Media Coverage about ICCF:

Muslim Brings Message of Love and Acceptance

By Ron Orozco, The Fresno Bee, Calif.

Jun. 17, 2008

A frequent guest speaker at the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno is returning to talk about the commonalities between Islam and Christianity.

Hamid Entezam, a software developer who lives in San Diego, will give a lecture on "Islam and Christianity: Similar Message with Different Theological Doctrines" at 7 p.m. Friday.

In April, Entezam gave a talk at the center on embracing diversity. In previous visits, he has lectured on Islam and democracy and on divine love, using examples from both the Quran and the Bible.

Entezam says his lecture style is well-received by audiences at Islamic centers. He also is a frequent lecturer at centers in Orange County, Seattle, Oakland and San Jose.

"I am not a traditional Muslim," says Entezam, who was born in Iran and moved with family  members to the United States in 1977.

"I am aligned with modernist, Islamic thinking," he says. "I give lectures in cultural centers, where they are intellectually oriented and more open-minded. Because I have a critical style, most mosques cannot tolerate what I have to say."

In Fresno, Entezam hopes his talk will foster better understanding of the similarities between Islam and Christianity.

"I want people to focus more on what we have in common rather than what we differ on," he says. "That's not to say Islam and Christianity are one and the same. There are differences.

"But theology should take a back seat in what theology hopes to achieve," he says. "Sometimes, people get stuck on theories and they forget about what these theories hope to achieve."

Entezam, who currently works at Ebn-Sina Educational/Cultural Institute in Irvine, has a bachelor's degree in sociology and philosophy and a master's in economics.

Officials at the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno say Entezam's lecture is open to everyone. The center is at 2111 E. Nees Ave.

Details: (559) 297-9535.

The reporter can be reached at rorozco@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6304.


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