For those who haven't been following this blog, I recently completed a documentary about the Muslim Community in Boston and the controversy over the construction of their new mosque (the largest in New England) last fall. There was a preview screening in April 2008, but at that point the film was still lacking original music that would make the film complete.
Now that the final touches have been made, the film is ready to screen once again. For those interested, the film will be screening Sunday March 22, 2009 at 5:45PM. The screening will take place at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC) at 100 Malcolm X Boulevard in Boston. Following the screening will be a panel with four experts on the situation:
Bilal Kaleem, Director of the Muslim American Society (Boston Chapter)
Dr. Diana L. Eck, Director of the Pluralism Project and Professor of Comparative Religion at Harvard University
Dr. Larry Lowenthal, Former Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee
Fr. Raymond Helmick, S.J., Mediator and Professor at Boston College
There will also be a small reception and volunteers from the ISB will be on hand to answer questions about the mosque and give tours.
2 comments:
Matthew, what kind of "expert" are these four people? Bilal Kaleem is director of the MAS, so he's hardly a neutral party. Dr. Eck is pro-Islam to the point of blindness about radical Islam, as is Fr. Helmick.
Why not make the panel more interesting and invite some other "experts" on the ISB/MAS mosque, such as Jeff Robbins or some of many people who were sued by the ISB? Maybe invite some of the members of the Islamic Center of New England who are very unhappy at the co-opting of their mosque and school by the ISB. Now that would make a much more lively panel discussion!
Hello Anonymous,
First thanks for posting on my blog, I’m always happy to have some discussion on this forum. However, I disagree with you on your assessment of the four panelists for the March 22 screening. Rather then having the panel facilitate a “McLaughlin Group” or “Hannity and Colmes” style debate between them, the intention is that they will facilitate a discussion with the audience about questions raised in the film. The panel was chosen for their experience and relationship to their communities. I’ve decided to outline the background and reasoning behind why each member was invited to sit on the panel. I DO hope you attend the screening, and if you have genuine concerns and questions about the film, that you take a moment to kindly address them.
Beginning with Mr. Kaleem. Yes, he is the executive director of the Muslim American Society’s Boston Chapter, precisely the point why he is on the panel. MAS facilitates the programming in the new ISBCC, and serve as a representative of the center to the community. It’s rather obvious that after the film, there needs to be someone from the ISBCC who can answer questions about the mosque and cultural center. Mr. Kaleem has been directly involved with the completion of the ISBCC and the implementation of its programs, including its interfaith programming. He has spoken to communities across the state. Mr. Kaleem also serves on the board for the Center for Jewish-Muslim Relations. I fully believe Mr. Kaleem is an excellent person for the panel because of his intimate knowledge of his community, and his experience answering questions about the ISBCC and the Muslim community.
As for your comment about Dr. Eck, I don’t think anyone is blind about the dangers of radical Islam, or the dangers of any radicalized form of religion. Another group that understands the dangers of radicalism is the State Department, who in 1996 appointed Dr. Eck to a State Department Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad. The committee advised the Secretary of State on issues of enhancing and protecting religious freedom in the sphere of human rights. Since 1991, Dr. Eck has been working with a team of researchers at Harvard on The Pluralism Project. Independent from all parties, the Pluralism Project has watched and documented religious communities in Boston for the last 18 years. Dr. Eck received many awards for her work, including one by President Clinton.
Dr. Lowenthal, who you left out, has also agreed to serve as a panelist. I’m glad to have Dr. Lowenthal involved in the discussion. He has had a chance to serve the Jewish communities in Boston as Executive Director of Boston’s Chapter of the American Jewish Committee. Dr. Lowenthal continues to serve the national organization as a senior advisor. Dr. Lowenthal is very aware of the conflict and concerns of members of the community, and as a panelist he can be an excellent resource for those questions. Dr. Lowenthal also served on the Interreligious Center for Public Life (ICPL), an organization co-founded by Hebrew College President Emeritus David Gordis and Andover-Newton President Nick Carter. The ICPL was also closely following the conflicts and concerns at the ISB.
Speaking of the ICPL, that leaves Fr. Raymond Helmick (another member of the ICPL). Fr. Helmick is no novice when it comes to negotiating tough conflicts. Fr. Helmick has served as a mediator for peace talks in Northern Ireland and Israel. Fr. Helmick served on the ICPL’s mediating party during the legal fights last summer, and again, serves as a resource for questions about the proceedings last summer.
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