Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary will host an international, interfaith round table forum to address problems and solutions in understanding the place of Islam in American society and culture. The public event, “Bridge-building among Muslims, Christians, and Jews” will be held from 7-9 p.m. on April 19 at Gardencourt on the campus of Louisville Seminary and will begin with a reception at 6:30.

This forum, involving visiting Islamic scholars and clerics from Afghanastan, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, is made possible through an exchange program directed by Dr. Riffat Hassan of the University of Louisville and a grant from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The project, which will later involve similar exchanges with representatives from North Africa and the Middle East, has as one of its goals to “provide a forum for serious discussion, primarily but not exclusively among the American and non-American Islamic scholars and clerics participating in the exchange, of such issues as the compatibility – in theory and practice – of Islam and a democratic social and political structure and the social vitality that grows from mutually respectful co-existence among diverse religious communities in a heterogeneous society.” A total of 15 visiting scholars from South Asia will participate in the first of two exchanges that seek to build a deeper understanding and appreciation for these cultures as they intersect with America society.

Hassan, a long time participant in interreligious dialogue with Jews, Christians and Muslims, will be a featured presenter along with the following international visitors and guest panelists from the Louisville community:

Dr. Kazi Nurul Islam, professor of world religion from Bangladesh
Mohd Hashim Quershi, professor of geography from India
Professor Sharif-Al-Mujahid, director of archives and academy from Pakistan
Rev. William D. Hammer, director of the Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations at the Archdiocese of Louisville
Dr. W. Eugene March, professor of Old Testament at Louisville Seminary
Dr. Natalie Polzer, Professor of Jewish Studies and Comparative Religions at the University of Louisville.

Rev. James Brown, alum of Louisville Seminary and the University of Louisville will moderate the public conversation.

Since 1974, Hassan has been considered the pioneer in feminist theology within the context of Islamic tradition. She is currently professor of religious studies and humanities at the University of Louisville, where she has taught since 1976, and she has served on the adjunct faculty at Louisville Seminary since 1980. Hassan's latest project, “Islamic Life in the United States,” is an extension of her ongoing engagement with interfaith dialogue and consultation and with matters of human rights and women’s rights.

This event is free of charge and open to the public. For more information, please contact the Office of Continuing and Lay Education, 502.895.3411, ext. 450 or 372, or e-mail lpts@lpts.edu.