From Worldview/WBEZ 91.5

Imam Malik Mujahid hosts Friday prayers at several local mosques and is Executive Producer of the show Radio Islam. He’ll tell us about remembering 9/11 in the wake of growing Islamophobia and the floods in his native Pakistan. And on Global Activism, Gregory Gross, Clinical Manager at the Center on Halsted, talks with Jerome about his collaboration with Project Tariro, an HIV/AIDS prevention and support program in Zimbabwe.

Click here to listen to the interview.

FROM FIRE STORM TO ILLUMINATION:

Interreligious Reflections on the New York Center and Mosque Project

William Lesher, Chair Emeritus, Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions

What some in the media have referred to as “a fire storm” over the mosque debate in lower Manhattan is turning out to be a catalyst to launch a much needed national discussion (and tutorial) on Muslims in America.

Since this discussion was intensified by the exaggerated rhetoric and distorted claims of Pamela Geller, a conservative blogger in her post on May 6, a consensus seems to be forming among constitutionally committed citizens across the political spectrum.  Fair-minded people are agreeing that the Imam and his wife in charge of the mosque project, Feisal Abdul Rauf, Daisy Khan and their supporters, have every right to expand their center and include a new worship space on the site.  They have worked from and worshipped in this place for many years, two blocks from the World Trade Center disaster.  Even though current polls claim that 7 out of 10 Americans oppose the project, opponents can hardly argue that the project planners do not have a constitutional right to carry out their vision.  As one letter to the NY Times editor put it, “As a legal matter, there is nothing to debate.  If a church or synagogue could be constructed on this site, so may a mosque.  Period. The first amendment means at least that.”

The location of the proposed Islamic Center touches the raw nerve that has elicited often shrill claims ranging from insensitivity to the families of the 9/11 victims and desecration of hallowed ground to an international Islamic conspiracy to subvert the nation.  Given the fact that the vast majority of Americans know little of Islam and know almost nothing of the history and intentions of the center planners in lower Manhattan, it is not surprising that the barrage of misinformation that initiated and continues to stoke the current national discussion has filled this vacuum and created the sharp negative and often heated responses.

But now, as the national discussion continues, one might cautiously hope, even anticipate, that the time is right for a nation-wide learning process to unfold.  This could become a time for Americans of fairness and goodwill to take the time to listen and to learn from people in the interreligious community and from Muslims themselves about the importance, the variety, and the beauty of this second largest religion in the world. And to hear as well, about the healing potential for having a thoroughly American expression of Islam close to the site of Ground Zero.

The Interreligious Movement in the US and around the world has been building bridges of understanding among religious communities, including Islam, for the last few decades.  Many religious people in the US are affiliated with local interreligious councils or with national and international organizations like United Religions Initiative (URI) or Religions for Peace (RFP) or have participated in one of the four modern Parliaments of the World’s Religions (PWR) with which I am affiliated. These people have led the way in this historic movement to develop knowledge, understanding, and respect for religious and spiritual communities of the world, many of whom have growing numbers of adherents in our towns and cities, states and nation.

People affiliated with the growing interreligious movement know about the great diversity that exists within Islam, not unlike the wide spectrum of beliefs, traditions and behaviors among different sectors in the Christian and Jewish communities. They know what William Dalrymple wrote about in an illuminating Op-Ed piece in the New York Times entitled, “The Muslims in the Middle,” that Islam is not a monolithic religion.  Rather it is as complex as Christianity and Judaism, with as many, perhaps more divisions, sects and traditions, some in opposition to others, as is true of every major religious group. Dalrymple helpfully teaches in his article how “Feisal Abdul Rauf…is one of America’s leading thinkers of Sufism, the mystical form of Islam which in terms of goals and outlook couldn’t be farther from the violent Wahabism of the jihadists.  His videos and sermons preach love, the remembrance of God and reconciliation…..But in the eyes of Osama bin Laden and the Taliban, he is an infidel-loving, grave-worshipping apostate…”

Members of the interfaith movement are also leading the resistance to the resisters and need to do so more and more.  In another New York Times article describing protests against mosques in several communities around the country, Laurie Goodstein focuses on Temecula, Ca.  There she writes: “In late June …members of a local Tea Party group took dogs and picket signs to Friday prayers at a mosque that is seeking to build a new worship center on a vacant lot nearby.”  She goes on to say that an estimated 20 – 30 people turned out to protest the mosque.  But then Ms. Goodstein states what many of us think is the real story in Temecula, “that the protesters were outnumbered by at least 75 supporters” who affirm the right of the Muslim congregation in Temecula to expand their mosque.  Something good is happening in Temecula when, less then a decade after 9/11, local citizens know and act on the difference between their mainstream Muslim neighbors and the terrorists whose actions violated the most basic tenants of Islam. It’s too bad that the NY Times headlined the Goodstein article, “Across Nation, Mosque Projects Meet Resistance” and missed the positive thrust of the Temecula story.

