On Fences and Our Neighbours. Dr Ingrid Mattson reflects.
Religions for Peace USA’s Our Muslim Neighbor Initiative is a national effort to end Islamophobia. Since the Paris attacks the U.S. has seen an increase in anti-Muslim rhetoric that isolates our Muslim neighbors and feeds into a culture of fear. What can you do to counteract this trend?
For the last three years the Our Muslim Neighbor Initiativehas been on the ground in Tennessee buidling communities of trust across racial and religious lines. Over the years, they have developed strategies and resources to help people reach out and relate to their neighbors, to understand Islam and Muslims better, and to build communities of trust that break down stereotypes eating away at the goodwill that is so necessary for strong communities to thrive. To that end, they invited Dr. Ingrid Mattson to address the issue. Dr Mattson is a professor of Islamic Studies and the London and Windsor Community Chair in Islamic Studies at Huron University College, at the University of Western Ontario. She is also the former president of the Islamic Society of North America.
Watch Dr Mattson’s lecture below and read her article on the same topic.
Resources for seekers:
- Of Fences and Neighbors: An Islamic Perspective on Interfaith Engagement for Peace
- Is It True That Someone Threw Trash on the Prophet?
