Berkley Center

Cardinal Blase J. Cupich is archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and co-chair of the National Catholic-Muslim Dialogue (USA). Elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2016, Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Cupich to the Congregation for Bishops, the Congregation for Catholic Education, and to the Vatican Task Force to Assist Episcopal Conferences, Congregations of Religious and Societies of Apostolic Life in preparing and updating guidelines for the protection of minors.

Imam Sayyid Mohammad Baqir Kashmiri, Ayatollah Sayyid al-Sistani's representative in North America, comes from a renowned family recognized for their high levels of education, piety, and dedicated service in supporting the Muslim community. He is founder, vice chairman, and religious affairs director of the Imam Mahdi Association of Marjaeya (I.M.A.M.), an organization aimed to support the Shia community in North America.

Imam Mohamed Magid is the Executive Imam of All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) Center in Sterling, Virginia. He is the Chairman of International Interfaith Peace Corps (IIPC) and former President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). He is also the Chairman of Muflehun, a think tank which focuses on confronting violent extremist thought through research-driven preventative programs within a religious paradigm. Imam Magid has a long history of commitment to public service through organizations such as The Peaceful Families Project. He has helped to organize training and workshops for Imams and religious leaders, domestically and internationally, on the issue of violence against women. Imam Magid also leads an initiative to protect religious minorities in Muslim majority countries through seminars and Imam training workshops. He has co-authored three books: Before You Tie the Knot: A Guide for Couples, Reflections on the Qur’an, and Change from Within, and has contributed to the Washington Post and Huffington Post, He was profiled in Time Magazine and the Wall Street Journal. He was honored with the Washingtonian of the Year 2009 and the Human Rights Award 2005, from Fairfax County.

Dr. Tamara Sonn is Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Professor in the History of Islam and director of the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Her most recent books include Islam and Democracy After the Arab Spring (2016), Islam: History, Religion, and Politics (2016), and Is Islam an Enemy of the West? (2016).

The Reverend Chorbishop George Toma is chorbishop of the Diocese of Eastern United States of the Assyrian Church of the East and rector of Saint Andrew Assyrian Church of the East in Glenview, Illinois.