Ramadan is Islam’s holiest month. It marks the revelation of the Qur’an and is celebrated with prayer and day-long fasts.
Ramadan is also a great time to learn more about our Muslim brothers and sisters. Many mosques open their doors during this holy time of year, so that others can learn about their traditions and beliefs. In many communities, interfaith events are held for Eid al-Fitr, the festival for the breaking of the Ramadan fast.
Muslims are a small and diverse minority in the United States, and not all Catholics can visit a neighborhood mosque. U.S. Catholic, therefore, aims to bring the dialogue to you:
Muslim on Mainstreet
There is more to Islam than what you see on the evening news, says Ambassador Akbar Ahmed. Real dialogue begins with the Muslim next door.
Honor, Islam, and American women
The editors ask Akbar Ahmed about the number of American women who convert to Islam and how they are treated in both cultures.
Five questions with Akbar Ahmed
Former associate editor Megan Sweas talks with Ambassador Akbar Ahmed of American University about Islam and America in this short video interview.
Don’t know much about Islam
Learn basics about Islam from Catholic Theological Union professor Scott Alexander.
We go way back
Scott Alexander outlines the long history of Muslim-Catholic conflict and concordance.
Stay the course
Two veterans of dialogue, Sayyid Syeed and Sister Margaret Funk, O.S.B. explain why Catholics and Muslims must keep talking, despite missteps and setbacks.
Won’t you be my neighbor?
Ordinary Muslims and Catholics are getting together to learn more about each other, reports Megan Sweas.
The Prophet’s Daughters
Think Islam can’t be a female-friendly faith? Syafa Almirzanah shows that there are plenty of strong Muslim women in the past and present. She shares her personal experience in Parting the Veil.
Fast Friends
How could refraining from food during Ramadan help one Catholic open up to her new Muslim friends? Sue Stanton explains humility’s role in dialogue.
Have faith in our youth
The future of interfaith dialogue rests in our youth, says Eboo Patel, the Muslim founder of Interfaith Youth Core.
Welcome Center
A centuries-old Syrian monastery has become a new center for bridging cultures. Tour Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi (The Monastery of St. Moses the Abyssinian) with Father Paolo Dall’Oglio and Bryan Cones.
Recommended reading
How does a Catholic learn to appreciate the Qu’ran? Begin at the end, says Fran Leap.
