鈥淲e do lots of exercises, many projects, in this class,鈥� said Sabereh Ahmadi Movaghar, referring to 鈥�鈥� taught as a seven-day intensive by , PhD, and Roxann 鈥淩oxy鈥� Allen Kioko 鈥�04, MA 鈥�07.

Movaghar holds two master鈥檚 degrees 鈥� one in Shi鈥檃 Islam studies and the other in Islamic jurisprudence 鈥� which took a total of four years to earn. 鈥淚 love studying; I am hungry to know,鈥� she said by way of explaining her hope of continuing through a PhD and then teaching. For this reason, she has been an alert observer of the teaching methods employed in her current class at SPI and her previous one, 鈥�,鈥� taught by , a Mennonite scholar and pastor.

Movaghar also praises 鈥渢he very good friends I have made here, who I鈥檝e invited to come to Iran,鈥� as well as the opportunity to learn more about conflicts in the world, along with post-conflict reconciliation processes, especially those occurring in Africa.

Movaghar is one of nine women from Qom, Iran, who are taking classes at EMU鈥檚 annual Summer Peacebuilding Institute (SPI). Their home institution, Jamiat al-Zahra, is the world鈥檚 largest Islamic seminary for women, with 5,000 Iranian students, 1,000 international students and 10,000 enrolled in distance learning. The nine students at SPI are all linked to the postgraduate section of the seminary鈥檚 international department.

聽鈥淭hese women are excellent, diligent students,鈥� said executive director of EMU鈥檚 . 鈥淭hey are devoutly religious as well as delightful 鈥� with great personalities, warm laughs, and deep insights. The friendships being built are priceless.鈥�

The group is led by , an internationally known scholar of Islam and dean of postgraduate students at Jamiat al-Zahra. Shomali has designated the women鈥檚 English-language instructor, who wishes to be known as 鈥淶ainab,鈥� as the coordinator for the women when he is not present.

Reflecting on her methods of teaching English at the Iranian seminary, Zainab cited the 鈥減ractical strategies used at SPI鈥� as a key take-away from her two SPI classes. She said she also appreciates the 鈥渞ich experiences鈥� enabled by having highly diverse classmates from different parts of the world. The atmosphere at SPI is 鈥渨arm, open, and friendly,鈥� she said. 鈥淓veryone is respectful of everyone鈥檚 beliefs.鈥�

Zainab is often mistaken as one who comes from outside the United States, given her fully covered appearance in loose black clothing, except for her face. Actually, though, she is an American of Lebanese heritage, who completed most of her foundational education in public schools in Michigan. She holds a bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degree in English from the University of Michigan, plus a teaching certificate.

In addition to directing the English as a Second Language program at Jamiat al-Zahra 鈥� in which about 45 women are enrolled each year 鈥� Zainab is completing a PhD. For her dissertation, she is working on a textbook that will use religiously and culturally appropriate text as the basis for teaching English to non-native speakers within the Shi鈥檃 Islamic tradition.

In her first SPI class, 鈥�鈥� taught by Dr. , Zainab joined participants from 10 other countries to explore the social, psychological, neurobiological, physical, and spiritual processes of moving from violence to healing and transforming trauma. 鈥淚鈥檝e studied sociology before, but never with a focus on the psychosocial aspects of trauma,鈥� she said, 鈥渁nd rarely in a class as filled with activities. 鈥� Al was a great professor.鈥� 窜补颈苍补产鈥檚 second class was 鈥�鈥� taught by , PhD, and , MA 鈥�09.

Movaghar and Zainab were part of two earlier educational trips to another Mennonite institution, Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg. In the summer of 2011, they took a one-week course on Christian understandings of peace and justice, followed by 鈥淚ntroduction to Christianity鈥� in June 2012.

These women are the latest in a chain of Muslim-Mennonite interactions that goes back to 1991, when responded to a devastating earthquake in Iran. Educational exchanges followed that first contact.

Relations have grown to be highly collaborative. For instance, Shomali was a guest instructor in 鈥淔aith-based Peacebuilding,鈥� which focused on identifying sources of conflict and resources for peacebuilding found in several faith communities and traditions, along with interfaith engagement.

During a break between SPI sessions, Shomali and most of the women went to Washington D.C., where they visited the , met with some Muslim women lawyers at the office of the , and had a meeting at organized by CJP graduate Rasoul Naqavi. They also visited the Capitol Hill offices of Mennonite Central Committee.

, director of the at EMU, has visited Iran more than two dozen times since 1991 and will be returning to Iran later this month for the 6th Mennonite-Shi鈥檃 dialogue. In addition to Martin, the EMU delegation includes Christian Early, a professor of philosophy and theology, and several students.

On an earlier two-day trip, they visited MCC’s headquarters in Akron, Pennsylvania, met with an Amish bishop, and attended a service and Sunday school class at in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Shomali told an EMU reporter that he hoped for better relations between the people of Iran and people of the United States and noted聽similarities between Quranic and Christian teachings about the importance of peace. 鈥淕od says about the Quran in the Quran itself that God guides with the Qur鈥檃n those who seek His pleasure to the ways of peace (5:15).鈥� There are 鈥渓ots of things we can learn from each other,鈥� he added. Iranians are rational people and 鈥渨hen you are rational, you tend to dialogue with people of other faiths and other cultures.鈥�

Shomali welcomed more exchanges of Americans and Iranians from a variety of fields, including artists and professionals.聽He said that to reduce mutual misperceptions and encourage peace,聽鈥淣othing can replace face-to-face encounters. Our first Imam, Imam Ali, is quoted as saying: 鈥楶eople become hostile towards what they don鈥檛 know.鈥欌��

As the first session of 草莓社区鈥檚 (SPI) comes to a close this week, guest lecturer reflected warmly on the past 10 days among fellow international peacebuilders.

