This is a Radio Interview conducted by Alan Autry with Hamid Entezam for Alan Autry Show on 1300 AM KYNO in Fresno, California on September 14, 2010.
Format: Audio
Duration: 23 Minutes
This is a Radio Interview conducted by Alan Autry with Hamid Entezam for Alan Autry Show on 1300 AM KYNO in Fresno, California on November 14, 2008.
Format: Audio
Duration: 18 Minutes
Q: If God is Just and Compassionate, why does He allow so many innocent children die in Africa every day due to malnutrition and starvation? What have these helpless kids done to deserve this horrible fate? A: We cannot blame God for malnutrition and starvation around the world. God has created sufficient resources on planet […]
This lecture was conducted by Hamid Entezam at ICCF in Fresno on November 14th, 2008
Topic: “Love and Spritual Growth” (The Essential Teachings of Rumi)
Duration: 90 Minutes
This lecture was conducted by Hamid Entezam at ICCF in Fresno on March 13th, 2010 Topic: “The Spritual Journey” (Inner Quest for Perfection) Duration: 93 Minutes
The Monotheistic religious tradition is dominated by the trio of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All three religions trace their lineage to Abraham. This common root inevitably leads to adoption of a common general framework for spirituality. Not surprisingly, we find substantial commonality among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; nonetheless, we still have three distinct religions, not one. Their differences primarily stem from their focus.
Historically, the Christian West has not viewed Islam favorably. Western scholars ordinarily characterize Islam as a religion of sword, a tradition inherently devoid of reason or love. Islam’s Prophet Mohammad is often portrayed as a warlord who imposed his beliefs on a reluctant world by the sword. The rapid spread of Islam outside its birth place (Arabia) is credited to invading Arab armies who gave the conquered peoples a simple choice: adoption of Islam or annihilation…
Christianity is a faith that revolves around Jesus’ life and death. As such, one cannot overemphasize the centrality of Jesus to Christianity.
Jesus was quite unique by any standards. The circumstances of his birth, his life experiences, and his death are nothing short of extraordinary…
There has been an ongoing debate in Western academic circles and popular press about the compatibility of political democracy with Islam: can Islamic nations retain their faith and still embrace modern democratic institutions? Some analysts are skeptical and argue that at the end, Muslims have to choose between their religion and democracy. They claim that until Islam is relegated to the sidelines of Muslim life, their societies cannot enjoy progress, modern civilization and democracy.
Muslim scholars and political activists have vigorously debated this issue for over a century. Generally speaking, two camps have emerged: reformers and conservatives. Conservatives believe that political democracy is not compatible with Islam; they claim that Islam has an authentic form of government commonly known as the Caliphate- a system of government where an observant and pious ruler leads the state and ensures that the orthodox Islamic legal code is enforced. Muslim Reformers, on the other hand, argue that authentic Islam does not have any specific form of government. In every historical era, Muslims are free to choose a form of government that is in line with their religious values and responsive to the demands of the times. For this group, democracy is compatible with Islam- its principles and institutions can best safeguard Islam’s social values and facilitate the modernization of a stagnant Islamic world.
This lecture aims to shed some light on this important debate and examine the challenges facing the Islamic world in its pursuit of democratic transformation.
There has been an ongoing debate in Western academic circles and popular press about the compatibility of political democracy with Islam: can Islamic nations retain their faith and still embrace modern democratic institutions? Some analysts are skeptical and argue that at the end, Muslims have to choose between their religion and democracy. They claim that until Islam is relegated to the sidelines of Muslim life, their societies cannot enjoy progress, modern civilization and democracy.
Muslim scholars and political activists have vigorously debated this issue for over a century. Generally speaking, two camps have emerged: reformers and conservatives. Conservatives believe that political democracy is not compatible with Islam; they claim that Islam has an authentic form of government commonly known as the Caliphate- a system of government where an observant and pious ruler leads the state and ensures that the orthodox Islamic legal code is enforced. Muslim Reformers, on the other hand, argue that authentic Islam does not have any specific form of government. In every historical era, Muslims are free to choose a form of government that is in line with their religious values and responsive to the demands of the times. For this group, democracy is compatible with Islam- its principles and institutions can best safeguard Islam’s social values and facilitate the modernization of a stagnant Islamic world.
This lecture aims to shed some light on this important debate and examine the challenges facing the Islamic world in its pursuit of democratic transformation.
