The following is a conversation with Imam Dr. Omar Suleiman.

He's a Muslim scholar, civil rights leader, founder and president of the Yakhkin Institute

for Islamic Research, and he's a professor of Islamic studies at Southern Methodist University.

He's one of the most influential Muslims in the world and is a fearless, kind-hearted

human being who I'm now proud to call a friend.

As a side note, allow me to say a few words about Israel and Palestine.

While this conversation with Omar Suleiman was mostly exploring the history and beauty

of Islam and the Muslim community, we did delve briefly into the topic of Israel and

Palestine.

This topic is an extremely challenging one and an extremely important one.

It is deep roots and implications in U.S. politics, in global geopolitics, in military

and religious conflicts, wars and atrocities.

And basic struggle of all human beings to survive, to protect their loved ones, and to flourish

as individuals and as communities.

I did not want to cover this topic in a solely scholarly fashion.

Much like with the war in Ukraine, it is not simply a story of history, politics, religion

and national identity.

It is also a deeply human story.

To cover this topic in the way that my gut and my heart says to do it, I have to talk

to everyone.

To leaders and people on all sides, Muslim and Jewish, Israeli and Palestinian, from refugees

to soldiers, from scholars to extremists.

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