From The Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The participants of a seminar on Sunday urged all patriotic citizens and leaders belonging to various faiths to join hands for interfaith harmony in order to defeat the anti-state elements.

In a resolution passed unanimously, they condemned the prevalent terrorists activities, against the non-Muslims in particular, and called upon the authorities to nip this trend in the bud to protect the rights of minorities all over the country.

Ministry of Minorities Affairs in collaboration with The Interfaith Council for Peace and Harmony (ICPH) organised the conference titled ‘National Interfaith Peace Conference’ at a local hotel to promote interfaith coexistence.

Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti presided over the function.

The resolutions said Pakistan was a peaceful country and all efforts would be made for the social security of minorities and the elements destabilizing the law and order should be taken to task. “We condemn terror related activities in particular against non-Muslims in Faisalabad, Lahore and everywhere and demand that the government arrest the killers of Iftikhar Gilani’s son,” the resolution said.

The resolution demanded complete protection to sacred places of all religions in the country. “Terrorist attacks on religious places /shrines, schools, hospitals, state institutions, offices of law-enforcement agencies, public and private buildings are the worst example of barbaric act,” it said.

Click here to read the entire article.

Participants at St. Vlash Theological Academy.

From World Council of Churches.

The need for a “theology of healing” was the central theme of a recent international encounter between Orthodox women and Christians of both sexes from other traditions.

Female leadership in the life of the church – be it in the area of worship, education, administration or social care – should not be “understood as seeking power and prestige but as a deeper commitment to love and service that responds to the sacrificing love of Christ” stated the women and men who took part in the 8-12 July meeting at the St Vlash Theological Academy in Albania.

The participants suggested seeing the women’s commitment as a “healing to all suffering people, particularly the abused, the violated, the victims of poverty and other marginalized people among which women and children are the most vulnerable and highest numbers”.

A theology of healing rests on the fact that “healing is a gift from the incarnate, crucified and risen Lord to all creation”. This healing “is expressed in a concrete way daily according to the needs of the social context in which the Christian communities struggle”.

Thus, women and men in the church need to commit themselves “to be agents of the resurrected Lord and instruments of healing in a broken and needy world”.

Click here to read the entire article.

Click here to read statements by the participants of the meeting.

DFW INTERFAITH COALITION TAKES STAND FOR ACCEPTANCE AND PEACE IN BID FOR 2014 PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD’S RELIGIONS

DALLAS , TX – On the eve of scheduled picketing of a number of religious organizations, the DFW Interfaith Coalition will hold a news conference taking a stand for building bridges of peace and highlighting Dallas-Fort Worth as an official bid city for the 2014 Parliament of the World’s Religions (PWR).  The news conference will take place tomorrow, Thursday, July 8, 10:30 a.m., at Dealey Plaza , Houston and Elm Streets.  It will feature a solidarity pledge for understanding of different religious and spiritual traditions while promoting interreligious dialogue.

“The issues facing North Texas, the US and the world are so complex and multi-layered, that we can no longer look to one group, organization or even arena to move us forward,” said Rev. Weldes.  “We must all learn to work, collaborate, and operate together, and since religion can be such a seriously divisive issue, it can also be the best place to start bringing people together.  A deepening awareness of the international inter-religious movement will continue to strengthen the relationships between the diverse elements of DFW’s population.”

“Our effort to bring the Parliament of the World’s Religions (PWR) to Dallas focuses showcasing Dallas and its diversity, on building bridges among religions, spiritual, academic, political, business and non-profit sectors of our community, seeking to bring everyone to the table of dialogue, so that creative and multi-faceted conversation can be had,” says DFW Interfaith Coalition vice-chair Rev. Dr. Petra Weldes.  “We have significant issues facing our community, and an interreligious dialogue meaningfully engages people on all sides of the conversation in a significant way.”

Rev. Weldes will issue the solidarity pledge, which honors all religious and spiritual traditions, at the news conference which will also feature singers Lainey Bernstein, who will sing, “There’s a Healing Going On,” and Rev. Eric Folkerth. Those in attendance will be asked to sign petitions supporting the coalition’s efforts to bring the 2014 Parliament to Dallas-Ft. Worth.

The Council for the Parliament of the World’s Religions’ (CPWR) mission promotes inter-religious harmony, rather than unity, an approach enriched by the particularities of each tradition.  Its goal is a just, peaceful and sustainable world where religious and cultural fears and hatreds are replaced with understanding and respect based on mutual values, and the earth and all life are cherished, protected, healed and restored for the common good.  CPWR holds a PWR every five years.  More than 6,000 people attended the December 2009 PWR in Melbourne , Australia.

