On Monday, March 23, Anabaptist and Jewish scholars and religious leaders gathered in the Strite Conference Room of 91短视频鈥檚 Campus Center for a consultation on Judaism, the Bible, and Anabaptism. The invite-only event was planned by Peter Dula, professor of religion and culture at 91短视频, and Trina Trotter Nussbaum, director of the Center for Interfaith Engagement (CIE), and included all-day discussions centering around the work of Matthew Thiessen and Daniel Weiss.

According to Dula, Thiessen, a Mennonite New Testament professor at McMaster University, is 鈥渙ne of the most influential voices in the 鈥楶aul within Judaism鈥� school of New Testament studies.鈥� The discussion of Thiessen鈥檚 work at the consultation centered around four articles of his.

Weiss, according to Dula, is a Jewish professor of Jewish studies and the philosophy of religion at the University of Cambridge, 鈥渨hose work at the intersection of early rabbinic literature and early Christian literature has significant resonances with traditional Anabaptist understandings of violence and the state and critiques of Constantinianism.鈥� Weiss also had four articles discussed.

The morning began with a presentation by Thiessen titled, 鈥淲hat Mennonites Need to Know 91短视频 Judaism,鈥� which introduced the work of Weiss. Weiss then responded, and there was time for some questions from the audience. Following a break, a panel engaged with some of Weiss鈥檚 research, including articles on Christians and Levites, and the possibility that early Christians did not baptize their children, instead letting them be born into salvation.

After a lunch break, Weiss took a turn introducing Thiessen鈥檚 work in a section called, 鈥淩eading the New Testament within Judaism.鈥� Thiessen then responded. A panel then engaged in Thiessen鈥檚 work, including reflections on how to read Paul with an awareness of Judaism, and whether Jesus meant to start a new religion.

Dula was the guiding force in bringing the two scholars together to have the event. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got a Jewish scholar writing really perceptively about Anabaptist themes, and you have this Mennonite scholar writing really perceptively about Judaism,鈥� Dula said. 鈥淪o, I thought we should get them together.鈥�

Nussbaum reflected on the efficacy of the dialogue, and how it was in large part also due to the highlighted speakers. 鈥淚t worked because the two scholars we were highlighting shared the spotlight so well,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ow many times did we hear, 鈥榓nd now I want to open it up to you all?鈥欌��

Miranda Beidler, an 91短视频 senior who helped coordinate the event in her role as a student chaplain with the CIE, praised the event and guests for creating 鈥渋nherent dialogue.鈥� She said, 鈥淸The speakers] were so willing and open to talk about their beliefs, their theology, in ways that were open and curious about the others鈥� theology and beliefs, but without imposing their beliefs on somebody else.鈥�

Sara Kennel, another senior student chaplain at 91短视频, was struck by the openness and intellectualism of the event participants, saying, 鈥淚t felt like a gathering of a lot of people that care about understanding differences, but also are deeply intellectual. … I don鈥檛 think that I鈥檝e encountered that many spaces at 91短视频 that are that level of scholarship.鈥�

Nussbaum was struck by the impact of cross-religious dialogue, saying, 鈥淚t鈥檚 something pretty amazing that we can see ourselves in another faith. … It was a spiritual love-fest.鈥� Beidler, similarly, connected the event to CIE鈥檚鈥攁nd 91短视频鈥檚鈥攇oals of interfaith work, saying, 鈥淚t鈥檚 us putting into action when we say we care about learning from other people and from other cultures.鈥�

Trina Trotter Nussbaum 鈥�00, MA 鈥�17 will never forget the first time she saw the view from the Campus Center balcony. Standing on the balcony overlooking the Front Lawn and gazing east toward the Blue Ridge Mountains, the then-first-year student recalled telling a friend: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what I鈥檓 going to study, but I know this is where I need to be. This is my place.鈥�

鈥淎ll it took was one look at those mountains, and they seemed to tell me, 鈥榊ou belong here,鈥欌�� Trotter Nussbaum said.听

That was nearly 30 years ago. Today, Trotter Nussbaum is the new director of the Center for Interfaith Engagement, a position she鈥檚 held since Jan. 1. She still feels that same sense of belonging at 91短视频 and works to ensure others on campus feel it too. Through her role at CIE, she celebrates and supports students, faculty and staff from a wide range of faith traditions and backgrounds.听

It was a long road that led her to 91短视频. After graduating from high school in North Lima, Ohio, Trotter Nussbaum, who was raised Mennonite, moved to Pittsburgh and completed travel agency school. She gradually learned that it wasn鈥檛 the career for her. Returning home to Ohio, she ran into a childhood friend about to graduate from 91短视频 who told her, 鈥淵ou should give 91短视频 a try.鈥� It was just the push she needed.听

Trotter Nussbaum arrived on campus in the fall of 1995 as a 22-year-old first-year English major. She was older than the others in her Northlawn dorm, but she saw that as a blessing. 鈥淚t helped me settle down and figure out what I wanted to do.鈥�

That turned out to be theater. Trotter Nussbaum credits 91短视频鈥檚 theater program with recognizing her strengths as a performer and teaching her invaluable listening and improv skills. During the second semester of her junior year, she added a psychology major. Though it delayed her graduation by another year, she said it ended up being one of the best decisions she ever made. 鈥淚 might not be acting or counseling right now, but I draw on those skills every day,鈥� Trotter Nussbaum said. She graduated in 2000 with bachelor鈥檚 degrees in theater and psychology, along with a minor in justice, peace and conflict studies. She said professors in her justice and theology classes challenged her faith with love and grace, ultimately strengthening it and shaping her into the faith-based peacebuilder she is today.

After a decade spent working at nonprofits and government agencies, Trotter Nussbaum returned to 91短视频 in 2013 as associate director of CIE. Fueled by formative experiences during a 1998 intercultural trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland, she began pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in conflict transformation at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding. It took her another five years to complete the two-year program while working at CIE and raising two children. In 2017, she earned her MA.

Ever the lifelong learner, Trotter Nussbaum continues to seek out further education. She鈥檚 working toward earning MDiv equivalency so that she can enroll in the new Doctor of Ministry program at Eastern Mennonite Seminary.听

Over the years, she鈥檚 received numerous scholarships as a student. She said those scholarships, as well as 91短视频鈥檚 tuition benefits for employees, made it possible for her to continue her studies. 鈥淚 love how 91短视频 encourages its employees to take the classes they want to take,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he ability to take classes, even one at a time, for almost free is such a blessing.鈥�

Trotter Nussbaum and her husband, Brian Nussbaum 鈥�00, live in Harrisonburg with their two children. Her brother, Travis Trotter 鈥�99, serves as university registrar for 91短视频.

