Moshe Smolkin, Rabbi of Ohavay Zion Synangogue, Dr. Aiyub Palmer Professor of Islamic Studies at UK, and Bruce Caldwell, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington answered questions posed by the moderator. Our special location for this event was Ohavay Zion Synagogue.

Dr. Dina Badie, Assistant Professor of Politics and International Studies at Centre College, spoke about the prospects for peace in the Middle East under the Trump administration.

Panelists: Isabel Taylor, Multicultural Affairs Coordinator for Lexington Fayette Govt; the Rev. Kenneth Golphin, Pastor, Quinn Chapel AME Church; and Dr. Nadia Rasheed, member of CMD Steering Committee and civic activist. They spoke on understanding their human and civil rights and be able to advocate on their behalf for the protection of those rights.

Brother Paul Quenon spoke about the impact that Islam has had on his life as a monk.

Panelists Dr. Aiyub Palmer, Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Kentucky, and The Right Reverend Bruce Caldwell, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington, answered the same questions posed by the moderator. These included whether we worship the same God; if one can be faithful to Jesus or Mohammed and still be accepting of other faiths, and more.

Dr. Rob Bosco, Associate Professor of International Studies at Centre College, spoke about the complications when political institutions intervene in religious issues and attempt to co-opt religious leaders.

This 55-minute documentary, a product of a six-year survey conducted by Gallup, was shown, followed by moderated discussion.

Dr. Richard Cahilll, Director of International Education and Associate Professor of History, Berea College, spoke to us about the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict.

A panel consisting of Sgt.. Rahsaan Berry, Lexington Police Officer; Mr. Andres Cruz, editor of La Voz, Lexington’s bilingual newspaper; and Mr. Charlie Lanter, Director of the LFUCG Office of Homelessness Prevention and Intervention., spoke to us about Lexington initiatives to keep dialogue open, welcoming, and friendly between peoples of different cultures.

Dr. Matthew Pierce spoke about the History of Islam in America, including early Muslims who aided explorers of the Americas, Muslim Africans who were captured and sent as slaves to North America, and up to the 20th c. with the Nation of Islam . The autobiography of Malcolm X was highly recommended as "required reading."

Richard Mitchell, Quaker, Shahied Rashied, Imam, and Dr. Clayton Thyne, UK professor and Director of the Peace Studies program, led a discussion on peace and peacemaking. Mitchell and Rashied emphasized that peace starts from within, while Thyne presented statistics showing a decline in all manner of non-natural deaths.

Question and answer session led by Imam Shahied Rasheed.

Fr Thomas Galloway, pastor of St. Andrews Orthodox Church, led a discussion.

Dr. Ihsan Bagby, associate professor of Islamic Studies at UK, and Tim Darst, executive director of Kentucky Power and Light, spoke

Film followed by a moderated discussion

April 2015: Rabbi Moshe Smolkin from Ohavey Zion spoke.

March 2015: Writer and scholar Charles Upton discussed Dr. John Morrow’s 2014 European book tour that shared Morrow’s work studying and authenticating what Morrow calls Mohammed’s Covenant with the Christians of the World.

Panel discussion with Shahied Rashid, Imam Masjid Bilal; Ms. Roula Allouch, Atty and Representative to Council on American-Islamic Relations; and Ronald Walker, Assistant US Attorney General, Eastern Region of Kentucky.

A presentation and discussion of the condition of Palestinians in Israel/Palestine, from WWI and WWII through today.

Muslim students at the University of Kentucky – Emaan Qureshi, Nada Shalash, and Asad Jawaid – spoke of their experiences and of their efforts to build communication and understanding on campus.

Speaker: Dr. Matthew Pierce (Assistant Professor of Religion at Centre College)

Description: Drawing on his own faith journey in both Christianity and Islam, he spoke of how his involvement in interfaith dialogue developed into a commitment to two religious traditions

Speaker: The Rev. Don Nunnelly, retired minister, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Description: The Rev. Nunnelly spoke of his "attempt to lift up past and present forms of religious intolerance that have led to violence and to counter this with examples of religious groups finding ways to work together with diverse faith positions."

Speaker: Nancy Sleeth, author and co-founder of Blessed Earth, a Christian environmental nonprofit.

Description – Sleeth, author of Almost Amish and co-founder of the Christian nonprofit Blessed Earth, shared how her family downsized to a house the size of their old garage, got rid of more than half of their possessions, and rediscovered the simple joys of a faith-focused life.

Event subtitle was "An Exploration of Traditional and New Ground-breaking Roles of Faithful Women within Christianity and Islam".

Description: The independent film, "Pink Smoke Over the Vatican," was shown. The film documents the ground-breaking role of women priests within the Roman Catholic Church in United States, Canada, Britain and Europe. Then a panel of Christian and Muslim women spoke on their roles as women of faith.

Panel: The Rev. Donna Rougeux and The Rev. Janice Sevre-Duszynska, ordained priests of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (www.arcwp.org/) and Dr. Nadia Rasheed of Masjid Bilal Ibn Rabah in Lexington.

Speaker: Dean Bucalus, Attorney and ordained minister, Luther Lockett Church INSIDE the Luther Lockett Correctional Institution.

Dr. Nadia Rasheed (member of our CMD steering committee), presented workshop "Civil Dialogue" for Kentucky Council of Churches annual assembly at Kentucky Dam Village State Park, Gilbertsville, KY.

Panelists: Students from Centre College, Danville, KY.

Dr. John Andrew Morrow, Internationally recognized research scholar, with published articles in English, French and Spanish. The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World ,by Dr. John Andrew Morrow is now available on Amazon.com: http://goo.gl/HkAnUx

Dr. Ashraf El-Ezz, M.D., of Somerset, KY, gave a presentation on the history of the Muslim Brotherhood from their founding in Egypt in 1928 to the present day.

We made a one-day tour with Fr. John Rausch, Director of Catholic Committee of Appalachia which included a visit to an Eastern Kentucky mountain top removal site as well as the beauty and inspiration of “God’s garden.”

Speaker, Fr. John S. Rausch, Director of Catholic Committee of Appalachia

Senior Professor John Stempel, Retired director, UK Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce. Special interest: The Middle East.
Poet Jane Vance, reading her poem, At the Newark Airport, Looking toward Mecca.

At Old Morrison Hall, Transylvania Campus.
Moderator, Dr. Wilson Dickinson, Assoc. Dean of Religious Life, Transylvania University

Barbara Klein, Executive Director, Kentucky Refugee Ministry; Jonathan Bialosky, Program Director, Maxwell St. Legal Clinic; Moderator, Carol Ruthven, Priest, St Andrews Episcopal Church