An Introduction
to Dr. Akbar Ahmed's Diversity Training Course
on Islam
I don't remember the exact
date, but it was not too long after 9/11.
I was in Las Vegas attending a janitorial
supply trade show. As I was walking down the
trade show floor, I happened to come upon
a large crowd. In fact, there were so many
more people than the area was designed to
accommodate that the crush of the crowd had
caused most of the exhibitors in the surrounding
areas to give up on commerce and temporarily
shut down their booths. Out of curiosity,
I asked one of the exhibitors what in the
world was going on. He told me that someone
was giving a fascinating speech on the teachings
of Islam which was causing the pedestrian
traffic jam in the aisles. My first reaction
was to turn around and run! I was totally
flabbergasted and thought to myself that this
guy must be a bona-fide/certified nut! Standing
in the middle of a large mainstream American
crowd at a huge trade show in Las Vegas so
soon after 9/11, he's talking about Islam?
I thought the speaker must either be very
brave or not so bright – but either
way, I couldn't resist my curiosity and joined
the throngs of people heading off to hear
him speak.
I stood in the back of the large crowd and
strained to hear the speaker talk about Jihad,
9/11 and other sensitive and emotionally-charged
topics. His speech was riveting and afterwards,
as I waited patiently in a very long line
of people for the opportunity to shake his
hand, I talked to others who were waiting
in line as well and discovered that many of
them, like me, had not planned to attend this
speech but were compelled to listen to the
words he spoke. Although I was familiar with
his name and had read some of his work, this
was my first meeting with Professor Akbar
Ahmed and the beginning of our friendship
as well as my personal journey into the exploration
of the topics related to inter-faith harmony
and peace.
Dr. Akbar Ahmed is a prolific writer, distinguished
anthropologist and the most sought-after commentator
on Islamic affairs. The BBC describes him
as the world's best-known scholar on contemporary
Islam and he is the winner of the Purpose
Prize for his work on interfaith dialogue.
To me, Dr. Ahmad is the epitome of authority
and vision regarding Islam today. He is also
a role model of supreme grace and dignity.
It is hardly breaking news that the events
of September 11 and other events of the recent
past in both the global and local arenas have
increased tensions and distrust between Muslims
and non-Muslims. In the face of so much heated
debate and violence, there is a distinct need
for the promotion of inter-faith harmony to
defuse rather than ignite religious and ethnic
tensions.
To move past the hatred and mistrust between
the West and Islam that has been escalated
by the globalization of terrorism and the
subsequent war on terror, Dr. Akbar Ahmed
has long sought and promoted the establishment
of dialogue and understanding between the
two cultures. His work not only provides a
means for conflict resolution but also methods
for conflict prevention. For many years now,
he has been providing education and insight
through his inspirational, enlightened, balanced
and objective writings and speeches nationally
and internationally.
Most recently he collaborated with Jones Knowledge®,
a leading provider of interactive online educational
programs, to develop an online course entitled
"Understanding Islam: An Introduction."
This course is designed to provide diversity
and sensitivity training for the staff of
any public or private organization and government
agency that routinely interacts with the Muslim
community. This course creates a foundation
for inter-faith understanding, mutual respect,
and constructive engagement by exploring the
history, culture and rich diversity of Islam
and by providing simple and understandable
answers to most of the commonly asked questions
about Islam and its followers.
Just like the other works of Dr. Akbar Ahmed,
this course is very inspirational, well-thought
out and meticulous. The contents of the course
are presented in a logical and organized manner
and the students are encouraged to follow
the sequence in which the information is presented.
The language is simple and can be understood
by people of various age groups and educational
backgrounds.
This course is sure to engender the behaviors,
attitudes, and policies that enable professionals
to work effectively in cross-cultural situations.
A thorough understanding of the materials
covered in this course can help reduce conflicts,
increase professional competency and increase
employee job satisfaction in the workplace.
The course is comprised of six modules. The
first five modules provide a comprehensive
understanding of Islam and Muslims and answer
most of the commonly-asked questions. The
last module provides the students an opportunity
to apply the knowledge gained from the course
to real-life situations. Many cross-cultural
scenarios are presented in this module and
the students are asked to select the most
appropriate course of action.
This course is taught with Jones Knowledge®‘s
‘VALT’ methodology, a portfolio
of patented learning methodologies that builds
mastery, increases retention and reduces training
time.
Though the official launching of this course
is scheduled for later this month, several
organizations and law enforcement agencies
including FBI, Homeland Security and British
Police have expressed interest in adopting
this program for the training of their staff.
From preliminary reviews it is evident that
this course will achieve great popularity
among its targeted audience and unparalleled
success in promoting inter-faith harmony in
our communities.
Further information regarding this course
and a demo are available at www.JonesKnowledge.com/Islam
and information regarding the other works
of Dr. Ahmed is available at www.AkbarAhmed.org.
