Sufism Symposium, April 25-27, 2008
San Rafael, California
Four Points by Sheraton San Rafael

Legends, Stories and Spiritual Inspiration

Sufis from around the world join for a weekend of meditation, conversation, panel discussions, workshops, music, poetry reading and zikr. and enjoy exhibitions of Sufi related books, productions, art and more.

Friday Afternoon 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.: Sufi Psychology Panel
Friday Evening 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Sufi Music, Poetry Reading, Whirling Dervishes

Saturday 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Panel discussions, workshops, and Sufi Zikr
Sunday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Panel Discussions, Workshop, and Music

topics may include:

• Manifestations of Love
• the Stages of the Heart
• The Path of the Pilgrim
• The Most Beautiful Names of God
• Open Heart and Open World and more

For program and reservation information, see the Sufism Symposium website.

for more information call Sufism at: 1 (415) 472-6959

Hotel reservations: we have arranged for a special discount on hotel rooms for those staying at the Four Points. The deadline is April 1, 2008, after this date reservations are subject to availability and at the regular rate.

Understanding Hinduism

Overview of Hinduism: Swami Vendananda, Vendanta Society
Vendanta Philosophy: Swami Prabuddhananda, Vendanta Society
The Notion of Gods and Goddessess in Hinduism, and Rituals: Prabha Duneja, Founder President of Geeta Society
Hinduism in the West: Nipun Mehta, Founder of CharityFocus.org; Hindustani Music: Ardhendu Raha

Saturday, February 23, 2008
8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Dominican Sisters Conference Hall, San Rafael

Early Registration before February 15, 2008: $20; lunch not included.

You can download PDF of the event registration form here.

For information and registration call: 415 472-6959

The Building Bridges of Understanding Series is an educational program of the International Association of Sufism and Dominican University of California, Humanities Department, in cooperation with Marin's Faith Communities.

Partial funding from Marin Community Foundation.

In a recent private meeting, His Holiness Dalai Lama expressed his sorrow about the conflict between Sunnis and Shi'as. "Why," asked the Dalai Lama, "are two groups from the same religion fighting against one another?" In his reply, Dr. Kianfar expressed his shared sorrow at this schism. Throughout time and within all religions there have been a very few radical groups who extend their inner anger under the title of their sect or religion. In this particular case, the conflict is being perpetuated by a small group of so-called Sunnis and Shiites. Although most people are against this conflict, the reality is that we all suffer the deleterious effects of the conflict they perpetuate. There is always someone who, desirous of power and craving bloodshed, actively manipulates others by fanning the flames of misdirected religious fervor. The only solution when this kind of virus attacks the body of the whole, is to rely on the immune system to return health to the body, which in this case is wisdom.

We must ask ourselves: what condition nourishes the anger, hatred, greed, and other harmful qualities of those who like conflict? The answer, quite simply, is ignorance. They remain on the superficial level, allied to names, impressed by titles, and bound to inherited systems of belief, and can easily become trapped in a tower of preconceived ideas that's mortared by their own imagination. This tower becomes a strong fortress, which they feel a primal urge to defend. They think that what they believe is right and what others believe is wrong and they look for evidence to prove their "rightness." Yet anyone who is trapped in this tower is wrong, for the fortress is an illusion. Witness how both Sunnis and Shiites feel they are the true inheritors of the Prophet Mohammed's (PBUH) teachings. Yet, according to the book of Islam and the tradition of the Prophet, both are wrong and they each must suffer the penalty of their ignorance. This penalty, of course, is conflict, whether it lingers in a mistrusting heart or is openly expressed as hostility toward the "other."

Do we want to live in peace? If so, we each must search beyond titles and inherited systems of belief - all those things which divide us - and begin instead to truly practice Islam: submission of the false ego to the One, the source of mercy, peace and love. In such a state of unity, a state which must be actualized within, internal and external fractures heal, labels lose their meaning and power, and divisive ideology melts away. When we practice Islam and learn the way of peace and love, we remain in a state of peace and love and that reflects on our individual path and consequently on our attitudes and behaviors. This is true for all religions.

Two of the many articles reporting on this meeting are from the San Francisco Chronicle and the Dalai Lama website:

Dalai Lama embraces religious tolerance: Buddhist leader urges understanding of Islam, other faiths

Moderate Muslims Seek Help From the Dalai Lama

International Association of Sufism Celebrates 25th Anniversary

A Silver Anniversary Dinner was held on Saturday, November 3, 2007, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the International Association of Sufism. The celebration took place in the Creekside Room of Caleruega Hall, Dominican University, in San Rafael Dinner was followed by a program honoring the many achievements of the IAS.

