Continue reading »]]> by MATTHEW NASH – Sequim Gazette
Jan 25, 2012
In an effort to bridge the gap of religious differences in America, the Interfaith Amigos are creating fresh dialogue across the country and soon will open up a conversation in Sequim.

Three compadres from Christian, Jewish and Islamic backgrounds — the Rev. Don Mackenzie, Rabbi Ted Falcon and Imam Jamal Rahman — visit Trinity United Methodist Church on Jan. 29 for an afternoon of discussion and exploration of faith.

Soon after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the men began meeting weekly to discuss a better way of creating perceptions among faiths, particularly of Islam. In 10-plus years, their friendship blossomed into a radio show, two books together, visits to the Middle East and touring with their presentation.

Mackenzie said even with their different backgrounds, they get along great.

“It’s deepening our individual faiths as well as an understanding of our shared spirituality,” Mackenzie said.

Their work isn’t competitive but cooperative, Rahman said.

“It proves the point that we make, interfaith is not about conversion but about completion,” Rahman said. “As I learn more about Christianity and the Jewish faith, it waters my roots.”

Falcon said they’ve met countless people who radically disagree with their ideologies.

“First thing we want to tell them is thank you for their willingness to disagree with us,” Falcon said. “We want to reframe it … We don’t want to change (their) approach.”

In their presentation and books they discuss how they open dialogue across faiths and denominations.
Rahman said personal relationships with people of other faiths is essential and once established can begin collaboration on issues like social justice and the environment.

“We’ve been able to expand dialogue that ideally helps people create that dialogue in their own communities,” Falcon said.

In one city they discovered an interfaith group that had met for eight years but didn’t speak publicly until after the Amigos’ presentation.

Touring the nation, most of their audiences are Christian communities like Sequim.

Falcon said issues are not just interfaith but intrafaith: They encourage people to talk within their own faiths and denominations. Churches of all kinds have welcomed them.

“Their willingness is encouraging,” Rahman said. “The question of interfaith, it’s not a matter of a nice thing. It’s a matter of survival. It’s essential that we do this dialogue.”

One of the most common questions they receive is why other faiths aren’t included.

Mackenzie said religious struggles are among Christians, Jews and Muslims, such as the Israel-Palestine conflict and America’s Muslim phobia.

“If we three religions could learn to live with each other, we could change the environment we live in,” Mackenzie said.

Following a research poll about building a mosque at Ground Zero in New York City, 37 percent were in favor of building it. Rahman said those 37 percent each knew at least one Muslim person whereas those against building did not know a Muslim.

Falcon said traditionally attendees find not only a deeper understanding of other faiths, but of their own.

They encourage questions and those who disagree to attend, as well.

“Every once in a while, we get an unexpected question,” Mackenzie said. “The more challenging the question the more we end up learning.”

For free tickets, call Trinity United Methodist Church at 683-5367.

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.

source: http://www.sequimgazette.com/news/article.exm/2012-01-25_a_peaceful_path_among_three_faiths

Continue reading »]]> By SAMAR FATANY
Jan 22, 2012
Let us establish business partnerships and support joint projects between faith-based organizations

Exploring what the Abrahamic faiths have in common was the theme of an interfaith dialogue held in Atlanta’s All Saints Episcopal Church on the sidelines of the recent US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum. The Saudi Committee of International Trade (CIT) and the Saudi-US Trade Group organized the event.

The discussion was moderated by Nick Stuart, president of Odyssey Networks, America’s largest interfaith media organization. The American panelists were prominent religious leaders in Atlanta; the southeast regional director of Anti-Defamation League, president of the Concerned Black Clergy, president of the Alliance for Christian Media, and dean of the Chapel and Religious Life at Emory University. Saudi participants included senior members of the CIT.

The dialogue focused on two major global concerns of this century — poverty and the environment. The discussion was very informative, and the participants exchanged their valuable experiences in dealing with these two realities that are threatening our world. They debated the theological aspects of the three religions and shared the actual spiritual practices in their daily lives that reinforce the commonalities of Abrahamic beliefs.

The dialogue ended with five recommendations for future interfaith projects: The need to build trust, address issues with open transparency, acquire knowledge and understanding of the other faiths, and to come up with joint projects that can serve their communities and tackle common issues of major concern.

Meanwhile, the outreach program succeeded in connecting the Saudi business leaders with the Odyssey Media Networks, which supplies videos of interfaith news stories to CNN, Huffington Post and a number of websites run by hosts such as AOL. It has its own website and mobile app, Call on Faith (available at i-Phone and BlackBerry app stores), which carries 18 short-form video channels. One of the main contributions is providing weekly links to churches to help preachers prepare for their weekly sermons, linking faith to the weekly events that are uppermost in the lives of the faithful, such as news about the economy, the environment, poverty and how we treat each other.

One of the objectives of Odyssey Networks is to launch a similar service for Muslims in America to aid preaching and study in the mosques and linking the insights from the Qur’an and the Hadith to topical news stories. Muslim organizations need to reach out and connect with such sincere interfaith efforts to foster better understanding between Muslims and other faiths.

Indeed the Saudis could learn a lot from their experience and adapt some of their programs to promote the role of the mosque and make it more effective by providing realistic guidance for the faithful.

Muslim organizations certainly could learn from such experiences in order to provide proper interpretations of the Qur’an and follow the authenticated Sunnah that relates more to the realities of our time in order to address the challenges of the 21st century.

There are many other ways in which we can benefit from establishing links with more-experienced interfaith organizations. One of them is encouraging Muslims to reach out and interact with other faiths and engage in dialogue to correct distorted information that has harmed Muslims and has given Islam a bad name. Odyssey is trying to grow its Muslim membership, and they are interested in appointing a Muslim board member who could contribute by providing firsthand information about the true principles of Islam and give a Muslim perspective on current issues of global concern. Other initiatives could include an internship or sponsored Muslim video journalist who would join the production staff for a few months to interact with other professionals and learn from their experience to cover stories from the Muslim world that would provide a more accurate picture of Muslim culture and way of life.

Talented Muslims in this field could introduce Muslim insights to the production team, whether it be new media, Web expertise, graphic design or video journalists and editors.

We need to support such initiatives to build trust and eliminate the elements of fear and suspicion that have divided Abrahamic faiths. Let us establish business partnerships and support joint projects between faith-based organizations to address global challenges like poverty or the environment and other pressing issues that threaten humanity.

Muslim organizations in Saudi Arabia that support Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s initiative of interfaith dialogue need to seek interfaith initiatives emerging out of the US like the Odyssey Networks and find ways to link up to highlight Muslim contributions to provide a positive perspective that promotes peace and harmony.

The outreach program initiated by the CIT to promote an interfaith dialogue with Saudi Arabia could be the beginning of a strong partnership to foster better relations with the West and a chance to find common ground between the Abrahamic faiths. Investment in such initiatives would contribute to global peace and prosperity.

— Samar Fatany is a Saudi radio journalist. She can be reached at samarfatany@hotmail.com.

source: http://arabnews.com/opinion/columns/article566344.ece

Continue reading »]]> A year ago, I began writing for The Olympian, and today’s article is my last.

I’m not a writer, but I volunteered to be a member of the Diversity Panel and promised to deliver a dozen articles.

Why did I? The answer is I’m an American Muslim and, like many, I was troubled by Islam’s image in America. The religion that was being portrayed on television and in print was not the one I had grown to understand and live by.

Islam was being defined not by the moderates, but by people with extreme points of view. The voices of mainstream American Muslims and non-Muslims, though present, were often drowned out by rhetoric and misinformation. So, I was compelled to share a different perspective, to paint a more accurate picture of the Islam I knew.

Through this opportunity, I learned a lot.

First – and I can’t overstate this – our community is truly an inclusive place.  The response to the articles has been extremely warm and positive. Yes, there was opposition and even condemnation. But the majority of those who reached out to me were encouraging and supportive.

I’m embarrassed to say, I didn’t expect this. I prepared myself for some stiff opposition and a quick dismissal from the Diversity Panel. Instead, I received invitations to speak at local churches and schools where I felt most welcome. I cherished every opportunity. No doubt, I was asked pointed questions. But behind those questions, there was always a sincere interest in finding common understanding and a desire to build a foundation for interfaith dialogue.

And that brought me to my second lesson. I learned the importance of continuing the dialogue. A humble handful of articles by no means tell the whole story of Islam. They don’t scratch the surface. Understanding Islam, its traditions and cultures, requires more than a cursory overview of religious rituals and holiday celebrations.

Getting to the essence and meaning of this religion requires us to engage in open and honest conversation. We need a public discourse that breaks through the stereotypes and that values the diversity represented by all faiths in our community.

Third, I learned that addressing criticism directed at Islam, the religion, is not hard. Usually, the confusion surrounds a misinterpretation of a verse in the Quran. Offering some context or historical perspective will often answer the question, given an open mind.

What is hard is addressing the rightful criticism directed at the deeds of those who profess to be Muslims but act in ways that reflect their regressive cultures or political agendas.

It is appropriate for non-Muslims to raise those questions. And it is incumbent upon Muslims to answer.

Muslims, by their faith, are forbidden from standing silent in the face of injustice and wrongdoing. Islam requires them to intervene, to right a wrong when they can. If they can’t, they are to speak out against it. And it is through this difficult dialogue that Muslims and non-Muslims find common ground.

Finally, I learned that in matters of religion, it is often best not to preach. With that, I ask the readers’ forgiveness as I preach just this once.

What ails the Muslim world can be fixed through Islam, not despite it. Acting with that in mind, America will remain true to its values and earn its rightful place as a world leader.

Hey, at least it was a short sermon.

This opportunity has been a sincere pleasure for me. I thank you for your kind thoughts and support. And, I bid you “Assalamu Alaikum” — may God’s peace be with you.

Dean Hosni, an underwriting professional in the insurance industry, is a member of The Olympian’s Diversity Panel. He can be reached at dean.hosni@comcast.net.

source:  http://www.theolympian.com/2012/01/04/1935067/understanding-diversity-in-religious.html#storylink=cpy

Continue reading »]]> Saturday, December 31, 2011

LAHORE

AN NGO held a three-day Interfaith Harmony Camp at St Anthony’s High School, Lawrence Road, Lahore.

The camp was aimed at enabling young students of three religions to develop mutual understanding and trust among each other. A group of 60 students aged 14-16 years from Muslim, Christian and Sikh religions participated in the camp.

“Through this, we hope to promote a sense of harmony, tolerance, co-existence and respect in these young minds”, said Tooba Fatima, the camp manager.

The students from 14 private and government schools of Lahore and one school of Nankana Sahib participated in the camp, attending various creative and educational activities. The participants played team games and met group challenges while dialogues were held among them which explored the similarities among all religions.

During the dialogues sessions, the students explored the similarities among all religions and used some time to share basic values, customs and celebrations that each religion holds as important.

The acting Consulate General of the US Consulate, Lahore, Ted Gehr and Public Affairs Officer Brinille Ellis distributed the certificates of participation among the campers and appreciated the efforts of the NGO for promoting peace.

Sajjad Ahmad, country director of the NGO, thanked the audiences, their parents and the young members of the organization to create this opportunity for the students who rarely had such an opportunity in their lives to spend three days together.

source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=85011&Cat=5&dt=12/31/2011

Continue reading »]]> by Judith Sudilovsky
3 January 2012

——————————————————————————–

Jerusalem (ENInews). Pilgrims to the Holy Land who are searching for the roots of Christianity can also gain a surprisingly rich understanding of other religions, according to a prominent Franciscan clergyman.

“A pilgrim does not come to the Holy Land to understand politics or to understand the geography. First and foremost he is a religious pilgrim,” said Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, whose formal title is Custodian of the Holy Land and who is the head of all Franciscans in the region. “But of course when they come here as Christians they are exposed to the understanding and the presence of other Christians … and understand what ecumenical dialogue is and why it is so important.”

He spoke at a two-day interfaith conference on pilgrimage held from 28 to 29 December in Jerusalem, sponsored by the Israel-based Elijah Interfaith Institute and the Swiss-based Lasalle-Haus, also an interfaith organization.

Pilgrims are also exposed, sometimes for the first time, to Jews and Muslims living within their own context, he said. “An encounter with Jesus can’t be separated from an encounter with the people of different religions (in this land),” he said.

Modern-day pilgrim Franz Mali, a 51-year-old Austrian professor living in Switzerland, undertook a seven-month hiking pilgrimage to the Holy Land that started in Switzerland and wound through Italy, Austria, eastern Europe, Turkey, Syria and Jordan. The trip gave him a new view of the many Muslim migrant workers from Turkey and Syria living in Switzerland.

“(The migrant workers) were always strangers to me,” said Mali. “But now I have had this experience (with them in their own countries) and they were so nice and friendly and now I have an idea of how friendly they can be. My attachment to foreigners inside Switzerland, and Islam, will be completely different as a result.”

Jesuit priest Christian Rutishauser, program director of Lassalle-Haus who also participated in the seven-month pilgrimage, emphasized the importance of walking for spiritual deepening. “Not only does it deepen your own faith, it broadens your world view,” he said.

Although the group was not able to recruit Muslims or Jews to this year’s journey, Rutishauser envisioned a trip where pilgrims of different faiths might learn from each other’s sacred texts. A dialogue in this context, he said, would be less confrontational then sitting around a table.

Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein, founder and director of the Elijah Institute, noted that pilgrimages carry eternal lessons. “The spirit which defined the pilgrimages by foot of centuries past remains in our world today as a source of inspiration and hope,” he said.

Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowicz, rabbi of the Western Wall, noted that a pilgrim must rise above self- interest.

“A pilgrimage is not just physical but it is also an intent to separate from your personal thoughts and to look upward,” he said, noting that he welcomed prayers from all pilgrims in Jerusalem and urged all pilgrims to behave respectfully not only in their holy places but also in the holy places of other faiths.

Muslim speakers at the conference included Moroccan poet and peace activist Abel Damoussi and Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, of the Cordoba Initiative in New York, a multi-faith organization.

source: http://www.eni.ch/featured/article.php?id=5382

Continue reading »]]> Dec. 23, 2011

NEW YORK, NY, Dec 23, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — Stephen Wise Free Synagogue convenes 16 senior religious leaders from New York City to promote peace and understanding through a first of its kind mission to Israel. The program is intended to create and broadcast a positive model of interfaith relations based on mutual acceptance and tolerance. Spearheading this initiative is Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, senior Rabbi at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue.

During the intensive six-day trip the clergy will visit the holiest sites of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and together address challenges to peaceful coexistence. Among the leaders they anticipate meeting with are: Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel; Salam Fayyad, Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority; Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority; Shimon Peres, President of Israel; Natan Sharansky, former refusenik and Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel; Nir Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem, and David Buskila, Mayor of Sderot. In addition the delegation is scheduled to meet the mayor of Bethlehem and the leadership of the neighboring settlement of Efrat in order to gain a better understanding of the reality on the ground.