Dallas-Fort Worth is one of three official bid cities for the 2014 Parliament of the World’s Religions (PWR).  A coalition of local spiritual and religious organizations are working together in this effort to be the host city.  It is the only US city being considered.  The two other candidates are Brussels, Belgium, and Guadalajara, Mexico.  A final decision won’t be announced until October 2011.
“CPWR believes that DFW is certainly an intriguing place to have a PWR since it would shake up the stereotypes that people have of this area.  We are thrilled with this opportunity,”  said Rev. Weldes.   To gain support, organizations and leaders are being asked daily to join and support the DFW Interfaith Coalition. Coalition members currently represent Muslim, Judaism, Orthodox Christian, African American Christian, Catholic, Christian United Methodist, New Thought, the Urantia Community, Sikh, Baha’i, Hindu, and Taoist spirituality traditions.

The DFW Interfaith Coalition 2014 PWR bid has the support of Mayor Tom Leppert and Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and the Dallas Convention Center and Visitors Bureau.  Coalition participants include, among others, The Foundation for Pluralism, the Memnosyne Foundation, The Aga Khan Foundation, PartnershipsInAction, and the Association for Global New Thought (Advisory member), which are all heavily involved in dialogue and cooperation with cities and organizations globally.  The Coalition will submit an extended bid proposal in August and acceptance will then make DFW part of the PWR Partner City network.

The DFW Interfaith Coalition plans meetings across the DFW area with all of the area’s mayors and religious and spiritual communities to bring them on board supporting its PWR bid.  The coalition will soon launch a social media campaign on Facebook and Twitter.

Professor Tariq Ramadan

From The Daily Herald

An estimated 30,000 Muslims from across the continent are expected to meet in Rosemont this weekend for an annual convention that promises to focus on compassion. But will that compassion be centered within the Muslim community or will it be directed toward non-Muslims?

“It should go both ways,” says Safaa Zarzour, a lawyer and professor who lives in the near West suburbs and serves as secretary general of the Islamic Society of North America.

Titled “Nurturing Compassionate Communities: Connecting Faith and Service,” the 47th annual meeting of the Islamic Society of North America urges conventioneers to answer the Quran’s call to “Help one another toward kindness and piety; do not help one another in furthering sin and hostility.”

But the gathering also gives participants a chance to speak out against Islamophobia that illustrates a need for compassion toward Muslims.

Zarzour says he realizes that some Americans see Muslims as “extreme, hard, suspicious, uncaring and unfriendly,” and many Muslim kids report feeling stress. But, just as Irish Catholics and other minorities overcame stereotypes to become integral parts of society, American Muslims can, too, Zarzour says.

“It is our duty as Muslims in America to educate our fellow Americans,” says Zarzour, who has served on many interfaith committees and received the Chicago Commission on Human Relation’s Outstanding Service Award in 2009. “We feel it is our duty to foster a feeling of belonging and compassion. Muslims are here to add to the beauty and diversity of America.”

Enduring prejudice on the way to acceptance seems to come with the territory, Zarzour says.

“The Mormons were chased out of Illinois and their leader was slaughtered in Illinois,” Zarzour says, noting how a mob killed Joseph Smith Jr. in 1844.

Making an effort to understand different religions and viewpoints makes a community stronger, he says.

Click here to read the entire article.

From The World Communion of Reformed Churches

In a spirit of unity and cooperation, the newly formed World Communion of Reformed Churches made several decisions, “heard the Gospel of reconciling love,” and prepared itself to respond “in joyful hope” to a range of issues in churches and the world, the WCRC said in a final message statement issued Saturday.

From start to finish, the focus of the gathering was on the importance of valuing diversity while establishing unity. The unity was seen in discussions, but also in the times of worship, says Setri Nyomi, general secretary of WCRC, in an interview at the end of its 10-day meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the Upper Midwest of the United States.

Formed from the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC), WCRC represents 230 churches and 80 million Reformed Christians worldwide.

Now that the meeting is finished, the WCRC will establish a strategic planning committee to help “unpack” all that was discussed and acted on this week.

Responding to “God’s Word,” the new communion made a number of statements on Friday and Saturday on such topics as the need to focus on human rights in countries including Somalia, Sudan, Burma[Myanmar], North Korea and Cuba.

It also overwhelmingly issued a strong statement protesting the denial of more than 70 visas for delegates and others from around the world who wanted to attend the meeting.

