...[I]t is important to understand the difference between good people practicing their religion in our community and extremists bred to hate and commit violence in the name of a religion whose very name is a statement of peace.
Source/Credit: Philly Burbs
By Larry Snider | April 26, 2013
About a baker’s dozen years ago, I began to act on an evolving interest in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and the path to Middle East peace.
I had no idea at that time that my focus would lead me to take multiple journeys to the region, beginning as a member of the Mid-East Citizen Diplomacy Delegation in 2001.
I also had no idea that my curiosity would lead me to engage in a continuing dialogue beyond my own Jewish religion with Christians and Muslims, and begin an ongoing process of getting to know my neighbors on levels I had previously not considered.
It’s April 2013, and I have prayed in Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopal churches in the past few years as I attended, was a part of or ran interfaith programs.
I was led to pray in a mosque in Yardley by a dear friend, Rafiyq Friend and his imam as we, (a number of clergy and lay people who were brought together by the Rev. Al Krass), met in the aftermath of 9/11 to try, in a small way, to chart a course of interfaith cooperation to promote understanding and healing in the face of that enormous tragedy.
I have had the pleasure of praying with the leaders of the Zubaida Foundation, who purchased the property some years later, and are now in the early stages of expanding their mosque.
Eye on eqality: Mark Driscoll, Megachurch Leader, Says Nagging Wives Like Water Tortureah
I have spent time with a variety of their members and watched as they work hard in many different ways to make contributions to our community, from helping the shelter, to food drives and more.
I have gotten to know the imam of Masjidul Taqwa in Trenton, Imam Abdul Malik-Ali, over a number of years beginning when he joined our Delaware Valley Interfaith Delegation to Israel/Palestine in March 2008. A few months ago I was privileged to attend his wedding at the mosque.
Over the past few years, I’ve attended the weddings of three Muslim friends. I believe a key ingredient in building community is introducing people and their faiths to each other through events that showcase the strength and beauty of each religion, and give people the ability to experience another faith by learning about it in a safe and respectful environment.
The organization that I serve — the Interfaith Community for Middle East Peace — has sponsored 10 interfaith conversations (so far) to bring people together in local churches, mosques and synagogues to speak positively about their own faiths and learn about others as they do the same. I’ve worked with Rafiyq to bring an interfaith conversation to his Ahmadiyya Mosque in Northeast Philadelphia.
In each case, I have learned a little more about Islam, and have seen it put into practice in the mosques and through the lives of my friends. I know there is Islamic extremism, and that it killed thousands in New York City, and killed innocent people and changed the lives forever of hundreds who were wounded much more recently in Boston.
But it is important to understand the difference between good people practicing their religion in our community and extremists bred to hate and commit violence in the name of a religion whose very name is a statement of peace. As we all know, it is possible to use religion as a template for good, or as a basis for committing unspeakable acts of terror.
But we can choose to meet our neighbors and establish a more wholesome community that leaves little room for extremism and hatred and fear of the unknown. I don’t expect the world, or even our little part of it here in Bucks County, to change overnight.
But each of us can be a part of the change, can stretch to reach out a little and make room for others. Together we can become a better, stronger and more inclusive community.
Larry Snider is president of ICMEP, the Interfaith Community for Middle East Peace, a local non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the faiths together and building a new constituency for Middle East peace. He lives in Morrisville and can be reached at ld.snider@yahoo.com
Read original post here: A blueprint for interfaith tolerance, here and now
This content-post is archived for backup and to keep archived records of any news Islam Ahmadiyya. The views expressed by the author and source of this news archive do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of Ahmadiyya Times.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comments. Any comments irrelevant to the post's subject matter, containing abuses, and/or vulgar language will not be approved.