Ismaili Muslim Community Celebrates Milad-an-Nabi
The theme of the session at Emory University on June 8th was "Pluralism and the Islamic Mosaic." It was held in observance of Milad-an-Nabi, which is the official Islamic term for an occasion that celebrates the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. The featured speakers included Professor Abdulazziz Sachedina of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and Professor Nargis Virani of the University of Washington in St. Louis. In addition, the Ismaili Choir sang Naats (poems recited or sung) to salute and honor the Prophet Of Islam.
To help spread the word, the Ismaili Muslim community invited Christian and Jewish leaders from the Atlanta area. Guests included Bishop Paulk, Imam Zahid Abdullah, Imam Shiob Multanwalla, Rabbi Ballaban, Chaplain Lawrence, Pastor Farhat, and Commissioner John Dunn. "Today we celebrate the Prophet's life and his teachings relevant to pluralism, diversity, tolerance and respect for human life ? a diversity that is reflected here in our guests," said Dr. Abdul Ahmed, president for the Ismaili Council for the Southeastern U.S.A. "There is much to learn within the (Islamic) tradition about coming together," said Dr. Virani. She spoke about the 13th century Muslim poet, Jalaluddin Rumi, as an example of pluralism within Islam. His poems, written in five languages, are highly popular in this country. For further details, please call Sajida Shroff at 404-822-4623.
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