http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1257681&sectionID=231

Sheikh Prof. Abdul Hadi Palazzi is the Director of the Cultural Institute of the Italian Islamic Community. After completing his secular and religious education in Rome, Italy and Cairo, Egypt in 1987, he served as an Imam for the Italian Islamic Community. In addition to numerous masters’ degrees, Professor Palazzi holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Sciences by decree of the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ibn Baz. He holds a doctorate in Islamic sciences from the Institute for Islamic Studies and Research in Naples (by authorization of the former Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia), and ijazah (authorization to teach) both Qur’anic exegesis and Islamic law from the prestigious University of al-Azhar as-Sharif in Cairo.

He was appointed a member of the Board of Directors of the Italian Muslim Association in 1989, and afterward was elected its Secretary General.  Since 1991, he has served as the Director of the Cultural Institute of the Italian Islamic Community, with a program based on the development of Islamic education in Italy, refutation of fundamentalism and fanaticism, and deep involvement in inter-religious dialogue, especially with Jews and Christians, but also with Buddhists and others.

In 1997, Prof. Palazzi joined the International Council of the Root and Branch Association and his essay entitled "The Jewish-Moslem Dialogue and the Question of Jerusalem" was published by the Institute of the World Jewish Congress.  In 1998, Prof. Palazzi and Dr. Asher Eder (Jerusalem) co-founded the Islam-Israel Fellowship, promoting a positive Muslim attitude towards Jews and Israel based on what Prof. Palazzi believes are the authentic teachings of Muhammad as expressed in the Qur'an and the Hadith.  He has also been a lecturer in the Department of the History of Religion at the Università della Terza Età in Velletri, near Rome.  Sheikh Palazzi is also in the international advisory councils of the international Intelligence Summit and of the Jewish Legal Heritage Society.

Sheikh Palazzi will also be speaking at Umass Amherst on Thursday, April 10, presented by the The Five College Student Alliance for Israel and Jewish Educational Resources of New York.  For more information or to reserve tickets, please contact Yishai Cohen at 518-459-0065 ext. 204, or ycohen@jerny.org, and for more information on Jewish Educational Resources of New York (JERNY), please visit http://www.jerny.org/.