About AAi

HOW WE GOT STARTED

History

AAi vision was born in Alexandria, Egypt during the 2006 war between Lebanon and Israel. Rod Cardoza, AAi founder, traveled to Washington, DC in May 2007 to present at the Annual Conference on Muslim Peace, Justice, and Interfaith Dialogue, calling others to join in the vision. Five months later, 138 Muslim leaders, clerics, and intellectuals came together from all major Islamic schools of thought to extend a hand of friendship to Christian leaders of all churches everywhere.

“Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world’s population. Without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world. The future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians. The basis for this peace and understanding already exists. It is part of the very foundational principles of both faiths: love of the One God, and love of the neighbor. These principles are found over and over again in the sacred texts of Islam and Christianity. The Unity of God, the necessity of love for Him, and the necessity of love of the neighbor is thus the common ground between Islam and Christianity.”

Their letter, A Common Word Between Us and You, closes with a colossal challenge: 

“So let our differences not cause hatred and strife between us. Let us vie with each other only in righteousness and good works. Let us respect each other, be fair, just and kind to another and live in sincere peace, harmony and mutual goodwill.”

Shortly thereafter, Cardoza met Br. Sohail Akhter, President of South Valley Islamic Center, who longed to help launch AAi. In January 2008, Cardoza and Akhter met with IFYC leaders to learn from their model. The following month, Muslim leaders sent a historic letter to rabbinic leaders and Jews everywhere, A Call to Peace, Dialogue and Understanding between Muslims and Jews. Soon thereafter, a coalition of Jewish leaders responded favorably with their own letter, Seek Peace and Pursue It: A Jewish Call to Muslim-Jewish Dialogue—similar to the groundbreaking letter, Dabru Emeth, initiated by Jewish leaders to Christians. Abrahamic Alliance International incorporated in April 2008, amidst unprecedented global initiatives to build peace between Abrahamic communities on the basis of the common ground proclaimed by all three: love of God and neighbor.

In November 2008, AAi hosted our first compassion event uniting Jews, Christians, and Muslims in San Jose, California to serve our neighbors in need. Since then, AAi has united over 34,000 Jews, Christians, and Muslims to serve the poor, suffering and marginalized, building bridges of understanding and respect between our communities in Silicon Valley and Monterey County, California, and in Phoenix, Arizona. Would you like to build a branch of our alliance in your city? Contact AAi today.