Mohammed - American Palestinian

Dr. Abu-Nimer was one of my graduate school professors at American University, where he teaches in the International Peace & Conflict Resolution program at the School of International Service. I took courses from him on Dialogue and Reconciliation & Justice, and he was one of my toughest professors, evidenced by the fact that the B(+) I got in his class is the only B I've ever received in my life! He was revered among my classmates as not only an excellent teacher, but an experienced practitioner in the field of conflict resolution. He is an expert in interreligious conflict resolution and interfaith dialogue, having conducted trainings and workshops in conflict countries around the world, such as Palestine, Israel, Egypt, Northern Ireland, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. In addition to his work at AU, he is also currently a Senior Advisor with the KAICIID Dialogue Centre, an intergovernmental organization designed to foster dialogue among people of different faiths and cultures that bridges animosities, reduces fear, and instills mutual respect. He has many publications, including 11 books and hundreds of articles and essays. His book, Nonviolence and Building Peace in Islam, is the first academic and analytical book on this topic and has been translated into several languages. I was lucky to learn from Dr. Abu-Nimer, someone who has devoted his life to building understanding between people and groups divided by different experiences, background, and perspectives.

"In our current world‘s reality, I am confident that we all need to do our best in reaching out and engaging with people from other faiths and outside of our so-called identities. This is the first active step in responding to the manipulation of religious identities to justify acts of violence and exclusion. Secluding ourselves within our own smallest unit of tribal/ethnic/racial/cultural/familial can only contribute to ignorance and disconnection from others."