Speaking from the experience of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, the 2004 Parliament in Barcelona, Spain focused major attention on the issue of Religiously Motivated and Experienced Violence.  After several days of intense workshop discussions, participants from across the interreligious spectrum, agreed that the minimum responsibility of religious communities  is to come to the aid of any religious community whose house of worship is the target of an attack, vandalism, threat or destruction.

The recent Parliament in Melbourne, Australia in 2009 featured a strong focus on Islam.  Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf himself was a major presenter leading or participating in six interreligious programs with the following titles: “Applying Islamic Principles for a Just and Sustainable World”;  “Sacred Envy Panel: Exploring What We Love about Our Own Faith, What We Admire in Others and What Challenges Us in Both”;  “Purifying the Heart and Soul through Remembrance of Allah”; “Dhikr As An Islamic Devotional Act for Inner Peace”; “How Islam Deals with Social Justice, Gender Justice and Religious Diversity”; and “Islam and the West: Creating an Accord of Civilizations.”  How much could such a teacher of Islam help to bridge the gulf of misunderstanding about this great faith tradition by continuing his long and much admired ministry in lower Manhattan where he has built an international reputation for promulgating a modern version of Islam?

So, while some call it a “fire storm” and do their best to make it so, there are other voices that seem to be gaining strength.  Among the shouting and the uninformed outrage that sometimes seems ubiquitous, I sense that  responsible media outlets and people in the interreligious movement are grasping the significance of this moment and are helping to seed the discussion with historical facts, accurate information and a commitment to understanding and respect.  If this trend continues we will all learn important things about ourselves and about the most recent global religious tradition to enter the mainstream of American life.

Yasus Afari

From Anguilla News

Yasus Afari, Rastafarian Ambassador to the Council of the Parliament of World Religions is currently in Anguilla as co-facilitator in the Anguilla Stingray Parenting workshops being conducted from July 7 – 13, 2010.  The theme of this year’s workshop series is Parenting for Peace and Protection.

In his role as social justice advocate, Afari joins Ijahnya Christian of Triple Crown Culture Yard to highlight the protection of children in families and communities and to assist parents in preventing and responding more effectively to the sexual abuse of children.

Afari’s visit to Anguilla follows a whirlwind tour of Southern Africa and Europe where he gave performances and facilitated lively, interactive workshops with family groups and schools.  “He has extensive experience in schools in his home country Jamaica, Canada, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom,” and has also engaged with colleges, libraries, museums and prisons during his tours in 2010.  While in Anguilla, Yasus Afari will also participate in the Children’s Library Summer Programme.

Click here to read the entire article.

From The Roanoke Times

The latest efforts to link people of different religions in the Roanoke Valley played out Wednesday night at a Catholic church in Southwest Roanoke County with a handful of Christians, Jews, Muslims — and a TV.

Katie and John Zawacki organized the event as part of an initiative they call Voices of Faith.

Those in attendance watched a 30-minute video from a series on the world’s three largest religions, and then they talked in small groups about their commonalities or differences — though most of the discussion centered on what was in common.

In a period of religious conflict, the third of a three-part series of discussions at Our Lady of Nazareth showed there are people who want to come together.

“Without peace between world religions, there won’t be peace in the world,” said Katie Zawacki, a member of the church who with her husband, John, helped organize the session.

Some interreligious efforts, of course, are decades old. Global meetings such as the World Conference on Religion and Peace or the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions bring together people from different corners of the world. (Archbishop Desmond Tutu delivered an address to the delegations from four cities bidding for the 2014 parliament: Brussels, Belgium; Dallas, Texas; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and Guadalajara, Mexico.)

The Roanoke Valley Ministers’ Conference, for many years an influential association, named Gerry Walter, a Jew, as its first non-Christian president in 1979.

In 2004, a group of eight congregations known as Congregations in Action organized tutoring and take-home snacks for less fortunate children at Roanoke’s Highland Park Elementary School. In 2007, Imam Ibrahim Hamidullah of Roanoke teamed up with a Hollins University professor to lead a six-week lecture series on Islam. And before the 2009-10 school year, Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders participate in a blessing ceremony for Patrick Henry High School.

“These interreligious efforts have been going on for decades,” said the Rev. Stephen Stanley of Christ Episcopal Church.

Click here to read the entire article.

