About the Speakers

Sarrah Shahawy, the granddaughter of Dr. Hassan Hathout, is a student of Biology and French majors at the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. She is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, and is Vice-President of both the Interfaith Council and the Ansar Service Partnership at USC. Sarrah is a board member of The Hassan Hathout Legacy Foundation.

Varun Soni is Dean of Religious Life at USC. A graduate of Harvard Divinity School and UCLA School of Law, he oversees 70 religious student groups and connects with 35 religious directors on campus. He is a vocal proponent of religious pluralism and interfaith dialogue.

Khaled Abou El Fadl is Professor of Law, and the Omar and Azmeralda Alfi Chair of Islamic Law at UCLA where he also teaches human rights, immigration, international and national security law. He is a prolific author most noted for his scholarly approach to Islam and fight for human rights.

Reuven Firestone is Professor of Medieval Jewish and Islamic Studies at Hebrew Union College, Senior Fellow of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at USC, and co-Director of the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement of HUC, USC and the Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Foundation.

George F. Regas is the Rector Emeritus of All Saints Church in Pasadena. He is a proponent of peace, justice, and nuclear disarmament, founder of the Progressive Religious Partnership, co-founder of the Interfaith Center to Reverse the Arms Race and Executive Director of the Regas Institute. He was co-recipient of the Olive Branch Award with Rabbi Leonard Beerman and Dr. Hassan Hathout.

Maher Hathout, the brother of Dr. Hassan Hathout, is a former cardiologist and life-long Islamic activist. He is spokesman for the Islamic Center of Southern California, Senior Advisor to the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and Chairman of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California.

Eba Hathout, the daughter of Dr. Hassan Hathout., is Professor and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. She is Fellow of numerous medical organizations including the Royal Society of Medicine, and is President of the Hassan Hathout Legacy Foundation.

Leonard Beerman is Founding Rabbi of the Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles, and an accomplished spokesman for justice, human rights, nuclear disarmament, and Middle East as well as international peace. He is co-founder of the Interfaith Center to Reverse the Arms Race, and was co-recipient of the Olive Branch Award with Rev. Geoerge Regas and Dr. Hassan Hathout.

Hassaan Shahawy is a high school student at Polytechnic School in Pasadena. He is the grandson of Dr. Hassan Hathout.