Conference: "Islam, Sufism and the Heart of Compassion Living the Teachings of Muhyiddin Ibn ’Arabi" -

Islam, Sufism and the Heart of Compassion Living the Teachings of Muhyiddin Ibn ’Arabi

A conference: Friday & Saturday, November 6 & 7, 2009

William C. Chittick, Stephen Hirtenstein, Salman Bashier, Sachiko Murata and Mohamed Haj Yousef

This groundbreaking event, held at the beautiful Gothic cathedral of the historic interdenominational Riverside Church, will explore the wisdom and contemporary relevance of the 13th century mystic and teacher Ibn ’Arabi, who is considered the greatest master of Gnostic and philosophical Sufism.

It will bring together some of the world’s leading Ibn ’Arabi scholars, and will include talks, workshops, Sufi musicians from the US and the UK, poetry, and three films presented by the award-winning Tunisian director, Nacer Khemir. The conference will include presentations such as: Ibn ’Arabi and the Quest for Human Perfection; How Ibn al-Arabi’s Mystical Love Can Overcome Fundamentalism; Ibn ’Arabi in Dialogue with the Confucian Tradition, and much more.

Ibn ’Arabi was born in Medieval Spain, then home to an extraordinarily enlightened culture of religious tolerance among Muslims, Jews and Christians, a period that can serve us today as an inspiring example of the possibility of fruitful co-existence and cooperation among different cultures. As one of history’s greatest universal mystics and interpreters of the human condition, Ibn ’Arabi’s teachings can offer us a window into a form of Islam that we in the West are rarely exposed to, as well as a more sophisticated understanding of the more exalted aspects of the Islamic cultural heritage.

Please join us for this exceptional presentation of cross-cultural dialogue and come deepen your awareness of the very important part of the Islamic tradition that is one of humanity’s richest veins of mystical spirit and ecstatic beauty.


Post-Conference Events:

Tunisian filmmaker Nacer Khemir will be presenting his highly acclaimed series of films, the Desert Trilogy, of which the most well-known is “Bab’Aziz.” The films are filled with exquisite scenery and elements of a mystical fairy tale, showing us a more open, tolerant and friendly view of Islamic culture, full of love and wisdom.

Friday–Saturday, November 6 & 7 $145 (after October 8)
1st Early Bird Price $100 by September 10
2nd Early Bird Price $125 by October 8