The dinner was co-sponsored by the International Association of Sufism and the Humanities Department of Dominican University of California. The International Association of Sufism was founded and is co-led by Nahid Angha, Ph.D., and Ali Kianfar, Ph.D. of San Rafael.

Sufism Symposium, Cairo, Egypt
The theme is Sufi Perspective on World Peace and Responsibility and will be held Friday - Sunday, January 18 - 21, 2008 Cairo, Egypt

The symposium will be held at the Hilton Pyramids Golf Resort, El Wahat Road 6th of October, City Dream Land Cairo
Telephone: +2 02 8553333/4/5/6
Organized by the International Association of Sufism and ESSECR

Join Sufis from around the world for a weekend of meditation, conversation, panel discussions, workshops, and Sufi Zikr
Topics will include:

• The Path to Peace in the World of Spirituality
• Peace, A Practical Manifestation of Harmony with all
• Peace between Heart, Mind and Body
• Peace Amongst Religions
• Oneness of Humanity
• Meditation, Music and more

For program and reservation information, see the Sufism Symposium website.

"The purpose of dialogue between faiths is not to change the other, but rather to deepen the experience of one's own faith. Through greater understanding and appreciation of each other's faith, the Hindu becomes a better Hindu, the Muslim becomes a better Muslim, the Christian becomes a better Christian, the Jew a better Jew and the Buddhist a better Buddhist."

Mahatma Gandhi

With this goal in mind, an inter-faith dialogue from bestselling author and internationally renowned results coach Anthony Robbins was organized and participants from around the world including Dr. Ali Kianfar, Co-director of the International Association of Sufism were invited and participated.

The May 29-June 5 conference, "Oneness: An Interfaith Dialogue on the Unity of Humankind," took place at the Robbins-owned Namale Resort & Spa in the Fiji Islands and was sponsored by the Anthony Robbins Foundation. Mr. Robbins' mission for the conference stems from his desire to create "an opportunity to work together in the spirit of oneness to dissolve tensions between the world's great faiths and promote the universal human values of compassion, love and happiness-the precursors to peace."

To make sure that each faith had a presence at the table of peace, Mr. Robbins invited prominent leaders of each of the world's major faiths such as Imam Mehdi Khorisani of the Islamic Society of California, who spearheaded a meeting last year between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and prominent Muslim dignitaries.

Other pioneers of peace at the conference included Rabbi Solomon Schiff, founding member of the Holocaust memorial; former terrorist, Islamic scholar, and bestselling author Dr. Tawfik Hamid; General Secretary of the United Methodist Church's Commission on Christian Unity and Inter-Religious Concerns, the Reverend Dr. Larry Pickens; Brahmin Spiritual Leader and member of the World Council of Religious Leaders, Sister Jayanti; and Founder of the Kanzeon Zen Center International and best-selling author Zen Master Genpo Merzel Roshi. Mr. Robbins also invited influential leaders in the Hollywood film, entertainment and sports industries so that the message of peace could be exposed to millions of people worldwide.

To ensure that the external dialogue created sustainable change, Mr. Robbins encouraged participants to engage in an internal dialogue so that change in the outer world reflected change in the inner world.

To facilitate an environment of internal transformation had a profound impact on a diverse cross-section of religious leaders from the Personal Secretary of the Pope to the head of the Wahabi tribe, focuses on relaxing the nervous system and liberating the mind, so that people can not only appreciate their faith on a cognitive level, but also experience it on a physiological level and connect with their creator. With this inside-out approach to inter-faith communication, each leader at the conference committed to working on practical and immediate changes to make a measurable difference in the relationships between the followers of each of the great faiths.

Impressed by the results, Dr. Kianfar hailed the conference as a "circle of unity and friendship around the sincere heart and peaceful energy of Tony Robbins."

Mr. Robbins was in fact, a vital catalyst in the dialogue by making it clear that he did not want the conference to be just a discussion, but rather a unique way of utilizing active tools to create real changes in the relationships of the world's great faiths in some of the areas that need it most, especially the Middle East.

