Glasgow: Open lecture on Unity in God, Unity of God

Boyd Orr Building

The Focolare Movement Scotland and Ahl Al Bait Society present an open lecture on: Unity in God and Unity of God on Monday, 27 February at 6.30pm in the Lecture Theatre 1, Boyd Orr Building, University of Glasgow.

The organisers said: "We are living in an historic moment in time - characterised in many ways by war, division, conflict and fear. Talk of dialogue and unity between people of different faiths in such a context seems unattractive or impossible to many. Yet true dialogue, peace and unity is not only possible, it is essential. Through dialogue we gain a greater understanding of ourselves and each other. In doing so unity in God becomes a reality, and peace and global fraternity an achievable aim. This open lecture presents the perspectives and experiences of two international scholars of how such dialogue and unity can be lived in practice."

The Ahl Al Bait Society Scotland and the Focolare Movement in Scotland are co-hosting an open lecture evening entitled Unity in God, Unity of God. Two keynote lectures will be delivered by international leaders in the field who will focus on their lived experience of building dialogue between Islam and Christianity: Sheikh Dr Mohammad Shomali (Director of International Institute for Islamic Studies, Qum, Iran) and Dr Paolo Frizzi (Academic coordinator for Global Studies and Lecturer in Religions & Global Processes and the Theology & Praxis of Interfaith Dialogue, Sophia Institute, Italy). There will be the opportunity for questions and answers in a panel discussion following both speakers' presentations. All are welcome.

The following day Dr Shomali will give the weekly Time for Reflection to MSPs in the Scottish Parliament.

Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali is the founding director of the International Institute for Islamic Studies in Qum. He has a Masters in Western Philosophy from the University on Tehran and PhD in Philosophy is from the University of Manchester. Dr Shomali has been invited to Scotland by the Ahl Al Bait Society Scotland. He is a visiting lecturer at the Sophia University where he is a collaborator in the Wings of Unity project for Christian/Muslim dialogue. Dr Shomali has worked with the former Abbot of Ampleforth, Fr Timothy Wright, in organising seminars between Catholic monks and theologians and Shi'a Muslims from Iran. At Iran's World Book Awards ceremony in Tehran earlier this month Fr Wright and Dr Shomali 'were presented with a special award for their continuing work to encourage interreligious dialogue, the first time a prize has been awarded in that category'1.

Dr Paolo Frizzi lectures at The Sophia University Institute, based in Loppiano, Incisa Val d'Arno, near Florence in Italy. The Sophia University Institute was founded by Chiara Lubich and is part of the Focolare Movement. The Institute is accredited by the Holy See (Vatican).