August 2019
By The Covenants of the Prophet Foundation
Dear Signatories and Observers:
SEVEN NEWS ITEMS:
I: “Fraternity for Knowledge and Cooperation”
Dr. Morrow is now one of the 22 signatories to the “Fraternity for Knowledge and Cooperation” document prepared by COREIS president Shaykh Yahya Pallavicini and his group in Italy. (As it happens, I myself extensively revised the English version, added some footnotes etc.) This document was drafted as a response to the ground-breaking “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together” that was recently signed between Pope Francis and Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar. You can view it at: https://international.la-croix.com/news/muslim-intellectuals-welcome-unprecedented-joint-text-with-catholics/10497
II: Influence of the Covenants in Government and Academia
Interest in the Prophetic Covenants continues to spread in unexpected ways. On July 7 Dr. Morrow spoke at a conference in Washington, D.C. on Jafar al-Sidiq (https://en.shafaqna.com/101741/imam-al-sadiq-a-s-political-scientist/ ), where he learned more about the influence our work is having. He writes:
Amazing the amount of professors who are teaching the Covenants of the Prophet at the university level…
Also amazing the impact they are having among heads of state Ireland, Scotland, and the UK…
They are being discussed and implemented at various levels… You should hear the speech from Sayyid Razawy from Scotland… He is Shaykh Yahya’s colleague…
His speech was mind blowing…. I will share it with you as soon as it is uploaded to the internet…
[I’ll send the link when the video is available]
III: Dr. Morrow Addresses the 2019 UK Ahmadiyya Peace Symposium
The symposium which took place on a rural farm in Hampshire on August 2-4; as soon as a video is available I’ll send the link.
IV: Developing Partnership with the Armenians
In June we were contacted by a representative of Aram Mkrtchyan, a prominent Armenian activist, who has been studying the Prophet’s Covenants with the Armenians; he was delighted to hear of our work, as we were to learn of his. He is in close contact with the new Armenian bishop Daniel Findikyan, has produced videos for us, and has invited Dr. Morrow to a conference in Armenia to take place next year. Here’s a link to one video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_XdkbiWA2s
Our connection with the Armenians is also important because Aram Mkrtchyan resides in Russia, and some of the videos he produces are in the Russian language. His team tells us that it’s easy to translate The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World into Russian; the real hurdle would be distribution.
V: The Covenants and Coexistence Traveling Exhibit
On June 28 the “Muslims with Christians and Jews: Covenants and Coexistence” exhibit opened at the International Museum of Muslim Cultures in Jackson, Mississippi, where it will remain until February of 2020. This exhibit, inspired by Dr. Morrow’s scholarship, represents years of work on his part in partnership with the Museum and its supporters. Since Covenants and Coexistence was designed to be a traveling exhibit, any ideas or contacts you may have related to possible future venues will be gratefully received.
Since the exhibit opened, Alicia Ali, who leads a Sufi group in Saudi Arabia [!], and who has published a book on the Covenants of the Prophet titled A Hijazi Gift of Love, has offered to act as an official agent for the IMMC to reach out to various institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who could potentially host the exhibit. Dr. Morrow writes:
She is a Canadian. She is a Sufi leader. She is a Sayyidah. Has been promoting the Covenants there for years. She did a pilgrimage to Mount Sinai and recited a poem about the Covenant of the Prophet on its peak. Says she felt the presence of the Prophet confirming the history of the Covenant. Published a nice book that deals with the Covenant. I am really amazed.
WE HAVE ATTACHED A PROSPECTUS ON THE COVENANTS AND COEXISTENCE TRAVELING EXHIBIT; THE LAST 8 PAGES ARE AN INVITATION TO PROSPECTIVE HOSTS PLUS A CONTRACT. IF YOU ARE ASSOCIATED WITH OR KNOW OF AN INSTITUTION—MUSEUM, UNIVERSITY, ETC.—THAT MIGHT WANT TO HOST THIS EXHIBIT, PLEASE GET BACK TO US.
VI: New Office
The Covenants of the Prophet Foundation has opened a new office in Indianapolis, Indiana, in addition to its original site in Fort Wayne.
OUR TWO MAIN THRUSTS:
We are presenting seeking funding from foundations and private donors to support projects in these areas:
1} CONTINUED RESEARCH to expand our knowledge of the texts, commentaries and history of the Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad, drawing upon the thousands of archival documents now available—very few of which have yet been subjected to systematic, modern scholarship—and to support translation and publication of our findings.
2} THE USE OF THE COVENANTS TO INSPIRE INTERFAITH LEADERSHIP AND PROMOTE INTERFAITH SOLIDARITY. Since the Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad command all Muslims until the end of time to refrain from attacking or oppressing peaceful Christians, but rather to actively defend them—a mandate that is also extended to other Peoples of the Book—the Covenants can be taken as a call from the Prophet to today’s Muslims to become involved in what might be called United Front Ecumenism, in the kind of interfaith activities that have as their goal a greater solidarity between the Abrahamic faiths, if not all the traditional religions, in the face of social influences and outright attacks that seem designed to weaken them, co-opt them, and limit their range of action. One of the projects we are planning in the area of United Front Ecumenism is explained in this video, entitled “Rebuild Muhammad’s (pbuh) Interfaith Alliance”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfD1kyUx_-Q
It’s natural that people who love God should love each other—but the world, the dunya of today is not natural in that sense; maybe it never was. Power can never create love, but love can generate power—because love is power.
Sincerely,
Charles Upton, Executive Director
The Covenants of the Prophet Foundation
Dr. John Andrew Morrow 