In the aftermath of 9/11 , Ahmed initiated a series of studies that were published by the Brookings Institution Press covering issues regarding relations between Islam and the West . Ahmed has been engaged in a series of public interfaith dialogues across the US and abroad with Professor Judea Pearl , father of deceased reporter Daniel Pearl focusing on divisions between Muslims and the West and between Jews and Muslims . For their efforts , he and Pearl were awarded the first Purpose Prize by the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington at the National Cathedral and Ahmed received the Herschel-King award for Interfaith Activism . He has also been appointed as a Trustee of the World Faiths Development Dialogue by the Archbishop of Canterbury and has received the 2002 Free Speech Award from the Muslim Public Affairs Council based in Washington DC . Ahmed has received accusations of being " a Zionist conspirator " and close to the West however he has felt that " dialogue , harmony , communication and debate " are for Islam and the West the key issues of engagement
9/11
September 11 attacks
Akbar Ahmed