So, to help create these tangible changes, Mr. Robbins partnered with Cherish Our Children International and The Bridge to Peace to fly fifteen young adults from Israel and Palestine to Fiji to experience the Oneness program and add their voice to the inter-faith dialogue. The group consisted of Jews, Muslims and Christians who each possessed a patent on pain, from a young woman who watched her sister die as Israelis fired four hundred bullets at her family to a young Israeli man who said that "he would rather wipe out an entire village than see another Jewish mother cry."

However, by the end of the conference these young men and women with radically different experiences, each of whom had been directly impacted by terrorism, had become brothers and sisters with a deeper understanding of themselves and each other's humanity. A Palestinian girl, who was forbidden from even talking to Jews, now had Jewish friends. A Jewish boy who had served as a soldier felt that he could now appreciate the Palestinians' pain. Dr. Kianfar observed that the conference was a " wonderful opportunity for the youth of Palestine and Israel to enjoy the beauty of diversity and to experience the peace of unity."

They had arrived as victims of violence, but were now returning home as ambassadors of peace armed with alternatives to hate and a commitment to dedicate their lives to serve and educate others.

2006 Sufism Symposium "An Ancient Wisdom for Everyday Life"

The 2006 Symposium sponsored by the International Association of Sufism was held May 5-7 in San Jose, California. The theme of this well attended event was "Ancient Wisdom for Everyday Life."

This 14th annual Symposium began with a panel discussion hosted by the IAS Sufism Psychology Forum. The panel was opened by Arife Ellen Hammerle, Ph.D., MA, LMFT, JD, the Clinical Director of the Community Healing Centers and Program Director at Catholic Charities in San Francisco. The first speaker was Kavoos Ghane Bassiri, MFT, CGP, followed by Marilyn Schiltz, Ph.D. and Vice President for Research and Education at the Institute of Noetic Sciences.

The conversation continued with a presentation by Bryan Wittine, Ph.D., Jungian analyst. Amineh Pryor, Ph.D., MFT, San Francisco psychotherapist and co-director of the Sufism and Psychology Forum spoke next.

The value of ancient wisdom in our everyday lives was emphasized by all of the speakers in this inspiring forum. This wisdom has been passed on through text and individuals but to make this wisdom valuable in our lives it must be personally experienced. Accessing this wisdom by connecting to our true Self allows the wisdom to be more than just words. This ancient wisdom comes alive and may then be meaningful in our everyday lives.

Friday evening a program of spiritual music and Sufi poetry reading was presented to an enthralled audience. The Sufi music ensemble Taneen was joined by Ya Elah, a spiritual music ensemble in the Jewish tradition.

The morning of Saturday, May 6th began, with Azan, the Call to Prayer led by Sheikh Ahmed Tijani, Imam of the Islamic Educational Congress of the U.S. Attendees were once again drawn into the power and devotion of Sheikh Tijani's call, filled with the clarity and intensity of the classic tradition.

The opening address was presented by Nahid Angha, Ph.D., co-founder and co-director of IAS and its main delegate to the United Nations, as well as founder of the International Sufi Women's Organization.

The Saturday panelists included: Dr. Ibrahim Jaffee, student of Shaykh Sidi Muhammad al Jamal, Muqqadam for the Shadhiliyya Sufi Order in North America, and founder of the Shadiliyya Sufi Center in Pope Valley, California; Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, descended from a long line of illustrious religious figures in Lebanon; Shah Nazar Seyyed Ali Kianfar, Ph.D., co-founder and co-director of IAS, and Editor in Chief of the journal Sufism: An Inquiry; Musa Muhaiyaddeen Emanuel Levin, attorney in Philadelphia and president of the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship; Sharon Mijares, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist and adjunct faculty at both Chapman and National Universities in San Diego, and a member of the Sufi Ruhaniat International and the International Network for the Dances of Universal Peace.

Other speakers included the Rev. Paul Chaffee, Executive Director of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio in San Francisco; Seido Lee de Barros, a Zen Buddhist priest of the Green Gulch Farm Zen Center in Marin County; Pir Shabda Kahn, a direct disciple of American Sufi Master Murshid Samuel Lewis and the Pir of the Sufi Ruhaniat International; and Shaikha Ayshegul Ashki, a student of Universal Sufism under the guidance of Sheikh Nur and Sheikh Fariha, both of whom have appointer her as one of their successors.

Saturday night the group of individuals from across the US and around the world, representing many different Sufi orders and other faith traditions, joined in Sufi Zekr and prayer. The power and unity of the group coming together was overwhelming.

