Charlotte interfaith forum connects Black political mobilization, Christian-Muslim cooperation, and community debates over Palestine

Faith leaders plan Charlotte forum on Black history, interfaith cooperation and Palestine

Faith leaders and community speakers in Charlotte are scheduled to convene an interfaith public forum examining how Black political mobilization, Christian and Muslim cooperation, and public narratives about Israel-Palestine intersect locally and nationally.

The event, titled “Beyond Weaponization: Black History, Christian & Muslim Solidarity, and Palestine,” is scheduled for Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at Al Nour Community Center, 8310 Harrisburg Road. Organizers have framed the program as a discussion of historical and contemporary alignments between Black communities and Zionist ideology, and whether such alignment is consistent with human-rights principles and faith-based ethical frameworks.

Program outline and speakers

The forum is structured around a set of presentations spanning theology, community organizing, and media analysis. Five speakers are listed, including Christian clergy, Muslim religious leaders, an academic, and a local organizer.

• Rev. Dr. Paul A. McAllister, identified as founder and president of Global Leaders in Unity & Development, is slated to address the Black church’s historical ties to liberation theology and the ways current debates over Israel-Palestine have created divisions within Black faith communities.
• Imam Atif Chaudhry, executive director of the Rahma Center of Charlotte, is scheduled to speak on Islamic principles of justice as they relate to the topic.
• Imam Ibn Tamir of Masjid Ash Shaheed is set to trace a history of Christian-Muslim cooperation, with an emphasis on solidarity efforts.
• Dr. Hadia Mubarak, identified as an associate professor of religion at Queens University of Charlotte, is expected to examine connections among anti-Black racism, anti-immigrant policies, and Islamophobia in U.S. foreign policy and in media representation.
• Laila El-Ali, described as a community organizer with Charlotte United for Palestine and other Arab-based community organizations, is also scheduled to participate.

Stated goals: solidarity, narratives and local implications

Event materials describe several objectives: examining parallels between Black American and Palestinian struggles; analyzing how media narratives shape perceptions of Black, Jewish, Muslim and Palestinian identities; and discussing how these dynamics appear in Charlotte’s civic life.

The program is presented as both a historical inquiry and a community dialogue, with speakers approaching the topic through faith traditions, activism, and academic analysis.

Broader context in Charlotte

The forum is part of a wider pattern of local engagement around Israel-Palestine that has included public demonstrations and campus-centered debates over the past several years. Charlotte-based organizations and institutions have hosted discussions and events reflecting competing perspectives on how international conflict, domestic politics, and religious identity are debated in public settings.

The Feb. 10 panel is positioned as a structured forum focused on faith-informed analysis and cross-community conversation, bringing together Christian and Muslim speakers while centering Black political history and the role of solidarity in contemporary civic discourse.