Parliament of Worlds Religion 2009 Melbourne Australia

Author(s): Parliament of the World’s Religions
Publisher: USA Parliament of the Worlds Religions

Page 252

PROGRAM DES
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Hindu Spirituality in Dance:
Odissi Performance
Dr Chandrabhanu
Jambudvipa Ensemble
Room 201
Artistic Performance
Odissi dance is an art full of grace, poise and magic. It is the traditional dance of Orissa and has its origins in ancient temple worship. In ancient times, Odissi was seen as a religious rite performed only by devadasis. Odissi is primarily the enactment of love between Lord Krishna and Radha. The movements of the dance are largely based on the concept of Tribhangi, which divides the body into three parts: the head, bust and torso. Much of the dance's magic comes from mudras, or movements of the hands. Dr Chandrabhanu will perform along with sixteen dancers from his world-renowned Jambudvipa Ensemble (Dance Academy).
Dr Chandrabhanu was born in Kangar, the capital of the Malaysian province of Perlis. He has choreographed almost fifty major choreographic works, productions and performances in Bharata Natyam, Odissi, and contemporary dance styles, including Bharata Natyam solo recitals. Chandrabhanu is currently artistic director and principal of Chandrabhanu Bharatalaya Academy of Indian Classical Dance and Music, Melbourne.
Islam 101 Series: War and Peace in Al-Islam: The Prophet's Struggle
Dr Tariq Ramadan
Dr William F Vendley
Rabbi Michael Melchior
Room 202
Panel Discussion
The concerted struggle for peace consumed the life of Prophet Muhammad. However, there is the perception that war was a dominant factor during the formative years of Islam and that Muslims are consequently predisposed to violence and war. During this session, internationally respected Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan will discuss the Prophet's life in regards to war and peace, how misinformation about these issues affects current prospects for peace, and what lessons about peace can be gleaned from the Prophet's example as we move forward. This session will also include an interfaith panel of respondents who are leaders in peace building among the faith traditions. This program is one of six sessions in the Islam 101 Series designed to highlight critically important issues regarding Islamic beliefs, practice, and history that are all too commonly misunderstood.
Tariq Ramadan (www.tariqramadan.com) is Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford University. He is currently Senior Research Fellow at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan. He is active both at the academic and grassroots levels and lectures extensively throughout the world on theology, ethics, social justice, ecology and interfaith as well as intercultural dialogue. Through his writings and lectures, he has contributed substantially to the debate on the issues of Muslims in the West
248 PWR Parliament of the World's Religions Jain Education International
2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION
and Islamic revival in the Muslim world. Professor Ramadan is currently president of the European think tank, European Muslim Network (EMN). in Brussels.
Dr William F Vendley has served as Secretary General of Religions for Peace since 1994 and has mobilised and equipped religious communities in war-torn regions worldwide. He was a participant in His Majesty King Abdullah's historic interreligious meeting in Madrid, Spain in 2008 and has been requested by the Muslim World I eague to serve on its Followup Committee. Dr Vendley is also an advisor to US President Barack Obama.
Rabbi Michael Melchior hails from Denmark, where his family members have served as Chief Rabbis for seven generations. In 1999, he was elected to the Knesset, where he became one of Israel's leading legislators. He helped to enact legislative reforms in the areas of education, children's rights, the environment and social justice. Today. Rabbi Melchior leads a variety of civil society movements, including a forum that promotes dialogue and understanding among different strands of Israeli society.
Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding: The Case of Israel-West Bank-Gaza
Eliyahu McLean
Deacon Jiries Mansour
Ibtisam Mahamid
Sheikh Hussein Abu Rukkun
Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bukhari Room 203
The Israeli, West Bank, and Gaza areas are some of the most volatile in the world. Interreligious and interethnic conflicts have plagued these areas for decades. Land disputes and human rights violations have been a significant source of conflict. As the Holy Land for numerous faiths, there have been regular clashes over access to sacred sites. Because of this, tensions between ethnic and religious communities are high, characterised by a lack of trust and discrimination. The Jerusalem Peacemakers and the Abrahamic Reunion, a network and family of religious leaders, women and grassroots peacemakers, seek to rebuild trust between Israelis and Palestinians, especially after the recent war in Gaza. The peacemakers in the Holy Land work together to help loosen rigid beliefs, bridge the gulf between peoples, and to help people recognise that they are in this together and that polarisation and violence do not work. Representatives of Jewish, Christian, Druze, and Muslim faiths will share stories of peacemaking and hope from Israel and Palestine.
Eliyahu McLean is the co-director of Jerusalem Peacemakers, a network of religious leaders and grassroots peacebuilders in the Holy Land. He is also a leader in Israeli-Palestinian bridge building projects. Mr McLean was initiated as a Rodef Shalom (Peace Pursuer] by Reb Zalman Schachter Shalomi. His work with Palestinian Sufis is described in At the Entrance to the Garden of Eden: A Jew's Search for God with the Christians and Muslims in the Holy Land".
Jiries Mansour is Deacon of the Greek Catholic Church in Ktar Rame, an Arab village in Galilee. He is founder and principal of the Saint Anthony Latin School, which is recognised for its superior academic training for Druze, Christian and Muslim students. Jiries is a leader in peace and interfaith initiatives in the Holy Land and has initiated numerous school exchanges between Arab and Jewish youth. Jiries is a founding member of the Abrahamic Reunion.
Ibtisam Mahamid's primary focus is on improving relations between Jews and Arabs in Israel, and she also works to improve the status of women in both Arab and Jewish society. She is on the board of Middleway.