Abraham: A Model of Religious Tolerance and Peace

"Abraham: A Model for Religious Tolerance and Peace" was a panel organized by the Fellowship of Faiths and Cultures Club (FFC) and the Religious Studies Society (RSS), both of Arizona State University (ASU). The event was held at the Memorial Union at ASU on 28 February 2006 and was sponsored by the Foundation for Inter-Cultural Dialogue (FID). Distinguished speakers representing Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, which share Abrahamic tradition, honored the event. The goal of this event was to understand Abraham's mercy, tolerance, and embracing voice that welcomes all humankind and emphasizes commonalities among these religions. Over thirty guests attended this unique event.

The panel was opened with a brief historical information on Abraham's period. After the opening remarks, Dr. Lawrence Paule, a doctor of chiropractic and a former chaplain, presented a Jewish view on Abraham's period and highlighted Abraham's righteous character. Dr. Charles Emerson, a faculty associate of Religious Studies at ASU, presented passages from the Bible on Abraham. Dr. Emerson underlined the importance of being open-minded to be able to establish a sound dialogue among people of different religious backgrounds. Dr. Emerson's speech was followed by a presentation by Mr. Recep Dogan, a Muslim Chaplain at Tolerance Foundation in Huntington Beach, CA. Mr. Dogan quoted passages from the Qur'an on Abraham and emphasized that during one part of each of the five daily prayers, Muslims must ask God to send His blessings upon Prophet Abraham. The presentations by the speakers were followed by a question and answer session.

The similarities in the stories presented by the speakers based on the scriptures were the main point in the discussion among the attendants while they were enjoying the refreshments.