Bob Roberts is an Evangelical pastor who led Northwood Church near Dallas for more than 30 years. Mohamed Magid is an imam, and the executive imam of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center in Sterling, Virginia.
The two faith leaders and friends are also co-founders of the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network, an organization committed to promoting religious freedom through intentional cross-cultural relationships. Together, they’ll open the Week Four Interfaith Lecture Series theme, “World Religion and a Shifting Population,” at 2 p.m. today in the Hall of Philosophy.
In 2022, the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network were honored by the White House, when the organization’s co-founders were honored with the Uniter Award for their grassroots bridge-building work across faith groups throughout the United States.
That same year, MFNN held its third gathering in Washington, D.C. There were two things, Roberts said then, he wanted the audience to know.
“First, this is ‘multifaith,’ not interfaith,” he said, according to an article from the Jerusalem Post. “As Evangelicals, we are committed to what we believe without compromise, as are our fellow Muslim and Jewish leaders to the distinctives and identities of their respective religions.”
“Secondly, we’re relational. For years people have argued in interfaith dialogue about who is right, but that is not our concern; rather, how we get along.”
Roberts, in addition to his work as a pastor and co-founder of MFNN, is the founder of GlocalNet, a ministry dedicated to mobilizing the church to bring about transformation in the public square, and newly appointed president of the Institute of Global Engagement — an organization that catalyzes freedom of faith worldwide so that everyone has the ability to live what they believe. His bridge-building work has earned him recognition from the United Nations, U.S. Department of State and World Economic Forum, and in addition to being the author of six books, Roberts is the host of the “Bold Love” podcast.
Magid is chairman of the International Interfaith Peace Corps and the former president of the Islamic Society of North America. 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. He’s worked with think tanks like the Atlantic Council, Aspen Institute, Brookings Institution, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Magid has helped in organizing training and workshops for imams and religious leaders, domestically and internationally, on the issue of violence against women. He is also leading an initiative to protect religious minorities in Muslim-majority countries through seminars and imam training workshops. His awards include Washingtonian of the Year in 2009, and the 2005 Human Rights Award from Fairfax County.
“We believe it is vital to continue this important dialogue in communities worldwide,” Magid said at MFNN’s gathering in 2022. “These conversations are critical in building bridges that will stop hate, make peace and facilitate lasting relationships.”