The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions would like to offer our deepest sympathies and support for all of the victims of yesterday’s devastating earthquake in Haiti.  We encourage anyone who has participated in the Parliament of the World’s Religions, or who stands for a just, peaceful, and sustainable world, to lend their support to recovery efforts.

To find out how you can help, click here.

Delegates of the 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne, Australia:

This is you!

To all sponsors, speakers, performers, organizers and delegates, we offer the heartfelt thanks of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions and all of our encouragement as you go forward to make a world of difference.

In the meantime, we hope to see you on PeaceNext, our official social network.

Please continue to visit our website, http://parliamentofreligions.org, for video, text, and photographic documentation of our Melbourne Parliament and details on developments to come!

Every five years, the world’s greatest interreligious event welcomes thousands of people to see the world through different eyes. People of different faiths come together to learn, grow and celebrate their diversity. They realize that despite their religious differences, they share a similar calling to build a more just, sustainable and peaceful world. Friendships are made. Wisdom is shared. Lessons are learned. Souls are touched.

Why wait another five years?

The Council of the Parliament of the World’s Religions is pleased to announce the creation of PeaceNext, our very own social network that will bring together the global interreligious community in dynamic and far-reaching ways.

Share a reflection.

Post a photograph.

Pass along a link.

Celebrate your community’s accomplishments.

Share your city’s interreligious concerns.

Find a friend you met at the Parliament on the other side of the globe.

Meet a new friend who lives on the other side of town.

PeaceNext is not the Parliament, but it’s the digital extension of the event. Friendships are made. Wisdom is shared. Lessons are learned. Souls are touched.

Not every five years, but every single day.

President Jimmy Carter will address the 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions on The Religious Imperative for the Equality of Women & Girls.

After President Carter’s teleconference address, Council Executive Director, Rev. Dirk Ficca will facilitate a Q & A session with the President. The address will be followed by a panel discussion with the participation of the following select respondents:

Anisa Buckley is a PhD Candidate in Islamic Studies at the Asia Institute and the Melbourne Law School at The University of Melbourne. She also holds an MA (Islamic Studies) from the University of New England, Armidale, a Graduate Certificate in International Development from RMIT, and a B.Ed from The University of Sydney.

One of India’s most revered holy women, Sri Karunamayi has dedicated her life to the cause of world peace and universal welfare. Through her global travels, she works tirelessly to remove the suffering from the hearts of all people. This she does through her loving words of spiritual guidance and encouragement, her healing touch, her divine insights, and her extensive charitable activities on behalf of India’s poor.

Gurbux Kaur Kahlon is an energy economist with California’s Public Utilities Commission. Born and raised in Punjab, India, she immigrated to the US in 1977. Based on her experience in India and the US, she will share her unique perspectives on gender equality and women’s intergenerational issues. She is active in the San Francisco Bay area interfaith community and participates in promoting interreligious understanding and harmony via the Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco.

Rev. Dirk Ficca serves as Executive Director of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions. Dirk worked closely with the religious and spiritual communities of the Chicago metropolitan area to plan and organize the 1993 Parliament event in Chicago. Given the enthusiasm generated by the 1993 Parliament, Dirk continued to lead the Council’s efforts to build a vibrant interreligious movement in Chicago and around the world. Dirk is an ordained Presbyterian minister and prior to joining the Council served for eleven years as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Benton Harbor, Michigan. Dirk teaches at DePaul University, the Lutheran School of Theology and Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Date: Friday, Dec. 4, 2009
Time: 9:30 AM
Location: Room 109

Read more about the Parliament program here.
Read a biography of President Jimmy Carter here.
Read about Parliament speakers here.

The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions is pleased to announce that Interfaith Action for Peace in Africa (IFAPA) is the recipient of the Paul Carus Award. IFAPA maintains a number of humanitarian projects, and its most public activity has been in the area of conflict resolution, broadly representing numerous regions and religions on the African continent.

The Carus Award is given in memory of Dr. Paul Carus, a world-renowned scholar, writer and publisher in the fields of religion, philosophy and science. He was a key figure in the introduction of Buddhism to the West and a prominent organizer of the first Parliament of the World’s Religions in 1893 in Chicago, USA.

To read the full announcement of the award, click here.

The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions was proud to send representatives to the launch of the Center of Spiritual Enlightenment in San Jose, United States on November 12th. Board Chair Rev. Dr. William Lesher and Partner Cities Director Ms. Zabrina Santiago attended and spoke at the inaugural event, along with Mayor Chuck Reed of San Jose.

The Center offers worship services, adult education classes in spiritual philosophy and practice, healthy living, Hatha Yoga, retreats, leadership training, spiritual direction and counseling, children’s education and a thriving spiritual community. For more information on the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, click here.