Sunday speakers and workshop leaders included Azima Lila Forest, a Sheikha in the Sufi Ruhaniat International and Resident Spiritual Director of the Southwest Sufi Community in New Mexico; Sonia Gilbert, President of the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowhsip and Mosque; the Rev. Canon Charles Gibbs, Executive Director of the United Religions Initiative; Sheikha Camille Helminski, co-founder and co-director of The Threshold Society who works within the Mevlevi tradition of Sufism; and Sheikh Kabir Helminski, co-director of The Threshold Society and faculty member of the Spiritual Paths Institute.

Other Sunday speakers included Safa Ali Michael Newman, President of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Sufism and Director of the Center for Islamic Studies; Rev. Ellen Grace O'Brian, Senior Minister of the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment in the spiritual tradition of Kriya Yoga, and Dr. Nevit Ergin, a surgeon and founder of the Society for Understanding Mevlana who practices the Itlak Way of Sufism.

The 2006 Symposium concluded with a general discussion among presenters and attendees and reflections by Dr. Nahid Angha, who was introduced by Seyyedeh Hamaseh Kianfar, granddaughter of Moulana Shah Maghsoud, and a member of the IAS's Voices for Justice. For those who were present at the Symposium, the spirit of peace, deep friendship, and inner clarity was a gift to be cherished and carried back to the world.

Sunday night the symposium concluded with prayer and dua by Sheikh Shahzadeh Seyyed Mainuddin Maizbahandari Al-Hasani wa-Al-Housaini and his son Shahzadeh Saifallddin from Bangladesh and Kalifeh Ali Ahmad Abbu Fathi, from Nigeria, Africa, and followed by all presenters and attendees.

Awareness, Awakening & the Journey Toward the Beloved
A one week retreat with Nahid Angha, Ph. D.

Omega Institute
July 22, 2007 - July 27, 2007
Rhinebeck Campus: Rhinebeck, New York
Course: SM07-3005-884

For more information, please visit the Omega Institute.

Waking Up in a New Religious America:
Building Bridges of Interfaith Understanding;
Planning Our Interfaith Future

In conjunction with Dominican University of California, the Marin Interfaith Council, and the Interfaith Center at the Presidio (San Francisco), the International Association of Sufism recently presented a six-session course and follow-up conference designed to build stronger interfaith understanding and relationships, and provide a forum for members of the community to share common values, concerns, and plans for future interfaith projects. This was the third program of the successful Building Bridges series and funding was received from the Marin Community Foundation.Nearly 200 members of the community participated in this program, which focused on such timely topics as examining the gnew religious America,h the role of appreciation and respect in healthy interfaith relationships, sharing religious practices, peace building, and local and global service. Participants enthusiastically welcomed the opportunity to meet practitioners of other faith traditions and learn their principles and practices. Distinguished guests speakers included leaders representing Sufi, Jewish, Bahafi, Zen Buddhist, Ohlone Indian, Muslim, Hindu, Brahma Kumaris, Vedanta, and Protestant and Catholic Christian traditions.

The International Association of Sufism is pleased to continue our pioneering work in serving the community through education; providing opportunities for community members to come together and share knowledge and experiences, thereby removing barriers and building bridges of understanding. The broad spectrum of participants in this program attests to the perceived value and need for programs of this kind: participants came from 20 cities, representing more than 20 faith traditions, and over 25 different congregations.

The Ministry of Waqf Islamic Affairs, Kingdom of Morocco, celebrated the Shakir World Encounters, Marrakech, September 2004.

The Shakir World Encounters, an Islamic conference organized by the Ministry of Waqf Islamic Affairs, Kingdom of Morocco, held in Marrakech, September 10th to 12th, 2004 brought many Muslim leaders and scholars including Nahid Angha, Ph. D., the Co-Director of the International Association of Sufism, together. This project, which will continue as an annual celebration, was named after the blessed site called “Ribat Shakir”, the shrine of Abdullah Shakir, the companion of Uqba Ibnu Nafi’, the first Muslim leader who brought Islam to Morocco. The choice of this site aimed at the revival of an old tradition, so dearly perpetuated by Moroccan Sufi saints who, throughout centuries, used to hold an annul gathering in this very special space.This was a memorable event, said Dr. Angha, specially the noon prayers under the desert sun where the vastness of the desert met the beauty of the sky at a distance horizon, the evening zikr(s) that lasted till 2 am bringing people to the state of divine rapture, and, most of all, the hospitality, courtesy and friendship of the organizers offered to every and each one of the participants.All praises are due to the Ultimate Merciful and Compassionate.

