Over the past 18 months, Middle Tennessee has been thrust uncomfortably into the spotlight of national debates about the place of Islam in American society, owing to controversies over the proposed Islamic Center in Murfreesboro and proposed state legislation outlawing the practice of Sharia law. Not surprisingly, disproportionate attention has been paid to right-wing groups like the Tennessee Freedom Coalition and ACT America, with their sexy apocalyptic rhetoric of a clash of civilizations — this despite the fact that their agenda has been consistently routed in the local courts and publicly drubbed whenever it has surfaced in the General Assembly.
Yet even among the vast majority of the populace that favors religious freedom over extremists on all sides, legitimate concerns remain, whether they're Christians concerned about Islamic fundamentalism, Jews troubled by perpetual hostilities in the Middle East, or American Muslims worried that their patriotism and right to worship are coming under attack. As sign-wavers and slogan-shouters dominate the headlines, the chance of a neutral middle ground where people of different, perhaps even conflicting faiths can openly address these issues has become more difficult. Which made a gathering last week at the West End United Methodist Church all the more noteworthy, as leaders from Nashville's Muslim, Jewish and Christian faith communities set out to find light where others have supplied mostly heat.
The event was titled "Family of Abraham — Toward a Common Vision." The program featured Sayyid M. Syeed of the Islamic Center of North America, with responses from Rabbi Daniel Levitt of Congregation Sherith Israel and the Rev. Becca Stevens of Vanderbilt's St. Augustine Chapel. Had they all walked into a bar, the panel might have served as the setup for a joke — but this was not something the audience had heard before. By evening's end, the discussion had ventured into areas that clearly made people uneasy, especially tensions between American Jews and Muslims. Yet people left with the sense that doors for understanding — or at least dialogue — had been opened, not shut.
This was the second "Family of Abraham" event, the first held on July 13 in the auditorium of the University School and featuring keynote Mark Pelavin, of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, with opening remarks by Mayor Karl Dean. Both events had ecumenical representation including local Christian leaders: Stevens in November, and Father Joe Breen and the Rev. Sonnye Dixon last July. The events originated in a narrower dialogue within a Nashville-area group of Muslims and Jews — the Circle of Friends — using a text prepared by Syeed and Pelavin. (Originally, they were to have appeared together in July; scheduling conflicts delayed Syeed's visit and necessitated the second installment.)
In his prepared remarks, Syeed addressed the most serious conservative objections to Islam: First, that Islam is incompatible with democracy, and second, that Islam is anti-modern and hostile towards science. Indeed, Syeed used the phrase "pluralist democracy" repeatedly within the first few minutes, partly to remind the audience of America's long tradition of accepting immigrants and minority groups, but also in explicit contrast to the undemocratic regimes from which Muslim immigrants to America are largely drawn. He further highlighted the high degree of educational attainment among many in the community, including in the sciences.
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