I attended a meeting of "Interfaith Leaders" tonight at the Al-Farooq Masjid (14th St. Mosque) in downtown Atlanta. I know and respect several of the organizers of this event and so, though I had serious (and valid) reservations about the selected location, I felt it was important that I attend. I am glad I did but I did not escape unscathed...
The speaker, Leland Russell gave a thought-provoking presentation about the importance of Interfaith Efforts on a Global scale. Kemal Korucu of the Instanbul Center commented that the interfaith movement being exhibited by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia during last Summer's conference and Tony Blair's Faith Foundation and others are examples of the "leaders catching up with the people;" that the people have been doing interfaith work for a long time and it is just now being given importance by government and those in power. He also commented that these issues are "too important to leave up to political leaders; they'll just mess it up."
It occurred to me that the truly good, powerful and influential movements in history; the Renaissance, the American Revolution, the Civil Rights Movement, Abolition... have all begun with the people. Ben Johnson made the assessment that "if this is a God-given movment, nothing can stop it." There was the general sentiment that our efforts were in fact, being influenced and guided by God. Kemal made two other comments which I found most insightful; that we are working toward "Unity, not Uniformity" and that the reason interfaith work fails-per Dr. Johnson is "Because we don't focus on God." Another gentleman, whose name I did not get, mentioned the importance of emotional maturity when it comes to interfaith work. I had had discussions about this particular topic with Dr. Godlas some months ago.
Of note was the fact that violence has been declining all over the globe and that we may be living in the "most peaceful time in our species existence." Why doesn't it feel that way?
We discussed the need for "Think and Do Networks" and "Cross-Boundary Leadership." We split into small groups to discuss questions exploring where there are examples of successful networks, what is missing in Atlanta, and obstacles to collaboration.
In our small group we discussed the existing networks; Interfaith Disabilities Network, Interfaith Network to Combat AIDS, Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta, and the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Other important and successful networks are the American Jewish Committee, Habitat for Humanity, and various Affordable Housing organizations. We determined that we needed greater awareness across the communities, greater collaboration, and to expand what is already occurring.
After we reconvened, we discussed what each of the small groups came up with. There were a lot of productive insights. There was also a lot of talk of the importance of "Doing" vs "Talking." Ironically, we left the 4 hour meeting having done nothing but a lot of talking... In this, I was quite disappointed, and may have brought up this fact if I had not been distracted by an incident that occured during our refreshment break...
Al-Farooq segregates men and women- one of the primary reasons I am uncomfortable going there. I find it quite offensive to be cloistered in a side-room on in a balcony behind glass and lattice-work, no matter how beautifully designed. However, I was attending an important interfaith meeting with both men and women and hoped that this issue would not raise its ugly head.
I had just begun to feel at ease- was even beginning to question my previous aversion to the place somewhat, when I received a wake-up call from an employee of the Mosque...
I had brought two women friends with me- one Muslim and one Adventist. We took our delicious samosas, strawberries, cookies, dates, and coffee into the hallway. Our hands full and the hall getting even more crowded we spotted the marble stairs we had come down. We sat down to share our thoughts about the discussion and enjoy our snack. We were deep in conversation about the various levels of interfaith work that need to occur, what role the community leaders play and the role of emotional intelligence and maturity needed for certain interfaith efforts- that God must be the focus, not the tiny details, but the big picture and what kinds of "doing" make a better world... when we were interrupted.
A man came down the stairs and began berating us for sitting on the "men's side" of the mosque. He was becoming increasingly aggressive with us. We calmly explained to him that we were guests of the masjid, that we were having a meeting and were not allowed to bring our food into the meeting room and there were not chairs available to us so we were sitting on the stairs. He was adamant that we should move, that very instant, that somehow, our being there was encroaching on the men's territory. His body language became a visible force as he walked into our space, where we were sitting and his voice rose. We explained that we only had a few minutes left and would be going back into the meeting room and would finish eating and leave, but he was not satisfied. As we made our way back to the hall to throw our plates and cups he followed us, continuing to reprimand us, trying to force us, with his body, into the cramped hallway leading to the meeting room.
I don't believe he would have left us alone if it had not been for the larger group we were joining. I could help but think that if it had been one of the Christian, Hindu or Jewish guests being accosted how put-off with the mosque and, by association, Islam, they would be. What did my Adventist friend think? At that point would they even be interested in continuing the interfaith conversation? Upon our return when we began to discuss the need for "safe, peaceful environments" for the interfaith conversation I couldn't help but note the irony as my blood boiled and my hands shook. My friend Heidi commented, "I think I'm more of a feminist than I gave myself credit for..." as she tried to keep the coffee from spashing out of her shaking cup.
I tried to shake off the incident, his chauvanistic attitude, ignorance and poor manners in order to be a productive participant, but it was not easy and I know I was not as "with it" as I usually am.