Your generous support helps students like Trotter Nussbaum pursue a quality college education without financial barriers. Join us for the 9th annual Lov91短视频 Giving Day and contribute to the scholarships that empower future 91短视频 students. Together, we can help write 91短视频鈥檚 next chapter.

Read the previous profiles in our A Royal Tale series:

African educator, human rights activist and philanthropist Dr. D貌w貌ti D茅sir, Queen Mother of the African Diaspora of Benin, will share her knowledge and experiences during a series of public gatherings at 91短视频 next week.

D茅sir is an interfaith leader, scholar and expert on African diaspora heritage sites. As the former chair of the NGO Committee for the Elimination of Racism, Afrophobia and Colorism at the United Nations, she has worked with Dr. Gaurav J. Pathania, assistant professor of sociology and peacebuilding at 91短视频, on issues related to caste. D茅sir has spoken at Harvard Divinity School, Columbia University and New York University, and said she was “delighted and honored” to visit 91短视频.

“I end up speaking, in some ways, to the same audiences all the time,” she said. “This is a very different audience for me and I look forward to the conversation. I’m eager to learn about social justice from an 91短视频 perspective.”

All events below are scheduled for Wednesday, March 27.

‘Compassion: The Intangible Asset’

Time: 10:10 a.m.
Location: University Commons Student Union
91短视频: As the first Queen Mother of the African Diaspora on the African continent, D茅sir oversees welcoming home people whose ancestors were torn away due to slavery. Her main address for convocation will focus on social justice and the importance of compassion.

She is a former adviser and designated expert to the United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on projects related to the global African community.

‘The African Diaspora: A Photographer鈥檚 Lens’

Time: 11:15 a.m.
Location: West Dining Room
91短视频: The Queen Mother will lead a lunch discussion on using photography to tell the story of the African Diaspora and the impacts of slavery.

She has visited and documented more than 90 sites around the world that speak to the historic experiences of Africans and their descendants in the Diaspora.

‘Interfaith Dialogue with a Vodou High Priestess’

Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Northlawn East Dining Room
91短视频: D茅sir is a Manbo Asogwe, a priestess in the West African faith tradition of Vodou. Learn about Vodou beliefs, practices, history and traditions during this talk, as she answers questions and clears up misconceptions.

According to Harvard University’s , Vodou 鈥� meaning “spirit” or “god” in the Fon and Ewe languages of West Africa 鈥� is a blending, or syncretism, of African religious traditions and Catholicism. It has come to be used as the name for the religious traditions of Haiti, which is where D茅sir was born.

Events are hosted by: 91短视频 Engage; Center for Interfaith Engagement; Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and the Visual and Communication Arts (VaCA) Department.

91短视频’s campus community entered into a wave of critical discussions about faith, race, and gender this semester. Three book clubs emerged independently, while yet another reading group and a film series came from projects in a graduate counseling course focusing on multiculturalism.

Faculty, staff, and student participants have wrestled with questions about how race, racism, faith, gender, and sexism influence power, theological formation, campus life, and beyond.听

These book studies are making visible normative structures in our community that limit our capacity to experience one another in all of our complexities. That is good work. We cannot correct that which we cannot, or refuse, to see. I think we are awakening to realities of the ways anti-blackness functions on our campus.听

Professor David Evans

Deep reading, deep listening

supported 10 faculty and staff with copies of by Willie James Jennings. Seminary instructor Sarah Bixler and Professor David Evans facilitated.

As part of the 2021 Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, Evans and co-facilitator Ezrionna Prioleau ’17 led more than 20 faculty members and students in studying by Ibram X. Kendi.

Supported by the , a group of faculty and staff read three books on the themes of race, faith, and justice, contributing towards an action plan to develop and deepen commitment to and competency in interfaith engagement and racial justice. (Read more specifics below.) Facilitators were Tala Bautista, adjunct faculty for Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, and Mikayla Waters-Crittenton, associate director for student accountability and restorative justice.

Two groups of graduate students in Professor Jennifer Cline鈥檚 two-semester multicultural counseling course series created and co-facilitated community advocacy projects within the 91短视频 community: 

• Sarah Morehouse, Mary Rebekah Cox and Richard Grosse led 10 undergraduate and graduate students and staff members in studying by Rebecca Solnit.
• A larger group of 11 graduate students facilitated a semester-long series 鈥淪omethin’ to Talk 91短视频: A Film and Discussion Series Around Race.鈥� The three-part series included viewings of films ” (California Newsreel); ; and a pre-recorded open discussion on race and its personal impact between four of 91短视频’s graduate counseling students: two women of color and two white women. The events were open to the campus community.

鈥楢 deep interest and hunger鈥�

“There is a deep interest and hunger among students, staff, and faculty to engage in a process of reckoning and reform related to racial, sexual, and gender equality, as well as other identities,” said Morehouse, a student in the master’s in counseling program.

Men Explain Things to Me focuses “on how power is wielded in society and the resulting inequalities, and 鈥� the relationship between gendered language, the silencing of women and those with non-binary identities, disbelief in their experiences, and gender-based violence,” Morehouse said.

She and co-hosts Cox and Grosse were “impressed and heartened by the way that members engaged with the material and each other in a sensitive and impassioned way, recognizing the need for change at the individual, institutional, and cultural levels.”

Graduate student Helen Momoh went into the book club with measured expectations. However, “words cannot express the profound experience during the times we met,” Momoh said. “It was empowering, refreshing, and healing for me to be able to share within this space. I guess the space was such that it gave me comfort. Everyone was ready to listen, even when some of us just met for the first time.”

The interfaith group read , by angel Kyodo Rev. Williams, Lama Rod Owens, and Jasmine Syedullah; , by Saher Selod, and , by Felipe Hinojosa. 

In addition to personal engagement with Selod, a colloquium speaker this semester, the group also learned from guest speaker Dr. Cathy Campbell, associate professor in the nursing department and chair of acute and speciality care at University of Virginia. Campbel is an ordained Buddhist chaplain, according to group participant Trina Trotter Nussbaum, associate director at CIE. 鈥淒r. Campbell spoke with us from these vantage points while we were reading the Radical Dharma book and it was a huge privilege,鈥� she said. (On a side note, Hinojosa visited campus in 2018).

