MEI: Islam, Sufism, and the Heart of Compassion: Living the Teachings of Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi

The Middle East Institute (MEI) and the New York Open Center present a conference entitled, "Islam, Sufism, and the Heart of Compassion: Living the Teachings of Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi," withWilliam C. Chittick, Stephen Hirtenstein, Salman Bashier, Sachiko Murata and Mohamed Haj Yousef.

This groundbreaking event, at the beautiful Gothic cathedral of the historic interdenominational Riverside Church of New York, will explore the wisdom and contemporary relevance of the 13th century mystic and teacher Ibn 'Arabi, who is considered the greatest master of gnostic and philosophical Sufism.

The conference brings together some of the world's leading Ibn ’Arabi scholars and will include talks, workshops, musical performances, poetry readings in Arabic and English, and films presented the award-winning director Nacer Khemir. The conference will include presentations such as: Ibn ’Arabi and the Quest for Human Perfection; How Ibn al-Arabi’s Mystical Love Can Overcome Fundamentalism; Ibn ’Arabi in Dialogue with the Confucian Tradition, and much more.

Co-sponsored by: The Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society, Riverside Church and WBAI 99.5 FM

Students are free, but registration is limited.

Student registration:

please contact the registration office at

The Open Center
212.219.2527 ext 2 
mention that you are CU student
Please indicate which workshops you are most interested in.
Only 30 seats Available

Non-student registration: www.opencenter.org/ibn-arabi/register.html

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Friday, November 6
6 pm 
Assembly Hall

Introduction: New York Open Center / 
Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society

KEYNOTE
The Anthropology of Compassion
Ibn ’Arabi and the Quest for Human Perfection
William C. Chittick, PhD

Poetry recitation from the Tarjamun by Ibn ’Arabi
in Arabic
Taoufiq Ben Amor

Poetry recitation from the Tarjamun by Ibn ’Arabi
in English
Aaron Cass

Tarab Musical Ensemble

Saturday, November 7

Prayers Offered by Clergy

9 am – 12 pm 
Morning Plenaries: Assembly Hall

The Mystic’s Ka’ba: The Wisdom of the Heart According to Ibn ’Arabi
Stephen Hirtenstein, MA

Ibn ’Arabi: The Treasury of Absolute Mercy
Mohamed Haj Yousef, PhD

Break

Ibn ’Arabi in Dialogue with the Confucian Tradition
Sachiko Murata, PhD

Between Annihilation and Subsistence
Ibn al-Arabi’s God of Compassion versus Fundamentalist Nihilism
Salman Bashier, PhD

12:00 pm
Lunch: Breakout Rooms

1:30 pm
Workshop Session I options:

In the Footsteps of the Master
The Life and Times of Ibn ’Arabi
Stephen Hirtenstein, MA

The Anthropology of Compassion in Ibn ’Arabi’s Futuhat
William C. Chittick, PhD

3:00 pm
Workshop Session II options:

Ibn ’Arabi's View of the Cosmos
Mohamed Haj Yousef, PhD

How Ibn al-Arabi’s Mystical Love Can Overcome Fundamentalism
Salman Bashier, PhD

Ibn ’Arabi and the Confucian Tradition
Sachiko Murata, PhD

Saturday Evening, November 7

4:30 – 6:00 pm

Panel Discussion: The Relevance of Ibn ’Arabi in Our Time

Musical Performance by Aaron Cass and His Ensemble

8:00 – 10:00 pm
Film Screening: Columbia University's Altschul Auditorium, School of International and Public Affairs, 420 West 118th Street (at street level, off Amsterdam Avenue)

Film and Q&A with Director Nacer Khemir
Film: “Bab ’Aziz: The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul”
Open to the General Public:
One Films: $9

POST-CONFERENCE EVENTS

Sunday, November 8
1:00 – 5:00 pm
Film Screenings: Columbia University's Altschul Auditorium, School of International and Public Affairs, 420 West 118th Street (at street level, off Amsterdam Avenue)

Two Films and Q&A with Director Nacer Khemir
Films: “Wanderers of the Desert” 
and “The Dove’s Lost Necklace”
Two Films: $18
All Three Films: $24 (includes Saturday night film screening)