Faculty Members to Participate in Interfaith Dialogues in Turkey

An interdisciplinary team of six Duquesne faculty members representing the University’s Christian-Muslim Dialogue Committee (CMDC) will visit Turkey next week to promote interfaith dialogue and cooperation.

Dr. Marinus Iwuchukwu

The faculty trip, which will take place from Wednesday, Aug. 5, through Saturday, Aug. 15, is sponsored by the University, the Turkish Cultural Center Pittsburgh (TCCP) and the Peace Islands Institute (PII).

During the trip, the group will participate in activities aimed at creating collaborative opportunities between Christians and Muslims. The itinerary includes trips to the Turkish cities of Istanbul, Izmir and Konya, where the team will visit a selection of private universities and meet with other organizations in an effort to expand research and scholarship opportunities. During a stop at Istanbul’s Fatih University, group members will present papers at a seminar titled Environment and Nature in Christianity and Islam.

The CMDC was selected to participate in this initiative based on its successful community-building activities both on campus and locally.

“Creating opportunity for effective dialogue between groups is essential to building trust and mutual understanding,” said Dr. Marinus Iwuchukwu, associate professor of theology and chair of the CMDC. “This idea is integral to our University’s mission as well as the driving force behind the CMDC. We hope to further this by collaborating with different organizations. This trip offers an opportunity to initiate such collaboration.”

In addition to Iwuchukwu, delegation members include:

  • Dr. Gerald Boodoo, director, Center for African Studies
  • Dr. Boncho Dragiyski, assistant professor of Spanish, McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts
  • Dr. Stanley Kabala, adjunct professor of environmental science and management, Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences
  • Dr. Khlood Salman, associate professor of nursing, School of Nursing
  • Dr. Alan Seadler, associate provost for research.

This trip is the first of several initiatives in which the CMDC will partner with the TCCP and the PII. Future activities include a water well project to benefit Muslim and Christian communities in the third world and various academic ventures undertaken by the University and private Turkish universities.

A series of monthly lectures on campus has also been planned, focusing on the theme of religion and society, and their impact on mutual understanding between Muslims and Christians. The first lecture, Religious Freedom and its Intersection with the 14th Amendment, will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 16.

To learn more about the group’s experiences while they are in Turkey, follow them on Twitter.