“There is an urgent need to counter the impression that our three great faiths are at war with each other,” said Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue. “We believe in a better way: the way of dialogue and mutual respect. We hope that our visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories will emphasize our common aspiration for, and commitment to, a more peaceful world. We are eager to meet and encourage Israelis and Palestinians who are working daily to realize this aspiration.”

The religious leaders head 15 historic institutions and collectively represent tens of thousands of New Yorkers. The participants are Sheikh Dr. Ibrahim Abdul-Malik, Admiral Family Circle Islamic Community; Reverend Stephen Bauman, Christ Church; Reverend Shari Brink, Marble Collegiate Church; Rabbi Marcelo Bronstein, B’nai Jeshurun Congregation; Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, Park Avenue Synagogue;

Rabbi Linda Henry Goodman, Union Temple of Brooklyn; Reverend Galen Guengerich, All Souls Unitarian Church; Imam Dr. Muhammad Hatim, Admiral Family Circle Islamic Community; Reverend Dr. William Heisley, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church; Reverend Brenda Husson, St. James Episcopal Church; Reverend Dr. James Kowalski, Cathedral Church St. John the Divine; Reverend Stephen Phelps, The Riverside Church; Father Robert Robbins, Church of the Holy Family at the United Nations Parish; Rabbi Peter Rubinstein, Central Synagogue; Rabbi Jonathan Stein, Temple Shaaray Tefila; led by Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue.

About Stephen Wise Free Synagogue: Stephen Wise Free Synagogue is a beacon of progressive Jewish thought, inclusive worship, and committed social action for our congregants, our neighbors, and the larger community. We manifest the central Jewish ideal of tikkun olam (repairing the world) through such programs as our onsite Men’s Shelter and Emergency Food Program. The synagogue embraces the central Jewish value espoused by its founder, Stephen Wise, to support the State of Israel and further the unity of the Jewish people worldwide. To learn more, visit www.swfs.org .

source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/jewish-christian-and-muslim-senior-religious-leaders-come-together-for-an-unprecedented-interfaith-mission-to-israel-led-by-rabbi-ammiel-hirsch-of-stephen-wise-free-synagogue-2011-12-23

Continue reading »]]> ISLAMABAD, Dec 19 (APP): U.S. Ambassador Cameron Munter and his wife Dr Marilyn Wyatt on Monday participated in an interfaith dialogue at Faisal Mosque’s International Islamic University and discussed ways to promote interfaith understanding. The participants of the dialogue included university students and the Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, and Christian religious leaders, a US embassy statement said issue here. Ambassador Munter also joined interfaith leaders in a prayer for the Pakistani soldiers killed on November 26.

“We share in this grief, and we share in this sorrow,” Ambassador Munter said. “And we hope for a year in which we can look forward to peace on earth and good will toward men.”
Ambassador Munter reiterated the U.S. support for religious freedom and the protection of religious minorities. He noted that Quaid-i-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah himself recognized the importance of freedom of worship to Pakistan’s growth and development.
Others who were also present included Faisal Mosque Imam Sajjad ur-Rehman, Bishop of Peshawar of the Church of Pakistan Humphrey Peters, Abdul Qadir Khomash from the Muslim-Christian Federation, International Islamic University Iqbal Institute Vice Chancellor Dr Mumtaz Ahmad, Leader of All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement Haroon Saryab-Dial, and Chairman Gauranat Narmak Gi Sikh Mission Dr Mampar Singh.

source: http://ftpapp.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=171115&Itemid=2

Continue reading »]]> by Daniel Tutt – huffingtonpost

As someone who works in the field of promoting interfaith dialogue on Islam in America, I can tell you it has been a hectic couple of weeks. When Lowe’s Home Improvement decided to pull its ads from TLC’s new reality show “All American Muslim,” they sparked a national crisis over Islamophobia in America. But crisis is the wrong word. I prefer opportunity. I say opportunity for two reasons.

One, the Lowe’s debacle has already proven that the Muslim community is well organized, ready to respond, and even able to lead a movement that garners support from acclaimed entertainers and public figures such as Sen. Ted Lieu and Russell Simmons. In fact, more than 32 congressional representatives have publicly called on Lowe’s to re-instate advertising on the TLC show.

Secondly, the controversy has shown that interfaith dialogue, relationship building between faith groups, and coalition building when there is no crisis, really does pay off. As Eboo Patel, author of “Acts of Faith,” has rightly pointed out, the future of religious pluralism will be decided by the success or failure of two groups: religious pluralists or religious totalitarians.

The Lowe’s controversy was initiated by a fringe group of religious totalitarians, the Florida Family Association. Yet, as Brie Loskota has convincingly shown, their strategy has backfired. As I write this blog, there are four petitions online that call on Lowe’s to stand up to bigotry and reinstate the ads on TLC, and a national network has formed to challenge Lowe’s and their decision called the National Lowe’s Boycott Network. Their organizing of peaceful protests has resulted in more than a dozen events nationwide, with thousands attending, and petitions have resulted in more than 80,000 signatures, whereas the religious totalitarians that started the controversy have one petition with only 25,000 signatures as of Dec. 18.

What’s most striking about their organizing is that individual citizens without the support of established interfaith or Muslim organizations initiated it. In fact, it was only late into the crisis that national interfaith groups began to write op-eds and really show their support. This grassroots network has managed to push back against the religious totalitarians, and at least thus far into the crisis, they appear to be winning.

In the background of this grassroots work, two tragic events have taken place, which reveal the real world “human impact” of Islamophobia. In Kansas City, a young Muslim college student, Aisha Khan has gone missing after complaining to her family of a drunken man harassing her. In Houston, Texas a Muslim man named Yaqub Bham was severely beaten in what family members are calling a hate crime. These events show the urgency of the problem at hand.

Religious pluralists and everyday citizens that are concerned with Islamophobia have a long road ahead and should use the Lowe’s crisis as an opportunity to think strategically. With the 2012 elections ahead, Islamophobia will not quietly disappear into the night. Newt Gingrich and other leading Republican candidates have already decided that anti-Muslim hysteria is a card they can benefit from using, and we should expect them to use it.

source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-tutt/lowes-and-the-success-of-interfaith-dialogue_b_1156377.html

Continue reading »]]> by Kate Shellnutt -Houston Chronicles
December 21, 2011

On Christmas Eve, Jews and Muslims may find themselves with nothing to do while Christian neighbors plan fancy dinners and special church services.

For the past two years, the Jewish and Muslim communities in Houston have taken advantage of their free schedules to gather together to learn about each others’ traditions and find commonalities as minority faiths.

“We’re doing it on an evening when we feel a little out of place,” said Rabbi Steve Gross, of the Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism. “Not that we have anything against Christmas and all the hoopla around it, it’s just that during this time of year we are acutely aware of own religious identity and that our celebration is different.”

The 50-person event, to be held at Masjid at-Taqwa in Sugar Land this year, is one of only a few examples programming that draws Jews and Muslims together around Christmas.

“I think it’s amazing we use Christmas as a platform for Jews and Muslims to get together,” said Shariq Ghani, a Muslim community leader helping to organize the event. “It shows solidarity as Abrahamic faiths.”

During the event, Muslims will pray their evening prayers, like they do every night, and Jews will light a menorah for the fifth night of Hanukkah.

In smaller groups, the participants will discuss their traditions and stereotyping, over a meal of latkes and Pakistani treats.

Though the two faith traditions may have political and religious differences, “it’s difficult to hate people who have a name and a face and talk to you and cook good food,” said Ghani.

Gross and Ghani, the president of Crescent Youth, met through an interfaith program and came up with the idea for a Christmas Eve event last year. The two communities met at a synagogue for the inaugural event, where they introduced each other to their faith’s practices.

For nearly all of the Muslims, it was the first time they’d been in a synagogue; for the Jews, the first time they’d spoken in-depth with a follower of Islam, Ghani said. And yet, the event was a success. Blogger Jill Carroll covered the event in her post “Have Yourself a Merry Muslim-Jewish Sabbath Christmas Eve.”

This year, Gross and Ghani have planned several follow-up community service activities and youth programs to keep the interaction going beyond their Dec. 24 meetup.

Gross said that yes, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are when most Jewish families will eat Chinese and go to the movies. Ghani said his family does barbeque.

Although Islam recognizes Jesus as an “all-star prophet,” Muslim families don’t celebrate Christmas and usually skip the secular side of the holiday, too.

“I grew up believing in Santa and asking my mom, ‘Why doesn’t Santa come to my house?’ Once I learned more about Islam, I knew why,” said Ghani, a native of Fort Bend. “The youth today have a greater understanding of the different traditions of the faiths.”

Despite the religious diversity in the Houston area, interfaith relations aren’t perfect. The regional chapter of the Anti-Defamation League continues to collect reports of slurs and discriminatory remarks against Jews and other groups. Muslims in Houston face mosque vandalism and violence.

Organizers of the Christmas Eve event see their participants going beyond surface-level dialogue to really enrich relations on behalf of Jews and Muslims across the city.

“Usually you hear about Muslims and Jews at odds with each other, but here’s an example of us coming together for good,” Gross said.

source: http://blog.chron.com/believeitornot/2011/12/christmas-eve-brings-together-houston-jews-muslims

Continue reading »]]> By Priscilla Pinto, Pune
December 20, 2011
An inter-faith meet at Pune has stressed that all religions should promote peace and harmony and aim at restoring the dignity of the human person.

“Peace and harmony are at the heart of every religion. All religions should work toward eradicating corruption and poverty and restoring basic dignity of the human person,” said Bishop Thomas Dabre, member of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, Rome.

The prelate was addressing a gathering of more than 100 people of different faiths at Pune city Monday.

“Let peace begin with each one of us as we prepare for Christmas and New Year,” added the Poona bishop.

“Religions for Peace” was the theme of the meet, organized by Ishvani Kendra, an institute of Missiology and Communications run by Divine Word congregation.

Mulla Phiroz Poonawalla, a prominent Muslim leader, said Islam means peace, to surrender to God and serve his fellowmen.

But regretted that due to few misguided elements indulging in violence, all Muslims are “misunderstood as violent people”.

Surjeet Kaur Chahal, representing Sikhism, said “true peace can be achieved by tolerating people of other faiths and accepting them as valid paths to reach God.”

Lord Mahavir’s tenets of non-violence were still relevant and if practiced, would usher in peace, said Pujya Prashant Rishiji of Jain religion.

The two-hour interfaith meet provided enriching reflection, sharing and -meditation, concluded Jesuit Fr Noel Sheth, emeritus professor of Hinduism, who moderated the event.
source: http://www.cathnewsindia.com/2011/12/20/inter-faith-meet-emphasizes-on-restoring-peace-human-dignity/

Continue reading »]]> By Mark Hare Cathnewsindia.com
Dec. 18, 2011

As valuable as e-communication and social media are, when it comes to understanding and appreciation of other views, there is no substitute for the good old-fashioned, face-to-face sit-down.

All the more so when the subject is religion and spirituality.

Happily, around Rochester anyway, college students are among the first to grasp the importance of dialogue. Husain Bawany, 21, a junior biology and religious studies major at St. John Fisher College, organized a recent, highly successful event he dubbed “Coexistence, Dinner and Dialogue” for about 65 students and a few others from Rochester-area colleges. They met Dec. 10 at Fisher, where they shared a meal, shared some of their religious beliefs and experiences, and began to explore ways they can be a part of each other’s lives. They were Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and others.
Bawany, a Muslim and a native of Pakistan, has lived in Brighton since he was a young child. He pulled this event together as part of his work as a fellow with the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence at the University of Rochester.
“There’s a lot of support from the colleges,” he says, “for us to come together and expose ourselves to others’ religious beliefs, eye to eye, with a civil discourse.” In all traditions, Bawany says, “service is a universal.” Pulling together to do something for others, he says, is a powerful way to build a relationship. One of the first things they’ll do, Bawany says, is write cards with greetings of hope to be distributed to refugee children at Mary’s Place, a refugee services center in Rochester.
“I grew up Baptist,” says Eric Williams, 20, a junior accounting major at Fisher with a religious studies minor.

His faith is important to him, Williams says, but he’s very interested in other religious views.
Faith “isn’t about following rules,” he says, “but finding a relationship with God.” He believes there are things he can learn from students from other faith traditions.
Naomi Ahsan, 22, a UR neuroscience major from Brighton and a Muslim, says an Interfaith Leadership Institute that she and Bawany attended last year at Georgetown University in Washington taught them there are protocols (speaking only for yourself, for example, not for all members of your faith) that make the conversation easier. The Coexistence gathering, she says, “is one of many efforts to foster a real dialogue. There is a belief that people do have similarities if you dig deep enough.”

for the full story: http://www.cathnewsindia.com/2011/12/20/inter-faith-meet-emphasizes-on-restoring-peace-human-dignity/

Continue reading »]]> By Osama Eshera
Monday, December 5, 2011

Last month, I took part in a series of interfaith events at this university in which Jewish students joined their Muslim counterparts at Friday Prayer, and the Muslim students attended Kabbalat Shabbat in the evening. It was, for me, the first interfaith event of its kind and left me with a single looming question — what does interfaith really mean?
Most other interfaith events I’ve been to in college were of one general form — a bunch of people from different faith communities sitting in a room and engaging in a general discussion on faith and its practice. The vast majority of these discussions focus on highlighting similarities between different traditions — that all humans are created equal before God and our beliefs are founded on love and service.
We attempt to present our faiths as ordered houses that fit perfectly together. We spend more time reinforcing the glorified ideals of pluralism, tolerance and dialogue than actually working toward them. In doing so, we produce little more than artificial consensus between the present individuals and fail to build bridges between our communities.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing negative about affirming our commonalities; in fact, that really is step one to better understanding. But it’s exactly that — the first step. In order for interfaith events to be effective, we need to move beyond the artificial and into the substantial. We need to dig a bit below the surface and be willing to talk through our differences so we can actually understand each other.
When we do this, discussions can further our own personal growth and prove to be powerful religious experiences in their own right. Interfaith discussions should not leave attendees singing “Kumbaya,” but should bring participants’ hearts together by helping them better understand themselves and their own religious beliefs.
By far the most influential experience I’ve had in this context was attending the Kabbalat Shabbat at Hillel. Being in the midst of the Jewish community’s comfort zone during their prayer allowed me to learn so much that is implicit in their tradition — things they probably could not articulate, things you can only learn through immersion. I am certain the Jewish students would say the same about attending the Muslim Friday Prayer.
What I also found quite revealing was the discussion we had after the services. Rather than an open-ended conversation on morals and ideals, the discussion was based on a textual comparison of verses from Jewish and Muslim scriptures. We were able to have a meaningful discussion that moved beyond our similarities and brought our differences to light in a way that really humanized each tradition. We shared our passions, customs and differing worldviews. We challenged one another’s texts in a way that leads to our collective spiritual growth.
As the dialogue developed, we kept inching toward a particular idea that seemed a bit taboo. Implicit in the fact we observe different religions is a sense of exceptionalism: We inherently have some beliefs and practices that are exclusive to our traditions. And though such a conviction is only natural, its expression is often avoided during interfaith dialogues. But when we are able to embrace the uniqueness of one another’s beliefs without temperance or remorse, we experience a sense of liberation that can truly bind our communities together.
Interfaith discussions can lead to powerful internal and external change. We need not trivialize these conversations as a search for our lowest common denominator. Instead, we should find the strength to crystallize who we are, what we believe and how we are, in fact, different. Without such a sincere effort, our dialogues will be nothing more than empty rhetoric.
Osama Eshera is a junior bioengineering major. He can be reached at eshera@umdbk.com.

source: http://www.diamondbackonline.com/opinion/understanding-interfaith-connections-1.2725629#.Tt-z9bLNnXF

Continue reading »]]> by Tom Heneghan – THE TABLET

3 December 2011

Five years after Pope Benedict XVI’s Regensburg address that ignited protests around the Islamic world, the Catholic-Muslim Forum established to improve interfaith relations has said that what began as formal dialogue has become increasingly characterised by friendship.

