This month, we mark the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions, an official declaration of Vatican II, an ecumenical council of the Catholic Church, signed in 1965. What does this old church declaration mean for us today? What does it have to do with the work of building pluralism more broadly, and what does it mean specifically for the mission of the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign?
Join us for a conversation with theologian, author, and professor, Jordan Denari Duffner and Mobashra Tazamal from The Bridge Initiative at Georgetown where we’ll highlight relevant themes from the 1965 declaration, name the many challenges of this current moment, explore a newly available audience-specific resource on anti-Muslim bigotry, and identify our many calls to action today.
Jordan Denari Duffner is a Catholic theologian, author, and professor who focuses on Catholic approaches to other religions, Muslim-Christian dialogue, Islamic studies, and Israel-Palestine. Her two books are Finding Jesus among Muslims and Islamophobia: What Christians Should Know (and Do) about Anti-Muslim Discrimination. She is a member of the National Catholic-Muslim Dialogue, run by the USCCB, and she teaches undergraduate courses Georgetown University and the University of Mary Washington.
Mobashra Tazamal is the Associate Director of The Bridge Initiative, specializing in the impact of the War on Terror discourse and state-sponsored Islamophobia worldwide. As an expert in the field, she serves as a key resource for educators and journalists. She authored a chapter in the edited volume Global Islamophobia and the Rise of Populism (Oxford University Press, 2024). In addition to producing reports and articles for Bridge, her work has been featured in Politico, The Independent, Al Jazeera, Middle East Eye, Truthout, The New Arab, and Byline Times. She holds a Master’s degree from SOAS, University of London, and has a background in human rights advocacy and immigration law.
