On Saturday, December 2, 2017 the Islamic Educational Center of Orange County held its annual celebration of the birth (mawlid) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (p). Continuing in the IECOC tradition of celebrating this auspicious occasion as an inter- and intra-faith event, IECOC was honored to host several guests representing various schools of thought within Islam and across religious traditions.
The event included several presentations, including poetry recited in honor of the Holy Prophet by a member of the IECOC youth, short talks by Sayyid Hadi Qazwini and Lee Weismann (Institute for Jewish-Muslim Action), and a keynote address by Dr. Sherman Jackson (University of Southern California).
Sayyid Hadi Qazwini focused on the role of the Prophet (p) as an embodiment of mercy to the world and the significance of our active engagement in promoting mercy as and among people of differing faith traditions and schools of thought.

Lee Weismann shared stories of kindness, compassion, and inspiration from the life of the Prophet (p) and the lessons that may be drawn from these stories. He also included a beautiful Hebrew recitation of Surat al-Fatiha (The Opening).

Finally, Dr. Sherman Jackson focused on the importance of maintaining an unwavering state of resilience in our lives as we face the various challenges of our times. Dr. Jackson reminded listeners that the Prophet’s (p) success in overcoming both personal and public challenges was due to the fact that he had firm faith in God and resilience of character.
IECOC would like to thank the volunteers and those who worked hard to put the event together. IECOC would also like to thank all who attended, especially the guest speakers, for making this event a truly inspiring one.