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Citizen Exchange Project

Through a US State Department grant the Islamic Society of North America and the National Peace Foundation have co-sponsored a citizen exchange project between the United States and the Middle East.  This program brings young professionals from the Middle East, specifically from Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, to the United States.  The goal of this project is to explore Islam, the functions of Islamic institutions in the United States, and the activities of interfaith work.  In return American professionals from the three Abrahamic faiths; Christianity, Judaism and Islam, will visit these countries in the Middle East to explore Islam and interfaith work as it is done in the respective countries.  This program will run through 2009, with several upcoming exchanges in progress.  For more information please call the interfaith office or e-mail amouttaki@isna.net

To view photos from the latest tour to Egypt click here.

To read an interview with Sahar Taman, Project Leader click here


Applications are currently being accepted for those participants from  Jordan and Saudi Arabia who are interested in the citizen exchange to take place in July of 2008.  The announcement for this exchange is below.  Please be sure to share this information with any interested parties you may know in these countries.