MSA kicked off Islam Awareness Week with a wonderful lecture by Prof. Jane Smith, a professor of Islamic Studies and a specialist in Christian-Islamic relations.

The lecture focused on the various commonalities among Islam, Christianity and Judaism. To point out the artificial barriers imposed by classifying followers of Abrahamic monotheistic religions, Prof. Smith argued that the theological differences within a religion could be amazingly larger than the differences between religions.  

Prof. Smith affirmed the pluralism of Islam and provided proofs both from Quran and from the unmistakable tolerance of Islamic Spain. She contrasted that with Ferdenando and Islabella's reconquest of Spain, when both Jews and Muslims were brutally expelled, or offered the choice between conversion and death.  

To explain the intrinsic pluralism of Islam, Prof. Smith pointed out that Muslims believe that islam, with a small "i", is the first, the last and the only religion revealed by God. The reason for this belief, explained Prof. Smith, is that islam in Arabic means submission to God, which is apparently the essence of all revealed religions. "What was the religion of Adam and Eve," asked Prof. Smith and then answered "islam!". Islam, with a capital "I", refers to the group of people that follow the specific message revealed to the final prophet, Muhammad, peace be upon him and upon all messengers of God.

Prof. Smith then stressed the value of Jerusalem for the three religions, and explained why Jerusalem is plays a central role in Islam. Muslims used to direct their faces in prayer towards Jerusalem, before they later on turned to the holy city of Makkah. Jerusalem is the point from which Muhammad (peace be upon him) ascended to the seven heavens and finally came in the presence of God, which is known as the journey of Al-Mi'raj.

In response to a question about the current state of relations among followers of Abrahamic faiths and the West's support of Israel and whether this has religious roots or not, Prof. Smith explained that the West lives under the burden of the "holocaust", but almost overlooks the fact that there is a Palestinian people there.

Prof. Jane Smith refused to make any generalizations regarding the readiness of the followers of any of the three religion to tolerate coexistence of other religions, and said that we should always consider the potential of Islamic-Judo-Christian relations and move from where we are towards the ideal.

Islam Awareness Week is an annual week-long program organized by the Muslim Student Association to promote understanding of Islam and good-will between Muslims and the community they are part of.