I was introduced to Dr Nour Kabbani by my friend, Ansari Jainullabudeen, who described Dr Nour as ‘his Sheikh’. Dr Nour is a Sufi – an Islamic mystic – and, as such, his relationships with his students are more intimate and personal than what one might expect between a regular cleric and members of the congregation.
Sheikh Nour toured Australia in 2018 with his ‘Caravan of Peace’, visited our church and led us in signing on to the ‘Charter for Compassion’, which urges all peoples and religions of the world to embrace ‘compassion’ as a core value.
I interviewed Sheikh Nour in our church’s community centre, after he had completed his presentation to us, on 19 June 2018.