Interreligious Chaplaincy Program Welcomes Kurdish Scholars to the GTU

The GTU’s Interreligious Chaplaincy Program recently hosted a group of scholars from the Iraqi Kurdistan Friday Prayer Council for an open discussion about religious minority expression in the US, dismantling anti-Muslim prejudice, and other key issues. The visit was organized by Dr. Kamal Abu-Shamsieh in collaboration with the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program. 

The program began  with  Interim Dean Christopher Ocker welcoming the delegation and providing an overview of the vision and history of the GTU. Dr. Mahjabeen Dhala, a faculty member from the Center for Islamic Studies,  contributed  powerful  insights  which included the  importance of recentering women  in  the discourse on Islamic  practices, history, and scholarship. Dr. Abu-Shamsieh  encouraged  open discussion  to learn more about how it feels for the scholars to be involved with a  program that is sponsored by the state department in a country  that occupied Iraq  for over a decade. 

“As  members of a marginalized  ethnic  minority, these men bravely took  a risk by coming to the US,” said  Dr. Abu-Shamsieh. “I think they were surprised  to discover how much  we have in common despite  the  cultural and political  differences  and tensions  between our respective countries.” 

Notably, this is the third visit that  Dr. Abu-Shamsieh has organized  for international religious leaders  to visit the GTU by working  in collaboration with the US State Department. These  conferences  are  a hallmark of the GTU’s mission as a place where  religion  meets the world  and  gives  students  access to  educational  experiences  they cannot  find  anywhere else. Cultivating relationships  with  scholars from other countries also opens doors for the GTU to create a bigger impact  through  partnerships with  universities and religious organizations across  the globe. 

“Creating  a space  for people of all religious backgrounds is central to what we do at the GTU,” said Dr. Abu-Shamsieh. “Ours is a model that is designed to break down barriers, bring people together, and demystify the differences that can create conflict between us.”