Akbar Ahmed and Judea Pearl present The Daniel Pearl Dialogue for Muslim-Jewish understanding
March 14, 2007
Akbar Ahmed and Judea Pearl, two prominent spokespersons for interfaith dialogue and Muslim-Jewish friendship, will speak at the University of Richmond March 26.
The discussion, called the Daniel Pearl Dialogue, will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Alice Haynes Room of Tyler Haynes Commons. The event is being co-sponsored by the University Chaplaincy, A More Perfect Union and The Council for America's First Freedom. It is open to the public at no charge. A reception and book signing will follow.
The world came to know Daniel Pearl as the Wall Street Journal reporter who was murdered by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002. Guided by shared values and inspired by Daniel's legacy, Ahmed and Judea Pearl, Daniel's father, will discuss Muslim-Jewish relations and the need for understanding and hope between ethnic, cultural and faith groups. They hope to shift the nature of discourse from accusation and fear to inquiry and respect.
Ahmed is the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies and professor of international relations at American University in Washington, D.C. and former Pakistani ambassador to the United Kingdom. He is a renowned author and award-winning film and documentary director. Judea Pearl is professor of artificial intelligence at UCLA and president of The Daniel Pearl Foundation, which was established to continue Daniel's mission of dialogue and friendship and address the root causes of his murder.
Other organizations supporting the event include the Ibn Rushd Cultural Center, the Islamic Center of Virginia, the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, the Virginia Muslim Coalition, and from the University of Richmond, the Department of Religion, Department of International Education and Hillel. A University of Richmond cultural affairs grant provided the bulk of funding for the event.
For more information, please contact Gretchen Schoel at (804) 287-1842 or Maureen Rosenbaum at (804) 643-1786.