More than 20 faculty members and students have been meeting over Zoom to discuss How to Be an Antiracist.听The group is a long-term project linked to 91短视频鈥檚 Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. The size of the group can be challenging for Evans and co-facilitator Prioleau.

“That said, I experience the group as open to new ideas and interested in growth,” Evans said. “We’ve wrestled with the strength of Kendi’s argument that one cannot take a neutral stance on racism, you are either acting in racist or antiracist ways. We’ve also wrestled with some concerns we have over Kendi’s analysis of power that seems to equate anti-blackness with anti-whiteness. These are crucial conversations for our learning community.”

After Whiteness has also sparked critical questions for the 10 faculty and staff studying it. Jennings explores how theological formation, when rooted in values of white, self-sufficient masculinity, shapes people for possession, control, and mastery; rather than connection with God, self, and others.

“We are digging deep to analyze how we educate theologically, interact as a community, and operate as an institution,” said Bixler, a co-facilitator. “We are imagining new ways of being and doing that move us toward holistic and life-giving formation that subverts the distorted formation Jennings describes.”

Evans acknowledged that book studies alone cannot heal communities, or ensure everyone feels seen and heard within them. But perhaps they can plant a seed. 

“These book studies are making visible normative structures in our community that limit our capacity to experience one another in all of our complexities. That is good work,” he said. “We cannot correct that which we cannot, or refuse, to see. I think we are awakening to realities of the ways anti-blackness functions on our campus. We are also growing in our awareness of the ways we are seduced into valuing whiteness in our assessments of students and our presentation of ourselves.”

Professor Tim Seidel, this week鈥檚 guest on the 鈥淧eacebuilder鈥� podcast, has played an integral role in the fields of strategic peacebuilding, global studies and interfaith engagement at 91短视频. He brings practical experience in all three fields, having lived and worked in Palestine, Israel, and served as Mennonite Central Committee鈥檚 director for peace and justice ministries in the United States.

Seidel speaks with host Patience Kamau MA 鈥�17 for the third episode of the season.听The 鈥淧eacebuilder鈥� podcast, in its second season, is a production of 91短视频’s, as it celebrates its 25th anniversary.听

More than 6,500 listeners in 102 countries and 1,239 cities across the globe enjoyed Season I.

The podcast is among just a handful covering the general peacebuilding field. It is available on, Apple Podcasts on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcast, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, TuneIn and other podcast directories.

Seidel shares his journey to 91短视频, where he has helped to start an undergraduate global studies major and an interfaith studies minor. Seidel also teaches graduate students at the and serves as director of 91短视频鈥檚 Center for Interfaith Engagement.听

Seidel brings four topics to the podcast conversation and unpacks them in discussion with Kamau: 

• transnational and anti-colonial connectivity and the politics of solidarity, 
• critical political economy,
•  violence, non-violence and resistance, and 
• religion, interfaith, and the post-secular in politics, peacebuilding, and development. 

Their conversation includes probing questions, ranges throughout hundreds of years of global history, touches on popular culture and current events, and follows a critical thread of colonialism into each of the topics.

In a nutshell: 鈥淗ow do we pay attention to the world that we live in today and its colonial constitutions? How do the colonial legacies persist into the present and what are the ways in which people inhabiting this world are struggling and resisting?鈥�

If you鈥檙e one of those listeners who thrills to the intellectual 鈥渃hase,鈥� you will want to come to this 55-minute podcast with some paper and a pen to jot down words and names for further investigation, including the several indigenous and BIPOC scholars, authors, political figures and activists who are referenced.

Many of the ideas and explorations discussed in the podcast are explored in Seidel鈥檚 scholarly works and associated presentations. For a full list and links, visit his 91短视频 webpage.

Seidel previously taught at American University and Lancaster Theological Seminary. He holds an MTS from Wesley Theological Seminary and a PhD from the School of International Service at American university in Washington DC. At Messiah College, he earned a BA in biochemistry with minors in anthropology and mathematics.

P谩draig 脫 Tuama speaks softly, soothingly, with just a touch of grit in his gentle Irish accent. Next month, you can hear the voice of this poet, theologian, and mediator on his virtual five-day visit to 91短视频 (91短视频). 

His book In the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World (Hodder & Stoughton, 2015) is this year’s Common Read selection, one book the campus community is encouraged to read, reflect on, and engage with.

脫 Tuama will engage with the 91短视频 community in several settings during his virtual tour from Sept. 14-18, including a live-streamed Writer’s Read event, a virtual coffee and conversation time with pastors, chapels, a colloquium, and gatherings with small student groups, including Safe Space and the .

鈥淚鈥檝e heard of 91短视频 for years 鈥� and have always wanted to be part of something at the campus,” said 脫 Tuama. “Having an opportunity to collaborate and co-create events with faculty, staff and students on the campus is a delight to anticipate: bringing fields of literature, religion, peace-work and language together.鈥�

脫 Tuama is known for integrating themes of language, power, conflict and religion. He is also a peacebuilder and mediator. From 2014-19, he led the, Ireland鈥檚 oldest peace and reconciliation organisation. 

鈥淚 am ecstatic that we here at 91短视频, and in the Harrisonburg community, will have the blessing of P谩draig 脫 Tuama鈥檚 gift of teaching and guidance through the process of holding and examining questions about who we are, and how we navigate this beautiful and broken world,鈥� said Patience Kamau, a staff member with the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding who played an integral role in bringing 脫 Tuama to campus.

Visit in the works for many months

Kamau convened the committee that has worked for more than a year on this visit. The group includes Professor Kirsten Beachy, who also chairs the Common Read selection committee; Campus Pastor Brian Martin Burkholder; Trina Trotter Nussbaum, associate director of the Center for Interfaith Engagement; and community members Sheryl Shenk and Les Horning. Sue Cockley, dean of the School of Theology, Humanities and Performing Arts, and Professor Vi Dutcher, director of the Academic Success Center, also contributed.

A Facebook post from Horning triggered the odyssey. In early 2019, he dipped into 鈥淚n the Shelter鈥� on a recommendation from seminary alumnus Blaine Detwiler, who pastors Marion Mennonite Church in Marion, Pa. He swallowed the book in a several-hours-long reading and then posted about the experience on Facebook. 

Kamau replied to his post that she had 鈥渢he great honor鈥� of meeting 脫 Tuama while at an 鈥淥n Being鈥� gathering in California in 2018.

