Burke Presbyterian Church, located at 5690 Oak Leather Drive, Burke, (1/4 mile east of the intersection of Ox Road/Rt. 123 and Burke Centre Parkway) is hosting a special installment of Distinguished Speakers Series on March 3-4, 2017. Dr. Omid Safi, director of Duke University’s Islamic Studies Center, will examine the spiritual depths of Islam, the misguided association of Islam to terrorism, and the pitfalls of xenophobia.
Omid Safi is a leading Muslim intellectual. He specializes in contemporary Islamic thought and spirituality and is committed to the intersection of love and justice. Safi recently was invited by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s family to speak at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta during the 49th annual commemoration for Dr. King.
Safi is the editor of the volume Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism. In this ground-breaking volume, he inaugurated a new understanding of Islam which is rooted in social justice, gender equality, and religious/ethnic pluralism. His works include “Politics of Knowledge in Premodern Islam,” “Voices of Islam: Voices of Change,” and “Memories of Muhammad”; that book covers the biography and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad. He is a frequently sought speaker on Islam, appearing in The New York Times, The Washington Post, PBS, NPR, NBC, CNN, and other international media.
Friday, March 3: 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. -- Being Muslim in America: Between ISIS and Islamophobia
Saturday, March 4: 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. -- Moving Forward in Love: An Interfaith Collaboration
Tickets are available at http://www.BurkePresChurch.org. They are $25 for Friday and Saturday sessions and $15 for a single session. Burke Presbyterian Church, 5690 Oak Leather Drive, Burke, 703-764-0456.
A book signing and reception will follow the Friday night lecture and discussion. On Saturday morning, participants will engage in interfaith dialogue.