ABSTRACT
Mehnaz M. Afridi is a Muslim, a Professor of Religious Studies, and Director of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Interfaith Center at Manhattan College. Stephen D. Smith is a Christian theologian and Finci-Viterbi Executive Director of USC Shoah Foundation. In this chapter, Afridi and Smith discuss the meaning of the Holocaust to themselves personally, as well as their respective faith traditions. Their discussion includes the implications of the Holocaust on theology, theodicy, and praxis. Each author addresses key questions that arise, such as “Why should the Holocaust matter to Muslims/Christians?” “Why do I study the Holocaust?” “How can Muslims/Christians contribute to preventing genocide?” Their dialogue is scholarly and personal, analytic and reflective. They provide unique insights into the genocide of the Jews from a perspective of those who are not Jewish, and yet hold leadership roles.