The forum, which grew out of Muslim dissatisfaction with comments in Pope Benedict’s 2006 Regensburg speech, held its second round of theological consultations in Jordan last week. The fate of Middle Eastern Christian minorities amid the Arab Spring’s Islamist renaissance provided a sombre background to the meeting, much as perceived Christian misunderstandings about Islam preceded the first session of the forum at the Vatican in November 2008.
But increasing contacts between Catholic officials and Muslim scholars of the Common Word initiative, the 2007 Islamic dialogue appeal to Pope Benedict, have created bonds that helped both sides tackle sensitive issues.

“We have realised that we have a common heritage,” Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, head of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, said at the conference, held on the east bank of the Jordan River near where Jesus is believed to have been baptised. “We have passed from formal dialogue to a dialogue between friends.” Jordan’s Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, who heads the Common Word group and hosted the meeting, recalled the initial strains and said: “Since then, despite some misunderstandings, I dare say the general Muslim-Catholic ambience has ameliorated considerably.”

During the 21-23 November forum, 24 Catholic and 24 Muslim religious leaders, scholars and educators meeting here debated how each religion combines faith and reason – the core message of the Regensburg speech that was drowned out by protests over Pope Benedict’s use of a Byzantine emperor’s quote calling Islam irrational and violent.

Ibrahim Kalin, a Turkish philosopher and chief policy adviser to Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, presented a long paper explaining to the Catholic side how Islam also holds that faith must be tempered by reason.
“Islam largely shares this notion of rationality with Judaism and Christianity,” he said, showing how the Qur’an teaches a natural law that would be quite familiar to Thomists. Charges of irrationality persist, he said, because Islam kept a balance of faith and reason while the Enlightenment tipped the focus of Western thought towards reason and science.

Libyan theologian Aref Ali Nayed, who is Tripoli’s new ambassador in the United Arab Emirates, said such theological discussions might seem like a luxury amid the upheavals in the Arab world. But the rise of radical Islamism highlighted the need for reasonable religion to prevail.

“It is extremely important that the massive movements we are experiencing today do not happen at the level of irrationality or mere emotion,” he said. “Such movements must be guided by the light of faith, but reasoned faith that encourages thinking and dialogue.”

Nayed said he hoped for “change that is interreligious, with various directions and ideologies that all of us in dialogue can seek with wisdom and reason”.

In the main Catholic presentation, the Italian philosopher Vittorio Possenti, explained how the influence of Christian personalism, especially in the teachings of Pope John Paul II, influenced the Catholic view of the value and natural rights of every human being.

Strains emerged at times, especially on the issue of conversion. The Church is not allowed to accept any converts in the Gulf countries, one Catholic participant noted, but Christian foreign workers there who switched to Islam got a warm public welcome to their new faith.

Another asked why Muslims, who often accuse Christians of forcing or enticing Muslims to baptism, would not respect the choice made by sincere converts. A Muslim replied that suspicion remained because of forced conversions in the colonial past.

One Muslim suggested Catholics had caved in to modern secularism and should protest more against blasphemous depictions of Jesus.

“There’s a common sense of the urgency and importance of this meeting, even though the context and background we’re coming from are quite different,” said Archbishop Kevin McDonald, the top Catholic official for interfaith dialogue in England and Wales.

That didn’t prevent them, though, from swapping religion jokes during a break on the final day. “Did you hear the one about the preacher and taxi driver?” Bosnia’s Chief Mufti, Mustafa Ceri, asked.

“God sent the preacher to hell and the taxi driver to heaven. When the preacher asked why, God said: ‘When you preached, you put people to sleep. But he used to drive his taxi so fast that he made all his passengers pray for eternal salvation’.”

Archbishop McDonald responded that the Gospel speaks of the weeping and gnashing of teeth in hell. “So a toothless old woman asked a priest if that meant she wouldn’t suffer if she went to hell,” he said. “The priest replied: ‘Teeth will be provided’.”

source: http://thetablet.co.uk/article/162067

Continue reading »]]> by P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR | ARAB NEWS

Dec 1, 2011

JEDDAH: A visiting Indonesian Muslim leader has emphasized the significance of the interfaith dialogue initiative launched by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and said all countries should support the noble initiative to promote mutual understanding and world peace.

“We Muslims should be well-prepared for such dialogue forums by mastering the language to articulate our religious views efficiently. We should also have some basic knowledge of other religions,” said Mohammad Siddik, an academic and a member of the Indonesian Ulema Council.

“Islam has a lot to offer to the world. It’s the panacea for world problems. The dialogue forums will certainly enhance its credibility and acceptability among other communities and contribute to spreading its message of peace and harmony among more people,” he said.

Siddik, who worked for the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank for 17 years and UNICEF for six years, is happy over the increasing acceptance of Islamic finance in different parts of the world, including non-Muslim countries. “Islamic finance has achieved 22 percent growth rate worldwide last year with its total assets reaching more than $1.2 trillion,” he said.

In an interview with Arab News, Siddik urged Muslim countries to focus on education and training to accelerate the development process. “Education is the key to success. Priority should be given to establishing more educational and technical institutions to bring about positive changes in our societies,” he said.

Siddik thanked the Kingdom for establishing an Islamic institute in Jakarta under the Riyadh-based Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University. “This institute is playing an important role in imparting religious education to our young men and women. We hope the university would introduce English language courses in the institute for the benefit of its students,” he said.

He highlighted Indonesia’s growing role as a G-20 member. “Indonesia has made remarkable progress in recent years and we would like to have greater cooperation with Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries in various sectors,” he said.

Indonesia has many world-class universities and institutes attracting pupils from different parts of the world, he added.

During his time at the IDB from 1984 to 2002, Siddik was head of the bank’s scholarship program, which has benefited thousands of academically meritorious and financially needy students. “The IDB scholarship program aims at fostering economic development and social progress of the member countries as well as Muslim communities in nonmember countries,” he pointed out.

There are three scholarship programs funded and implemented by the IDB with the motto of developing the Ummah worldwide. The first program was launched in 1983 to enable Muslim students from nonmember countries to undertake undergraduate studies in medicine, engineering and other professional fields.

The second program was introduced in 1998 to assist students from 20 least developed IDB member countries to obtain master degrees in science and technology from universities in member countries. The third program helps brilliant students from member countries to conduct advanced studies or research in applied sciences and high technologies, he explained.

Siddik, who is head of the supervisory body of UAI, an enterprising university in Indonesia, called upon Muslim youth to play a decisive role in changing the face of their countries by introducing democratic administrative systems and bringing about unity and cooperation among different Muslim groups.

“Our education systems should be revised to develop an Islamic world view among our younger generation,” he said, stressing the need for Muslim students to learn pure sciences and mathematics while upholding their Islamic values.

source: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article541231.ece

Continue reading »]]> by Carin Buckman, Beth El Temple,
2011-11-28

Why should Jews engage in dialogue and establish relationships with Christians and Muslims? What are the benefits and risks of such engagement? Find out the answers to these and other fascinating questions as Professor Yehezkel Landau, the Director of the interfaith training program for Jews, Christians and Muslims called “Building Abrahamic Partnerships” at the Hartford Seminary, shares his experience over many years, both in Israel and the U.S., on Saturday, December 3.

Services begin at 9:30 a.m. In Part I, Professor Landau will include references to Torah texts, and a luncheon and question-and-answer session will follow.

Part II of the Interfaith Dialogue will be two weeks later on Saturday, December 17.

In this session, Professor Landau will address how Jews can fruitfully engage Christians and Muslims. How can controversial issues be broached without undermining trust and good will? Professor Landau will discuss the needed skills and sensitivities with examples of initiatives that have worked. Services again begin at 9:30 a.m. and Professor Landau will be speaking from the bima. Ample time for discussion will follow after Kiddush.

After earning an A.B. from Harvard and an M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School, Professor Landau made aliyah to Israel in 1978. A dual Israeli-American citizen, his work has been in the fields of interfaith education and Jewish-Arab peacemaking. This past August he helped organize the first iftar (the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during Ramadan) at the home of the Israeli ambassador to the United States (Michael Oren) in Washington, D.C., attended by more than sixty Jewish, Muslim, and Christian leaders.

This two part program, co-sponsored by Beth El Temple and the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford Jewish Community Relations Council, is open to the entire community and all are welcome. For more information please call 860-233-9696 or visit the Beth El website at www.bethelwesthartford.org.

Beth El Temple is an egalitarian congregation affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. The synagogue strives to create, sustain and strengthen Jewish unity and continuity through personal involvement in meaningful worship, ritual, learning and social action. All are welcome. Located at 2626 Albany Avenue in West Hartford, Beth El is home to worshippers who live in more than a dozen Central Connecticut cities. For more information, please contact Beth El at (860) 233-9696, on the web at www.bethelwesthartford.org or friend us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bethelwh.

source: http://www.courant.com/community/hc-community-articleresults,0,5942637,results.formprofile?Query=54101HC

Continue reading »]]> December 1, 2011

Bryn Mawr President Jane McAuliffe joined Muslim and Catholic scholars, intellectuals, and clerics from 18 Islamic and non-Islamic countries in a three-day interfaith forum focused on the theme “Reason, Faith and the Human Person.”

Held from Nov. 21-23, the forum took place at the “Baptism Site,” a place on the shores of the Dead Sea not far from Amman, Jordan. Participants were also invited to the royal compound for a meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II. A joint declaration from the forum has been published on the website of A Common Word, an important interfaith initiative that is based in Jordan.

This is the second such forum to be held by the organizers; McAuliffe also took part in the initial forum, which was hosted by the Vatican in Rome in 2008.

“I was pleased to participate in this second major dialogue meeting,” said McAuliffe, “and hope that faith communities can continue to promote efforts that advance mutual understanding.”

McAuliffe was one of six academics to be a part of the 24-member Catholic delegation, which consisted mainly of Church leaders, including several bishops and cardinals. The Muslim delegation was led by Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal of Jordan and also included a mix of religious leaders and scholars.

As a scholar, McAuliffe is an internationally renowned specialist in Islamic studies whose expertise is in the Qur’an and its interpretations, early Islamic history, and the interrelationships between Islam and Christianity.

McAuliffe’s is the author of Qurʼānic Christians: An Analysis of Classical and Modern Exegesis, among many other publications, and the editor of both the six-volume Encyclopaedia Of The Qur’an and The Cambridge Companion to the Qur’an. She has served on the Vatican’s Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims as well as on the board of the American Academy of Religion, of which she was president in 2004.

source: http://news.brynmawr.edu/?p=10846

Continue reading »]]> -THE OTTAWACITIZEN.com

NOVEMBER 27, 2011

Rev. RAY INNEN PARCHELO is a novice Tendai priest and founder of the Red Maple Sangha, the first lay Buddhist community in Eastern Ontario.

It hasn’t always been fashionable to consider seriously faiths other than one’s own. My co-worker remembers telling a friend and church-mate that she was soon to marry but not in their small-town church. In total surprise, the friend asked of the groom, “Well, what is he then?” In their one-church community, it seemed unimaginable that someone might worship elsewhere. Now, in our increasingly diverse nation, we are all usually members of one or another minority faith, and “What is he?” is more often the default question.

The Christian-Buddhist dialogue movement has grown over the past few decades, as these different faiths recognize the benefit of learning from each other. In Buddhism and Christianity in Dialogue, Perry Schmidt-Leukel proposes three phases of interfaith engagement. At the lowest and least useful level, the one most like adolescent high-school debates, each side presents their faith. They analyse, criticize and challenge (even mock or condemn) the other, trying to prove how their faith is vastly superior. Claims of superior logic on one hand or supreme power of one’s “book” on the other, keeps both sides from really learning much. The next level is where the mocking or combative element disappears and there is some attempt to learn, but always from the safe assumption that “my faith is the true one.” This is mere tolerance. The third and most useful kind of interfaith dialogue is open to gaining new insights about one`s own faith by practising and studying with others in their faith. This Schmidt-Leukel describes as “the challenge of mutual transformation.”

Interfaith dialogue will improve when the participants in that dialogue move beyond self-promotion and self-defence. The entire project of faith activity is one of opening ourselves up to new and deeper understandings, and in that there can be little room for the kind of smug defensiveness or bitter attacks that hobble too many contemporary interfaith endeavours. Doubt, risk, open investigation at the intellectual level and sincere, respectful sharing at the spiritual level belong in religious dialogue. A closed mind and a closed heart are signs of spiritual stagnation, not vitality.

Rev. GEOFFREY KERSLAKE is a priest of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Ottawa.

