Faith, Politics, and the Pursuit of Justice

The Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights and the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System presents a thought-provoking conversation exploring the intersection of faith and politics.

Our four panelists: Quamar-ul Huda, Rabbi Abbi Sharofsky, Ya-Ya, and Alex Barriento will discuss how (if) faith and politics can enhance and affirm our shared humanity and promote the common good. Can these forces be used for the good of humanity, and if so, how do we use them to engage in political discussion and civil activity to enhance lives? How do we engage in constructive dialogue, foster empathy, and build relationships across ideological differences that threaten to alienate and divide us?

Qamar-ul Huda is the Michael E. Paul Distinguished Visiting Professor of International Affairs at the United States Naval Academy. He has previously served as Senior Policy Advisor for U.S. Department of State Secretary's Office for Religion and Global Affairs (S/RGA) where he focused on civil society, religious communities, and diplomacy with non-government organizations.

Qamar-ul Huda’s new book examines the variety of strategic peacebuilding and conflict resolution activities conducted by Muslim practitioners and nongovernmental organizations in Muslim-majority communities. He explores ways that Muslim scholars, civil society members, and communities interpret violence and nonviolence, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution in an interconnected globalized age, focusing on methods, practices, and strategies. He shows how a faith-based commitment can empower effective social, political, and intellectual action that results in meaningful change. Qamar-ul Huda charts a vision of contemporary ethics of peacebuilding, pluralism, reconciliation, and dialogue.

Rabbi Abbi Sharofsky is the Director of Intergroup Relations and Rabbi in Residence for the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington. She was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2012. Rabbi Sharofsky also holds a master’s degree from the Davidson School of Jewish Education at JTS. She previously served as deputy director of the Jewish Welfare Board Jewish Chaplains Council. Rabbi Sharofsky is the recipient of local and national awards for work in and beyond the Jewish community. She serves in several lay leader capacities in the Rabbinical Assembly (RA), including on the Executive Council, co-chair of the Gender and Power and Resolutions committees, and is a representative to the National Council of Synagogues. She represented the RA at the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC) 2023 Emerging Leaders Conference at Oxford, which brought together Jewish and Catholic clergy and leaders from around the world. Rabbi Sharofsky is involved in many DC area interfaith organizations and advisory groups and works with faith leaders, schools, government offices, and organizations to address issues of bias and hate, educate about Jews and Jewish identity, and create allies between communities.

Ya-Ya is spiritual seeker and co-host of  Real Talk on Godtalk, a podcast for people who skip church for brunch on Sundays. With her work YaYa seeks to blur the lines between the secular and sacred in public discourse, helping people make meaning of their lives by exploring the unexpected ways spirituality is relevant to our everyday experiences. Ya-Ya considers herself a "religious- none," the segment of American society that is religiously unaffiliated, and one of the fastest growing groups according to the Pew Research Center. Ya-Ya currently lives in Washington DC, is a former chaplain and holds an MDiv from Union Theological Seminary with a concentration in Psychology and Religion.

Born and bred in Washington, D.C., Alex Barrientos serves as Lead Pastor of Sligo SDA Church in Takoma Park, MD. He believes in creating spaces for communities to grow in grace and developing opportunities of service for the Kingdom of God.

A graduate of Washington Adventist University and Andrews University Theological Seminary, Alex is a Ph.D. candidate in Theological Ethics at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.  He is an adjunct professor in the Department of Religion at Washington Adventist University.

Pr. Barrientos currently serves as a Board of Trustee at Washington Adventist University and a member of the Governing Board of Adventist Healthcare White Oak Medical Center. He has served close to twenty years in pastoral and conference leadership roles, community organizations, editorial and academic committees.