By ABDESALAM SOUDI and JENNIFER BRICK MURTAZASHVILI
As Chancellor Joan Gabel emphasized, the University of Pittsburgh is firmly grounded in our core values: community, compassion and a welcoming spirit. In response to the heart-wrenching events unfolding in the Middle East, the University of Pittsburgh became a beacon of hope.
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On Oct. 26, we organized an event called “Community United in Compassion” to highlight the importance of empathy, compassion and solidarity as guiding principles in times of tragedy and conflict. Muslim and Jewish faculty, along with friends, Pitt leadership, colleagues and students, stood together as a symbol of unity. This demonstration showcased our shared humanity, transcending diversity of backgrounds, identities and beliefs. By standing together, we aimed to show the power of unity and building bridges across different groups to surpass our boundaries. Through this work, we hope to inspire unity and healing.
Abedsalam Soudi, a faculty member in linguistics and co-organizer of this event, shared his memories of the “Pitt Stronger than Hate” event that took place after the Tree of Life shootings. He recounted his meeting with Ariel Armony at PittGlobal and their heartfelt conversation about Morocco and the power of human connection, remarkably just an hour before the earthquake struck his beloved home country in September. He also mentioned how, in the days following the earthquake, the Pitt community came together over Moroccan tea, pastries and dried fruits to discuss their diverse connections with Morocco and their shared humanity. Our community at Pitt has experienced the power of unity on multiple occasions.
For Soudi, understanding compassion is the result of the nurturing care provided by his parents, who raised nine children in a modest village in Morocco. Despite limited resources, he observed the exceptional sense of community and shared responsibility that defined his upbringing. His mother was a community leader who worked to bring people together. As a young man, his father bravely fought in WWII to save Europe and the rest of the world from the terror of the Nazis. His decision to enlist in the fight against the Nazis carried profound risks and sacrifices.
Although his father passed away 11 years ago, his memory continues to shape Soudi's perspective as he raises his own children, serving as a model of fatherhood and masculinity. His father balanced acts of physical toughness as a soldier, farmer and hard worker with his gentle care and love for his children, Soudi's mother and their neighbors. He began and ended each day with prayers, asking God to protect and provide for his family.
As a linguistics professor and Humanities @ Work director, Soudi emphasizes the importance of community building and empathy, and how the humanities foster these values. In the face of the challenges of 2020, the significance of human connection and shared experiences has taken center stage. Amidst cultural, racial, and political divisions, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have learned to appreciate the simple yet profound act of being present for one another and to never take the warmth of human connection for granted.
Jennifer Murtazashvili, the event co-organizer, is the founding director of the Center for Governance and Markets and a faculty member at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. She emphasized the importance of embracing diverse viewpoints during recent events and highlighted the value of collective compassion during times of crisis. Despite the strong emotions and differing perspectives surrounding these events, it was crucial for us to recognize our shared humanity.
Murtazashvili, who grew up in Pittsburgh and was a member of the Tree of Life Synagogue, shared her personal connection to the tragic hate crime that occurred there. Her close family friend, Joyce Fienberg, a researcher at Pitt, was a victim of the shooting. She recounted how the community came together after this massacre and how the Jewish community felt supported during such a traumatic time. She believed that despite political differences, we must appreciate our shared humanity, regardless of our views on events in the Middle East.
In her work at the Center for Governance and Markets, Murtazashvili drew on this tragedy to showcase community resilience in the aftermath of conflict and trauma. This focus on resilience has been central to her work around the world. Having spent many years in Muslim-majority countries and states affected by conflict, Jennifer always received great compassion from others.
She established the Center for Governance and Markets as a platform for studying local perspectives on some of the world's most challenging issues. The center is intentional in that it brings together faculty and students from various disciplines to approach common problems from diverse perspectives. One of her recent projects, Governing Deep Differences, explored how individuals and communities could collaborate to overcome polarization in the United States and globally.
The event brought together a diverse group of attendees, including faculty, staff, students, community members, and religious leaders. They gathered to reflect on the meaning of compassion and engage in discussions about its importance. Participants shared their experiences of showing compassion and examples of cultural, spiritual, and religious practices that promote this virtue.
The conversation went beyond current headlines and focused on fostering compassion in the community, emphasizing our shared humanity. The audience expressed various motivations for joining, from seeking shared grief to a preference for neutral spaces for open dialogue.
We have been heartened to see the impact of our event. For instance, three women from different religious backgrounds, who met at the event, had lunch together just days later. This illustrates the deep hunger for our message.
Moving forward, we continue to see the impact of this event as attendees take our message to heart and form new connections. In a world marked by uncertainties, the need for compassion and empathetic responses has never been greater.
We remain committed to nurturing empathy and compassion in our community, as we believe these values are the guiding light in our journey toward a better world for all.
Abdesalam Soudi is a linguistic professor in the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences, and Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili is director of the Center for Governance and Markets in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.