Horning expressed a wish that 脫 Tuama might visit 91短视频. 

鈥淲hy not? I think we can do this,鈥� wrote back Kamau.

鈥淚 sensed in P谩draig a kindred spirit, and had this profound feeling that he would connect well to so many facets of 91短视频鈥檚 identity,鈥� said Horning later.

Resonating themes

In the Shelter weaves together poignant and humorous stories from 脫 Tuama’s life, Celtic spirituality, poetry, and theological analysis. “His book is personal, profound, and an excellent reading choice for souls in quarantine working to welcome an uncertain future,” Beachy said. 

In a vignette from the opening of In the Shelter, 脫 Tuama recounts a time he spent wandering around New York City, lost literally and figuratively. He encounters a woman singing in the subway.

I didn’t feel like singing but she was so full of life that I couldn’t leave. She was singing about the woman in John’s Gospel who makes her way to the well during the hottest time of the day and, at the well, meets Jesus. It’s a story I love, because the characters are so rich and lively 鈥� So there I was, in the belly of the city, hearing songs about a story that I loved on a day when everything seemed to be dying. I was the only white boy surrounded by black women twice my age, and they were singing ‘Alleluia’ and I was crying and thinking that maybe everything wasn’t lost anyway.

Hello to the city.

Hello to the little worlds we live in.

Before his visit, you can listen to 脫 Tuama at a virtual gathering 鈥� storytelling events in which nine people have up to ten minutes to tell a true story from their life. He also hosts the podcast from On Being Studios. The episodes are short, usually five to 10 minutes, in which 脫 Tuama reads one poem and reflects on current and historical events, lines that speak to him, and compassion for the subjects. 

“Poetry is a thing that helps me breathe,” 脫 Tuama said . “There’s space on the page for my own imagination to fill in the bits that I need, and poetry makes me slow down in my reading. I never skim read a poem. I always read it out loud to myself, and it slows my heart down and it slows my breathing down and it helps my lungs to fill.”

What will a post-pandemic world look like? How is COVID-19 affecting each of us differently, and what are our responsibilities to one another in the face of those disparities? What do we know about the biology of the virus? And are there things that are changing for the better because of this crisis?

A free seven-week online course offered at 91短视频 this summer will delve into those questions and more. Community members are welcome. Students can opt for a pass/fail grade and will have online access to readings, videos, and other materials before each class. 

The course meets each Tuesday evening, beginning June 30, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. for seven weeks, with a different pair or trio of faculty and staff from different academic fields leading each class.

The lectures and Q and A will be recorded and available for viewing later.

The course is co-led by language and literature professor Kevin Seidel and chemistry professor Laurie Yoder.

鈥淲hat pulled me in at first was the possibility of teaching with faculty from all three schools 鈥� sciences, social sciences, and humanities 鈥� talking together and learning from one another about the virus,鈥� Seidel said. When the pandemic hit, he started fervently gathering information and perspective: from scientists, from fictive literature, and from poetry, trying to make sense of 鈥渢his strange new world.鈥� 

Week 1 | June 30, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Treating COVID-19

What do we know about the biology of COVID-19? What鈥檚 next in vaccine development? What public health measures are working to slow the spread of COVID-19?

Kristopher Schmidt, Associate Professor of Biology

Kate Clark, Assistant Professor of Nursing

Week 2 | July 7, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Pandemic History and Data

What can we learn from past pandemics about life after this one? What can we learn from visual presentations of data about the pandemic? 

Mary Sprunger, Professor of History

Daniel Showalter, Associate Professor of Mathematics

Week 3 | July 14, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Politics and Collective Trauma

Why has the U.S. response to COVID-19 been so contentious and uneven? What is collective trauma and what might it have to do with that response?

Mark Metzler Sawin, Professor of History

Ryan Thompson, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Trina Trotter Nussbaum, Associate Director, Center for Interfaith Engagement

Week 4 | July 21, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Zoonotic Viruses, Wet Markets, and the Economics of COVID-19

Where do coronaviruses come from? What are the links between environmental degradation and pandemics? What does COVID-19 have to teach us about how our economy is connected to the natural world? What are the economic impacts from a pandemic?

Jim Yoder, Professor of Biology

Jim Leaman, Associate Professor of Business and Leadership

Week 5 | July 28, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Our Life with Animals, Our Life with God

Why are so many people taking refuge in nature during the pandemic? Why is that refuge harder to come by for some people? What do the scriptures say about how our life with God is related to our life with animals? 

Steven Johnson, Professor of Visual and Communication Arts 

Andrea Saner, Associate Professor of Old Testament

Week 6 | August 4, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Systemic Racism in the U.S. before and after COVID-19

Why has COVID-19 hit African-Americans harder than other groups? Why does rural Navajo Nation have the highest infection rates in the country?

Jenni Holsinger, Associate Professor of Sociology 

Matt Tibbles, Teaching Fellow, Applied Social Sciences

Jim Yoder, Professor of Biology

Week 7 | August 11, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Resilience, Repair, and Transformation after COVID-19

How do we carry forward what we鈥檝e learned about COVID-19, trauma, and restorative justice? 

Johonna Turner, Assistant Professor of Restorative Justice and Peacebuilding

Katie Mansfield, Lead Trainer, Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience (STAR)

This year, the month began for many Muslims on the evening of April 23 (the first day of fasting is determined by the sighting of the new moon) and will end at sundown on May 23. 91短视频鈥檚 Committee on Diversity and Inclusion issued a special newsletter in April for the 91短视频 community in conjunction with the .

鈥淛ust as our Christian friends celebrate Easter and our Jewish friends Passover, this time of the year is holy to our Muslim friends,鈥� said CIE director and CODI member Timothy Seidel. 鈥淚n this newsletter, Muslim students were invited to share reflections. Their generous responses offered insights about Ramadan and its meaning to them and to our 91短视频 community.鈥�

鈥淐elebrating Ramadan is an opportunity to highlight the importance and value of religious diversity, religious literacy and interfaith engagement and inclusion at 91短视频,鈥� said senior Elena Bernardi, a peacebuilding and development major who served a practicum with CIE during the spring semester and co-wrote a short essay on religious diversity for the newsletter.听

In addition to a list of resources, students and graduates took the opportunity to share common practices, as well as how the annual celebration personally impacted them.