While I still feel it was important that I was there I will think long and hard before I ever step foot in that mosque again.
Melissa
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Not In Our Name - Not in anyone's name
I was riding in a car with four people after the Not In Our Name event...
I was excited because the Not In Our Name event had gone so well. The crowd was bigger this year and the energy during the event was greater. Each speaker had brought strength to the movement to work towards eliminating (yes, really) domestic violence. It was something each speaker and participant believed was possible and it was conveyed through the hopeful to the heart-wrenching words spoken.
Not every one of the speakers had personally experienced domestic violence, but they had experienced what domestic violence does. Whether or not a person realizes it, everyone is affected by this malady, whether they want to be or not. The effect could be personal, mental, through the community, economical, etc... Domestic violence is something that, unfortunately, pervades every aspect of the world. The purpose of the event was to educate everyone, but also to move people to action, in some capacity.
Ayonna Johnson, from the Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence, spoke of how one could take action through the community and legally. She spoke of many women who were in domestic violence situations, but who had fallen into legal battles as a result. This legal aspect really touched a few participants, with one mentioning "how important it was to remind people that there are legal steps to take and ways to use the processes already in place to make a difference. That's how easy it is."
Dr. Sue Boardman related how she had moved through her own personal struggles with domestic violence to seminary. She spoke of how her experiences helped her when she was fresh out of seminary and how she drew on them to help with awareness in the community she was serving. She was able to educate people and even found a place, Hannah's House, as a refuge for those experiencing domestic violence. Dr. Boardman gave a great example through herself of someone who was not only educated, but a clergy person. Her message was that anyone, no matter the status in life, could work to help eradicate domestic violence. She also conveyed how even humor can be a healing part of the process.
Tzipporah Gerson spoke about the importance of rituals and other familiar things can be an outlet for growing past domestic violence and breaking the cycle. She emphasized how some people who are from various communities, can use the practices of the community to help, even those practices that may not readily seem like they might. She specifically mentioned several Jewish traditions, not necessarily used in situations of domestic violence, but used in situations of healing, growth and renewal that were fantastic ways people of the Jewish community could work through domestic violence. She encouraged each participant to find healing and ways to act against domestic violence through our own personal rituals and practices, regardless of one's philosophy. She also shared the importance of many different communities being involved in the struggle against domestic violence, so he many types of victims had a comfortable place to heal.
Mona Eltahawy shared her own personal story of domestic violence. Her story was different than the physical violence many people think of when domestic violence is mentioned. Hers was a struggle with mental and emotional abuse. She was able to relate to many in the room who had similar experiences. She also spoke of an international movement, Musawah, which works for equality in Muslim families, but also conveys a message of the need for equality and respect in all families. Mona played a video from a conference she had attended in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the organization. She also played two videos from a campaign in India called, Ring the Bell. The campaign showed how even a small act could help break the cycle of violence, even if it was just for a moment, it might be the moment that made a difference. The videos greatly inspired the audience and showed again how easy it was to move to action.
I was riding in a car with four people after the Not In Our Name event. ALL of us had experienced domestic violence in some capacity. We also conveyed stories from others, both men and women, who had also experienced domestic violence in many capacities. With the sobering realization that statistics say 1 in 4 women worldwide experience domestic violence(1), we understood the affect and reach of domestic violence was greater than the statistics, at least in our experience. Much more will need to be done about domestic violence and, if the response from Not In Our Name is any indicator, it will.
Not In Our Name Website - contains resources for action
~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
1 - Tjaden, Patricia & Thoennes, Nancy. National Institute of Justice and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, "Extent, Nature and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence." (2000)
I was excited because the Not In Our Name event had gone so well. The crowd was bigger this year and the energy during the event was greater. Each speaker had brought strength to the movement to work towards eliminating (yes, really) domestic violence. It was something each speaker and participant believed was possible and it was conveyed through the hopeful to the heart-wrenching words spoken.
Not every one of the speakers had personally experienced domestic violence, but they had experienced what domestic violence does. Whether or not a person realizes it, everyone is affected by this malady, whether they want to be or not. The effect could be personal, mental, through the community, economical, etc... Domestic violence is something that, unfortunately, pervades every aspect of the world. The purpose of the event was to educate everyone, but also to move people to action, in some capacity.
Ayonna Johnson, from the Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence, spoke of how one could take action through the community and legally. She spoke of many women who were in domestic violence situations, but who had fallen into legal battles as a result. This legal aspect really touched a few participants, with one mentioning "how important it was to remind people that there are legal steps to take and ways to use the processes already in place to make a difference. That's how easy it is."
Dr. Sue Boardman related how she had moved through her own personal struggles with domestic violence to seminary. She spoke of how her experiences helped her when she was fresh out of seminary and how she drew on them to help with awareness in the community she was serving. She was able to educate people and even found a place, Hannah's House, as a refuge for those experiencing domestic violence. Dr. Boardman gave a great example through herself of someone who was not only educated, but a clergy person. Her message was that anyone, no matter the status in life, could work to help eradicate domestic violence. She also conveyed how even humor can be a healing part of the process.
