Dialogues and Contentions

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Chair
name: 
Sharon Baradaran
Institutional Affiliation : 
UCLA
Academic Bio: 
Sharon Baradaran received her Doctorate of Philosophy degree from the University of Southern California in the field of Political Science. She is currently an adjunct professor of Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Discussant
Name: 
n/a
Institutional Affiliation : 
n/a
Academic Bio : 
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First Presenter
Name: 
Ali A. Jafarey
Institutional Affiliation : 
The Zarathushtrian Assembly
Academic Bio : 
Ali Akbar Jafarey, was born in Kerman, Iran. He received his schooling up to the University level in Karachi. He has a doctorate in Persian Language and Literature, and has self-studied thirteen living and ancient languages, and also studied linguistics, anthropology, Indo-Iranian literature, history, geology and research methods. In Saudi Arabia, he worked as a translator/anthropologist in the Arabian Research Division of Aramco. In 1991, Dr. Jafarey, with seven other co-founders, established the Zarathushtrian Assembly in Los Angeles.
Concise Paper Title : 
Zoroastrian Religion and Modernity
Paper Abstract (maximum of 400 words) : 
The Zoroastrian Religion, as defined by its Founder Zoroaster in his Gathas, the Sublime Songs that contain his Divine Doctrine, has no “Do and Don’t Do” commandments. It has its Principles of Life that conform with the benevolent progressing science. That makes it progress with the Good Life based on ever-fresh Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds. Modernity is an important Principle of Life in the Zoroastrian Religion.
Second Presenter
Name: 
Keyvan Geula
Institutional Affiliation : 
Center for Global Integrated Education
Academic Bio : 
Keyvan Geula is a consultant, trainer, and presenter on mediation, consultation, conflict resolution, and multicultural awareness for educators, schools, businesses and organizations such as Amnesty International, Southern California Mediation Association and Human Relations Councils. Founder and Executive Director of Center for Global Integrated Education, Inc. (CGIE), a nonprofit educational organization that introduces the mind-body-spirit approach to education. Specializes in integrating cognitive behavioral therapies and the Baha’i teachings. Host and producer of a Bahá’í-inspired TV series; “Transforming Human Consciousness”;1991-1999.
Concise Paper Title : 
Owning The Story of Our Persecution: The Role of Human Rights Efforts in Helping the Bahais of Iran
Paper Abstract (maximum of 400 words) : 
The phenomenon of telling and listening to stories is as old as the history of civilization. The great teachers of humanity have created and used stories to educate and transform human reality, character and culture. The stories of Job and Joseph have been revisited in the Bible, Quran and the Bahá'í Writings to teach us about the spiritual powers we possess, the dual nature of man and the ways we ought to handle ourselves and our relationships both in times of crisis and in victory. The story of the Baha’is of Iran and their persecution has many common and yet many unique features.. Their unique reaction to the severe persecutions, however, is rooted in the Baha’i teachings, which emphasize the oneness of all humanity, the basic human right of choosing one’s belief, and the idea that man is created to know, to love, and to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.
Thid Presenter
Name: 
Ronen A. Cohen
Institutional Affiliation : 
Ariel University Center
Academic Bio : 
Ronen A Cohen has a Ph D In Middle Eastern and Iranian Studies with a focus on modern Middle Eastern history. He is the author of the book The Rise and Fall of the Mojahedin Khalq, 1987–1997: Their Survival after the Islamic Revolution and Resistance to the Islamic Republic of Iran (Sussex Academic Press, U.K., 2009). His current research interests include USA policy in Iran during the Shah’s period, and Iran as an Islamic culture.
Concise Paper Title : 
The Hojjatiyeh: The Real Creators of the Islamic Revolution of Iran
Paper Abstract (maximum of 400 words) : 
One of the major religious developments of the 20th century was the Islamic Revolution in Iran, which brought to an end twenty-five hundred years of monarchic rule. The Shah's fall meant more than just a change in the regime's orientation but also a change of beliefs, mainly inside the Shi'a itself. When examining the spectrum of Shi’a beliefs in the light of Khomeini's phenomenal success in that revolution, we will see that the emphasized aspects were marginal for the Shi'a: They were merely an object of scholastic discussion among the Shi'a Mujtaheds (Ayatollahs) during the last two centuries, but became core issues for the Islamic Republic of Iran. While stabilizing the revolutionary forces, Khomeini enabled various parties to flourish, to express their beliefs and carry out propaganda in the media, in order to find their place in the new political order. The Hojjatiyeh were one of these groups. Distinct among the agents of the revolution-- old and new--the Hojjatiyeh were more than a political party, and more than just a religious wing. Their story had started much before the parties could flourish. The Hojjatiyeh was established as an organization during 1953 by the cleric Mahmoud Halabi, and was banned by Shah Mohammad Reza along with other parties that the Shah thought were a danger for his fragile monarchy just after the Mossadeq crisis. But the Hojjatiyeh were prevented only from forming a party, and not from being a religious wing. This paper examines the Hojjatiyeh's organization, belief system and political action, and poses questions like : Who are the Hojjatiyeh? What are their Shi'a aspects? What are their methods, and who do they represent by using them?
Fourth Presenter
Name: 
Judea Pearl
Academic Bio : 
Dr. Pearl is a professor of computer science and statistics at UCLA, and a director of the UCLA Cognitive Systems Laboratory. He is known internationally for his contributions to artificial intelligence, human reasoning and philosophy of science. He is the author of over three hundred scientific papers and three landmark books in his fields of interest: Heuristics (1984), Probabilistic Reasoning (1988), and Causality (2000). A member of the National Academy of Engineering and a founding Fellow of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence, Professor Pearl is a recipient of the 2001 London School of Economics Award for the "best book in the philosophy of science," and the 2008 Benjamin Franklin Medal for Computer and Cognitive Science from the Franklin Institute. Dr. Judea Pearl a co-founder and president of the Daniel Pearl Foundation, established to promote cross-cultural understanding using Journalism, music and dialogue. He is a co-winner (together with professor Akbar Ahmed) of the inaugural $100,000 Purpose Prize, for establishing the Daniel Pearl Dialogue for Muslim-Jewish Understanding. Dr. Pearl writes frequently on interfaith relations and the Middle East peace process.
Concise Paper Title : 
Carving a Dialogue between Muslims and Jews
Paper Abstract (maximum of 400 words) : 
TBA

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