With the omnipresent news about conflicts around the world, Islam has come to the forefront of debate and criticism. The Interfaith Dialogue Student Association at SMU has taken initiative to form a better understanding between Muslims and people of other faiths.

Gokhan Ozgure, president of the IDSA, said, “The primary goal of this interfaith dialogue is to prevent another Sept. 11 or Iraq War.”

Last Friday, the Interfaith Dialogue Student Association hosted this year’s fourth lecture of the Interfaith Talk Series at the Forum in Hughes-Trigg. The speaker, Dr.Ahmet Kuru of the University of Washington, discussed the search for the middle way between Islam and modernity in Turkey.

Kuru focused on the Gulen movement and its efforts for a more liberal Islamic thinking. The Turkish-based Islamist movement of Fethullah Gulen melds traditional Islamic values with modern life and science.

Kuru commented that although Islam and other faiths differ, they surprisingly have more in common, especially to Christianity and Judaism. He also said that “Islamic” and “Muslim” are two different terms in that Islam is the religion, while Muslims are just the followers and are susceptible to human error.

Since its launch two years ago, the Interfaith Dialogue Student Association has been dedicated to promoting interfaith dialogue between groups of different faiths to reach understanding and tolerance, according to leaders of the organization.

Glenn Linden, advisor of the IDSA, said, “I’ve been on the campus ministry council for more than 30 years, and I remember that we used to fight and argue all the time. But I think what’s gradually happening is that we are talking to each other more. And this [the forum] is the best example of this.”

The IDSA has chosen to focus on the religion of Islam this year. Although it does not delve into sensitive or political topics, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the IDSA tries to choose contemporary and debatable topics, issues that many people have questions about, the leaders of the IDSA said. Ozgure said, “People wouldn’t care as much if you just choose topics like the Fiqh [jurisprudence] of Islam or how Muslims pray.”

Past lectures have been about the Prophet Muhammad, the Islamic view of other faiths, Jesus and Mary in the Quran, and Terrorists and suicide bombers according to Islam. “Women in Islam” is being planned as the next lecture.

Nabil Sadoun, who has a degree in Islam and attended the lecture, said the lecture was inspiring, “I think we need many of these lectures in this institution and others in order to elaborate on the issues of Islam and modernity and to promote a better understanding of Islam in our world.”

Linden continued, “I think we just need to talk, not just fight all that time. We need to educate ourselves and that’s what we’re doing. And a little pizza and Coke can help interest people.”

For more information on the Interfaith Dialogue Student Association, go to www.people.smu.edu/IDSA.