A major statement was issued, asking that the WCRC join in “prophetic solidarity” with Indigenous peoples around the world and “rely on God’s grace and join hands together for all in a world in need of healing.”

“This is a serious step and churches… will need address and accept this,” said Clifton Kirkpatrick, former president of WARC who was moderating the discussion on Saturday morning.

The WCRC also discussed issues ranging from how to better include youth and women in member churches and ways to address how the current, market-based economy hurts people worldwide.

A special message was issued to children which said: “We will work together for everyone in our church family and for all other families, too!”

Click here to read the entire article.

Left: Member of Parliament Steven Fletcher; Right: Faith Acts Fellow Nicholas Pang

The 2010 World Religions Summit drafted a statement urging leaders to curb poverty, end violent conflict, and protect the environment. Over 80 representatives from the world’s major faiths convened in Winnipeg, Canada from June 21-24 including, for the first time, representatives of the Baha’i faith. The summit convened in the days leading up to the G8 and G20 summits in Toronto with the conviction that the leaders of the G8 nations have the ability to enact these changes.

The conference was attended by both senior faith leaders and youth delegates, including former Faith Acts Fellows from the Tony Blair Foundation. Over 20 countries were in attendance representing Aboriginal, Buddhist, Baha’i, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, and Shinto religious traditions.

The statement called on leaders to take “inspired leadership and action”:

Acknowledging our common humanity and embracing the imperative to treat all persons with dignity, we affirm that no one person is more or less valuable than another. We urge the political leaders to consider first the vulnerable among us, particularly our children, and to work together to address the dehumanizing scourge of poverty and injustice, and practice and promote care for our common environment, the Earth.

In our diverse faith traditions we have rich histories and powerful dreams for ending poverty, caring for the Earth and being peace-builders. We acknowledge our own shortcomings and inadequacies, we commit to continuing these life-giving actions in the service of the common good. While recognizing efforts already made to address many of these challenges, we expect government representatives to set aside short-term agendas and work together for a future that allows all people on this planet to thrive.

Click here to read more about the 2010 World Religions Summit.

Click here to read more about the Summit and a copy of the report.

Initiatives in Education, Science, and Culture

From The Washington Post

By Katherine Marshall

Two hands cradling a tender young plant provided the visual image for an ambitious conference last week in Alexandria, Egypt. The image aptly illustrated the underlying question: have the new beginnings that President Obama promised one year ago, in his speech to the world’s Muslim communities at Cairo University, taken root? Not surprisingly, those of us who attended the conference heard a wide range of answers…

Religion found a central but not entirely easy place in the discussions. I moderated a lively session about why interfaith dialogue is needed, and why it is so difficult. Everyone had something to say, less about the merits or demerits of dialogue than about what they think is wrong.

Mustafa Ceric, Grand Mufti of Bosnia-Herzogovina commented, with some exasperation, that everyone has many complaints. What, he said, would have transpired if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had said in his speech, “I have a complaint”? What we need instead, he said, are hopes and dreams…

Evoking the promise of Obama’s Cairo speech, the Sheikh admitted that turning hope into reality is not easy, but there is solid ground for mercy and peace to grow. Of over 6,000 verses in the Qur’an, he said, only 300 are related to legal matters; 97 percent are about moral excellence. Bill Vendley focused on similar themes: we need to learn together, to value together, and to act together.

Women’s roles in Muslim societies were at the forefront in the Alexandria discussions and the Sheikh was challenged to comment. He tried to draw the line between what the essence of religion dictates (equal yet complementary roles), and what he termed bad customs and traditions in some Muslim societies. Interestingly, he reported a recent review he undertook of Muslim history which found over 90 women heads of state, judges, and ministers. The implication: culture, not religion, is the obstacle.

Click here to read the entire article.

To learn more about the Initiatives in Education, Science, and Culture Conference, click here.

One Young World (OYW), a global forum for young leaders, held its first international summit in February this year. 823 young leaders from 112 countries met in London for three days to discuss current events and developed 6 key Resolutions. Plenary sessions were led by such international figures as Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan, and Muhammad Yunus.

Addressing the crowd of young leaders, Muhammad Yunus said, “Only if we act can we create the world that we want.” Discussion topics focused on how to implement social change in a business setting. Said Lauren Pierce Bush, 25 year old founder of FEED, “The importance of doing good in business will be just as important as doing well in business.”

To watch footage from from the summit and learn more about OYW, click here.

Currently, OYW Ambassadors from Nigeria, Russia, and South Africa are supporting the Missing Millenium Development Goal, a petition that declares the eight Millennium Development Goals can only be successful with Interfaith Collaboration. The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) created by the UN include objectives such as halving poverty and preventing the further spread of HIV and AIDS.