The poetry of Rumi was celebrated at Bastyr University Saturday, October 4, with the inspired words of Sufi Master Shah Nazar Ali Kianfar, the divine melodies of Taneen and the reading of Rumi's poetry in English and the original Farsi. The evening ended in a circle of zekr, or remembrance.

Monday, September 22, 2003

The University of San Francisco welcomed His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama to the Bay Area for a day of interfaith prayer.

Around 2,000 USF students, USF faculties, spiritual leaders, celebrities and community members attended this gathering. Dalai Lama received an honorary degree from USF and spoke after an interfaith prayer service at St. Ignatius Church. This celebration began with a liturgical procession of USF students and members of the spiritual community, including Dr. Nahid Angha of the International Association of Sufism, Rev. Charles Gibbs of URI, Sister Chandru Desai of the Brahma Kumari Meditation Center, Swami Prabuddahananda of the Vedanta Society of Northern California, and Lama Arjia Rinpoche of the Tibetan Center of Compassion and Wisdom.

Interfaith Sacred Space Design Competition

Is genuine interfaith space possible? What might a space designed to accommodate the needs of all faiths look like? An international "ideas" competition is being launched to design sacred space where people from all religious traditions can feel comfortable, safe, and respected. As the interfaith movement grows, space will be needed for genuine interfaith dialogue and shared practice to cultivate friendship and common cause in the spirit of what we most value.

The international competition is open to architects, artists, landscape architects, scholars, students, and others interested in the design challenge.

This competition will be conducted in one stage, beginning in September 2003. Design submissions will be due in January 2004, to be followed by a public exhibit in San Francisco.

For additional information, schedule, and jury details, go to the competition website: www.uri.org/designcomp

Healing Arts of Expressions and Impressions

The IAS celebrated its tenth Annual Sufism Symposium as a Marin interfaith conference in March 2003, with the Healing Arts of Expressions and Impressions as its theme.

The conference joined Marin-based and international spiritual leaders, scholars, and practitioners, with a large audience to explore themes of peace, well being, individual and global healing, and to develop a dialogue amongst the traditions and cultures in Marin. [More...]

 

Practicing Harmony
Photo Gallery

Bellevue, Washington

New! Photo gallery from 9th Annual Symposium. Capturing speakers, participants, workshops, zekr, and other memorable images.

Brief summary of annual celebration, this year focused on Practicing Harmony in Bellevue, Washington. Full report will be coming soon.

sufiwomen.org

an international resource for human rights

The Sufi Women Organization was established in 1993 under the auspices of the International Association of Sufism. A forum for all Sufi women, it has been tremendously successful in gathering together women from diverse cultural backgrounds who share a dedication to the goals of Sufism, especially with respect to human rights. The devotion of all who have volunteered their time, energy and expertise have led to substantial achievements. The newly redesigned website contains a wealth of information and opportunities to get involved. Visit sufiwomen.org

 

Sufism: An Inquiry
Call for Papers

About Sufism: An InquirySufism: An Inquiry is a multi-disciplinary, international quarterly publication with contributions from social scientists, academics, physicists, historians, psychologists, artists, medical doctors, activists, and philosophers from an unparalleled geographic range. The academics and thinkers who contribute to Sufism, An Inquiry represent the leading voices from an unparalleled geographic and intellectual range, including contributors from North and South America, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and South-East Asia.Call for PapersWe welcome articles on literature, history, philosophy, and other social sciences that explore comparative perspectives and socio-political themes in Sufi / Islamic thought and writings. Currently, we are particularly interested in (1) Sufi movements, thinkers (social, political, and philosophical), and poets in the Middle East and North Africa and (2) themes of human rights and peace found in Islamic and Sufi literature.SubmissionsWhile we will consider articles of any length, manuscripts around 1,000 - 2,000 words are preferred. Research papers in English and poetry / literary translations in English, Farsi, and Arabic are preferred. Please send a hard copy of the manuscript accompanied with a curriculum vita to Submissions Review Committee, Sufism: An Inquiry, 110 Carlos Drive, Unit F, San Rafael, California 94903, USA. We regret that materials received cannot be returned to you. Submissions accepted on a rolling basis.

Contact:
Submissions Coordinator
Sufism: An Inquiry
110 Carlos Drive, Unit F
San Rafael, California 94903 USA
Tel: 415.472.6959
eMail: submissions@sufismjournal.org
Website: sufismjournal.org