UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE, DEPARTMENT OF COMPARATIVE HUMANITIES

October 12, 2021 | 0 COMMENTS | by admin

Interfaith dialogue is a critical component of civic stability, both national and international. As a Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Louisville, I strongly believe that interfaith discourse promoted by The Salaam Network (TSN) is an excellent way to advance mutual understanding in the city that has become my home. Over the course of several years collaborating with this organization, I have witnessed the positive and meaningful relationships forged between various religious groups across Louisville.

Here I would like to extend my gratitude towards Dr. Riffat Hassan who has been tirelessly educating the Louisville community over several decades, first as a Professor and now as a public speaker on the “religious other” for TSN. Under her rigorous leadership, TSN has brought together academics, advocates, organizers, and other members of the public by providing a stable forum for scholarly and thought-provoking presentations aimed at ending monopoly on truths, disrupting hegemonic interpretations of God, and pushing back against forced assimilation into dominant religious movements.

I have been honored to collaborate with the network as a core member who has delivered several talks – well attended by a variety of people – on the subject of Women’s Rights in Islam. Based on my personal experience, it is clear that The Salaam Network has greatly advanced an authentic interfaith dialogue at the religious as well as at the civic level in Louisville.

Maryam Moazzen, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies

louisville.edu/humanities

November 13, 2019