Click here to sign The Missing Millenium Development Goal petition.

2nd Annual International Conference on

“Religion, Conflict and Peace”

Walking The Talk to Compassion and Harmony

Featuring live virtual addresses by

Huston Smith, Rabbi David Rosen,

and Karen Armstrong

To Be Confirmed: Tariq Ramadan

June 11-13, 2010

Henry Ford Community College
Dearborn, Michigan USA

A Multi-disciplinary, Multi-cultural Conference
that is
an Official Partner and Event of

the Charter For Compassion

and

the Parliament of World Religions

Sponsored by:
Common Bond Institute,
Co-Sponsored by:
International Humanistic Psychology Association (IHPA), Henry Ford Community College, Parashakthi Temple, Pathways To Peace, Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan, Muslim Presence Ottawa
Endorsed by over 100 universities and organizations internationally

Full Conference Details at:
www.cbiworld.org/Pages/Conferences_RCP.htm

~ Registration is Open All ~

We Invite You To:
an inclusive, highly interactive 3-day public forum promoting Inter-religious and Intra-religious dialogue to explore the challenges of Extremism, Intolerance, Scapegoating, and Islamophobia, and the promise of Reason, Understanding, Compassion, and Cultural Harmony.

Join 45 Presenters and Facilitators as we explore:
1) The mutual dilemmas of religious ignorance, extremism, intolerance, negative stereotypes, prejudice, demonization and dehumanization, scapegoating, and fear of “the other,” that lead to toxic divisiveness, polarization, and social paranoia, including the current example of Islamophobia and it’s impact on the Muslim community,
and
2) The promise of personal engagement through dialogue in nurturing a shared consciousness of peace – and in doing so promoting the religious experience as a healing remedy rather than problem.

Geshe Gendun Gyatso, Sonya Friedman, Najah Bazzy, Brenda Rosenberg, Gail Katz, Padma Kuppa, Shahina Begg, Patricia Harris, Victor Begg, Saeed Khan, Bill Secrest, Ventra Assana, Lily Mendoza, Jim Perkinson, Manveen Saluja, Robert Cohen, Kari Alterman, Imad Hamad, Steve Spreitzer, Daniel Tutt, Steve Olweean, Farha Abbasi, Rene Lichtman, Sheri Schiff, Mike Whitty, Myron Eshowsky, Nettie Kingsley, Betty Kingsley, Mohammed Dajani, Zeina Barakat, Shari Rogers, Jackie Teunessen, Shelina Merani, Mary Assel, Mouhanad Hammami, Jehan Olweean, Betsy Kellman, Venkat Hari, Maida Besic, Susan Lebold

FORMAT:
An outstanding, diverse gathering of presenters for 3 Days of keynotes, workshops, panels, dialogue groups, exhibits, social/cultural events, multicultural community, and rich networking for collaborative application beyond the conference.

“It does not require that we be the same to be appreciative of, at peace with, and secure in our relationships with each other; only that we be familiar enough with each others story to share the humanity and trustworthiness that resides in each of us.”

Location: Henry Ford Community College
5101 Evergreen Rd., Dearborn, MI. USA
Schedule: Fri. June 11, 10:00 am -to- Sun. June 13, 2:30 pm
(On-site Registration opens 8:30 am)

FOR FULL DETAILS on the 3 Day Program, Registration, Fees, Program Ads, and Exhibits CONTACT:

Common Bond Institute
Details at Website: www.cbiworld.org
Steve Olweean, Conference Coordinator
12170 S. Pine Ayr Drive, Climax, MI 49034 USA
Ph/Fax: 269-665-9393 Email: SOlweean@aol.com

Friday June 25 to Monday June 28, 2010.

Zoroastrian Center of Chicago
Arbab Rustam Guiv Darbe Meher
8615 Meadowbrook Drive, Burr Ridge
Friday evening 6:30 PM:  presentation on the life of Firdausi and Shah Nameh recitation.

Saturday and Sunday 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM:  full day of presentations on rituals and ceremonies and Zoroastrian history.

Monday 9:00 AM to Noon:  Roundtable discussion with scholars of Zoroastrianism.

Nominal charge for meals:  $5 for Friday dinner and $12 per day for Saturday and Sunday (including Breakfast, Lunch and Tea).

Click here to download details and the proposed program

Participants may participate in the full conference or any part thereof.
A good opportunity to learn about Zoroastrians.
For inquiries and reservation call Rohinton Rivetna 630 325 5383