鈥淭ypically, fasting begins around dawn and ends at sunset,鈥� Maha Mehana MA 鈥�19, GC 鈥�20 explains. 鈥淭o prepare and begin their fast, Muslims usually eat breakfast right before dawn, pray, and bless their fast. While fasting for the rest of the day, they refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and engaging in any sexual activity.鈥�

Then, at sunset, 鈥渇amilies break the fast with the iftar, traditionally opening the meal by eating dates to commemorate Prophet Mohammed鈥檚 practice of breaking the fast with three dates. They then adjourn for the Maghrib prayer, the fourth of the five required daily prayers, after which the main meal is served,鈥� says Mehana.

Hosam Hadid, who graduated with an MS in biomedicine this month, describes Ramadan as a month to 鈥渞echarge our souls so that we don鈥檛 lose sight of our creator for the next 11 months. It is a month of submission to the one above.鈥�

This year is the second time he鈥檚 observed Ramadan while enrolled at 91短视频. 

鈥淚 can confidently say that I鈥檝e never felt so celebrated and included the way 91短视频鈥檚 Center for Interfaith Engagement has made me feel,鈥� Hadid says.

Aminata Wallet Mohamed 鈥�18, now a graduate student in conflict transformation, says that the fasting keeps observers in 鈥渁 state of constant spiritual awakening.鈥� 

鈥淭he purpose of Ramadan is to purify the body and mind, and to better understand the difficulties of the poorest. According to the tradition, healthy people must fast except for children who have not reached puberty, pregnant women, the sick and the elderly,鈥� she says.

As in many religious traditions, fasting for Ramadan is not just a physical practice, but a spiritual and emotional discipline.

鈥淚t invites us to be more considerate towards giving to those in need, avoiding wrongdoings, being humble, and complete submission to God,鈥� says Muhammad Akram, who graduated with an MA in conflict transformation this month.

For some, what they decide to eat once night falls is another intentional decision.

鈥淩amadan for me now is all about cleansing for my body and my soul. I try to eat healthy everyday, and eat only plants based foods. I also try to be more present every day to see the beauty surrounding me,鈥� says undergraduate student Fatimah Subhi.

91短视频’s MLK Day celebrations included service projects, lectures and workshops, a convocation, film showings and much more. Enjoy photos of highlighted events by Macson McGuigan, Kiana Childress and Jamie Reich.

A co-hosted by Northeast Neighborhood Association, 91短视频 and Bethel African Methodist Episcopal church, brought state senator Jennifer McClellan, Harrisonburg mayor and 91短视频 trustee Deanna Reed, and other speakers to commemorate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Students and Black Student Alliance officers Maya Dula and Jakiran Richardson at the morning’s solidarity march.

Students from 91短视频’s main campus, including (from left) KC Argueta-Rivas, Morgan Bradley and Dulce Shenk Zeager, traveled to Washington D.C. to participate with the nonprofit Community of Hope in Anacostia’s MLK Day Peace Parade. The visit to DC was hosted by Kimberly Schmidt and Jamie Reich, of The Washington Community Scholars’ Center, and students in residence there for the semester. Residence director Scott Eyre and his son Nolan also made the trip from Harrisonburg.

91短视频 staff and students met neighbors along the route through the heart of D.C.’s historic Anacostia neighborhood and handed out stress balls, chapstick and pamphlets about Community of Hope’s services. “The parade is a big event with African American Civil War re-enactors on horseback, lots of clowns, marching bands from as far away as Tallahassee, and a number of local organizations, non-profits represented in the parade,” said Schmidt. Prior to the parade, the group visited the MLK Memorial for a ceremony and gospel music. On Sunday, students at WCSC also traveled to Anacostia to a special worship service at Saint Teresa of Avila Catholic Church, the first of its kind built east of the Anacostia River and known as the “mother church” for African American Catholics.

Drummers on stage in Lehman Auditorium, including Jonas Masiya (shown here), Victor Parker and Rodrigue Makelele, began the convocation festivities.

Convocation speaker Dr. Jalane Schmidt, from the University of Virginia, shares about her involvement as an activist and organizer before, during and after the events surrounding the white supremacy rally in Charlottesville.

Members of 91短视频’s Gospel Choir, joined by community musicians, perform at convocation with drummer Terry Jones and pianist Earnest Kiah. From left: David Chun, Natalie Brown, Amanda Jasper, Kiara Kiah, Rebecca Yugga, Jami Miles, Ariel Barbosa, Patricia Dunn, Carolyn Jackson, Sonja Myers and Janelle Birkey.

Rap artist and 91短视频 alumnus Meechy Jay takes the stage.

Tyrone Sprague gives a haircut in the Royal Treatment student lounge, which opened last year in University Commons. A longtime contributor to 91短视频’s MLK Day celebrations, Sprague had hosted his annual barbershop talk in his business downtown until the new lounge space opened.

Professor Mark Sawin lectures on 鈥淩emembering the Confederacy: A Monumental Debate鈥� in Common Grounds.

Student Tone Parker (right) leads a community drumming circle, joined by (from left) Emerson Brubaker, Andy King, Ariel Barbosa, Avery Trinh and Zavion Taylor.

Thus began Dr. Amir Hussain鈥檚 lifelong admiration for the boxer and activist Muhammad Ali. Hussain, a professor of theological studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, told this story as part of a colloquium at 91短视频 on Oct. 23. The talk was named after his latest book, (Baylor University Press, 2017).

Muslims and the Making of America is far from Hussain鈥檚 only work in the realm of popular culture. He serves as an adviser on The Story of God, a television documentary by Morgan Freeman, and was a consultant for the new Warner Bros. film, . 91短视频 hosted two screenings of Blinded by the Light , including one talkback session with Professor Timothy Seidel, CIE’s director.

During his visit, Hussain spoke with students about Muslim representation in media over lunch, and visited classes on social and political economy, reimagining identity, and liberation theologies.

Muslim achievements shaped the U.S.

Ali is one of the dedicatees of Hussain’s Muslims and the Making of America.

Years after watching that historic fight on television, Hussain would learn more about the racial context of a country where not everyone shared his admiration for the African American boxer. He referenced an incident in which Ali was refused service in a restaurant in his hometown, after winning an Olympic gold medal in Rome in 1960.

鈥淵ou can eat in the kitchen, but you鈥檙e the wrong color to sit in the dining room. Think about that as a young man. You鈥檙e good enough to win a gold medal for your country, but you鈥檙e the wrong color to eat in a restaurant.鈥�

鈥淵ou can eat in the kitchen鈥� is a callback to the Langston Hughes poem, 鈥淚, too, sing America,鈥� which Hussain recited at the beginning of his talk. 

