ABOUT
HI, WE’RE COEXIST
Since 2006, Coexist has forged a range of inspiring initiatives designed to address divisions that plague society with prejudice, misinformation, hate, and violence.
Past projects have included exhibits at the New York Public Library and the British Library, partnerships with major educational institutions like Heythrop College and the Cambridge Inter-faith Programme, religious literacy gatherings with leaders in various fields, and the Coexist Prize.
Our programs are designed to help break down barriers of misunderstanding, teach cultural literacy, amplify the message of coexistence, protect sites of historical significance, and incubate projects that generate empowerment in regions of conflict. Our goal is to create understanding by investing in innovative and educational projects of collaboration around the world.
About Our President
Dr. Tarek Elgawhary is a teacher, writer, and scholar of comparative religions and Islamic studies. He is the founder of the Making Sense of Islam platform dedicated to developing tools to help Muslims connect and be present with their beliefs and daily practices.
Tarek currently serves as the General Director of the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought (Amman), Professor of Shafi‘I Fiqh at the WISE University, the Founder of Bayt al-Fatwa, and the scholar-in-residence of the Islamic Community Center of Potomac. In these various capacities he teaches, lectures, and writes about normative Sunni Islam and how it is expressed and practiced in the modern world.
Tarek’s educational background is a bit unorthodox and eclectic. He spent his western education in the space of comparative religions, having earned a BA in comparative religions with a focus on Jewish studies, and an MA in a specialized program focusing on Islam and Hinduism (both from the George Washington University). Tarek’s graduate studies culminated with his PhD, from Princeton University in Islamic law. Tarek was also trained at the al-Azhar Seminary in Cairo, Egypt between 2003-2007 where he studied and was licensed in the traditional Islamic sciences.