Genuine interfaith dialogue hinges on respecting the freedom of the participants to hold their respective beliefs. It is not about trying to synthesize a “common religion” out of the beliefs of different communities because to have a genuine dialogue everyone must be prepared to respect each community’s teachings. Interfaith dialogue fails when participants try to use it as an opportunity to “convert” their dialogue partners. In 1984, Professor Leonard Swidler of Temple University wrote an article in which he outlined “Ten Commandments” of interfaith dialogue. The first rule gives a foundation upon which to have productive dialogue: “The primary purpose of dialogue is to learn; that is, to change and grow in the perception and understanding of reality, and then to act accordingly” (Journal of Ecumenical Studies 20:1, 1984). Each of his remaining commandments highlights the need for mutual respect and a genuine desire to learn from each other without an ulterior motive. In areas of the world where one faith is endorsed as the sole state religion and where other faiths are persecuted or repressed, there is little possibility for dialogue or interfaith understanding and respect. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us “the right to the exercise of freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, is an inalienable requirement of the dignity of the human person” (CCC n. 1738). To improve interfaith dialogue we need to recognize the fundamental human right to freedom of religion and we must pray for the grace to encourage honesty, mutual respect and a genuine desire to learn from one another about our respective beliefs.

ABDUL RASHID is a member of the Ottawa Muslim community, the Christian-Muslim Dialogue and the Capital Region Interfaith Council.

The Creator of humanity blessed it with the unique faculty of speech (Holy Qur’ãn, 55:4). It provides us with the ability to talk, explain our points of view to each other and understand our differences and commonalities. This is what the various forms of interfaith dialogues across the world are engaged in.

There are regular meetings and dialogues taking place between various faith groups at the local, regional and international levels. Canada can take pride in the establishment of an Interfaith Parliamentary Friendship Group. It holds an annual breakfast in which members of various faith groups, diplomatic corps and Parliament take part. Our City is rich in promoting several interfaith groups. Just last month, there was an interfaith prayer service where 17 faith groups participated.

The Holy Qur’ãn informs us that human diversity is Divinely-ordained (30:22). And, in respect of differences of faith and belief, the Qur’ãn tells us that “if God had so willed, He would have made you a single people but (His Plan is) to test in what He has given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues” (5:51).

The various faith groups, while loyal to their own faith teachings, have found a common core. When we study the scriptures of different faiths, we find that the conceptual framework underlying them is, if not identical, very similar. All human beings are the creation of the same God and we all share responsibility to provide care to them irrespective of colour, caste or creed.

Our world has become global, which is the common abode of human family. The members of this family must interact and talk. Interfaith dialogues increase mutual recognition, understanding and respect.

KEVIN SMITH is on the board of directors for the centre for Inquiry, Canada’s premier venue for humanists, skeptics and freethinkers.

Within 30 seconds of attending my first interfaith discussion, I made a faux pas. It was the first time I had entered a mosque, which provided my red-faced excuse. Entering the prayer space, I beetled over to sit on the closest chair. I immediately noticed not only that my row was dominated by women, but also a backward glance revealed the whole section was female — and they were looking at me as if I were a freak. I had forgotten the Islamic gender thing.

Uncomfortably seated in my proper place, I listened to the argument — Does God Exist? The table was weighted: three Abrahamic religions to one lone infidel perched on the end.

After the God side won, the assembled crowd continued the debate over sweets and coffee. I became a curiosity once I spoke of my atheism. The sparring was friendly, if not tiresome; thank God and Allah.

One subject arose which could be a key to improving dialogue between the faiths and faithless; at least it was for us that evening. We talked hats. I pointed out to some of the younger group that their kufis — after being corrected for yet another slip — were beautiful with their unique patterns and colours. This led us down a path of engaging, faith-free discussions. We had connected.

As the reception winded down, one of my new friends threw me a humorous dig for rejecting his God, and I tossed one right back at him. We laughed at our playful teasing, accepting that what divides us is of less importance than the respect we had gained for each other.

With that we shook hands and went on our separate ways, seeking answers to the big questions of life.

Read the full article: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Religion+Experts+improve+interfaith+dialogue/5774502/story.html#ixzz1eynOcDeV

Continue reading »]]> By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor- REUTERS

Nov 25, 2011

BETHANY BEYOND THE JORDAN, Jordan (Reuters) – Only five years ago, critical remarks by Pope Benedict about Islam sparked off violent protests in several Muslim countries.

Never very good, relations between the world’s two largest religions sank to new lows in modern times.

This week, while protesters in the Arab world were demanding democracy and civil rights, Catholics and Muslims met along the Jordan River for frank and friendly talks about their differences and how to get beyond their misunderstandings.

The Catholic-Muslim Forum, which grew out of the tensions following Benedict’s speech in the German city of Regensburg, was overshadowed by events in Egypt, Yemen and Syria. The lack of any dramatic news here reflected the progress the two sides have made since 2006.

“We have passed from formal dialogue to a dialogue between friends,” Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, head of the Vatican’s department for interfaith dialogue, said at the conference held near the Jordan River site believed to be where Jesus was baptised. “We realised that we have a common heritage,”

Recalling the strains that prompted Muslims to suggest a dialogue in 2007, Jordan’s Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal said: “Since then, despite some misunderstandings, I dare say the general Muslim-Catholic ambiance has ameliorated considerably.”

The 24 Catholic and 24 Muslim religious leaders, scholars and educators meeting here debated how each religion uses reason to strengthen insight into its beliefs. Roman Catholicism has long argued that faith without reason can breed superstition while nihilism can emerge from reason without faith.

POPE’S ILL-FATED SPEECH

This was the core message of Benedict’s Regensburg speech, but it was drowned out when he quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor describing Islam as violent and irrational. Radical Islamists responded with violent protests.

After he expressed his regrets, 38 Muslim scholars wrote to the pope suggesting a meeting to discuss misreading of Islam they found in his text.

Benedict, who had long thought interfaith dialogue could blur differences between religions, did not reply. He believed discussing theology was all but impossible because they do not analyse the Koran as Christians and Jews do their scriptures.

A year later, 138 Muslim scholars issued a broader appeal to all Christian churches to discuss the commands of love of God and neighbour that both faiths shared. Led by Prince Ghazi, the group included several grand muftis as well as leading Islamic intellectuals from around the Muslim world.

This time, the Vatican reluctantly agreed and hosted the first Catholic-Muslim Forum in November 2008 in Rome.

That meeting was a watershed, allowing Catholics and Muslims to discuss theology seriously instead of simply holding a polite meeting ending with pious calls for peace and understanding.

Although he only met the Muslims at a formal session in the Vatican, Benedict was a quick learner. By May 2009, when he visited Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories, the pope echoed their arguments and eased the quest for common ground.

for the full text: http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE7AO1E620111125?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true

Continue reading »]]> by RICHARD LLOYD
November 24, 2011

Over the past 18 months, Middle Tennessee has been thrust uncomfortably into the spotlight of national debates about the place of Islam in American society, owing to controversies over the proposed Islamic Center in Murfreesboro and proposed state legislation outlawing the practice of Sharia law. Not surprisingly, disproportionate attention has been paid to right-wing groups like the Tennessee Freedom Coalition and ACT America, with their sexy apocalyptic rhetoric of a clash of civilizations — this despite the fact that their agenda has been consistently routed in the local courts and publicly drubbed whenever it has surfaced in the General Assembly.

Yet even among the vast majority of the populace that favors religious freedom over extremists on all sides, legitimate concerns remain, whether they’re Christians concerned about Islamic fundamentalism, Jews troubled by perpetual hostilities in the Middle East, or American Muslims worried that their patriotism and right to worship are coming under attack. As sign-wavers and slogan-shouters dominate the headlines, the chance of a neutral middle ground where people of different, perhaps even conflicting faiths can openly address these issues has become more difficult. Which made a gathering last week at the West End United Methodist Church all the more noteworthy, as leaders from Nashville’s Muslim, Jewish and Christian faith communities set out to find light where others have supplied mostly heat.

The event was titled “Family of Abraham — Toward a Common Vision.” The program featured Sayyid M. Syeed of the Islamic Center of North America, with responses from Rabbi Daniel Levitt of Congregation Sherith Israel and the Rev. Becca Stevens of Vanderbilt’s St. Augustine Chapel. Had they all walked into a bar, the panel might have served as the setup for a joke — but this was not something the audience had heard before. By evening’s end, the discussion had ventured into areas that clearly made people uneasy, especially tensions between American Jews and Muslims. Yet people left with the sense that doors for understanding — or at least dialogue — had been opened, not shut.

This was the second “Family of Abraham” event, the first held on July 13 in the auditorium of the University School and featuring keynote Mark Pelavin, of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, with opening remarks by Mayor Karl Dean. Both events had ecumenical representation including local Christian leaders: Stevens in November, and Father Joe Breen and the Rev. Sonnye Dixon last July. The events originated in a narrower dialogue within a Nashville-area group of Muslims and Jews — the Circle of Friends — using a text prepared by Syeed and Pelavin. (Originally, they were to have appeared together in July; scheduling conflicts delayed Syeed’s visit and necessitated the second installment.)

In his prepared remarks, Syeed addressed the most serious conservative objections to Islam: First, that Islam is incompatible with democracy, and second, that Islam is anti-modern and hostile towards science. Indeed, Syeed used the phrase “pluralist democracy” repeatedly within the first few minutes, partly to remind the audience of America’s long tradition of accepting immigrants and minority groups, but also in explicit contrast to the undemocratic regimes from which Muslim immigrants to America are largely drawn. He further highlighted the high degree of educational attainment among many in the community, including in the sciences.

“Many of us came here from countries where there was no democracy, where having achieved education, there was no place for us,” Syeed said. He extolled the fact that leadership in the Islamic Center of North America is democratically elected and includes women in prominent positions.

Syeed further addressed gender issues exemplified by the Saudi ban on women drivers and, most horrifying for the Western sensibility, female circumcision. Syeed argued these are national or tribal conventions nowhere compelled by the Koran. “It was not easy [for some new immigrants] to cut the umbilical cord from practices that were totally non-Islamic, but were practiced in the Muslim world,” he conceded, adding that rejecting these practices was a focal point for his organization. Finally, he washed his hands of terrorist activities and anti-Western radicalism, arguing that his North American constituency is “as much unrelated to them as any people living in this country.”

The other panelists made brief remarks, followed by questions from the audience. Instructive tensions arose when the discussion focused on the relationship between American Muslims and American Jews, where world historical events come to roost in complex and contradictory ways.

Rabbi Levitt pointed out that beyond shared roots in Abrahamic traditions, Judaism and Islam share the fact of being practical religions. In other words, while Christians typically place faith (i.e., acceptance of Christ as Lord and Savior) at the core of their beliefs, for Jews and Muslims what is central is practical adherence to strictures or laws — for Jews halacha, and for Muslims sharia. The manner of interpreting these strictures varies widely within both Judaism and Islam, but in either case observance trumps belief. Banning Sharia law thus amounts to an injunction against the very fact of being Muslim, and as Levitt points out, sets a precedent easily transferable to Judaism as well. Moreover, as event moderator Irwin Venick pointed out later, American Jews share with Muslims an immigrant experience and minority identity that creates natural affinities of interest.

for the full article: http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/an-interfaith-event-asks-the-question-can-jews-muslims-and-christians-all-get-along/Content?oid=2683322

Continue reading »]]> by Cheryl Makin – MyCentralJersey.com

Nov. 23, 2011

FRANKLIN — While peace in the Middle East seems elusive to many, Muslim and Jewish volunteers in Middlesex and Somerset counties joyfully worked together on Sunday to feed the homeless.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, more than 100 members of the Muslims Against Hunger Project, Rutgers Shalom-Salaam and the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding gathered at the Muslim Foundation Inc. mosque in Somerset to cook meals from both religions’ cookbooks.

Delicious smells wafting up from the basement kitchen area of the mosque mingled with friendly conversations and laughter. Volunteers of both faiths created more than 400 meals for the homeless at a veterans shelter and in New York City.
In three hours, volunteers cooked meals consisting of tandoori chicken, rice pilaf, chickpea salad, mixed vegetables (corn and string beans), regular salad, buttered bread, kheer (rice pudding) and cholent (a meat and vegetable stew).

After the cooking session, the volunteers — many wearing Jewish kipot skullcaps and Muslim hijab headscarves — broke bread together as they sampled their meals for an interfaith luncheon of their own.

And after members of both religions recited their afternoon prayers, a group of the volunteers headed to deliver the meals to the homeless.

One group delivered the lunches to the homeless at the Basking Ridge VA homeless shelter, while a second group went to New York City.

There, the volunteers were joined by a group of Brooklyn-based Orthodox Jews from Masbia, a nonprofit soup kitchen network and food pantry that operates in Brooklyn and Queens.

The volunteers then delivered between 150 and 200 boxed meals to the homeless in local hangouts.

The idea for the mission was the brainchild of Zamir Hassan, founder and director of the 10-year-old Muslims Against Hunger Project, and Walter Ruby, the Muslim Jewish Relations Program Officer of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, a New York-based nonprofit organization.

Rutgers Shalom-Salaam was created in 2010 by Will Eastman, a college senior from Edison, and Bahaa Hashem, an Egyptian native. With the addition of students Jane Vorkuhova and Amjad Saeed, the group was born.

for the full news> http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20111123/NJNEWS/311230019/Muslim-Jewish-volunteers-work-team-feed-hungry-homeless?odyssey=nav%7Chead

Continue reading »]]> 23 November 2011 JORDANTIMES

AMMAN (JT) – His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday received a delegation comprising participants in the Second Muslim-Catholic Forum, which opened at the Baptism Site in the Jordan Valley on Monday, according to a Royal Court statement.

During the meeting, King Abdullah lauded participants’ efforts and emphasised the importance of the forum, held under the theme “Reason, Faith and Mankind”, in promoting dialogue and highlighting the common values among followers of the different religions.

“The forum is the outcome of ongoing initiatives to foster concepts embraced by both Muslims and Christians, which we have asserted in the Amman Message and the Common Word initiative,” King Abdullah told the participants.

The Amman Message is a statement Jordan issued in 2004 calling for tolerance and explaining Islam’s rejection of violence and intolerance and its stand on issues like the relationship between the Muslim nation and other civilisations and communities.

In 2007, Jordan led efforts where 138 Muslim scholars drafted “A Common Word Between Us and You”, to declare the common ground between Christianity and Islam.

The Monarch also urged the participants to convey their experiences and ideas on the values in common among monotheistic and Abrahamic religions to their communities to enhance moderation and mutual respect, stressing Jordan’s drive towards reform, openness and democracy.

Addressing the delegates, King Abdullah underlined the importance of Jerusalem as a symbol of interfaith coexistence in the region.

Muslim and Catholic scholars, intellectuals and clerics from 18 Islamic and non-Islamic countries are taking part in the three-day forum, hosted by Al al Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, according to a statement by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

In statements to the press following the meeting, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran said it is essential to disseminate the outcome of the forum so that the followers of the different religions can practise the values of coexistence and tolerance within their own communities.