鈥淭hey鈥檒l see how beautiful I am / And be ashamed鈥� / I, too, am America,鈥� the poem ends. 

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I want to do with this book,鈥� Hussian explained. That is, to give the general reading public a narrative about the many Muslims whose achievements have helped shape our nation.

Hussain鈥檚 colloquium did that as well 鈥� serving up a historical digest of notable American Muslims, from the African slaves who first brought Islam to the U.S.; to Ahmet Erteg眉n, who founded Atlantic Records; to present-day congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.

鈥淭here has never been an America without Muslims,鈥� Hussain recited from the opening line of the book.

Hussain also spoke about the Islamophobia that emerged after Sept. 11, 2001. Before, Muslims had been 鈥渁 curiosity,鈥� that few of his students knew much about. After Sept. 11, his students claimed to know a lot about Muslims 鈥� but all negative stereotypes, and no history. 

Connections to CIE, 91短视频

Trina Trotter Nussbaum, associate director of the Center for Interfaith Engagement at 91短视频, met Hussain at an American Academy of Religion conference in 2016.

鈥淚 was immediately taken by Amir鈥檚 ability to speak publicly about confronting Islamophobia while working across religious differences to build alliances, and I thought that we needed to hear from him here,鈥� Nussbaum said. 鈥淎mir is both a skilled Muslim scholar and a plugged-in cultural critic and I really wanted the 91短视频 community to be able to hear from him.鈥�

Hussain鈥檚 roots in the Mennonite world run deep 鈥� he first collaborated with Mennonite Central Committee in 1988, on a trip to Israel-Palestine. His wife, Shannon Hamm, who passed away in 1992, grew up in a small Mennonite community in Manitoba, Canada.

President Susan Schultz Huxman, whose academic expertise lies in the field of rhetoric and communication, attended the colloquium.

“Dr. Hussain is a seasoned scholar and theologian and as a cultural studies and film studies expert,” said Huxman. “This combination makes his expertise a perfect supplement for our integrated liberal arts curriculum at 91短视频. More importantly, he is an expert communicator with engaging visuals who presents difficult and challenging topics in accessible and invitational forms.”

Hussain said after the colloquium that he was most excited about 鈥渢he chance to engage with the students鈥� while at 91短视频. In fact, those experiences are the reason why he鈥檚 in academia.

鈥淲hat lessons have we learned?鈥� CIE director Professor Timothy Seidel asked at the reception. 鈥淲hat relationships have been nurtured?鈥�

In partnership with other service and learning organizations, CIE provides opportunities for interfaith education and engagement and promotes collaboration among religious and nonreligious scholars and practitioners to build a more just and peaceful world through inter-religious and intercultural understanding.

At the reception, Seidel highlighted ongoing CIE priorities, which include forming an advisory council, building partnerships with each academic department at 91短视频, developing opportunities for interfaith experiences and relationships in the broader community, and growing its financial sustainability.

Ed Martin, former CIE director, shared about a spring 2018 learning tour to Iran 鈥� one of several he has hosted over the years. The delegation included Christian, Muslim, Jain and Zoroastrian participants.

Accomplishments

Among other accomplishments this year, CIE provided input into a new minor in interfaith studies in conjunction with 91短视频鈥檚 Bible, Religion and Theology Department. It provides students with opportunities to understand major faith traditions and practice relating across faith differences. Course topics include world religions, comparative monotheisms, philosophy of religion, understanding violent conflict, history of the Middle East and more.

Other noted events included:

• Turkish author and New York Times contributor Mustafa Akyol visited 91短视频 to speak about his new book The Islamic Jesus: How the King of the Jews Became a Prophet of the Muslims (St. Martin鈥檚, 2017).
• CIE was a sponsor of the at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The seventh of its kind over the past sixteen years, this event brought together Shi鈥檃 Muslim scholars from Qom, Iran, and Mennonite scholars from Canada and the U.S. 鈥� including 91短视频 professor Peter Dula 鈥� for presentations and discussions on the topic of religion and youth.
• A roundtable event, 鈥�Borders and Bridges: Reflections on Interfaith Engagement,鈥� discussed ways that building bridges of practical interfaith collaboration in relief, development, and peacebuilding have served as strategic forms of Christian witness.
• CIE director Tim Seidel was selected to participate in a spring seminar on teaching interfaith understanding, organized by the Council of Independent Colleges and Interfaith Youth Core.
• Along with renowned peacebuilding scholar and practitioner Mohammed Abu-Nimer, Seidel co-edited (Lexington, 2018). This new book assesses the peacebuilding implications and societal impact of the Hizmet Movement, presenting cases that provide a counter to negative stereotypes of Islam with examples of positive educational institutions rooted in Islamic values. The book includes contributions from scholars and practitioners around the world that critically explore the intersection of the movement and peacebuilding in countries such as Northern Iraq, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines.

Upcoming events

In the next year, CIE will help organize the summer 2019 Interfaith Peace Camp and continue to support Mennonite Church USA鈥檚 new Mennonite Jewish Relations Work Group, said CIE associate director Trina Trotter Nussbaum.

CIE, Eastern Mennonite Seminary and the Center of Justice and Peacebuilding will co-host a Nov. 8-9 visit of Daoud Nassar, a Palestinian Christian who will share about faith and the challenges of living in the occupied West Bank. He will also discuss the Tent of Nations initiative on his family farm there, which brings together people from many different countries to learn from and increase understanding and hope through personal connections. [More information on this event is forthcoming.]

As the first session of 91短视频鈥檚 (SPI) comes to a close this week, guest lecturer reflected warmly on the past 10 days among fellow international peacebuilders.

In more than 20 years of participating in interfaith dialogue, Shomali has travelled widely. He is the director of international affairs at the world鈥檚 largest Shi鈥檃 Islam seminary for women, Jami鈥檃t al-Zahra, as well as director of the International Institute for Islamic Studies (IIIS). He resides in Qom, Iran.

鈥淚 feel at home in many places in the world,鈥� Shomali said, 鈥渂ut 91短视频 is one of those places where I really feel at home.鈥�

Shomali has met Mennonites in a variety of contexts in both North America and around the world, and has developed friendships with many of them. 鈥淭he Mennonites are people who are loyal to their faith, and they want to live the gospel, but not in a rigid way,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 just want to live this on Sunday, but throughout the week, they want to be like Jesus. I respect this. I love this. They are interested in being forces of good in the world, whether it is in helping people with development or peacebuilding or relief.鈥�

Peace and peacebuilding, along with interfaith dialogue, is one of the core Quranic principles, Shomali says. This was one reason why nine female students, staff, and graduates from Jami鈥檃t al-Zahra are studying at SPI this summer, escorted by Shomali and his wife, Mahnaz Heidarpour, who also teaches at the seminary. In prior years, SPI has hosted a total of 10 students from Iran, but never a group of this size all at once.

