It is my pleasure as Program Chair to welcome you to what turned out to be a most fascinating and timely exploration of one of the world’s great religious traditions. As the Muslim population continues to grow and expand worldwide in the 21st century, it is more important than ever that we understand our Muslim neighbors and their faith. To that end, this BYU-sponsored conference provided an intensive yet accessible introduction to key aspects of Islam and made clear why such information is relevant, even essential, for informed citizenship today. Because our gathering of distinguished scholars addressed a broad, general audience in the same engaging way that TED talks do, plan to be enlightened, even inspired, by what you learn as you view the recorded sessions on this website.

Grant Underwood, Richard L. Evans Chair of Religious Understanding