Moreover, Egypt’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Ali Jumaa said such meetings create sound relations, depict true pictures and eliminate deformations, commending Jordan’s role in supporting interfaith dialogue initiatives.

source: http://www.jordantimes.com/index.php?news=43563

Continue reading »]]> by Ynetnews
11.23.11

Foundation for Ethnic Understanding facilitates 125 events with participation of 250 Muslim, Jewish organizations in 26 countries in four continents

Thousands of Muslims and Jews across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa participated last weekend in The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding’s (FFEU) 4th annual Weekend of Twinning.

Since 2008, FFEU has organized hundreds of similar initiatives around the world in cooperation with the World Jewish Congress and the Islamic Society of North America.

The annual Weekend of Twinning brings together hundreds of synagogues and mosques, cultural centers, Muslim and Jewish university students and young leadership groups and Muslim and Jewish social action networks.

These gatherings have helped Muslims and Jews in North America, Europe and around the world to nurture ties of friendship and trust.

Rabbi Marc Schneier, FFEU President, remarked, “FFEU is proud to showcase these unprecedented international gatherings of Jews and Muslims. The sheer magnitude of this year’s Weekend of Twinning reinforces our efforts to build a global movement of Muslims and Jews committed to communication, reconciliation, cooperation and understanding.”

Participating Muslim and Jewish organizations held their events over the weekend of November 18-20. Some events will continue through the end of December. Social action initiatives include Muslims and Jews feeding the hungry and the homeless in Boston, New Jersey, Toronto and Washington, DC.

FFEU Chairman Russell Simmons noted, “There was a moment in time when some thought that bringing together Imams and Rabbis wouldn’t be productive but I’ve had some of the greatest and most rewarding experiences of my life promoting dialogue. The fact that year after year more Muslims and Jews are joining the conversation speaks volumes.”

Young Professional Leadership events will kick off in Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, DC.

for the full news: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4151833,00.html

Continue reading »]]> “‘Abraham Jam’ Interfaith Music Concert Organized By Students of Duke, NC State and Chapel Hill”

By Yonat Shimron – HuffingtonPost

11/21/11

DURHAM, N.C. (RNS) Say the word “interfaith” and the next word to roll off the tongue is probably “dialogue.” It’s hard to think of one without the other. But college students know there are other ways to communicate, and music may be chief among them.

Students from three North Carolina universities — Duke, North Carolina State and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill — on Wednesday (Nov. 16) hosted an interfaith concert they dubbed “Abraham Jam” in an attempt to “do interfaith” in a novel way.

The two-hour concert at Duke featured three singer-songwriters — a Jew, a Muslim and a Christian — plucking their guitar strings onstage and crooning their way toward a new spirit of understanding.

The concert was held as a sort of opening act for Thursday’s fifth annual Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogue Day, a nationwide effort to break down barriers between people of different religions around a shared vegetarian meal.

Started by the Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance at Rice University in Houston, the dinner drew an estimated 500 people to dialogue around dinner tables in Houston. Similar dinners were held around the Raleigh/Durham area, in Greenville, S.C.; Wichita, Kansas; and Chicago.

The North Carolina students’ initiative was their own attempt at talking across boundaries — only this time using the universal language of music.
The three invited musicians were no amateurs. Dan Nichols is one of the nation’s most beloved Jewish rockers; Dawud Wharnsby, is a Canadian troubadour living in Pakistan; David LaMotte is a singer-songwriter and peacenik in the old folk tradition.

The three had never met until this week, but at LaMotte’s instigation, and with the help of funding from area churches, synagogues and Muslim civic groups, the event helped create an aura of goodwill and reconciliation.

“Having a large interfaith event based around music is unique,” said Matthew Stevens, president of the Muslim Students Association at UNC Chapel Hill. “It allows people to reach out to one another in a new way. I haven’t seen it done in the area.”

A committee of students from each of the three schools picked the musicians. Four performance poets and a dancer were added to the lineup, lending the event an edgier, hipper, more updated feel.

The songs ranged from Wharnsby’s “The People of the Boxes,” (“We’ve got to tip the lid and let some sunlight in”) to Nichols’ “All This Rain,” about the biblical Noah (“Why was I the one and only?”)

LaMotte, in addition to singing, strumming a guitar, and beating a drum, had the trickiest role — as emcee.

for the full news: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/21/abraham-jam-interfaith-music-concert_n_1102107.html

Continue reading »]]> By Jeff Brumley JACKSONVILLE.COM

November 19, 2011

Some local religious leaders find it ironic that Jacksonville’s leading ecumenical organizations aren’t always communicating about their efforts to promote interfaith dialogue.
Now some of those ministers are openly expressing their desire to see these groups — the Interfaith Council of Jacksonville, OneJax Inc. and perhaps others — do a better job of uniting their efforts to foster interreligious relations in Northeast Florida.
Progress is already being made along those lines, some ministers say, and an expert on global and national interfaith issues said it’s common for cities Jacksonville’s size to have multiple ecumenical groups.
Even so, the Rev. Fred Woolsey is hopeful the two organizations can get on the same page more often.
Woolsey, a retired Disciples of Christ minster and former president of both groups, has been pressing to reunite the organizations that once shared office and administrative staffs. They went their own ways in the late 1990s as their focuses began to diverge, he said.
There might be a way to join together to promote “understanding and respect among all faith traditions,” Woolsey said. “It could be contained under an umbrella organization that includes” multiple organizations.
That would give interfaith movements in the area more clout to quickly and cohesively respond to incidents of violence, religious bigotry and social or political injustice, Woolsey said.
Such an arrangement would have been useful in 2010 when Pastor Terry Jones got world attention by threatening to burn a Quran on the lawn of his Gainesville church, said the Rev. Paul Hooker of Jacksonville, the interfaith council’s vice president.
It was important for religious communities to show a united front in condemning Jones’ attention-getting antics, said Hooker, leader of the region’s Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations.
But they did not issue “a single, coordinated statement” deriding Jones’ actions from Jacksonville, Hooker said. “It would have been preferable had we done so.”
Yet that isn’t so unusual, said Mike Ghouse, a Texas Muslim who serves as international vice president and vice chancellor of the World Interfaith Council.
Dallas, where Ghouse lives and works on pluralism issues, has 10 organizations promoting different facets of interfaith and intercultural dialogue, he said.
What’s more important — and happening increasingly across the country since 9/11 — is that different groups are agreeing to cooperate with each other on projects of mutual interest. Doing so, Ghouse explained, gives those movements more say in local politics and can make it easier to obtain grants and donations.
“It would be ideal to have a larger organization in Jacksonville where people can all come together,” Ghouse said.
Rabbi Joshua Lief said OneJax and the council already cooperate on some issues and programs, including last Thursday’s Interfaith Thanksgiving Gratitude Service. While hosted by OneJax, it included remarks from the council’s president, Helen Godwin, and other religious leaders who participate in both groups.
Still, Lief, who is a OneJax board member and a member of the council, said he favors seeing more coordination between the two organizations.
“I have been asking since I came to town almost four years ago why are there different groups working toward similar goals?” Lief said. Just from a practical point of view it means there are a lot more meetings for ministers to attend, he added.
The organizations seem to be moving in that direction. Discussions are under way between the council and OneJax to explore ways of improving cooperation, said the Rev. Kyle Reese of Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church, co-chairman of the OneJax interfaith committee.
Reese noted that the groups’ different agendas are often driven by their different focuses. “If there is a divide in interfaith, it’s not intentional,” Reese said. “We are going in a lot of different directions.”
OneJax is heavily involved in projects promoting interracial equality and harmony in addition to religious tolerance. The Interfaith Council’s goal, meanwhile, is to foster relationships between the city’s religious leaders and congregations and to host educational workshops.
A third group, ICARE, focuses on social, economic and political justice issues. One of its leaders, the Rev. Tan Moss, said it’s always open to working with others but singularly concentrates on its own missions.
Reese, like Woolsey, Hooker and Lief, added that there isn’t any kind of turf war or animosity between the groups.
“Right now we are just focusing on the events that we can do together and continuing the conversation,” he said.
jeff.brumley@jacksonville.com

Read more at Jacksonville.com
source: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-11-19/story/leaders-jacksonville-interfaith-groups-seeking-ways-improve-ecumenical#ixzz1eCJBbfO6

Continue reading »]]> by Mordechai Shinefield, Jewish Exponent Feature

November 16, 2011 –

Ten years ago, Cathleen Cohen began calling artists in the Philadelphia community with the idea of using poetry and the arts to begin a dialogue with local Muslim and Christian communities.
Until then, she had worked primarily alone in the Jewish community, teaching poetry in schools and synagogues. But the events of Sept. 11 had shaken her and she suddenly wanted to reach out.

“There was so much fear and misunderstanding around,” she remembers.

Her particular project would be called “We the Poets,” but the nonprofit organization in which it found a home was the group known as ArtWell, an arts program for Philadelphia youth.

Cohen was one of several artists honored last week at a celebration of ArtWell’s 10th anniversary. The event at Moore College of Art and Design drew several hundred sponsors, friends and artists.

Through ArtWell, Cohen, 58, and other artists at the institution, including Joe Brenman and program associate Julia Katz Terry, have found new ways to draw from their Jewish traditions to create interfaith projects that speak to a broad audience.

Before ArtWell, Cohen had primarily been leading poetry workshops in local synagogues like Beth Am Israel, Main Line Reform Temple and Adath Israel. She developed a handbook for teaching poetry and taught teachers at Gratz College “how to use poetry to help kids learn about prayer and express Jewish themes.”

In addition to her work with ArtWell in the United States, she has taught in Israel, at Haifa University’s Jewish-Arab Center, at high schools in Jaffa and Beersheva, and in Druze villages throughout the Galilee.

Cohen’s work with diverse communities has given her a perspective on how poetry can do the heavy lifting in interfaith dialogues. “I think everybody has a rich tradition of thinking poetry is important,” she said.

“There’s a lot of reflection and deep listening both to yourself and others. Also, it’s a lot of fun,” said Cohen, who also paints and whose work was recently showcased at SOHO20 Chelsea, a gallery in Manhattan. She also participates in ArtWell’s HeartSpeak, which addresses violence prevention in public schools.

Menachem Wecker, who blogs and reports on the intersection between faith and art for the Houston Chronicle, sees art as instrumental in bridging faith communities.

“I think interfaith dialogue is tough to pull without art,” he said in an interview, adding that the words different faiths use to describe their religious experiences are often incommunicable between disparate communities. “We actually don’t understand what we mean by the actual words. I think religious — and interfaith — art helps solve, or at least begin to solve, that problem.”

While Cohen uses poetry to address these issues, Brenman, 62, works in mosaics. In 2003, the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society on Germantown Avenue asked him to participate in creating a mural titled, “Doorways to Peace.”

Brenman’s project was also a reaction to the events of Sept. 11. “The congregation was looking for a way to reach out to the community and show that they were good people. That you didn’t need to be afraid of them,” Brenman recalled.

About 500 tiles were designed in the social hall of the mosque through a series of workshops. Participants came both from within the Al-Aqsa community and from outside it.

“This was a chance to learn about each other’s cultures,” said Brenman, noting the interaction among himself; the project’s painter, who was Christian; and members of the mosque.

To prepare for the experience, one he described as “transformative,” Brenman attended classes at the University of Pennsylvania on ceramic arts and searched for resonances between his own Jewish tradition and Islam, which was foreign to him.

“Some of the people I worked with had never worked with Jewish people before. Doing art is a great way of bringing people together,” said Brenman, who also sculpts in bronze and stoneware and whose murals include a piece commissioned by SEPTA and a sculpture relief called “MasterPeace” at the Albert Einstein Medical Center.

The result was a colorful mosaic on the front of the mosque that stands out amid the empty lots, pizza shops and poorly maintained buildings in the neighborhood.

For her part, Julia Katz Terry, 28, has taken a performance approach to interfaith art. After doing field work in Ghana on Dipo, the female rite of passage ceremony, she returned to the United States looking to give young people an opportunity to have their own coming-of-age experiences. “I found there was a big void in terms of positive, multicultural arts based on coming-of- age experiences,” she said.

Using her Ghana travels, she developed a curriculum called “The Art of Growing Up” that she piloted locally in 2005 with 10 girls. In the program, students design masks that show their idealized self-image and hold ceremonies for community leaders and elders to come and celebrate the students’ passages into adulthood. She has since expanded the program for boys and taught it in public schools, after-school and summer programs throughout the city.

“My experience of coming-of-age traditions started with my own — having a Bat Mitzvah,” Katz Terry explained, adding that she did not appreciate the meaning of the ceremony until years later.

“Most kids aren’t celebrated for becoming teenagers,” she said. “I feel very lucky to have been celebrated at such a powerful and important time in life and wish that for everyone.”

The Houston Chronicle’s Wecker cautions that a major challenge for artists doing interfaith work is making sure that the art is serious, and not just kitsch. “If you think it’s going to save the world, then you’re mistaken,” he said of the serious work. “But if you think it’s totally useless, then you’re also missing the point.

source: http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/24764/Arts_Doing_Well_as_Path_to/

Continue reading »]]> By Yonat Shimron – WASHINGTON POST
November 18 2011

DURHAM, N.C. — Say the word “interfaith” and the next word to roll off the tongue is probably “dialogue.” It’s hard to think of one without the other. But college students know there are other ways to communicate, and music may be chief among them.

Students from three North Carolina universities — Duke, North Carolina State and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill — on Wednesday (Nov. 16) hosted an interfaith concert they dubbed “Abraham Jam” in an attempt to “do interfaith” in a novel way.
The two-hour concert at Duke featured three singer-songwriters — a Jew, a Muslim and a Christian — plucking their guitar strings onstage and crooning their way toward a new spirit of understanding.

The concert was held as a sort of opening act for Thursday’s fifth annual Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogue Day, a nationwide effort to break down barriers between people of different religions around a shared vegetarian meal.

Started by the Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance at Rice University in Houston, the dinner drew an estimated 500 people to dialogue around dinner tables in Houston. Similar dinners were held around the Raleigh/Durham area, in Greenville, S.C.; Wichita, Kansas; and Chicago.

The North Carolina students’ initiative was their own attempt at talking across boundaries — only this time using the universal language of music.

The three invited musicians were no amateurs. Dan Nichols is one of the nation’s most beloved Jewish rockers; Dawud Wharnsby, is a Canadian troubadour living in Pakistan; David LaMotte is a singer-songwriter and peacenik in the old folk tradition.

The three had never met until this week, but at LaMotte’s instigation, and with the help of funding from area churches, synagogues and Muslim civic groups, the event helped create an aura of goodwill and reconciliation.

“Having a large interfaith event based around music is unique,” said Matthew Stevens, president of the Muslim Students Association at UNC Chapel Hill. “It allows people to reach out to one another in a new way. I haven’t seen it done in the area.”

