Rabia Terri Harris

RABIA TERRI HARRIS, Coordinator of the Muslim Peace Fellowship . MPF was founded to Permit isolated Muslims with a deep personal commitment to nonviolence and harmony to locate each other and exchange views ׷ Search out Muslim individuals and groups already involved in peace and justice work and make their efforts more visible in the larger community and the media Help such individuals and groups coordinate at the national level ׷ Provide training in nonviolent conflict resolution for jama`ahs in our endangered inner cities Target local situations that could respond to trained intervention by concerned Muslim peacemakers ׷ Organize Muslim humanitarian aid for threatened communities worldwide Formulate Islamic positions in support of human rights, unity in diversity, and upright and ethical political action ׷ Communicate with Muslims and non-Muslims about the essentially Islamic character of such positions Give moral support to our daily pursuit of tawhid. http://www.mpfweb.org/
Mpf@forusa.org

Rabia Terri Harris - "Nonviolence is Jihad: Thoughts on the Evolution of Resistance". Contrary to popular stereotypes, Islam has centuries-old traditions of religious and cultural tolerance, and large but mainly unheralded movements that engage in nonviolent resistance. Islamic tolerance and nonviolence are rooted in religious principles. Islamic nonviolent resistance is related to other nonviolent struggles in the world, and the FOR, the Muslim Peace Fellowship, and other religious peace fellowships fit into the overall struggles for peace and justice. She is a Muslim woman peace activist within the Islamic community and in interfaith work. She has a vision for future work toward a more peaceful world. Rabia has been a member of the editorial staff of FOR since 1993, currently serving as Interim Editor of FOR’s bimonthly magazine, Fellowship. In 1994 she founded, and now serves as the Executive Director of, the Muslim Peace Fellowship, an influential forum for progressive Islamic thought. She is co-originator of Peace Warriors: Muslim-Christian Conflict Transformation Workshops, a joint project of MPF and the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America. Rabia serves as a hospital chaplain assisting the families of children with terminal illnesses, regardless of religion, and is a member of the Jerrahi Order, a three-hundred-year-old Muslim religious society headquartered in Istanbul.

The Muslim Peace Fellowship (Ansar as-Salam) is a gathering of peace and justice-oriented Muslims of all backgrounds who are dedicated to making the beauty of Islam evident in the world.

We believe:

Personal example is the only convincing argument for the truth of any religion. Since the particular business of Muslims is to emulate the model of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who was sent as "a mercy to the worlds," our main concern must be to learn and teach the integrity and kindness that were his chief characteristics. And since the Creator of the Universe asks us, at the beginning of every act, to call to mind His benevolence and compassion, we know that these qualities must be the primary hallmark of any full realization of Islam.

We are consciously devoting ourselves to work towards that realization.

Our objectives:

• To work against injustice and for peace in ourselves, our families, our communities, and our world.

• To encourage a greater commitment to peace on behalf of all Muslims.

• To explore and deepen our understanding of Islamic teachings about peace and nonviolence.

• To expose the falsehood of the popular stereotype that Islam is a religion that teaches terrorism and violence.
  To reach out to people of other religious traditions in an effort to create mutual understanding, tolerance, and respect.

• To work together with all people to keep open the Straight Path and to bring about a more just and peaceful community and world.

Membership:

The Muslim Peace Fellowship is open to Muslims of any culture and tradition who share our beliefs, agree with our purpose, and wish to join us– insha’Allah–to achieve our goals, guided by the Holy Qur’an and the teachings of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

Muslim Peace Fellowship, Rabia Harris, Coordinator (coordinator@mpfweb.org)
The Muslim Peace Fellowship is part of the Fellowship of Reconciliation network
Copyright © 2004 Muslim Peace Fellowship. All rights reserved.
Last updated 03/08/2006 12:09 PDT