Tzipporah Gerson spoke about the importance of rituals and other familiar things can be an outlet for growing past domestic violence and breaking the cycle. She emphasized how some people who are from various communities, can use the practices of the community to help, even those practices that may not readily seem like they might. She specifically mentioned several Jewish traditions, not necessarily used in situations of domestic violence, but used in situations of healing, growth and renewal that were fantastic ways people of the Jewish community could work through domestic violence. She encouraged each participant to find healing and ways to act against domestic violence through our own personal rituals and practices, regardless of one's philosophy. She also shared the importance of many different communities being involved in the struggle against domestic violence, so he many types of victims had a comfortable place to heal.
Mona Eltahawy shared her own personal story of domestic violence. Her story was different than the physical violence many people think of when domestic violence is mentioned. Hers was a struggle with mental and emotional abuse. She was able to relate to many in the room who had similar experiences. She also spoke of an international movement, Musawah, which works for equality in Muslim families, but also conveys a message of the need for equality and respect in all families. Mona played a video from a conference she had attended in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the organization. She also played two videos from a campaign in India called, Ring the Bell. The campaign showed how even a small act could help break the cycle of violence, even if it was just for a moment, it might be the moment that made a difference. The videos greatly inspired the audience and showed again how easy it was to move to action.
I was riding in a car with four people after the Not In Our Name event. ALL of us had experienced domestic violence in some capacity. We also conveyed stories from others, both men and women, who had also experienced domestic violence in many capacities. With the sobering realization that statistics say 1 in 4 women worldwide experience domestic violence(1), we understood the affect and reach of domestic violence was greater than the statistics, at least in our experience. Much more will need to be done about domestic violence and, if the response from Not In Our Name is any indicator, it will.
Not In Our Name Website - contains resources for action
~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
1 - Tjaden, Patricia & Thoennes, Nancy. National Institute of Justice and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, "Extent, Nature and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence." (2000)
Thursday, March 5, 2009
AIF Speaker Series - Why Islam and Democracy?
AIF was blessed to have Dr. Abdullahi An-Na'im join us as part of the AIF Speaker Series.
I learned a lot from the brief two hours we spent in discussion.
Democracy, according to Webster's Dictionary is "a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections."
Islam, Dr. An-Na'im stated, is "radically democratic" because religious authority lies with the individual, not with a higher entity. A muslim defines what it means to be muslim for him or herself. "Every Muslim," he said, "is responsible for every choice or failure to choose." We have an inescapable responsibility to ourselves and one another.
There was discussion about the terms "State" "Religion" "Politics" and the "Church." When Dr. An-Na'im said there is no "Church" in Islam- he did not mean the term 'church,' he meant, there is no high authority- because of Islam's inherent individualism.
Contrary to common perception, in the history of Islam there was no unification of religion and the State- the Caliph was a political leader but not a religious authority. The governing bodies and princes did work collaboratively with the scholars but did not seek to co-opt their positions. Politics, he said, are always influenced by faith. Our morals and values will be reflected in the laws of the land due to democratic rule of the people.
When I was studying the Italian women's movement a few years ago, one of the slogans, "The Personal is Political" carried the momentum. I thought about that during this discussion. Our personal choices, which are influenced by our faith, are political, in that we do what we feel is best for ourselves and our communities.
Learn more about Islam and Democracy at http://www.law.emory.edu/aannaim/.
~~~~~~
Melissa
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
I learned a lot from the brief two hours we spent in discussion.
Democracy, according to Webster's Dictionary is "a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections."
Islam, Dr. An-Na'im stated, is "radically democratic" because religious authority lies with the individual, not with a higher entity. A muslim defines what it means to be muslim for him or herself. "Every Muslim," he said, "is responsible for every choice or failure to choose." We have an inescapable responsibility to ourselves and one another.
There was discussion about the terms "State" "Religion" "Politics" and the "Church." When Dr. An-Na'im said there is no "Church" in Islam- he did not mean the term 'church,' he meant, there is no high authority- because of Islam's inherent individualism.
Contrary to common perception, in the history of Islam there was no unification of religion and the State- the Caliph was a political leader but not a religious authority. The governing bodies and princes did work collaboratively with the scholars but did not seek to co-opt their positions. Politics, he said, are always influenced by faith. Our morals and values will be reflected in the laws of the land due to democratic rule of the people.
When I was studying the Italian women's movement a few years ago, one of the slogans, "The Personal is Political" carried the momentum. I thought about that during this discussion. Our personal choices, which are influenced by our faith, are political, in that we do what we feel is best for ourselves and our communities.
Learn more about Islam and Democracy at http://www.law.emory.edu/aannaim/.
~~~~~~
Melissa
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
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