The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

WRGB Islam Portal Slideshow 2009

A slideshow featuring a range of Muslim centers and events in Greater Boston.

Chhabeel in Union Square

A chhabeel celebration in Union Square, hosted by the Sikh Sangat Society Boston in Somerville on June 20, 2009.

The Mosque in Morgantown Screening and Discussion

On June 13, 2009, the Pluralism Project co-sponsored a screening and discussion of The Mosque in Morgantown at Harvard University. Directed by Boston-based filmmaker Brittany Huckabee, this documentary explores journalist Asra Nomani’s controversial campaign against what she believes are warning signs of Islamic extremism in her local mosque in Morgantown, West Virginia: the exclusion of women, an intolerance towards non-believers, and a growing suspicion of the West. After the screening, Dr. Diana L. Eck moderated a discussion on the film with Brittany Huckabee; Dr. Jocelyne Cesari, director of the Islam in the West Program; and Dr. Leila Ahmed, the Victor S. Thomas Professor of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School. The Mosque in Morgantown premiered nationwide on PBS on June 15, 2009. The event was co-sponsored by the Pluralism Project,Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries, and the Islam in the West Program at Harvard University.

Fremont, U.S.A. Film Premiere and Panel, Co-Sponsored by The Pluralism Project and the Islam and the West Program at Harvard University

Case Studies Workshop

On November 5, 2007, the Pluralism Project convened a case studies workshop at the Center for the Study of World Religions. Twenty Harvard faculty and doctoral candidates from Harvard Graduate School, Harvard Divinity School and the Kennedy School of Government participated in a workshop on the case study method. As an example, Dr. Eck utilized the case developed by our senior researcher, Ellie Pierce, entitled “A Mosque in Palos Heights.” This case explores the problems and promise of pluralism in Palos Heights, Illinois where a mosque foundation was offered $200,000 by the city council to walk away from a real estate deal with a local church. Many thanks to the Center for the Study of World Religions for their sponsorship of this important work and their gracious hospitality in hosting this workshop. 

Women’s Interfaith Initiatives After 9/11

On September 28-29, 2007, we held a seminar on "Women's Interfaith Initiatives After 9/11" at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Women who established selected women's interfaith organizations formed after 9/11 were invited to join us, our faculty colleagues, and women from other religious and interfaith organizations, for two days of presentations and discussion. In addition, we explored the models and methodologies at play, and considered the relationship of these new organizations to the women's and interfaith movements. We are very grateful to the Radcliffe Institute for making this exploratory seminar possible, and to all of the participants who invested their time and energy towards new collaborations. 

TIDE: The Wave of Change

On June 26, 2007, the Interfaith Action’s Youth Leadership Program co-sponsored a conference with the Pluralism Project called “T.I.D.E. (Teenage Interfaith Diversity Education): The Wave of Change.”

Islam: Scholarship and Practice in the United States

On March 1, 2007, the Pluralism Project hosted a State Department delegation of scholars from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria at Harvard University. Their visit was a continuation of a study-tour which began last year titled, “Islam: Scholarship and Practice in the United States.” Led by Father Nabil Haddad, executive director of the Jordanian Interfaith Coexistence Research Center in Amman, Jordan, and sponsored by WorldBoston, the tour also made stops in DC and Philadelphia. The tour aims to convey an understanding of the role of religion in American public life; to broaden awareness of the study of religion, specifically Islam, in the United States; and to explore the compatibility of religious practice and democratic processes in a multi-religious society. During their visit with the Pluralism Project, they were particularly interested in the role academia plays in influencing the American media's portrayal of Islam. For more information about the delegation's visit to the United States, visit http://www.worldboston.org/Imams.htm

Sacred Space—Practices and Potentials

Interfaith space on university campuses is itself a test of America’s religious pluralism. Is religious space accommodating of all students? Do students feel a need to worship in separate places? Does worshipping "under one roof" lead to interfaith engagement, or do the facilities act more like time-shares? The slide show features five Boston-area colleges and universities, details of their campus spiritual life, and the sacred spaces where students of diverse backgrounds encounter the divine.

Click here to view the research report.

Jerusalem Women Speak

Photographer: Kathryn Lohre, Assistant Director

On October 13, 2006, The Pluralism Project and the Women’s Studies in Religion Program co-sponsored “Jerusalem Women Speak: Three Women, Three Faiths, One Shared Vision.” This event, held at Harvard Divinity School, brought together three women from Israel/Palestine to share their stories, their struggles, and their hopes. Speakers included Ghada Ageel, a Muslim Palestinian from Khan Younis Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip; Shireen Khamis, a Christian Palestinian from Beit Jala in the West Bank; and Rela Mazali, a Jewish Israeli from Herzila on Israel’s Mediterranean Coast. Jerusalem Women Speak is an annual tour coordinated by Partners for Peace.