A committee of students from each of the three schools picked the musicians. Four performance poets and a dancer were added to the lineup, lending the event an edgier, hipper, more updated feel.

for the full news: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/students-do-interfaith-through-universal-language-of-music/2011/11/18/gIQAxqPxYN_story.html

Continue reading »]]> Tuesday, November 15, 2011

The Christian Muslin Dialogue, a diverse group of believers that holds monthly meetings, will hold their annual Thanksgiving celebration on Saturday Nov. 19 at Hunter Presbyterian Church.

A worship service will be held from 10 to 10:30 a.m., in which all participants in the celebration are invited, but not required, to share words of thanksgiving with the group.

Following the worship service, there will be a pot luck Thanksgiving meal. The Christian Muslim Dialogue steering committee will provide the Turkey and stuffing, but those sharing in the meal are asked to bring one side item, with a fruits, vegetable, salad, bread, chips, drinks or a desert. The Christian Muslim Dialogue asks that no one bring any pork products.

Participants are also asked to bring one or more canned goods to take to God’s Pantry after the celebration on Saturday.

source: http://www.kyforward.com/our-faith-and-values/2011/11/15/christian-muslim-dialogue-to-hold-thanksgiving-celebration-saturday/

Continue reading »]]> November 09, 2011

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 9, 2011) – In pursuit of interreligious dialogue and understanding as a vital tool for peacemaking, particularly those geared towards peace in Mindanao, the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy initiated efforts to gather leaders from both the Islamic and Christian faiths, as well as members of the academe and civil society.

Realizing the imperative to come to a common ground is most urgent as the country continues to struggle with conflict and underdevelopment especially in Muslim Mindanao, it said.

The national interfaith dialogue forum with a theme, “A Common Word Towards A Common Peace: Strengthening Interfaith Dialogs and Understanding in the Philippines” will be participated in by more than 50 delegates from Manila, Davao, Maguindanao, Cotabato, Basilan, Zamboanga and Tawi-Tawi and faith-based institutions Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Peacemaker’s Circle, Catholic Women’s League, National Council of Churches in the Philippines, National Ulama Conference of the Philippines, among others.

The forum is organized by PCID together with the Magbassa Kita Foundation Inc. and supported by the Australian Agency for International Development and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.

Basilan Ulama Supreme Council Chairman Dr. Aboulkhair Tarason will discuss the historic document, A Common Word, while US-based Peace Catalyst International’s Dr. Rick Love will give a presentation during the interfaith forum on November 10 at the UP Balay Kalinaw in UP Diliman Campus in Quezon City.

The interfaith dialog serves as a culmination of the five intrafaith dialog forums held in the cities of Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Davao and Cebu for the purpose of advancing the mutual understanding between people of different faiths and facilitating collaborative action and bring together groups and individuals to collectively advance the cause of peace.

source: http://www.mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20111108120159

Continue reading »]]> 14/10/2011 – VATICAN RADIO

What were a group of Iranian Shi’a Muslims doing at the Benedictine Abbey of Sant Anselmo here in Rome in mid September?

Well they were attending a meeting sponsored by a group of monks who promote monastic interreligious dialogue. One which brought together for three days nine Iranian Shi’a Muslims led by Doctor Mohammad Ali Shomali and eleven representatives of Western monasticism.

But here the plot thickens. Why would an organisation such as Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, which by definition deals with all things monastic, sponsor a meeting with a group of people from the International Institute for Islamic Studies of the Iranian City of Qum, given monasticism as an institution does not exist in Islam. Well as the Secretary General of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue , Benedctine Father Willilam Skudlarek explains to Veronica Scarisbrick : ” they may not have monastic orders but they have monastic practices most specifically that they pray five times a day ,like monks gather for prayer at certain times of the day …”
In this interview Father Skudlarek also affords some background to this meeting which as he told Veronica stemmed from a tragic event which took place in Muslim territory alright , but not in Iran at all, rather in Algeria.
You may know the story. It’s recounted in a well known award winning film. The title is , “Of Gods and Men” and draws inspiration from a true life story about the French Trappist monks killed at the Monastery of Tibherine in 1996 . A community led by the Prior Christian de Chergé who a year before his death spoke to the European delegates of Monastic Interreligious dialogue explaining : “how when we say religious dialogue we’re not just talking about monk to monk or nun to nun, or Buddhist to Catholic, Hindu to Catholic . We are talking about the dialogue of religious experience.”
A programme presented and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick.

source: http://www.oecumene.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=528662

Continue reading »]]> by Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary Herald
October 15, 2011

Rabbis and Islamic scholars in Calgary are meeting to discuss their views on the meaning and relevance of their religion’s holiest scriptures.

They will be presenting their views on their holy books and what makes them holy and what the holy books say about peace and interfaith relations.

The Word of God for Divine Guidance will be held Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 6: 30 p.m. at the Beth Tzedec Congregation, 1325 Glenmore Tr. S.W., and is free and open to the public.

Rabbi Shaul Osadchey, of the Beth Tzedec Congregation, said the idea came following an Ahmadiyya conference last spring of Christian, Jewish and Muslim scholars.

He extended an invitation to have the next conference at his synagogue.

“It will be the first such conference at a Jewish house of worship and is intended to draw a large number of Jews and Muslims into a constructive dialogue about their respective traditions,” he says.

The topic of the conference will explore questions about the nature of the sacred texts of the two religions – the Torah and the Qur’an.

Osadchey and Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman of Temple B’nai Tikvah will discuss this topic with Islamic scholars Maulana Mahmood Butt and Mualana Mukhtar Cheema.

There will also be time for questions following the panel presentation.

Conference organizers Mohammed Atif and Osadchey say this is a step forward in Jewish-Muslim relations by noting “that education and dialogue offer the best opportunities for Jews and Muslims to better understand each other and to eliminate myths and stereotypes.”

For further information and registration, visit www.islamevents.ca/ calgary or contact info.calgary@ ahmadiyya.ca or info@bethtzedec.ca.

“The intensity of the conflict in the Middle East emanates from a variety of complex historical, political, economic, social and religious factors,” says Osadchey. “The heat from that strife fans out globally until the embers land in local communities. However, Jewish and Muslim communities in Calgary, for example, lead lives in which the political and economic issues in the Middle East are not directly pertinent to their daily lives. Only the social and religious aspects remain as potential obstacles for interfaith co-operation.

“The goal of the Ahmadiyya-Jewish conference is to douse stereotypes and misinformation about our respective religions to find common ground to forge a peaceful relationship. In turn, the local level can serve too as a type of interfaith model that can be emulated in the Middle East.

source: http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Muslim+Jewish+scholars+hold+dialogue/5555746/story.html#ixzz1auyXBCOJ

Continue reading »]]> by Sabir Shah
September 27, 2011

LAHORE: Although the July 16, 2008 World Conference on Dialogue, jointly organized by King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia and King Juan Carlos of Spain in the Spanish capital of Madrid had shown rulers all over the world as to what efforts were actually required to inculcate harmony among the followers of different faiths and religions, not much has since been done at the level of governments to promote this cause.

The July 2008 World Conference on Dialogue was planned by Saudi Arabia and Spain to call upon the believers of the world’s leading faiths to defeat the extremist viewpoints, find a common cause, foster the spirit of peace and focus on the common denominators that were bonding the humanity together.

This moot was attended by representatives of Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism etc to reinforce the common values shared by their respective faiths.

The above-mentioned Madrid conference, according to the website of the Saudi Embassy in Washington DC, was actually a follow-up of the June 2008 Makkah dialogue among the leading Islamic scholars.

In 2007, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia had also met Pope Benedict XVI, the first-ever meeting between a Saudi King and the leader of the Catholic Church. In 2008, the Centre for Muslim-Jewish Engagement was created at the University of Southern California (Los Angeles) through the collaboration of the Hebrew Union College, the Omar Ibn Al Khattab Foundation and the university’s Centre for Religion and Civic Culture.

This think tank has since been hosting religion-based study programmes across Los Angeles and is busy promoting dialogue, understanding among the oldest and the newest of the Abrahamic faiths since its establishment.

By the way, it is also forming congregational and academic partnerships on regular basis. The Centre for Muslim-Jewish Engagement Centre at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles comprises of a Jewish Seminary, a Muslim foundation and a research centre.

This institution has till date facilitated two international conferences, besides having taught the visiting Muslim scholars under the auspices of the United States State Department and the International Visitors Bureau.

In January 2009, the 14th Dalai Lama (the Buddhist religious figure) had inaugurated an interfaith “World Religions-Dialogue and Symphony” conference in Indian Gujarat.

Prestigious British newspaper “The Independent” had mentioned in its December 16, 2010 article “History of Interfaith Dialogue” that this symposium was attended by Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, the Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile on Buddhism, Diwan Saiyad Zainul Abedin (Ajmer Sharif) on Islam, Dr Prabalkant Dutt on non-Catholic Christianity, Swami Jayendra Saraswathi on Hinduism and Dr Peshtan Hormazadiar Mirza on Zoroastrian.
It is a pity that Pakistan, which claims to be the fort of Islam, is yet to hold an inter-faith dialogue of virtue. Most will agree that it is Pakistan which desperately needs to take initiatives such as this because it continues to witness a lot of blood pouring on its soil for decades due to the menace of religious intolerance — a lot more frequently than any nation existing on the planet perhaps!

In 2010, King Abdullah II of Jordan had addressed the 65th United Nations General Assembly meeting at New York and had proposed the idea for a ‘World Interfaith Harmony Week’ to further broaden his goals of faith-driven world agreement by extending his call beyond the Muslim and Christian community to include people of all beliefs.

A few weeks later, the proposal of King Abdullah II was presented before the UN General Assembly, where it was adopted unanimously as a UN Observance Event and the first week of February, every year, was subsequently declared a United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week. (Reference: The official 2011 summary of the First UN World Interfaith Harmony Week, published by the Kingdom of Jordan)

It, however, goes without saying that the International Student Conference of Jews, Christians and Muslims in Europe (JCM) is being held fairly regularly since 1972 at least to promote dialogue, understanding and solidarity amongst the members of the three Abrahamic faiths — Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

for the full text: http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=69607&Cat=2

Continue reading »]]> By Josef Kuhn – HUFFINGTONPOST
10/9/11
WASHINGTON (RNS) More than a thousand rabbis from around the world have signed a statement denouncing the burning of an Israeli mosque as police arrested a suspect who is alleged to be a Jewish extremist.

“We condemn those in Israel who exacerbate conflict and strife, and who insist that only one people or religion belongs to this land,” said the statement, which organizers say was overwhelmingly signed by U.S. rabbis.

The statement was presented on Thursday (Oct. 6) by a delegation of dozens of rabbis and peace activists to the imam of Tuba-Zangria, the Galilean village where the mosque was torched.

The statement was initiated by the New Israel Fund (NIF), an organization that promotes human rights and religious pluralism in Israel.

David Rosenn, the chief operating officer of NIF and a Conservative rabbi, called the mosque arson “a flagrant challenge to Jewish history and values.”

The envoys to Tuba-Zangria were led by a coalition established in 2009 in response to a book that argued that, in times of war, Jewish law permits the pre-emptive killing of noninvolved gentiles, including children.

The arson has been condemned by Israel’s chief rabbis and a host of Jewish groups in the United States, including the Anti-Defamation League, which said the attack represented “the violence and hatred among fringe groups of Israeli Jewish extremists.”

Israeli officials have arrested a suspect in the arson, described by The Associated Press as an “18-year-old seminary student with ties to one of the most hardline Jewish settlements in the West Bank.”

source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/09/burned-mosque-israel-rabbis_n_1001648.html

Continue reading »]]> by Leonard Swidler,

Temple University

Dialogue in the interreligious, interideological sense is a conversation on a common subject between people with differing views undertaken so that they can learn from one another and grow. The Dialogue Decalogue formulated by Prof. Leonard Swidler sets forth the ground rules for dialogue.

FIRST COMMANDMENT

The essential purpose of dialogue is to learn, which entails change. At the very least, to learn that one’s dialogue partner views the world differently is to effect a change in oneself. Reciprocally, change happens for one’s partner as s/he learns about oneself.

SECOND COMMANDMENT

Dialogue must be a two-sided project: both between religious/ideological groups, and within religious/ideological groups (Inter- and Intra-). Intra-religious/ideological dialogue is vital for moving one’s community toward an increasingly perceptive insight into reality.

THIRD COMMANDMENT

It is imperative that each participant comes to the dialogue with complete honesty and sincerity. This means not only describing the major and minor thrusts as well as potential future shifts of one’s tradition, but also possible difficulties that s/he has with it.

FOURTH COMMANDMENT

One must compare only her/his ideals with their partner’s ideals, and her/his practice with their partner’s practice. Not their ideals with their partner’s practice.

FIFTH COMMANDMENT

Each participant needs to describe her/himself. For example, only a Muslim can describe what it really means to be an authentic member of the Muslim community. At the same time, when one’s partner in dialogue attempts to describe back to them what they have understood of their partner’s self-description, then such a description must be recognizable to the described party.

SIXTH COMMANDMENT

Participants must not come to the dialogue with any preconceptions as to where the points of disagreement lie. A process of agreeing with their partner as much as possible, without violating the integrity of their own tradition, will reveal where the real boundaries between the traditions lie: the point where s/he cannot agree without going against the principles of their own tradition.

SEVENTH COMMANDMENT

Dialogue can only take place between equals, which means that partners learn from each other—par cum pari according to the Second Vatican Council—and do not merely seek to teach one another.

EIGHTH COMMANDMENT

Dialogue can only take place on the basis of mutual trust. Because it is persons, and not entire communities, that enter into dialogue, it is essential for personal trust to be established. To encourage this it is important that less controversial matters are discussed before dealing with the more controversial ones.

NINTH COMMANDMENT

Participants in dialogue should have a healthy level of criticism toward their own traditions. A lack of such criticism implies that one’s tradition has all the answers, thus making dialogue not only unnecessary, but unfeasible. The primary purpose of dialogue is to learn, which is impossible if one’s tradition is seen as having all the answers.

TENTH COMMANDMENT

To truly understand another religion or ideology one must try to experience it from within, which requires a “passing over,” even if only momentarily, into another’s religious or ideological experience.

for the full article as PDF: Dialogue Decalogue: Ground Rules for Interreligious, Interideological Dialogue

source: http://institute.jesdialogue.org/resources/tools/decalogue/

Continue reading »]]> 2011-10-04
POLAND.PL

A conference on Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue, co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Embassy of Indonesia in Warsaw, will be held in Kraków on 5 October 2011.

The Conference is subtitled ‘Managing Tolerance, Respect and Understanding in the Religious Communities: Polish and Indonesian Experience in the face of leadership in the EU and ASEAN’.

