J.P.=20
Antonacci
October 18, 2010
If interfaith religious dialogue is intended to help people correct=20
misconceptions about other religions while coming to better understand =
their=20
own, then the approximately 60 Christians, Jews and Muslims who =
participated in=20
yesterday=E2=80=99s =E2=80=9CPerceptions and Reality=E2=80=9D interfaith =
event at the Islamic Society of=20
North America (ISNA) on South Sheridan Way had a very productive=20
day.
Attendees heard from three captivating speakers who offered some =
theological food for thought by illuminating unknown or misconstrued =
aspects of=20
their religions.
Organizers from the three sponsoring religious =
communities=20
=E2=80=94 Oakville's Shaarei-Beth El Synagogue, St. Jude=E2=80=99s =
Anglican Church and the=20
Islamic Society of North America =E2=80=94 distributed colour-coded name =
tags reflecting=20
the three religions, so as to encourage discussion across religious =
lines by=20
having members of each faith seated at every round table in the ISNA =
High School=20
gymnasium.
Rabbi Dow Marmur, a prolific author, started the day by =
making the=20
often-repeated point that the three faiths share a common ancestral=20
heritage.
=E2=80=9CThe only chance for dialogue is to concentrate on =
what we have in=20
common, which is very much,=E2=80=9D Marmur said, adding that along with =
discussion,=20
religious groups can build mutual respect and understanding through =
working=20
together to address social issues here at home.
In his lively and =
compelling=20
talk, Sheikh Alaa Elsayed, Director of Religious Affairs for the Islamic =
Centre=20
of Canada, dispelled erroneous claims =E2=80=94 chiefly about terrorism =
and women=E2=80=99s=20
rights =E2=80=94 propagated about Islam by spurious authorities who =
don=E2=80=99t base their=20
teachings on the Qur=E2=80=99an.
=E2=80=9CIgnorance is one of our =
enemies,=E2=80=9D Elsayed said,=20
adding that Islamic leaders themselves must do a better job of building =
bridges=20
with other faith communities in order to dispel ridiculous yet =
frustratingly=20
persistent beliefs about Muslims, such as the notion that Islam =
encourages the=20
murder of non-Muslims.
Elsayed defined Islam=E2=80=99s actual moral =
code thusly: =E2=80=9CIf=20
you kill one innocent soul, it=E2=80=99s as though you=E2=80=99ve killed =
humanity.=E2=80=9D
Last to=20
the podium was Rev. Dr. Lois Wilson, a retired Canadian senator and =
ordained=20
United Church minister who addressed myths about Christianity, including =
the=20
misconception that eternal salvation is only possible through belief in =
Jesus=20
Christ. She implored her listeners not to debate by shooting =
=E2=80=9CScripture bullets=E2=80=9D=20
=E2=80=94 citing brief Biblical quotations without providing any context =
=E2=80=94 which is how=20
the =E2=80=9Cpastoral response=E2=80=9D Jesus gave to his worried =
disciples about following him=20
to heaven was transformed into an exclusionary =E2=80=9Cpolemic=E2=80=9D =
dooming all=20
non-Christians to second-class citizenry in the =
hereafter.
=E2=80=9CToday they=20
cleared up so many misunderstanding I had,=E2=80=9D said Irshad Oman =
from the University=20
of Toronto based interfaith group, Faiths Act Canada, who made the trek =
from=20
downtown Toronto because he believes =E2=80=9Creligion can reach out to =
people where=20
politicians cannot.=E2=80=9D
The turnout was better than expected, =
said Carleen=20
Carroll, a co-organizer from St. Jude=E2=80=99s Anglican =
Church.
=E2=80=9CIt was really great=20
for me because I have a lot of Jewish friends, (but) I actually =
don=E2=80=99t know any=20
Muslims. And now I feel that I=E2=80=99ve made some friends in the =
Muslim community, and=20
I=E2=80=99ve learned a lot more about the faith,=E2=80=9D she =
said.
After a kosher lunch =E2=80=94=20
and Muslim prayers held in the adjoining mosque, to which all =
participants were=20
invited and many went =E2=80=94 attendees gathered in small groups to =
discuss what they=20
had heard.
=E2=80=9CI feel like if I learn about other religions, =
I=E2=80=99ll learn more=20
about my own,=E2=80=9D said Noura Alnasser, one of a group of young =
Muslims discussing=20
the Middle East and the nature of Canadian =
multiculturalism.
=E2=80=9CAnd as a=20
Palestinian, I find that talking to Jews and learning more will reduce=20
misunderstandings, and that feeling of anger. When you just talk to =
them, you=20
see them as other human beings, rather than just seeing faceless people =
and=20
saying, =E2=80=98They took my country,=E2=80=99=E2=80=9D she said. =
=E2=80=9CI know it=E2=80=99s really hard to fix the=20
problem, obviously, but understanding each other is the first=20
step.=E2=80=9D
=E2=80=9CHumility is the mother of tolerance,=E2=80=9D =
Marmur told his listeners.
This=20
article is for personal use only courtesy of Mississauga.com - a =
division of=20
Metroland Media Group Ltd.