March 1-March 11: Edinburgh, Scotland:
2008 Edinburgh International Festival on

Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace.

Talks and workshops by grassroots peacemakers, artists, storytellers, musicians and others, including Dances of Universal Peace and inter-spiritual meditation for peace. Featured presenters and workshop leaders will include Dr. Seyyed Hossain Nasr, Rodesh Shalom Eliyahu McClean, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bukhari, Dr. Stephen Wright, Dr. Neil Douglas-Klotz and others. Contact: Neill Walker: mesp2008@hotmail.co.uk
For full details of the conference and festival, go to www.mesp.org.uk

March 2: Edinburgh, Scotland:
Living Blessing:

The Aramaic Lord's Prayer
and the Middle Eastern Mystical Tradition of Jesus

A Day Workshop with Dr Neil Douglas-Klotz
During this day workshop we will focus on a step-by-step journey of the heart through the prayer of Jesus in his original Aramaic language. During this journey we will experience Jesus' original prayer tradition of living creation, a tradition that reminds us that new beginnings happen every moment in the heart of the divine. In this journey to our own center, we will also use walking meditation and simple circle dances, Dances of Universal Peace. No experience is necessary and all are welcome. Offered as part of the 2008 Edinburgh Festival of Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace.

Venue: Columcille Centre, 2 Newbattle Terrace, Edinburgh, from 1130 – 430 pm.
Contact: Neill Walker: mesp2008@hotmail.co.uk


March 10: Edinburgh, Scotland
"Sufism – Doctrines, Practices, and Historic Manifestations":
A Day Workshop with Dr Seyyed Hossein Nasr

This is an invaluable opportunity to study the Sufi path with one of the world's leading authorities on Sufi teaching and practice. Dr. Nasr, who is in his mid-70's, rarely comes to Europe. In addition to being a lifelong Sufi, he is a Persian philosopher and renowned scholar of comparative religion, a lifelong student and follower of Frithjof Schuon, and writes in the fields of Islamic esoterism, Sufism, philosophy of science, and metaphysics. Professor Nasr speaks and writes based on the doctrine and the viewpoints of the perennial philosophy on subjects such as philosophy, religion, spirituality, music, art, architecture, science, literature, civilizational dialogues, and the natural environment. For more information, see The Nasr Foundation website (www.nasrfoundation.org).

Full description of workshop.

Dr Nasr will also give the MESP Festival Lecture on "Spiritual Approaches to Peace and Ecology in the Islamic World" at the Queen's Hall in Edinburgh on Tuesday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Both events are offered as part of the 2008 Edinburgh Festival of Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace.

Workshop venue: Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, from 10 a.m.– 3:30 p.m.
Contact: Neill Walker: mesp2008@hotmail.co.uk