The Conference will be hosted by Deputy Foreign Minister Jerzy Pomianowski and Deputy Foreign Minister of Indonesia Andri Hadi.

This is the first such conference in Poland that will be attended by experts and personalities from the worlds of science, religion and politics representing Poland and Indonesia (the organisers) and Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan. The Conference is organized in cooperation with the Chairman of the Muslim Religious Association of Poland Mufti Tomasz Miśkiewicz.

The aim of the conference is interfaith and intercultural dialogue as a key instrument in creating tolerance, mutual understanding and defeating prejudices. The Conference is to address issues relating to the Christian-Muslim dialogue, cultural diversity of the East and West as well as the co-existence of the state and religion.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland

(AG)

Source: http://www.poland.pl/news/article,Conference_on_Interfaith_and_Intercultural_Dialogue,id,461648.htm

Continue reading »]]> by Peace Islands Institute
October 06, 2011

The Peace Islands Institute (PII), formerly the Interfaith Dialog Center, was active throughout Ramadan, August 2011, with Iftar organizations at various churches and synagogues (friendship gatherings), and home dinners (neighborliness project) where Turkish-American families hosted their non-Muslim friends at their homes.
As PII, we believe by breaking bread together we will have a stronger dialogue and better understanding of each other’s values and ethnicity. This will set an example for our children to follow and make our and future communities a better place to live in. Below you will find reflections on Ramadan dinners.
The PII contacted several churches and synagogues before Ramadan with whom we have been working together in interfaith journey. Volunteering families prepared home-made Turkish food to be served at the Iftars. Iftar dinners took place in various locations across NJ such as Dumont, Morristown, North Caldwell, Tenafly and Riverton. More than 30 people attended each dinner, where typically half of the attendees were from Turkish-American community and the other half from the respective house of worship.

Rev. Elaine Wing of Dumont Calvary United Methodist Church expressed gratitude for co-hosting a Friendship Dinner with the Peace Islands Institute. As people arrived, they gathered in a circle to introduce each other, occasionally finding out interesting and pleasantly surprising connections.
Fr. Anthony J. Randazzo, pastor at Notre Dame in North Caldwell, remembered several families from his congregation attending dinners at Turkish homes and complimented the friendly hosts, the faith-based conversations and the delicious Turkish food. “This year those gracious families arrived at the parish house with trays of homemade humus and other Turkish delights,” he added. Crispy baked bread, eaten during Ramadan, was broken and shared among new friends. Pistachio baklava sweetened the learning experience about each other’s respective faith traditions. Conversations at the tables engaged the inquisitive, faith-seeking minds. The opening grace in Arabic – Call to Prayer – around the kitchen’s island unified all in sacred tones.
David Iskovitz, Director of Education at Temple B’nai Or in Morristown, joined Fr. Randazzo on the importance of coming together around a table. He described the evening as follows: “What a beautiful evening of prayer shared by Jews and Muslims experiencing the joy of God. Coming together as one we were able to silently communicate how our faiths share the same values of community, love, and obligations. Our heritages blended and created a beautiful and spiritual evening”. These words resonated well with the mission of the PII and the motivation for organizing these dinners.
John Bruton, a parishioner at Calvary UMC in Dumont, said it was more than just the food. It was an opportunity to get to know and see the similarities of hard working people. He added, “I would say the dinner was a huge success and that after dining with a small family I felt they were very similar, hard working people just like me”.

for the full story: http://www.nj.com/helpinghands/index.ssf/2011/10/reflections_on_ramadan.html

Continue reading »]]> Thu, 6 Oct 2011

From CoBNews

(Oct. 6, 2011) Elgin, IL — Following is the September update from Nathan and
Jennifer Hosler, Church of the Brethren peace and reconciliation workers with
Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN–the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). They
work at EYN’s Kulp Bible College:

Since June 2010, a group of Muslims and Christians have been meeting together
as an interfaith peace planning group under the name CAMPI, or Christians and
Muslims for Peacebuilding Initiatives. The goal of CAMPI is to bring together
peace-minded Muslims and Christians to plan and implement projects that promote
understanding and harmony between the two religious groups.

Preparation on the first project began a year ago, with preparation, hurdles,
and obstacles including illness, prohibitive schedules, the elections and
subsequent violence in April, and religious observances such as Easter and
Ramadan. We are happy to say that that project–an intergroup dialogue and
conflict resolution training for imams and pastors–has finally begun.

We arrived back in Nigeria just at the start of Ramadan, the month of fasting
that Muslims observe every year as one of five crucial tenets of their faith.
Muslims do not eat or drink during daylight hours of Ramadan and also prepare
meals to break the fast each evening. Due to this, we held off for the month of
August and then quickly gathered the interfaith planning group together after
the end of Ramadan.

Our first intergroup dialogue session brought three imams and three pastors
together. CAMPI members introduced themselves, as did the imams and pastors.
Our Muslim and Christian facilitators re-explained the purpose of the group and
the need to increases ties and understanding between religious leaders (this
was discussed earlier during the recruitment of the imams and pastors).

Each meeting includes a resource person’s mini-tutorial on conflict and peace,
followed by group discussion. The first meeting included an overview of
conflict and peace, broadly understood. Conflict is a normal part of life and
can be either good or bad, depending on how people handle it. Peace is not
simply “no violence” but also includes the presence of good relationships,
health, and well-being. Peace is food to eat, clean water, health care for all,
children attending quality schools, and the ability for people to provide for
their families. Peace is diverse groups of people trying to understand each
other’s similarities and differences, respecting the differences, and living
alongside each other cooperatively.

for the full story: http://www.wfn.org/2011/10/msg00021.html

Continue reading »]]> By Shlomo Shamir HAARETZ.com
12.09.11
NEW YORK – While the eyes of Americans and many others the world over were fixed Sunday on the main event marking a decade after 9/11 at Ground Zero in New York, Christians, Jews and Muslims were due to meet at joint inter-faith ceremonies and dialogues and together recall the memory of those killed in the horrific terrorist attacks.

The meetings between the priests, rabbis and imams in churches, mosques and synagogues began already over the weekend and were due to continue Sunday, in an attempt to show the renewal of the spirit of reconciliation and coexistence that the terrorists had hoped to destroy.

It transpires that, far from the limelight and the media, and without the intervention of publicity-seeking politicians, the 10th anniversary of September 11 has turned into a demonstration of friendship and cooperation between senior representatives of the three monotheistic faiths in the United States.

In New York itself, 15 joint events were scheduled to take place for believers from the three religions. Other interfaith ceremonies were to be held in Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago and additional cities. At the opening event in New York on Friday, 2,000 Muslims gathered in the city’s giant mosque in Manhattan to remember the victims. In addition to the imam, Shamsi Ali, who is considered a key Muslim leader in the United States and who delivered the main sermon there, speeches were made by two rabbis and two priests. As a tribute to New York’s Muslim community, the commissioner of the New York City Police Department, Raymond Kelly, also attended the ceremony.

In Miami Beach in Florida, joint prayer sessions were held on Friday in the three communities. Catholics and Jews attended a memorial ceremony at a mosque in the city, and later representatives of the Catholic and Muslim communities attended a prayer session at the Reconstructionist movement’s Temple Beth Or in Miami. On Sunday Jews and Muslims were also due to attend a ceremony at a local church there.

for the full story: http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/signs-of-stronger-interfaith-dialogue-in-u-s-since-9-11-1.383856

Continue reading »]]> PARIS — The stories of the Holocaust have been documented, distorted, clarified and filtered through memory. Yet new stories keep coming, occasionally altering the grand, incomplete mosaic of Holocaust history.

One of them, dramatized in a French film released here last week, focuses on an unlikely savior of Jews during the Nazi occupation of France: the rector of a Paris mosque.

Muslims, it seems, rescued Jews from the Nazis.

“Les Hommes Libres” (“Free Men”) is a tale of courage not found in French textbooks. According to the story, Si Kaddour Benghabrit, the founder and rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, provided refuge and certificates of Muslim identity to a small number of Jews to allow them to evade arrest and deportation.

It was simpler than it sounds. In the early 1940s France was home to a large population of North Africans, including thousands of Sephardic Jews. The Jews spoke Arabic and shared many of the same traditions and everyday habits as the Arabs. Neither Muslims nor Jews ate pork. Both Muslim and Jewish men were circumcised. Muslim and Jewish names were often similar.

The mosque, a tiled, walled fortress the size of a city block on the Left Bank, served as a place to pray, certainly, but also as an oasis of calm where visitors were fed and clothed and could bathe, and where they could talk freely and rest in the garden.

It was possible for a Jew to pass.

“This film is an event,” said Benjamin Stora, France’s pre-eminent historian on North Africa and a consultant on the film. “Much has been written about Muslim collaboration with the Nazis. But it has not been widely known that Muslims helped Jews. There are still stories to be told, to be written.”

The film, directed by Ismaël Ferroukhi, is described as fiction inspired by real events and built around the stories of two real-life figures (along with a made-up black marketeer). The veteran French actor Michael Lonsdale plays Benghabrit, an Algerian-born religious leader and a clever political maneuverer who gave tours of the mosque to German officers and their wives even as he apparently used it to help Jews.

for the full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/04/movies/how-a-paris-mosque-sheltered-jews-in-the-holocaust.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&smid=fb-share

Continue reading »]]>

Sep 19, 2011 – WSMV

An interfaith group on a 15-city tour stopped in Murfreesboro Monday night, speaking on the importance of religious tolerance.

Murfreesboro has been embroiled in controversy over the building of an Islamic center.

An Islamic Imam told the crowd at Middle Tennessee State University that he is proud to be an American citizen, where the rights of all religions are and must be protected.

“We are here not only to protect the Muslim Community of America, we are also here to protect the Christians of America and the Jews of America and the Buddhists of America and the Hindus of America,” said Inman Yahya Hendi.

source: http://www.wsmv.com/story/15501006/panel-promotes-religious-diversity#.TnwGCIdR3go.facebook

Continue reading »]]> By Renee Ghert-Zand
09/19/2011

As the first woman to be ordained a Conservative rabbi, Amy Eilberg occupies a major place in the annals of Jewish women’s history. She has recently been squeezing her self into a very small space in the hopes of making another kind of history.
Since September 11, she and seven other interfaith clergy have been crammed into a specially decorated van traveling a large swatch of the eastern and central parts of the country. They are on the “Religious Leaders for Reconciliation Caravan,” a literal and figurative drive to “re-knit the torn fabric of American society,” as Eilberg put it in a phone interview with The Sisterhood.
The Caravan is a project of Clergy Beyond Borders, a Maryland-based conflict resolution and interfaith education organization founded two years ago by Imam Yahya Hendi, the Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University, and Rabbi Gerald Serotta, founding chair of the organization Rabbis for Human Rights.
By the end of this road show on September 26, the group of progressive Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and Muslim leaders will have made stops in 18 cities in 13 states over 15 days, to engage with and encourage audiences to exhibit mutual respect and religious tolerance in the face of what they perceive as a growing threat to religious pluralism in this country.
In some locations, such as in Tennessee, where anti-Sharia legislation has been proposed, they are speaking with law- and policy makers. At most of their 50 or so stops, they are meeting with groups of between 10 and 500 people at university campuses, churches, synagogues, mosques and community centers.
These gatherings, to which the Caravan has given the title, “From Fear to Faith: Advancing American Voices for Religious Pluralism,” involve one representative from each faith sharing reasons for why they are engaged in this work. “We share relevant sources from our traditions and personal stories,” Eilberg said. “It’s homiletic in style. We want to touch hearts.”
Then the floor is opened up for questions and answers. Eilberg reported that so far, audiences have been 90 percent supportive. This is not surprising given that the meetings have been organized by local partnering interfaith organizations. People have expressed concern about living in a world with terrorism and have asked whether religious pluralism requires one to give up allegiances or a commitment to mission or proselytizing. Attendees have wanted to know how they can counter hateful messages in the media and make a real difference.
“Only on one occasion were we faced with a greater level of challenge,” Eilberg recounted. A couple of conservative Muslims questioned some scriptural interpretations made by Hendi, a Palestinian who is on the record for favoring co-existence and peace with Israel, and tried to steer the conversation toward the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and away from religious pluralism in America. Eilberg is not the only female rabbi in the Caravan. In fact, all the rabbis rotating in and out of the van over the two weeks are women. The other rabbis are Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer, director of the Department of Multifaith Studies and Initiatives at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and Alana Suskin, director of Lifelong Learning at Shaare Torah Congregation in Gaithersburg, MD and a senior editor at Jewschool.com.
Eilberg, who works as a consultant to the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning in St. Paul, MN, believes women are socialized to be peacemakers. “It’s in our instincts to put relationships above personal aggrandizement. Women have the kind of communications skills needed for peacemaking,” she said.
She definitely sees this play out in the fact that most leaders in intra-Jewish dialogue are female.
“It’s no accident that the national leaders in this field are women,” she says. But, surprisingly, she has not found this to be the case in interfaith dialogue and relations. Her experience has been that there is more of a gender balance. “Most of my closest colleagues in interfaith are both men and women,” she reflected. “And obviously the two men leading this Caravan are feminists. Why else would there be only women rabbis in this van?”

source: http://blogs.forward.com/sisterhood-blog/143015/#.Tne0Pdawet8.facebook

Continue reading »]]> by Asia News September 07, 2011

Fr Victor Edwin, an expert in Muslim-Christians relations, explains how relations between the two communities have changed and what situation the Muslim world faces in the wake of the 2001 attacks in New York City. For Indian Muslims, illiteracy is the main enemy.

Mumbai – “Several prominent Muslim clerics and scholars condemned the attack on the Twin Towers and other bomb attacks on innocent people. They declared in unambiguous terms that Islam does not support violence and terrorism,” said Fr Victor Edwin, a Jesuit priest and PhD student candidate studying Christian-Muslim relations at New Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia University. Speaking ten years after the attack against New York’s Twin Towers, he looks at how Christian-Muslim relations and the Muslim world have changed.

The Jesuit clergyman remembers initiatives taken by Muslim clergymen, theologians and scholars in favour of dialogue and cooperation with the Christian and non-Christian world.

“In November 2004,” he said, “Muslim scholars from 45 countries gathered under the leadership of H.M. King Abdullah II ibn al- Hussein of Jordan and launched a very important initiative called the Amman Message that condemned all forms of extremism and indiscriminate killing. The message emphasized the oneness of humanity and informed the world that Islam stands for peace and that any violence in the name of Islam is contrary to its nature.”

In October 2007, “138 high profile Muslim scholars,” addressed ‘A Common Word’, “primarily to the Holy Father” in which they “invited some 27 other Christian leaders to gather in a common ground in order to work for peace and harmony in the World.”

