Annual Scholarly Convening

The Communities of the Qur’an conference brings together eminent scholars and practitioners of various Islamic traditions to discuss and deliberate each traditions' respective interpretations of Qur'anic verses. It comes in the wake of increased sectarian violence in the Middle East, renewed military intervention in the region and a rise in Islamophobia. This conference-–the first of its kind-– places rich, diverse and at times opposing interpretations of the Qur’an, in direct conversation with one another.

German philosopher and author Rainer Forst discussed the intersections of religious and racial tolerance and democracy at Rice University’s Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance.