As conflicts between Christians and Muslims intensify and reports of violence and bloodshed on each side become more common, many Alabama Baptist leaders see the need for understanding between the two groups.
To raise awareness and encourage relationship building in Alabama, Birmingham’s Samford University and The Alabama Baptist newspaper will co-sponsor Understanding the Middle East from the Inside Out on April 27, 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m. at Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Vestavia Hills, in Birmingham Baptist Association.
The event will feature speakers native to the Middle East who embrace the Christian faith, according to coordinator Ron Wilson of Samford’s university relations department. Topics will include understanding Islam, Muslim-Christian relationships and political dynamics in the Middle East. Presenters of these topics will be Martin Accad, academic dean and director of Middle East studies at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Lebanon, and Wadi Haddad, former official for the World Bank.
In addition, Nabil Costa, executive director of the Lebanese Society for Education and Social Development (LSESD), will highlight the work and impact of LSESD in the Middle East. Suha Shahin, principal of the Baptist School of Amman in Amman, Jordan, will also speak. A question and answer period will follow each session.
According to Samford President Thomas Corts, the idea for the event grew from a dinner hosted when Costa visited the area.
“Ricky Creech (director of missions for the Birmingham Association), Bob Terry (editor of The Alabama Baptist) and I, along with our wives, were riveted by Nabil relating stories of their work in the Middle East, and we thought we ought to do something special to heighten awareness,” Corts said. “We believe the majority of Americans are woefully behind in understanding the people of the Middle East.”
He added that Samford has been working to become more involved in the Middle East for a number of years, forming connections to Morocco and Syria and hosting workshops in Jordan and Lebanon. Corts said that the school hopes to one day send students regularly to that part of the world.
“Generally Americans have had little contact with the Arab-Muslim world, and our lack of knowledge and understanding makes us fearful and cautious beyond reason,” he said. “With recent world events, it has become perfectly clear that we have downplayed the Middle East to our own risk. Now the U.S. State Department and other branches of government are urging colleges/universities to develop relationships in the Muslim and Arab-speaking world.”
Corts added that Christians should be active in this involvement.
“We do not often realize that there are many Christian people in Iraq, in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen, and they have a difficult time,” he said. “The recent case of Abdul Rahman in Afghanistan, the Christian who was sentenced to death for having converted to Christianity, is a harsh reminder that being Christian in some parts of the world is not a ticket to ease. We should support and encourage these folks any way we can.”
Terry also believes it is vital for Christians to understand the crisis in Muslim and Christian relationships in many parts of the world, commonly in areas where the Muslim faith is dominant. “There is reported to be an exodus of Christians out of many Muslim majority countries in the last years,” he said. “So we have a shrinking Christian population in areas that have historically had a strong Christian presence. It is important that Christians be aware of what is happening.”
Both Terry and Corts hope to raise awareness of the Middle East through this event.
“The role of The Alabama Baptist is to help people know and understand what is transpiring in the world especially as it impacts Christianity,” Terry said. “I believe as we know more and understand more, it will help us interpret the events of the world more realistically and pray more specifically for our Christian brothers and sisters in these parts of the world.”
Corts added, “We hope to create understanding on the part of Alabama Christians concerning Muslim countries and their customs and of what it means to be a Christian minority amongst such a stalwart majority. We hope to cultivate understanding and encouragement for the Christian and Baptist people of those countries.”
To register or receive more information, contact Wilson at 205-726-4200 or jrwilso1@samford.edu.
Samford, The Alabama Baptist sponsor conference to promote awareness
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