A Muslim reflection on Dr. King's legacy of peace through words

Our take: Najeeba Syeed-Miller, an assistant professor at the Claremont School of Theology, discusses how her Muslim religion and Dr. Martin Luther King's teachings are connected, specifically by the careful use of words.

The shaykh with whom I studied ethics would speak nearly perfect Arabic throughout the day and address everyone in his path with great respect, even in the grammar of his speech. I asked him why he put such care into his choice of words, he would say, "Najeeba, most importantly, in the form of our words, we should pursue beauty and elevate discourse."

His words and monumental effort in expressing himself in a way that was sublime has always stayed with me. In essence, he was establishing a confluence between the choice of words he used, their elegant arrangement, his affect and the cognitive functions of communicating. He rounded these together in every utterance so that each sound he made was calibrated to increase beauty in the world and create a relational quality in the way he spoke with others.

As I reflect on why Dr. King so profoundly affected my journey as a peacemaker, it is because he also exemplified that capacity to elevate discourse by harnessing the resources of language to move the level of discussion deeper and higher. In this process, his prose and speeches resonated particularly with those who knew his context. At the same time, they echo in ways that are illuminating with a universal radiance because they appeal to the heart, mind and soul at the very same time.

Read more about A Muslim Reflection on Dr. King's Legacy of Peace Through Words on The Huffington Post.