SAN DIEGO – Though recent world events have created anti-Muslim sentiments, the atmosphere has allowed people of different faiths to come together in a desire for more understanding and stronger bonds.

“We at the School for Peace Studies have been very concerned about the rise of violent extremism around the world and the rise of radicalization in some of our own communities and the rise of Islamophobia. It’s a dangerous combination,” University of San Diego (USD) Peace Studies Associate Professor Ami Carpenter said, USD News Center reported on Monday, February 22.

“After (the tragic events in) San Bernardino, we began to say ‘What can we do to be pro-active and strengthen our interfaith, our extremely diverse communities in San Diego so that the next time a crisis happens … we have some infrastructure in place to prevent that type of polarization?”

Carpenter was speaking during an event held last February 17 by Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice and the Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego.

The event, titled, “Deepening Interreligious Dialogue and Community Alliances,” was attended by Most Reverend Bishop Robert McElroy of the Catholic Diocese of San Diego, and Sayyid Syeed, PhD, national director of the Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances for the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA).

Carpenter advocated for communities to be resilient, to show “strength and adaptability in the face of disruption.”

She added that women in particular should assist in peacemaking due to their ability to frame discussions to broader issues.

She also professed that San Diego’s diverse population needs to be utilized better as a resource of strength.

“San Diego is diverse, but we’re still living in highly segregated neighborhoods. Diversity only works if we harness it,” she said.

Better Understanding

Bishop McElroy and Dr. Syeed reflected on the need for common ground and deeper understanding for a brighter future.

“This convocation is an effort to move further, more deeply, in a more committed and sustained way,” McElroy said.

“It’s also a moment in San Diego to take a public stand against the anti-Islamic bigotry which is all too prevalent among us.”

Working in ISNA interfaith office, Dr. Syeed said the Muslim community in the US is working to align with other faiths to build common values of mutual respect and recognition to “shape a new millennium.”

“All faiths,” he said, “are striving to promote the divine values and enshrined in our sacred texts and scripture so those who exploit them for reinforcing hate, extremism, violence and instability are identified as the enemies of all faiths.”

McElroy agreed, adding that seeking a mutual understanding of the situation helps everyone move forward together and to strive toward a peaceful world.

“Once you understand your neighbor, co-worker and you see the difficulties, dilemmas, joys of life through their eyes and as a Muslim believer, that makes it much more difficult to caricature that person, to put them in a box and make them a threat,” McElroy said.

“This dialogue is meant to be dispersed by people in all levels of our faith and to come to understand them. It’s why the Pope keeps talking about the personal encounter.

“It means you belong to someone, not just in a discussion and not momentarily, but you belong to someone on a certain level, you walk in their shoes for a mile and then see how it looks.”