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Imam Yahya Hendi

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Imam Yahya Hendi is the Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University, the first American University to hire a full-time Muslim chaplain. Imam Hendi is also the Muslim Chaplain at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. Imam Hendi is a Public Policy Conflict Resolution Fellow of the Center for Dispute Resolution of the University of Maryland School of Law and the Maryland Judiciary's Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office.

Imam Hendi is the founder and the President of Clergy Beyond Borders, and the founder and the president of the newly founded organization, Imams for Universe, Dignity, Human Rights and Dialogue.

Mon, 03/21/2011 - 00:00
Topic(s):
Faith Under Fire
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Rep. Peter King "does not have a clue" about all that American Muslims have done to help the FBI, CIA and law enforcement agencies after 9/11, says Imam Yahya Hendi, president of Clergy Beyond Borders and recipient of an FBI award for his wide-ranging efforts to help young Muslims understand "what it means to be a proud Muslim yet a proud American." Imam Hendi says he fears the hearings of the House Committee on Homeland Security may "paralyze so many possibilities" for young Muslims who dream of joining the FBI, CIA or law enforcement agencies by sending them the message, "No, you don't belong to America." Learn more about Imam Yahya Hendi.

Imam Hendi also serves as a member of the Islamic Jurisprudence Council of North America. He has served as an adjunct faculty member for Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Science and Osher's Lifelong Learning Institute of John Hopkins University, Fordham University and Hartford Seminary. Imam Hendi also teaches a very popular course at Georgetown University called: Inter-religious Encounter.

Mr. Hendi's undergraduate education was in Islamic Studies and his Master and PhD education were in comparative religions with interest in Christianity, Judaism, comparative religions and inter-religious dialogue and relations.

He has written numerous publications on many topics, including women in Islam, women and gender relations in Islam, the second coming of the Messiah, Islam and biomedical ethics and religion and Islam in the United States.

A sought-after speaker, Imam Hendi has presented a multitude of interfaith and general lectures in the USA, Asia, Africa, Europe, central Asia, Eastern Europe, Australia and the Middle East over the past 14 years and he has been to more than 63 countries and 45 US states for conferences.

Mr. Hendi was one of the Muslim leaders who met with President Clinton during his Presidency. He also met with the President Bush in the aftermath of the September 11th tragedy and continued to meet him many times during his presidency. He 2009, he  met with President Obama at the White House.

Imam Hendi often visits and lectures at churches and synagogues hoping to create a new positive relationship between the followers of the three Abrahamic religions. In his lectures, Imam Hendi focuses on issues related to gender relations, domestic violence, world peace, social, economic and political justice, and inter-religious and interfaith issues.

Imam Hendi appeared on many national and international television and Radio shows as an expert on interfaith dialogue and on Islam and Muslims (i.e. CNN, ABC, Fox, Kuwait TV, Nile TV, Pakistan Channel-II, RAI, MSNBC and Al-jazeerah).

Imam Hendi recently engaged nationally and internationally on raising awareness on issues of the 21st century which included: 1) environmental responsibility, 2) a peaceful resolution to the Arab/Israeli conflict, 3) eliminating poverty, 4) fighting against the growing sense of militarism, and 5) empowering Muslims to reform the way they practice and understand Islam.

Mr. Hendi serves on national and international interfaith councils such as the Appeal of Conscience, the National Inter-religious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East.