Prof. Najib Awad will present a paper on Saturday, April 2, at the annual conference of the New England Maritimes Region of the American Academy of Religion (NEMAAR) held at the Boston College School of Theology & Ministry.  His paper is titled : “Interreligiosity as a Realist Learning Engagement: Theodore Abū Qurrah, ʽAlī b. Rabbān aṭ-Ṭabarī, Two Comparative Theologians from Early Islam?”

Prof. Lucinda Mosher is one of the editors of a recently released book, Sin, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation, from Georgetown University Press. The book is a collection of essays and scripture passages studied at the 2014 Building Bridges seminar. The Georgetown University Press website describes it this way: “Thoughtful and provocative, the book begins with the complete texts of the opening lectures by Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen and Jonathan A. C. Brown and contains essays by Christoph Schwöbel, Ayman Shabana, Susan Eastman, Mohammad Hassan Khalil, Philip Sheldrake, and Asma Afsaruddin. Peppered throughout with relevant scripture passages and commentary, the text concludes with an extensive account of the informal conversations at the seminar that conveys the lively and respectful dialogue that is the hallmark of this meeting.”

The prestigious Şehir University has offered to host Prof. Yahya Michot during the time of his sabbatical leave in Istanbul and invited him to give an intensive course on “Metaphysics and Cosmological Doctrines in Classical Islamic Thought.”

Prof. Sayed Ammar Nakhjavani was quoted in a March 1 Washington Times article about a new book for children called “It’s Ramadan, Curious George!” In the book, Curious George meets a family of Muslims, visits a mosque, and joins in the “iftar,” the meal when Muslims break their fasts during the holy month of Ramadan.

The article talks about the trend among several major publishing houses to provide more materials for Muslims. Prof. Nakhjavani, the Imam Ali Chair for Shi’i Studies and Dialogue Among Islamic Legal Schools, was asked to comment on this and said, “The publication of children’s books about Muslims is a great way for both the elder and the younger generation to learn about Islam. In a sense, it’s a type of interfaith dialogue, and I welcome it. Every discussion about religion does not need to be an argument. We can have constructive dialogue for the betterment of society as a whole.”

“It’s Ramadan, Curious George” will be released on May 3.