March 10-11, 2016 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. Welcoming Remarks Paula Sanders, PhD Director, Boniuk Institute Professor of History, Rice University (watch Welcoming Remarks) Emran El-Badawi, PhD Director, Middle Eastern Studies Program Professor of Modern and Classical Languages, University of Houston How the Qur'an Shapes the Sunni Community Ingrid Mattson, PhD London and Windsor Community Chair in Islamic Studies (watch How the Qur'an Shapes the Sunni Community) The Speaking Qur'an and the Praise of the Imam: the Memory and Practice of the Qur'an in the Shi'i Ithna'ashari Tradition Sajjad Rizvi, PhD Director, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies University of Exeter (watch The Speaking Qur'an and the Praise of the Imam) Why the Qur'anists are the Solution Ahmed Subhy Mansour, PhD President, The International Quranic Center (watch Why the Qur'anists are the Solution) Men in Charge?: Qur'an and Gender as a Category of Thought Amina Wadud, PhD Professor Emerita of Islamic Studies (watch Men in Charge?) The Qur'an and the Ahmadiyya Community Mujeeb Ur Rahman Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of Pakistan (watch The Qur'an and the Ahmadiyya Community) The Baha'i Reception of the Qur'an Todd Lawson, PhD Professor Emeritus Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations Department for the Study of Religion University of Toronto (watch The Baha'i Reception of the Qur'an) African-American Communities of the Qur'an Aminah Beverly Al-Deen, PhD Professor of Religious Studies Founder, Islamic World Studies Program DePaul University (watch African-American Communities of the Qur'an)