Milwaukee, Wis., Nov 16, 2009 / 17:38 pm
Muslims and Catholics met at the Midwest Catholic Muslim Interreligious Dialogue in Milwaukee Oct. 25-27. There they discussed common concerns such as religion in the public square and efforts to maintain religious practice among younger generations.
The annual meeting was hosted by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Initiatives and the Islamic Society of Milwaukee. Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit Francis Reiss represented the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) as co-chair of the meeting, while the Muslim co-chair was Dr. Syyid M. Syeed of the Islamic Society of North America.
The meeting began on Oct. 25 with a well-attended public lecture titled “Faithful Citizenship – Catholic and Muslim Engagement in Civic Life,” held at the Islamic Center School, the USCCB reports.
Michael Hovey, coordinator for the Archdiocese of Detroit’s Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs, delivered a Catholic perspective on the topic. Dr. Irfan Omar, Professor of Islamic Studies at Marquette University, gave an Islamic perspective.