ISNA TAKES PART IN MUSLIM-CATHOLIC DIALOGUE

2008 Midwest Muslim-Catholic Dialogue Meets in Northwest Indiana

(Washington D.C., 11/5/08) The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) was proud to take part in the Midwest Muslim-Catholic Dialogue which met in Northwest Indiana from October 26-28, 2008. The Dialogue was co-sponsored by Calumet College of St. Joseph, the Pastoral Center of the Diocese of Gary, Indiana and the Northwest Indiana Islamic Center. Participants from different faiths spent the three-day dialogue discussing the topic, "In the Public Square: Muslims and Catholics on Religious Freedom."

Dr. Dennis Rittenmeyer, President of Calumet College opened the dialogue session and  Father Thomas Baima, Provost of the University of St. Mary of the Lake presented a paper titled "The Logic of Why: What the Declaration on Religious Freedom Contributes to the Idea of Religion in the Public Square."

On behalf of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Mohamed Elsanousi, Director of Communications and Community Outreach of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), discussed accommodation and religious freedom in a paper entitled "Comparative Analysis of the American Legal Structure as it Relates to Integration and Religious Accommodation with Islamic Law." The dialogue discussed some of the perennially challenging themes of U.S. law, such as whether rights are inherent to persons or conferred by consent of the governed.

Daniel Lowery, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs of Calumet College, compared the immigration experience of Catholics and Muslims in the United States in his paper, "Can the Immigration of Catholics from Europe Be Instructive for Muslim-Americans?"
 
Sayyid M. Syeed, Ph.D., National Director of ISNA’s Office for Interfaith and Community Alliances, addressed a public session October 27, 2008 on the document "A Common Word," a recent, broad-based Muslim outreach to Christian leadership on the theme of love of God and neighbor. Dr. Syeed urged the audience to use this document to stimulate interreligious conversation at all levels.

The next dialogue is slated for Milwaukee, October 25-27, 2009 and will focus on "The Nature of the Human Person." The public session will highlight a presentation on "Faithful Citizenship: Catholic and Muslim engagement in civic life."

Participants in the 2008 meeting were: Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed, Islamic Society of North America (ISNA); Bishop Dale Melczek of the Diocese of Gary; Msgr. Patrick Halfpenny, Archdiocese of Detroit; Dr. Dennis Rittenmeyer, President, Calumet College of St. Joseph; Sheikh Mongy El-Quesny of the Northwest Indiana Islamic Center; Dr. Daniel Lowery, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Calumet College of St. Joseph; Rev. Thomas Baima, University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein Seminary;  Mohammed Elsanousi of the Interfaith Office of ISNA; Rev. David Bruning, Diocese of Toledo; Dr. Donald W. Mitchell, Purdue University; Rev. Raymond Webb, University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein Seminary; Sr. Joan McGuire, OP, Archdiocese of Chicago; Sr. Barbara Austin, O.S.B., MID; Judith Longdin, Archdiocese of Milwaukee; Inshirah Farhoud, Islamic Society of Milwaukee; Joan Crist, Diocese of Gary, Indiana; Dr. Gulam Haider Aasi, American Islamic College, Chicago, Illinois; Rev. Francis Tiso, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

CONTACT: Mohammed Elsanousi, ISNA Communications Director, 202-544-6767 or Email: melsanousi@isna.net.

-END-