“These are bold initiatives in the charged atmosphere,” Fr Edwin said.

Yet, “While these efforts strive for understanding and peace, the Arab Spring that started in Tunisia pleasantly surprised everyone. Tens and thousands of young people both Muslims and Christians, especially in Egypt, demanded employment, free and fair elections, democracy and rule of law. [. . .] These initiatives and events indicate Islam affirms its legitimate voice for peace and justice. This momentum needs to be sustained. That is the major task for Muslim thinkers for the time to come.”

India too felt the impact of 9/11. Fr Victor Ediwn, who is also the Editor of Salaam, an Islamic Studies Association journal, noted, “Indian culture is composite and draws nourishment from the teachings of sufis and sadhus, literature and paintings, arts and architecture, religions and languages. India has developed a unique wisdom that gels different people as one family. However, this integration is under severe pressure. The right wing outfits like the RSS through their devious ideology work hard to weaken the compositeness of our culture. The engineered pogroms against Dalits, Muslims and Christians destroy the bonds that have been nurtured over centuries. The 9/11 and 26/11 added pressure on Muslims.”

source: http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=59863&t=INDIA+%96+ISLAM+++9%2F11+after+ten+years%2C+dialogue+with+the+Islam+of+peace

Continue reading »]]> by Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY — The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States horrified the pope and Vatican officials, who unequivocally condemned terrorism and offered prayers for the dead, the survivors and the rescue workers.

The attacks shook the world but did not destroy the commitment to dialogue and cooperation of Catholic and Muslim leaders in interreligious relations.

While too many people, and too many media outlets, grabbed on to cliches about Islam, Catholic and Muslim dialogue partners poured new energy into their efforts to educate their faithful about the true beliefs of each other’s religion and about the fact that it is blasphemy to invoke God’s name in the commission of violence.

After the attacks, Pope John Paul immediately sent a telegram to President George W. Bush, and the pope spoke about the tragedy at his general audience the next day, saying: “Yesterday was a dark day in the history of humanity, a terrible affront to human dignity.

The only reference to religion in these messages was a statement of belief in the love of God, which is greater than all evil.”

source: http://www.catholicsentinel.org/Main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=61&ArticleID=16129

Continue reading »]]> August 7, 2011

A conference focusing on inter-religious dialogue between Christians and Muslims with workshops on ways to foster mutual understanding and enrich knowledge of the Catholic and Muslim faith traditions is taking place in Pacet, Indonesia from August 7-17, 2011 with attendees from 32 countries. The theme is ‘Put Out into the Deep’ (Lk. 5:4), and it is sponsored by SIEV, an educational outreach of the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians). SIEV stands for Secretariat International Des Etudes Vincentiennes and is funded by the General Curia of the Congregation in Rome, Italy.

This conference is open to all members of the Vincentian Family, and will be held in Indonesia, a country with the largest number of Muslim adherents in the world, estimated at over 200 million, or 88% of the population. The Indonesian province of the Vincentians, a vibrant and growing group of over 90 members with 50 men in formation, has assisted the SIEV planning committee in the logistics and set up of this
conference.

This is the second SIEV conference devoted to Christian-Muslin relations and areas of commonality in the two faith traditions. The initial SIEV conference on this issue was held in Fatqa, Lebanon in August, 1999.

According to Fr Claudio Santangelo, CM former Secretary General of the Congregation of the Mission, who will deliver the opening keynote address with Indonesian confrere Armada Riyanto, the goals of this conference are:

* to discuss changes in the self- perception of Muslims world-wide over the last decade;

* to explore Islam in the context of Indonesian life and culture; * to provide a context for inter-religious dialogue that can move beyond conflicts (from both a Muslim and Christian perspective);

* to propose a theological understanding of Christian presence in a Muslim society;

* to demonstrate the viability of witnessing to the Vincentian charism in Muslim lands.

The conference will also offer workshops by religious and laity who have studied and worked in the area of Christian-Muslim relations, including a religious community of women founded and ministering in Indonesia.

Bishop PC Mandagi, President of the Inter-Religious Council of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference, will give a talk and lead a discussion on Church documents pertaining to the necessity for inter-religious dialogue. Two Assistants General of the Curia of the Congregation of the Mission in Rome will be present at the conference. Fr Varghese Thottamkara, CM will deliver a welcome address and preach at a Mass, and Fr Zeracristos Yosief Woldemichael, CM will also preside and preach at Mass on the feast of the Assumption on August 15.

SOURCE: http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=18739

Continue reading »]]> by Donald Reeves – THE GUARDIAN
5 August 2011

Following the events of 22 July in Norway – when Anders Behring Breivik, driven by a hatred of Islam, killed 77 people – there have been ample expressions of outrage, analysis and commentary, but little indication as to what must to be done to prevent Islamophobia spreading.

Before 22 July, the Soul of Europe, together with the Soest Forum of Religions and Cultures (a German Muslim archive institute), had begun planning how to interrupt, undermine and dismantle Islamophobia. Beginning in France, Germany, UK and Scandinavia, we are establishing a coalition across Europe of institutions and organisations which are already engaged with Muslim communities. Our aim is to deepen, broaden and strengthen the foundations of those bridges between Muslim and non-Muslims, particularly among the younger generations – above all in practical ways.

One way is to develop patterns of solidarity. For instance: when a religious building is vandalised, whether a mosque or a church or a synagogue, communities will come together to condemn these actions. For condemnation to be effective, more than words are needed. Much depends on the slow, patient building of relationships.

Another way is for local communities to speak up on behalf of others, not least when Muslim communities complain of intimidation and harassment by police. These interventions emerge from relationships that have been established over time. Local politicians and religious leaders – vicars, imams and rabbis – will have to watch their backs. These actions will be seen as divisive among their own constituencies and congregations.

As Marwan Muhammad, director of the Collective Against Islamophobia in France, told the Soul of Europe: “We are scapegoats and are blamed for all of Europe’s problems.” Muslim communities need to be invited in from the cold. There should be no “them” and “us”. We are all “us”. Umar Mirza set up the Dutch website We’re Here to Stay as “an attempt to create an alternative space … a way of providing a stage upon which the voices of young Muslims can be heard”. Dutch Muslims are not going anywhere. The Netherlands is their country, their home.

for the full text: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2011/aug/05/grassroots-movement-to-tackle-islamophobia

Continue reading »]]> By Madhu Krishnamurthy – Daily Herald

8/1/2011

Starting today, Muslims throughout North America will face nearly 16-hour days of fasting for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Ramadan is a time of self-purification, self-restraint and inner reflection for Muslims, who abstain from food and drink and other sensual pleasures during daylight hours.

During the month, believers focus on piety, charity and self-improvement.

This Ramadan, however, many suburban Muslims are reflecting on how far they have come as a community in the 10 years since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks sullied the image of the religion practiced by nearly 1.3 billion people worldwide.

On that ill-fated Tuesday, 19 al-Qaida terrorists hijacked and flew two commercial jet airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, another into the Pentagon, and crashed a fourth headed toward Washington, D.C., in a field in rural Pennsylvania.

The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people — mostly civilians — from more than 70 countries, shocked the world, and shook the Muslim community to its core.

Some community leaders view Sept. 11 as a wake-up call that prompted Muslims to come out of their shell. It spurred more interfaith dialogue and outreach efforts, often held during Ramadan, as a means of breaking down barriers and improving relationships with non-Muslims.

“I think we started soul searching,” said Zaher Sahloul, a member of the Mosque Foundation of Bridgeview and chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. “This is the largest terrorist act which happened to our country. There is a lot of grief, which we share with any other American. And it’s also painful that people associate this act of terror with the Muslim community.”

Over the years, controversies surrounding a proposed Islamic community center near ground zero, a Florida pastor’s incitement to burn the Quran, and the recent anti-Islamic shooting rampage by a Christian extremist in Norway have fanned the flames of prejudice, he added.

“We have a very active industry of hate groups or Islamophobes spreading that Islam is not compatible with democracy, modernity, and freedom or Western values in general,” Sahloul said.

Seeking acceptance

To counter such hatred on the grass-roots level, local mosques started opening their doors to non-Muslims hosting interfaith Ramadan iftars — fast-breaking meals Muslims eat at sundown, inviting civic and religious leaders to participate.

“The initial reaction was more openness and civic engagement with people of other religions and groups,” Sahloul said. “I think we are moving in the right direction in spite of the fact that you have right now a more negative perception of Islam than at the time of 9/11.”

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, which is an umbrella group for 56 Islamic organizations in Chicago and the suburbs, has launched a campaign, “Together for a Better America,” and is urging its members to have remembrance dinners during Ramadan honoring the victims and first responders of Sept. 11.

As part of the campaign, the council also is encouraging Muslims to participate in municipal and township planning of Sept. 11 commemorative events. The campaign will culminate Sept. 10 with a gathering of religious, interfaith and civic leaders honoring the victims and first responders.

for the full text: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110801/news/708019973/#ixzz1TyaXsU7b

Continue reading »]]> by GARY SOULSMAN – The News Journal of Wilmington, Del.
August 02, 2011

BRANDYWINE HUNDRED, Del. — Not many Muslims get invited to be fill-in preachers at Christian congregations, but that’s what happened to Semab Chaudhry at Silverside Church.

Last month the pharmaceutical audit manager stepped into the pulpit for a Sunday talk explaining the reverence that Islam gives to figures such as Mary, Jesus, Abraham and Moses.

“It’s remarkable how much commonality there is among our faiths,” says June Eisley, a member of the Brandywine Hundred congregation. “I wish all Christians could learn this.”

As Chaudhry, his wife, Rabia, and their three children begin their observance of Ramadan they are full of hope for renewal and drawing closer to God, as this is the holiest time on their religious calendar.

They are working on values that Chaudhry observes devout Christian and Jewish friends working on, too. They are values of gratefulness, kindness, respect and generosity. And, Chaudhry says, each of the faiths condemn cruelty and hypocrisy.

“You can’t always tell that, though, by the news,” he says.

He cites the attention given Pastor Terry Jones of Gainesville, Fla., who burned the Quran because, he said, it inspired hateful acts.

“It’s this kind of extreme reaction that can get played up,” Chaudhry says.

By contrast, he says, it will be harder to spot “the silent majority” of Muslims who will quietly fast, pray and give to the poor during the next 30 days. For healthy adults, fasting from food, as well as abstaining from gossip and destructive thoughts, is a pillar of Islam.

Total abstinence reminds a person that each life is a sacrifice and one is dependent on God, writes Ira G. Zepp Jr., professor emeritus of Western Maryland College, in his books on the faith. And it was during the ninth month on the Islamic calendar (Ramadan) that Muhammad experienced his “Night of Power” receiving the first recitations of the Quran.

The teachings were meant to bring about greater harmony among people, Chaudhry says, and if extremists misuse the Quran to justify hate, that is their fault, not Muhammad’s. Nor is it the fault of Jesus when people misuse his ideas, Chaudhry says.

Fortunately in northern Delaware, there’s been an interest in interfaith dialogue and in understanding what’s beyond sensational headlines about religious conflict, he says. Mainline churches, such as Wilmington’s Westminster Presbyterian Church, have brought in local Muslims to educate members about the faith.

And in 2008 Dr. Sheerin Javed and her husband Dr. Hummayun Ismail began the state’s first secular Muslim center with a mission to highlight culture, religion, interfaith relations and health. It’s called Circle of Hands.

for the full text: http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/00ef584efd7b4ca79580c0104ab034b8/DE–Interfaith-Dialogue/

Continue reading »]]> by Kerim BALCI -TODAY’S ZAMAN

27 July 2011

It was in 1994 that I read Fethullah Gülen’s declaration of all the ages until the resurrection to be an “era of dialogue.” At that time, I was surprised to hear such decisiveness in the voice of a Muslim scholar, in labeling the ages to come as an especially peace-seeking era.

Mr. Gülen is the kind of scholar who believes in the “soul of history and time.” We are all children of our times and Gülen was declaring our time, as well as the times of our children, great-grandchildren and so on, to be a time of peace-making, peace-seeking and peaceful coexistence. This observation was not borne out, in my understanding then, by our historical experience with the West. If any single word were to be chosen to characterize the thousand-year-old relationship of the Muslim and Western worlds, it would be “war.” Look back into our common history, and you will see hatred, conflict, denigration, defamation and demonization. But Gülen was asking us not to look back into history, but to look to the future.

Many people are stuck in time. The future, for them, exists only as a projection of the past and any prediction about the future can only be based on the observation of past experiences. Gülen, on the other hand, believes that the future is a potentiality vested in the human will.

Reading Anders Behring Breivik’s self-proclaimed “European Declaration of Independence,” I saw, once again, what it means to be “stuck in time.” Breivik looks only to the past and disregards the potential for the human will to create change. He claims, in opposition to Gülen, that the time for dialogue is over. “We gave peace a chance. The time for armed resistance has come,” he declares.

Despite his rejection of dialogue, Breivik is also obsessed with dialogue. The word appears more than any other word in his “Declaration,” obviously in a critical way. But he does not reject dialogue on ethical grounds; rather, he claims that Muslims do not deserve dialogue. “No more ‘dialogue’,” he says. “The only way to deal with a bully is to punch him in the nose, and make him back down. That’s the only appropriate way to deal with Jihadists.”

Breivik quotes a person named Fjordman (probably Breivick and Fjordman are one and the same) who wrote several articles on JihadWatch.com comparing Western and Muslim understandings of dialogue, and claims that Islamic dialogue differs sharply from that of Westerners, the Socratic dialogue. “For them, ‘dialogue’ does not mean an attempt to rationally debate a topic in order to arrive at the truth. Truth is already a given: It’s called Shariah, and the only ‘dialogue’ that is acceptable is one that will lead to the implementation of Shariah, one way or another. When they invite us to a ‘dialogue,’ they actually mean that we should negotiate our surrender, or else…,” Fjordman-Breivik says.

This description of Socratic dialogue is rather misleading. In fact, it is precisely in Socratic dialogue that the truth is already a given and the “master” leads the students to that truth through questions. Socrates believed that everything is known beforehand and that learning is a process of remembering what we already knew. Philosophers such as Mikhail Bakhtin have criticized Socratic dialogue for being a monologue through and through.

Of course it would not be wise to expect that a mind like Breivik’s, stuck in past experiences and obsessed with a new era, should be well read in philosophy and literary criticism. In fact he abhors literary criticism as an academic manifestation of cultural Marxism. But this readiness to accept a misreading as the single truth is exactly what intercultural, interreligious, interfaith, inter-ontological dialogue is trying to do away with.

for the full artcile: http://www.sundayszaman.com/sunday/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=251835&columnistId=24