Change can be daunting on your own. Through the Our Muslim Neighbor programs we make it easy for you to go from meaning well to making a difference. Plug into a diverse community of people who are just as eager as you are to lean in and learn, and use the power of real relationship to turn bigotry and hate around.
As humans, we’re wired for connection. Yet, most of us stick to the people who look, talk, and believe like us. A Seat at the Table (ASATT) invites you to step out of your bubble and connect with a diverse group of Muslims and non-Muslims that you likely never would have met otherwise. These small gatherings offer the intimacy of a home setting with a catered dinner and structured conversation with a trained facilitator. You’ll hear directly from Muslim voices regarding their personal experiences and they’ll hear yours. All you have to do is show up.
Attending an ASATT dinner is more than an educational experience—it’s a personal one. Expect to share stories, ask questions, and break boundaries as you reach across the table in friendship and forge new relationships.
We welcome all to our table.
We do not ask you to check your beliefs at the door, but invite you to bring all of yourself to the conversation.
We respect who you are, your worldview, and your deeply held beliefs.
All the logistics, including invitations and catering, are taken care of by our staff.
We provide experienced facilitators to help guide a productive conversation.
We want to know you and for you to know others.
We initiate relationships and provide spaces to grow and nurture them.
It is our sincere hope that you will leave with a better understanding of what it’s like to be sitting on the “other side” of the table. After experiencing ASATT, we hope you will go out into the world and live it.
Millennials are our future, and this program ignites a new generation of bridge-builders in the spirit of 19th-century commander and Muslim humanitarian Emir Abdelkader. Developed in partnership with the William and Mary Greve Foundation, the Abdelkader Education Project, and Humanities Tennessee, it equips rising leaders from Muslim and non-Muslim communities with the relationships, skills, and resources they need to create inclusive bridge-building programs in the communities they represent and lead. Participants work collaboratively to create a program designed specifically to bring together the communities they represent for relationship building and cooperation.
Eligibility requirements: Open to Middle Tennessee applicants ages 20-30 who demonstrate proof of civic or professional leadership and can participate in required seminars and group program development.
Every year during the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world fast from dawn to sunset, breaking their fast daily with a communal meal shared with family and friends. The Music City Iftar, held in partnership with Metro Human Relations Commission, brings Muslims and non-Muslims from across Middle Tennessee to learn about Ramadan—a Muslim holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world. The program features opportunities to learn about Islam and the rituals of Ramadan from local Muslim voices. While over 300 people attend this event every year, all participants have the opportunity to share a meal and interact with those at their table through a meaningful discussion directed by a volunteer facilitator.
The Community Leaders Program creates space for Christian and Muslim clergy to form relationships and learn from one another’s experiences.
Launched in 2017 with support from Open Society Foundations, this 36-hour retreat focused on building trust and meaningful relationship between Muslim and Christian (primarily Evangelical) leadership in Nashville. It was followed by a mosque-church exchange, and a series of cooperative service projects to support teachers, staff, students, and families at a local public school.
This conference gives Muslim and non-Muslim voices a forum for unpacking and understanding how negative stereotypes affect Muslims on both the national and local level.
Each year’s event explores a different theme with keynote speakers, guided conversation, and small group breakout sessions. Participants work together to construct solutions for responding to anti-Muslim sentiment and reshaping the narrative in their own communities.
