2007 Programs and Events
American Imam Meets with Palestinian Students, Women, and Religious Leaders
August 2007
During a visit sponsored by the Department of State to East Jerusalem and the West Bank, Imam Yahya Hendi, Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University, met with Palestinian religious figures, students, and women; chaired two interfaith roundtables; and engaged with the Palestinian media. Imam Hendi encouraged his audiences to accept the need for interfaith dialogue as a part of efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and issued a strong challenge to clergy of the three major faiths to engage actively and provide a “moral compass” to political leaders. In his meeting with Palestinian businesswomen, Imam Hendi affirmed Islam’s support for women’s economic independence, and engaged in a lively debate about inheritance rights and polygamy. Imam Hendi also met with a group of students who attend English-language classes funded by the U.S. government. He offered them his views about Islam in America, both before and after September 11, and proposed that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict revolves around land, not religious differences. Imam Hendi hopes to return to the region soon to follow up on his discussions especially those that will further contacts between senior Muslim, Christian, and Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.