Ambassador Akbar Ahmed Promotes Understanding Islam at D.C. Event

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Date: 
10/02/2007

DENVER (Oct. 2, 2007) - Distinguished author and international advisor on Islamic issues, Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, accompanied by well-known industrialist and community activist Arif Zaffar Mansuri will lead a discussion on "Understanding Islam: Paving the Way to Better Relations and Organizational Effectiveness in a Post 9/11 World," on Oct. 11, 2007, 1-3 p.m., at the National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, Washington D.C. 20045.

Ambassador Ahmed and Mr. Mansuri will lead an interactive discussion on Islam in today's world, globalization, the onset of Muslim majority nuclear nations, and the rapid proliferation of the Islamic faith and its worldwide impacts. They will explore how that in the years since 9/11, a lack of knowledge regarding the Islamic community has led to apprehension, misunderstanding and sometimes fear. They will show a way to "bring the temperature down" and create a path toward understanding.

Ambassador Ahmed is the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington D.C. According to the BBC, Ahmed is considered "the world's leading authority on contemporary Islam." He is former High Commissioner of Pakistan to Great Britain, has advised Prince Charles and met with President George W. Bush on Islam. Ahmed is regularly interviewed on CNN, CBC, the BBC, ARY TV and has appeared several times on the Oprah Winfrey Show and Nightline. In 2006, Ambassador Ahmed won the Purpose Prize Award with Dr. Judea Pearl for their work on interfaith dialogue.

Arif Zaffar Mansuri is the president and managing editor of the nationwide Pakistani-American newspaper, Pakistan Link. He also is the director of the Pakistan American Leadership Center (PAL-C) and presides over the Council of Pakistan American Chamber of Commerce (CPACC). He is a board member of the Southern California Organization of Pakistani Engineers (SCOPE) and Urdu Writers Society (UWS). He also serves on the FBI's Multicultural Advisory Committee (MCAC) and as vice chairman of the Pakistan Advisory Council for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Ambassador Ahmed and Mr. Mansuri will answer questions from the media after their presentation.

The event, sponsored by Jones Knowledge Group®, will be held in conjunction with the launch of a new online course, Understanding Islam: An Introduction, that empowers learners to break down cultural barriers and be more effective in their working relationships within the Muslim community.

Developed by an esteemed group of Islamic scholars, led by Ambassador Ahmed, the course creates a foundation for understanding, mutual respect and constructive engagement, and provides students with the tools to affect more positive interactions, whether they are conducting business in an Islamic country, teaching Islamic students or working with Islamic people. It is designed for businesses, school districts, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and other entities that routinely interact with the Muslim community.