In more than 20 years of participating in interfaith dialogue, Shomali has travelled widely. He is the director of international affairs at the world鈥檚 largest Shi鈥檃 Islam seminary for women, Jami鈥檃t al-Zahra, as well as director of the International Institute for Islamic Studies (IIIS). He resides in Qom, Iran.

鈥淚 feel at home in many places in the world,鈥� Shomali said, 鈥渂ut 草莓社区 is one of those places where I really feel at home.鈥�

Shomali has met Mennonites in a variety of contexts in both North America and around the world, and has developed friendships with many of them. 鈥淭he Mennonites are people who are loyal to their faith, and they want to live the gospel, but not in a rigid way,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 just want to live this on Sunday, but throughout the week, they want to be like Jesus. I respect this. I love this. They are interested in being forces of good in the world, whether it is in helping people with development or peacebuilding or relief.鈥�

Peace and peacebuilding, along with interfaith dialogue, is one of the core Quranic principles, Shomali says. This was one reason why nine female students, staff, and graduates from Jami鈥檃t al-Zahra are studying at SPI this summer, escorted by Shomali and his wife, Mahnaz Heidarpour, who also teaches at the seminary. In prior years, SPI has hosted a total of 10 students from Iran, but never a group of this size all at once.

The nine women have joined 130 international students until May 24 to learn concepts and practices of peacebuilding, trauma, conflict analysis and resolution, and restorative justice. The students are being co-hosted by EMU鈥檚 (CJP), as well as its , both based on EMU鈥檚 main campus in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Shomali was a guest lecturer in the Faith-based Peacebuilding course, facilitated by , a Mennonite pastor who has lived in the Middle East. The interfaith course helps participants identify sources of conflict and resources for peacebuilding found in various faith communities and traditions. Five of the Iranian seminarians chose to take this course.

Interactions with SPI students from around the world provide a practical complement to required seminary coursework in comparative peace studies, Shomali said. 鈥淭heoretical knowledge can come through books, but when the students eat and talk together and go to churches, this is different. They learn about the way people think, live, behave, and plan. This is very valuable.鈥�

In addition to daily classes, the group made two special trips dedicated to interfaith dialogue. One weekend, they visited the (MCC) headquarters in Akron, Pennsylvania, met with an Amish bishop, and attended a service and Sunday school class at James Street Mennonite Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. A later day trip to Washington D.C. included a meeting with MCC Washington office staff and a visit to the , which promotes understanding of Islamic values of peace and respect for diversity. At the El-Hibri office, they met with the leaders of . In the evening, the group had a meeting at , organized by CJP graduate Rasoul Naqavi.

Most of the women in the group had participated in previous trips, led by Shomali in 2011 and 2012, to study Anabaptist and Christian theology at in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The exchange continues later this month in Qom with the 6th Mennonite-Shi鈥檃 dialogue. A delegation from EMU includes professor , Center for Interfaith Engagement director and several students.

Shomali has also cultivated friendships and dialogue with other faith communities, most notably the Catholic Church. He has been a key contributor to five Shi鈥檃-Catholic dialogues, the first taking place in England in 2003 and the most recent in Qom in 2012.

His interest in interfaith dialogue grew from his religious and philosophical studies as a seminary student in Qom. He holds a B.A. and an M.A. in western philosophy from the University of Tehran, as well as a doctorate in philosophy from the in the United Kingdom. While in the U.K., Shomali developed an interest in the , an organization devoted to encouraging unity and brotherhood among the practitioners of Christian religions, among followers of other world religions, and, more broadly, among all of humanity.

The unity of God and of man is also an important Quranic principle, Shomali says. 鈥淕od has created you from one man and one woman, but made you into different tribes and nations so that you know each other, not that so you fight each other. We should not see these differences as barriers, but extra reasons to know each other.鈥�

Those of the Abrahamic faiths have a 鈥渏oint responsibility for brotherhood,鈥� he said. 鈥淢uslim-Christian dialogue for me is a way to reunite or unite a family which is unfortunately sometimes broken. Sometimes you have cousins that you stop communication with or who you lose touch with. Muslim-Christian dialogue is a reunion of the family of Abraham and the children of God.鈥�

Shomali is also resident Imam and director of the . His books have been published in a number of languages, including Malay, Kiswahili, Spanish and Swedish.

Roy Hange

Hange will focus on images of light, service and ministry during the chapel sessions and in an afternoon retreat.

“Naming the Light: Ministry in the Image” is the theme for Tuesday’s presentation, 9:30-10:15 a.m. in Martin Chapel of the seminary building.

From 11-11:45 a.m. Wednesday, Hange will speak on “Joining the Light: Formation and Transformation,” also in Martin Chapel. He will lead a retreat session 1:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesday on “Focusing the Light: Joining the Trail of Tears and Forbearance.”

A service of music and communion led by Hange, 9:30-10:15 a.m. Thursday, will conclude the series.

Hange is co-pastor of the Charlottesville congregation with his wife, Maren, and an overseer in Virginia Mennonite Conference. He spent 10 years serving with Mennonite Central Committee in the Middle East. He speaks frequently on peacemaking and religious identity issues.

Seminary chapel is open to the public. For more information, call 540-432-4260.