Jewish-Muslim Relations, Globalization & the Perennial Philosophy
by:
Dr. Atif Khalil
when:
Sunday, September 28, 2014 - 15:30 to 16:30
on:
September 27-28, 2014
held at:
Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work Wilfrid Laurier University 120 Duke Street West Kitchener, Ontario N2H 3W8
Since World War II, Jewish-Muslim relations have almost entirely been mired in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. One of the results of this heavy politicization of relations has been the curtailment of any serious or fruitful dialogue between the mainstream, established Jewish and Muslim communities of the West. The lecture will bracket out the political issues which have been a cause of mutual distrust and consternation to explore the remarkable affinities between these two strikingly similar traditions, through the framework of the Perennial Philosophy and the legacy of the medieval Judeo-Islamic Tradition.
Dr. Atif Khalil is an Assistant Professor at the University of Lethbridge's Department of Religious Studies where he teaches courses on Islamic theology, philosophy, mysticism and world religions. His main area of research lies in Sufi thought, with secondary interests in comparative mysticism, inter-religious relations and the perennial philosophy. His articles have appeared in Studies in Religion, the Journal of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, Sacred Web, the Oxford Journal of Islamic Studies and the Muslim World. While a doctoral student at the University of Toronto, he co-founded the Judeo-Islamic Contemplative Circle with Rabbi Aubrey Glazer to create an apolitical space for Jews, Muslims and others to meditate over Jewish and Muslim mystical texts together in a spirit of ecumenical dialogue and friendship.