October 9, 2025

“As a Muslim, What do Mary and Jesus Mean for Me”

Biography

Syed Atif Rizwan grew up in New Jersey and completed his undergraduate studies at Rutgers University, where he majored in Economics and minored in Chemistry. After graduation, he spent 8 years in the financial services industry, during which time he worked in New Jersey,

New York, and Los Angeles. In 2009, he matriculated in Claremont Graduate School’s Master’s in Islamic Studies program and in 2011 he enrolled in the Islamic studies doctoral program at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Syed joined the CTU faculty in 2018 as Assistant Prof. of Islamic and Interreligious Studies and became director of the Catholic-Muslim Studies Program in 2020. His research interests include history of Islamic law; hadith studies; medieval and post-modern theories of punishment; and  interreligious dialogue and studies.

Resources

• Younus Y. Mirza, The Islamic Mary: Maryam Through the Centuries (Fortress Press, 2025)
• Rita George-Tvrtković, Christians, Muslims, and Mary: A History (Paulist 2018)

Reflection Questions

• What stood out to you most from the this  presentation/why?
• How does this presentation connect with your own experience/perspective?
• What questions or challenges does the presentation raise for you moving forward?