For The Record

Submit birth, marriage and obituary records online.

Personal Ads

Meet new friends today!

Advertising

Put your message in front of 19,000 readers.

PDF documents on this site require the free Adobe Reader:

Get Adobe Reader

2008-10-21 issue:

Christian/Muslim dialogue in Asheville

Pat Hostetter Martin, three Muslim panelists tell U.S audience about Islam.

by Teresa Aeschliman

Print Article

"Can We Talk? A Muslim/Christian Dialogue”  was the first event sponsored by Asheville (N.C.)Peace Builders, a group initiated by City View Quaker Church, Asheville, and a small group from Asheville Mennonite Church.
















Fatemeh Darabi, of Tehran, Iran, speaks with Pat Hostetter Martin during a Muslim/Christian dialogue at Asheville (N.C.) Mennonite Church. Photo by Teresa Aeschliman.

The dialogue, Sept. 20, was led by Pat Hostetter Martin, retired director of the Summer Peacebuilding Institute at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Va., and joined by three Muslim panelists, all graduates or current students in the masters program in conflict transformation at EMU’s Center for Peace and Justice.

The audience represented religious traditions, including Mennonite, Quaker, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Unitarian Universalist, Jewish, Muslim, Baha’i, Hindu, Buddhist and atheist.

Building understanding centered on learning about Islam. Panelist Fatemah Darabi, of Tehran, Iran, explained “Islam” means “peace.” She explained the origins and make up of the Quran, along with the five pillars of the faith from the Shi’a perspective.

Panetlist Hamida Hudda, of India, explained there are many sects in Islam just like there are many denominations in Christianity. Panelist Hamid Arsalan, of Afghanistan, said he was dismayed at the lack of academic research in the West on the positive, nonviolent aspects of Islam.

 “There were tons [of books] on Islam and violence,” Arsalan said.

Reader Comments

Add Comments