The Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California (ICCNC) will hold its ninth debate titled "Does the Qur'an Want Everyone to become Muslim?" on Saturday, October 25, 2025 at 11:30 AM (Los Angeles Time). Dr. Farhad Shafti and Dr. Khalid Zaheer will participate in the debate. Dr. Yaser Mirdamadi moderates this debate.
The purpose of these debates is to broaden and deepen the general public’s understanding of religion in the 21st century. The general theme of the debate series is Belief and Unbelief in a “Post-Secular Era.”
The debate will be live-streamed on Zoom and on ICCNC's YouTube Channel.
Biographies
Dr. Farhad Shafti studied at Islamic Seminary in Tehran, continued with years of self-study and research, before completing a PhD from the University of Edinburgh. His doctorate, an outcome of his studies under Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, critically examines the Farāhī scholars’ Qur’anic exegetic methodology. His monograph The Farahi School and Reformist Islam is forthcoming from Routledge. He authored the Exploring Islam website and regularly lectures and publishes in Farsi on the Qur’an, spirituality, and pluralism. He also holds a PhD in Management Science and is an Associate Professor at the University of Glasgow.
Dr. Khalid Zaheer is a student of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi. He has also studied Quran from Mawlana Amin Ahsan Islahi and Dr. Israr Ahmad. He did his PhD from the University of Wales. His dissertation was a critique on Islamic Banking. He is affiliated with Al-Mawrid, an institute devoted to the task of doing research on and teaching Islamic Studies.He’s an Imam at the Muslim Society of Guelph Masjid, Guelph, Ontario and an administrator and teacher at the Meezan School, Guelph, Ontario.
Dr. Yaser Mirdamadi is a researcher in medical ethics at the Institute of Ismaili Studies, London. In 2019, he received his Ph.D. in Islamic and Middle East Studies from the University of Edinborough. He has an MA in Muslim Cultures from Aga Khan University, Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilizations (AKU-ISMC) London, UK, and an MA in Islamic Theology from Ferdowsi University Mashhad, Iran. Also, Dr. Mirdamadi completed a Level 3 Diploma (equivalent to a Master’s degree) in Classical Islamic studies from Hawza Ilmiyya (Islamic Seminary), Mashhad, Iran.