USA: Western Pennsylvania religious leaders extend hands to Muslims

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“Obviously religion came up, but we talked about literally everything — politics, children, travel, mental health, the future of children.

Phoro: Guy Wathen | Tribune-Review

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Tribune-Review
By Natasha Lindstrom | January 3, 2016

[Excerpts] 
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In Western Pennsylvania and across the nation, religious leaders spanning a wide range of faiths are getting increasingly vocal and proactive in their support for the Muslim community. They're working to educate the American public about Islam and to reshape national conversations of religion, refugees and terrorism.
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Organizers of interfaith work say they aim to neutralize prejudice and intolerance fueled by anti-Muslim sentiment being expressed openly in high-profile conversations, from presidential candidates and sitting politicians to religious celebrities and cable TV pundits.

“If we give in to the fear, then that's a great recruiting tool for extremists,” said Salaam Bhatti, spokesman for Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA. “We cannot fall victim to that mentality.”

Efforts span formal classes, leadership training, prayer vigils, service projects, open houses and tours at places of worship and Muslim/Christian women's prayer groups discussing their similarities and differences over coffee.

“Interfaith dialogue and education are important ways to understand and gain respect for others' beliefs,” Rowatt added. “We need to keep telling inspirational stories of care, compassion and radical acceptance. Some will behave badly. Hope and peace comes from more being kind and reciprocating kindness, not hate.”

COMMON GROUND

“It's very important to know about other faiths and to be able to respect them,” said Mehdia “Sana” Tariq, who organized her first interfaith event at age 16 in Columbus, Ohio. Now Tariq is a member of Wilkinsburg's Al-Nur Mosque, which works with nearby Christian churches and schools, and invites the public to open houses.

These informal discussions point to similar traditions and methods of worship — including fasting, almsgiving and prayer — and the shared religious histories and recognition of many prophets, including Jesus.

Carver has said to fellow Presbyterians: “What would you think about a person who accepted that Jesus was born of Mary, that one ought to live a responsible life, that one ought to respect one's parents, take care of the poor, worship regularly, seek to bring to justice? This is the ideal Christian, and it can all be traced back to the Quran.”

Bhatti's “Ask a Muslim Anything” video interactions on Periscope have generated hundreds of responses — some from people espousing hateful comments, but many with genuine questions or words of encouragement.

The South Side's Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community works with the Turkish Cultural Center in Green Tree to improve emergency food programs.

On the national scale, the Al-Nur Mosque's Ahmadiyya sect is running educational efforts such as Stop the CrISIS, an international campaign to eradicate radicalization among Muslim youths. Since 2011, the 10th anniversary of 9/11, it has collected more than 30,000 units of donated blood through the Muslims for Life blood drives around the country, including in Wilkinsburg.

Its MuslimsforPeace.org website includes information on Islam and free Qurans in either printed or PDF form.

BEFRIENDING NEIGHBORS
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“It's the ignorance that causes so much fear in one's heart,” said Tahira Ahmad-Khan, whose women's group at the Wilkinsburg's mosque has been meeting with Jewish women who belong to a nearby synagogue.

Ahmad-Khan said such meetups are not just about debating or discussing religion; they're about getting to know and respect your neighbors.

“We all very casually sat around a table and had lunch together and just laughed and sort of got to know each other a little bit,” Ahmad-Khan said. “Obviously religion came up, but we talked about literally everything — politics, children, travel, mental health, the future of children. We talked about food and culture, and then we talked about how actually no religion teaches us to be unkind.

“It was just a very lovely start to hopefully a very long-lasting friendship.”



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Natasha Lindstrom is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-380-8514 or nlindstrom@tribweb.com.



http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/9627690-74/muslim-carver-interfaith


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