The nine women have joined 130 international students until May 24 to learn concepts and practices of peacebuilding, trauma, conflict analysis and resolution, and restorative justice. The students are being co-hosted by 91短视频鈥檚 (CJP), as well as its , both based on 91短视频鈥檚 main campus in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Shomali was a guest lecturer in the Faith-based Peacebuilding course, facilitated by , a Mennonite pastor who has lived in the Middle East. The interfaith course helps participants identify sources of conflict and resources for peacebuilding found in various faith communities and traditions. Five of the Iranian seminarians chose to take this course.

Interactions with SPI students from around the world provide a practical complement to required seminary coursework in comparative peace studies, Shomali said. 鈥淭heoretical knowledge can come through books, but when the students eat and talk together and go to churches, this is different. They learn about the way people think, live, behave, and plan. This is very valuable.鈥�

In addition to daily classes, the group made two special trips dedicated to interfaith dialogue. One weekend, they visited the (MCC) headquarters in Akron, Pennsylvania, met with an Amish bishop, and attended a service and Sunday school class at James Street Mennonite Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. A later day trip to Washington D.C. included a meeting with MCC Washington office staff and a visit to the , which promotes understanding of Islamic values of peace and respect for diversity. At the El-Hibri office, they met with the leaders of . In the evening, the group had a meeting at , organized by CJP graduate Rasoul Naqavi.

Most of the women in the group had participated in previous trips, led by Shomali in 2011 and 2012, to study Anabaptist and Christian theology at in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The exchange continues later this month in Qom with the 6th Mennonite-Shi鈥檃 dialogue. A delegation from 91短视频 includes professor , Center for Interfaith Engagement director and several students.

Shomali has also cultivated friendships and dialogue with other faith communities, most notably the Catholic Church. He has been a key contributor to five Shi鈥檃-Catholic dialogues, the first taking place in England in 2003 and the most recent in Qom in 2012.

His interest in interfaith dialogue grew from his religious and philosophical studies as a seminary student in Qom. He holds a B.A. and an M.A. in western philosophy from the University of Tehran, as well as a doctorate in philosophy from the in the United Kingdom. While in the U.K., Shomali developed an interest in the , an organization devoted to encouraging unity and brotherhood among the practitioners of Christian religions, among followers of other world religions, and, more broadly, among all of humanity.

The unity of God and of man is also an important Quranic principle, Shomali says. 鈥淕od has created you from one man and one woman, but made you into different tribes and nations so that you know each other, not that so you fight each other. We should not see these differences as barriers, but extra reasons to know each other.鈥�

Those of the Abrahamic faiths have a 鈥渏oint responsibility for brotherhood,鈥� he said. 鈥淢uslim-Christian dialogue for me is a way to reunite or unite a family which is unfortunately sometimes broken. Sometimes you have cousins that you stop communication with or who you lose touch with. Muslim-Christian dialogue is a reunion of the family of Abraham and the children of God.鈥�

Shomali is also resident Imam and director of the . His books have been published in a number of languages, including Malay, Kiswahili, Spanish and Swedish.

The ten women鈥攄octoral students at the seminary鈥攚ill join 130 international students on the campus of 91短视频 (91短视频) in Harrisonburg, Va., to learn concepts and practices of peacebuilding, conflict analysis and resolution and restorative justice.

鈥淥ur goal is to train Iranian women seminarians to become ambassadors of friendship and voices for unity and dialogue,鈥� says Dr. Mohammad Shomali, the director of international affairs at Jami鈥檃t al-Zahra who will escort the group.

The students are being co-hosted by as well as its Center for Interfaith Engagement. They will also visit Amish and Mennonite communities in Lancaster Co., Pa., and the in Washington, D.C.

Since 1994, SPI has attracted more than 2,700 students of diverse faiths from 120 countries for academic instruction and cultural exchange. More than 90 percent of former students work in peacebuilding-related disciplines, including , of Liberia.

Ten Iranian students have attended SPI, and two have continued their studies to earn master鈥檚 degrees in conflict transformation.

However, hosting a large group of accomplished women scholars is 鈥渁 rare opportunity,鈥� says , executive director of the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at 91短视频. 鈥淭his is a unique step in our long history of interfaith dialogue. We look forward to the theological and cultural insights they will bring.”

Shomali has previously led two groups of women in 2011 and 2012 to study Anabaptist and Christian theology at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The academic exchanges build on more than 20 years of Mennonite-Shi鈥檃 interfaith dialogue fostered by the , a partial sponsor of the upcoming trip. MCC first reached out to Iran after a devastating earthquake in 1990, offering relief supplies in partnership with the Iranian Red Crescent Society. The organization鈥檚 outreach has since focused on 鈥渦nderstanding, friendship, and interfaith connections between the people of Iran, Canada, and the U.S.,鈥� as well as 鈥減eacebuilding through shared knowledge,鈥� according to a press release.

Major funding has been provided by聽the .

Byler, who is executive director of the at 91短视频, last visited Iran in 2009, before Iran severely restricted visas for visitors from the United States and Canada for an extended period.

With the 2013 election of president Hassan Rouhani and subsequent diplomatic talks between Iran and the West, Iran鈥檚 doors have opened again.

Byler was among a 10-member group in Iran from Feb. 19 to Feb. 25, sponsored by . The delegation spent a whirlwind six days in Iran on a tightly managed schedule of workshops, meetings with religious and academic officials, and visits to sites of cultural and religious significance with the purpose of exploring 鈥渋f this is indeed a new time in which MCC work in a country often perceived as the enemy can and should be reinvigorated or even expanded,鈥� according to an MCC press release.

The delegation headquartered in Qom, a conservative-religious center of more than 1 million residents and home to more than 70,000 seminary students. From Qom, they made day-trips to Isfahan and Tehran.

Itinerary packed with fruitful conversations

The itinerary was so packed that Byler, scrolling though photos back in his CJP office, has trouble recalling what happened on which day. He pauses between a photo of female scholars, dressed in flowing black chadors, talking in a university hallway, and a meeting room, where the delegation sits across from bearded ayatollahs in traditional turbans and black cloaks.

