions course at Parkview Christian Learning Center (PCLC). The PCLC provides released time religious education classes to local high school students. The ISB was represented by Dr. Abdullah Kapic.
There were about 60 students in attendance for the presentation, which, as Dr. Kapic noted, has formed the basis for a continuing relationship between the ISB and the PCLC.
The ISB thanks Mr. Everett Bracken for the invitation.
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| About Our Organization |
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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| Georgia State University Classes Feature ISB Speakers |
M. Y. M. Mohamed
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Since the start of spring semester at Georgia State University, ISB speakers have visited campus frequently at the invitation of instructors to present to various classes. In early February, Iqbal Kalla and speaker-in-training, Asif Saberi, M.D., presented an overview of Islam and Muslims to a communication class. The session included question-and-answer and allowed students to engage the speakers on a number of topics, including comparative religion, Muslim demographics, and best practices for health care providers to diverse populations.
During the last week of February, M. Y. M. Mohamed and Soumaya Khalifa spoke at a seminar organized by the Christian Legal Society, a student organization at Georgia State's College of Law. The ISB's presentation was geared toward legal professionals working with Muslim clients and
colleagues. The session was extremely well received, with audience members writing, "I attended your presentation at Georgia State College of Law today and truly enjoyed it. I received a lot of positive feedback [from others in attendance]. Thank you so much for coming."
Finally, in mid-March, Mansour Ansari spoke to an education class about First Amendment guidelines for teaching about religion in the context of public education.
The ISB thanks Dr. Misty M. Wilson, Ms. Kara Kavanagh, and Ms. Crystal Filiberto for reaching out to the organization. In particular, the ISB thanks Ms. Serene Hawasli for working with the Christian Legal Society to organize the College of Law event.
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| A Day of Learning |
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On Sunday, February 21, ISB Executive Director, Soumaya Khalifa, was a co-presenter with AJC (American Jewish Committee) Executive Director, Judy Marx, at the Epstein School's Day of Learning. Ms. Khalifa and Ms. Marx facilitated a workshop on effective strategies for promoting interfaith dialogue. Both women shared with the audience how leaders from the ISB and AJC intentionally engaged in dialogue through a Ramadan iftar. Participants were very engaged, asking questions, making comments, and filling out interfaith journals, which were given out as a homework challenge to the audience.
The Epstein School, an award-winning private Jewish day school, hosted the Day of Learning to celebrate its 36th anniversary of service to the Atlanta Jewish community. |
| Senior University: Lifelong Learning |
Bassem Fakhoury delivered the ISB's signature presentation, Getting to Know American Muslims & Islam, to approximately 75 Senior University students on Friday, March 26. Senior University is an educational organization run by senior citizens for senior citizens who meet on the campus of Mercer University.
The organization was referred to the ISB by Dr. Ben Johnson, who regularly organizes seminars on Islam and Muslims at metro area churches. Mr. Fakhoury notes, "The participants were very engaged and learned individuals. My host was very pleased and expressed interest in inviting the ISB to present at his church."
The ISB thanks Mr. Tom Hawkins for the invitation.
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| Atlanta Muslim Leaders: Serving Atlanta & Beyond |
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On Saturday, March 27, the ISB held a meeting for Atlanta Muslim leaders who have partnered with the organization in community programs. The schedule included an overview of the ISB and its accomplishments over the last nine years, including the popular Meaningful Conversations (MC) series. The meeting was a pilot initiative for a series of meetings which are being planned for a larger segment of the Atlanta Muslim community.
The ISB wishes to thank its Board of Directors, particularly Imam Plemon El-Amin, for visionary leadership. The ISB also wishes to recognize founding members, Dr. Mohamed Khalifa and Mansour Ansari. Furthermore, the ISB is grateful for the phenomenal team who worked to make the meeting possible: Amin Tomeh, Bassem Fakhoury, Dr. Bilal King, Ehab Jaleel, Hounada Sinno Fakhoury, Jelena Naim, M. Y. M. Mohamed, and Saif Altalib,
A participant writes, "The ISB has become an important part of the landscape within our community as well as the 'go-to' organization for many groups outside of our immediate faith community. By having such an array of prominent and dedicated leaders in the room today, it can now be said that the ISB's abilities have gone beyond the basics to servicing a much wider range of the Atlanta Muslim community. The program was well-tailored, punctual, professionally carried out, and a major step in the right direction." |
| GA Tech Students Raising Awareness |
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The ISB partnered with Georgia Tech's Muslim Students Association to organize Islam Awareness events during the first week of March.
Dr. S. Rashid Naim discussed the Muslim Contribution to Civilization with approximately 30 participants. The dialogue focused on Muslim communities in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.
Amin Tomeh facilitated a discussion around the Prince Among Slaves documentary. Participants considered whether a "
single person or event can help change one's perspective on a certain topic."
The intent of the dialogue was to challenge participants to recast the role of Muslims in the United States through learning about Prince Abdul Rahman's (the film's protagonist) life and the contributions of early American Muslims.
The ISB thanks Ms. Maha Hosain for coordinating Islam Awareness Week with the organization.
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| Upcoming Events |
April 18: Muslim-Christian Picnic
April 18 & 25: Northside United Methodist
April 24: Youth group @ Dalton Mosque
April 27: Smyrna Golden K Kiwanis
April 27: North Georgia Progressives
May 11: Children's Healthcare of Atlanta | |
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