Judea Pearl, a Jewish computer scientist born in Israel, and Akbar Ahmed, a Muslim Islamic scholar born in Pakistan, were brought together in Pittsburgh by hope born of tragedy.

The tragedy was the brutal murder of Judea Pearl's son, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, at the hands of Islamic extremists in Pakistan last year. The hope was they might lead a public dialogue addressing the deepest unspoken fears that divide Jews from Muslims, and Muslims from the West, and make possible a little more peace, a little less war.

Pearl and Ahmed also harbored a mutual fear -- that such a public dialogue might disintegrate in mutual recriminations. More than 400 people attended their first forum on Oct. 23 in Oakland, which was hosted by David Shtulman, area director for the American Jewish Committee. It did not fall apart. It went so well, the speakers believe, that they have asked Shtulman to help them replicate the event in cities across the United States, in Europe, in Israel and in Arab countries.

We asked Pearl and Ahmed to reflect on what happened in Pittsburgh last month, and how they see the way forward for what is now their joint project.

Read Judea Pearl's Forum article

Read Akbar S. Ahmed's Forum article