鈥淭his was Sunday. No, this was Monday,鈥� he says, then laughs. 鈥淲ait, I take that back. It was Sunday.鈥�

Before becoming executive director of CJP, Byler and his wife Cindy Lehman Byler represented MCC in Palestine and Israel, Iran, Iraq and Jordan from 2007 to 2013.

With only a few days in Iran on this trip, every opportunity to connect and to share with Iranians in face-to-face contacts was potentially precious, beneficial, and rejuvenating to MCC鈥檚 goals of promoting 鈥渦nderstanding, friendship, and interfaith connections between the people of Iran, Canada, and the U.S.鈥�

The MCC-Iran relationship has been growing and changing since MCC first reached out to Iran after a devastating earthquake in 1990, offering relief supplies in partnership with the Iranian Red Crescent Society. Two more relief efforts followed in 2004 and 2012, as MCC鈥檚 outreach has focused and strengthened into 鈥� through shared knowledge,鈥� according to an MCC press release.

Relationship maintained amid absence of state-level interactions

This work continues in spite of the dissolution of formal diplomatic relations with Iran by both the United States, since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and Canada, which closed its Tehran embassy and expelled Iranian diplomats from its borders in 2012.

MCC has facilitated and supported many student exchanges, sending American and Canadian students to study in Qom, and Iranian students for advanced studies in Canada and the U.S. Ten Iranian students have attended the on 91短视频鈥檚 main campus, and two have gone on to earn their master鈥檚 degrees in conflict transformation.

MCC also started a series of academic dialogues between Mennonite and Shi鈥檃 scholars, the sixth of which will take place in May. These dialogues are now led by a network of Mennonite institutions of higher education in North America, with support from MCC. One of those scholars who has been involved in both dialogues and exchanges played an important role in this latest trip.

Dr. Mohammad Shomali, who helped secure visas, set the itinerary, and escorted the delegation on their travels, is director of the International Institute for Islamic Studies (IIIS) in Qom and also director of international affairs at Jami鈥檃t al-Zahra, the world鈥檚 largest women鈥檚 seminary for Shi鈥檃 Islam.

10 female students from Islamic seminary at 91短视频

Ten female students from Jami鈥檃t al-Zahra are expected to come to SPI this summer, escorted by Shomali and his wife, Mahnaz Heidarpour, who also teaches at the seminary.

On the first full day in Iran, the MCC delegation met seven of these women, already experienced international travelers who studied in 2012 at CMU in Winnipeg, Man. Also in the audience for a day-long workshop about peacebuilding were some of Shomali鈥檚 male students from IIIS. The students are all fluent in English and with the equivalent standing of doctoral students at North American universities, said Byler. Members of the delegation spoke on topics ranging from theological understandings of peacebuilding to church-state relations, to peacebuilding within the family and restorative justice.

During the trip, the delegation also visited with three of the 10 Iranian SPI alumni, all of whom are in prominent roles: Mohsen Ghanbari Alanagh (SPI 鈥�11), president of Al-Mustafa Open University; Mohsen Danesh Pajouh (鈥�12), completing his PhD in philosophy of religion; and Seyed Mostafa Daryabari (鈥�13), deputy of education at the International Institute for Islamic Studies.

Appreciation expressed for Summer Peacebuilding Institute

For Byler, reconnecting with SPI alumni in his new role as CJP director was a special experience, as each of these attendees said they had been deeply affected by the peacebuilding concepts shared at SPI and appreciated exploring the application of these concepts and dialogue in Iran.

鈥淎s the MCC representative, I was involved in the selection process for most of these students, so in that capacity, I knew them already,鈥� Byler said. 鈥淎s with most relationships in the Middle East, you start with one friendship and you build on that work. Those friendships continue in their importance to help us build bridges.鈥�

Subsequent days were spent in a number of introductory meetings with ayatollahs, the powerful Shi鈥檃 religious leaders who are experts in various aspects of Islamic studies.

鈥淭here were a lot of pleasantries and some theological conversations,鈥� Byler said. 鈥淎 lot of what we were doing was shaking hands and making basic introductions with powerful religious leaders, so that they could see us as who we are theologically, as Mennonites, as people who stand for peace, and then we could move forward from there.鈥�

4 91短视频 alumni among 10 in delegation

With Byler (鈥�79 and MA 鈥�85) on the delegation were 鈥�97, 91短视频 professor and MCC U.S. board chair; Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach, MDiv. 鈥�07, MCC U.S. Washington Office director; J. Ron Byler, MCC U.S. executive director; Amela Puljek-Shank (鈥�00 and MA 鈥�04), MCC area director for Europe and the Middle East; Cheryl Zehr Walker, MCC U.S. director of communications; Ruth Keidel Clemens, MCC U.S. program director; Harry Huebner, Canadian Mennonite University professor emeritus of philosophy and theology; and Carolyne Epp-Fransen and Gordon Epp-Fransen, MCC representatives to Jordan, Iraq, and Iran.

In Tehran, the delegation met with Armenian Orthodox Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian, who leads the largest Christian minority in Iran, as well as other supporters of interfaith dialogue: Hawnah Sadr, daughter of the late Imam Musa Sadr (known for his ecumenical outreach); Dr. Rasoul Rasoulipour, a professor at Kharazami University; and Dr. A.M. Helmi, director of the Center for Interreligious Dialogue at the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization.

Byler says MCC鈥檚 return visit to Iran is a 鈥渉opeful sign鈥� that the deep foundations of interfaith dialogue and friendship can continue to grow despite sometimes frosty diplomatic relations between Iranian and American governments.

“We have to be witnesses to the beauty of peace”

Shomali, too, shares this hope: 鈥淲e have to be witnesses to the beauty of peace,鈥� he told the delegation. 鈥淚f it can be done by people of different faiths, it can be very effective.鈥�

Though 91短视频 has regularly hosted students and visiting professors from Iran, the last 91短视频 visitor to Iran was , who was part of an MCC-led delegation in October 2008.

Byler hopes that will change this spring. In May, 91短视频 professor is scheduled to present at the 6^th Mennonite-Shi鈥檃 dialogue in Qom. He鈥檒l be accompanied by director and several 91短视频 students.

鈥淚f the Iranian government also grants visas for this entire group, it will be a strong signal that we are indeed in a new day of U.S.-Iranian relations,鈥� he said.