Reviewer David Pendleton of Spectrum Magazine, a publication of the Seventh Day Adventist community, highlighted five books that feed the discussion on the way towards Peace in the Middle East and the understanding of Islam (or lack of) in the West.  One of those five was A Deadly Misunderstanding:

Siljander’s summoning contribution is not so much his linguistic discussion but the clarion call to seeking ways to bridge cultural divides. He points out that the three monotheistic faiths share not only an Abrahamic lineage but a commitment to life and peace.

The conscientious diplomat in Siljander can be heard in his earnest plea: “if we’re going to find any viable common ground between our faiths, cultures, and nations, if we are going to build workable bridges across the Muslim-Christian divide, it has to be personal. … Negotiating with an enemy may be a professional act; loving one’s enemy is personal.” click here for more

Mark will be a guest speaker at the Seventh Day Adventist Muslim Summit in Riverside, CA, September 25, 2009. More information available here.

On Aug 27 the New York Times covered Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen’s recent essay to military personnel.

“‘To put it simply, we need to worry a lot less about how to communicate our actions and much more about what our actions communicate,’ Admiral Mullen wrote in the critique, an essay to be published Friday by Joint Force Quarterly, an official military journal.”

The Times article also emphasized Adm. Mullen’s views on the effectiveness of current efforts: “American messages to counter extremist information campaigns ‘lack credibility, because we haven’t invested enough in building trust and relationships, and we haven’t always delivered on promises,’ he wrote.”  Adm. Mullen’s words go a long way, acknowledging and reminding military and policymakers that the old adage, “Actions speak louder than words” is true.

Ramadan, the special month of fasting and prayer for Muslims begins this Friday August 21.  Our friends at ReadtheSpirit.com published an article introducing Ramadan to non-Muslims and will be publishing various information and stories throughout the month at their Sharing Ramadan website.  The conclusion of writer Raad Alawan’s introduction highlights an important point about the value of prayer and fasting:

“This is a powerful theme that members of other faiths can appreciate. Jesus thought fasting was good for the soul. So do Jews, who fast on Yom Kipper; and Catholics who fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. My point? We’re more unified than it may seem sometimes. And isn’t that what we all seek in life?”  Click here to read the article in full.

Mark’s friend, Dr. Tawfik Hamid, a former extremist and now Islamic reformer, will be the keynote speaker at the 17th Annual Terrorism Trends & Forecasts Symposium hosted by the International Association for Counterterrorism and Security Professionals in Hackensack, New Jersey this coming September 18, 2009.

Dr. Hamid will discuss the factors that caused proliferation of Islamic Radicalism in the last few decades, the mind set development of the Jihadists and their motives. Dr. Hamid will also address the issue of Islamic Reformation and will share with the audience a strategic plan to defeat Radical Islam. Learn more at http://www.tawfikhamid.com/

Mark is a guest on Min (From) Washington, a current events show on Al Jazeera’s Arabic Channel which broadcasts to over 40 million households globally, including the U.S. on September 14 [update: the air date is changed to Sept 21] airing at 3:00 PM ET.  The show broadcasts in Arabic.  Click here for a link to an English translation of their webpage with more details on the show (powered by Google Translator).

Today Bridges Sudan is organizing a symposium for the timely book A Deadly Misunderstanding, 7:30 pm Khartoum time.

The symposium will be chaired by Peter Tipi, General Secretary of the Sudanese Churches Council and the main speaker will be Ambassador Alkhider Haron, Sudanese Foreign Affairs Ministry.  Commentators will include: Prof. Abd Alrahem Ali from Khartoum International Institute of Arabic Language and Prof. Altayeb Zain Alabideen, Khartoum University.

Attendees include many representatives from organizations concerned with issues in the book, such as studies centers, ministers, NGOs, and universities.

Thank you Bridges for hosting such an event to discuss and encourage dialogue on the issues addressed through Mr. Siljander’s A Deadly Misunderstanding!

One of the endorsers for A Deadly Misunderstanding, Tawfik Hamid, published an opinion piece this week in the Wall Street Journal Online.  In Islam Should Prove It’s a Religion of Peace, he calls Islamic clerics to denounce the violence often characterized along with their religion rather than demanding that it be ignored.

We’re always glad to hear about small groups reading ADM together, so thanks to co-author John David Mann for passing on news of Hannah Ineson and the ecumenical group she is a part of in Florida.  Welcome and hello to any new visitors who found your way here from John’s recent posts talking about ADM and his emphatic belief that “This book is going to shake the world in a very big and very positive way. (That’s my story, anyhow, and I’m sticking to it!)”

Meanwhile, the Religion Blog at The Dallas Morning News posted a link to Mark’s ReadtheSpirit article and God Discussion.com, “The Place for Seekers Who Don’t Want to Go to Church,” featured ADM with a summary and reader reviews.

Mark’s has a few speaking engagments coming up, and more in the planning stages. Be sure to keep an eye on our itinerary page for new events!