A Multifaith Conversation (Part 1)

As The Author says in “A Message From God” in the chapter entitled “Which Religion? Which Holy Book?”, religion is best used as a tool to develop a relationship with God. Furthermore, just as it would be counterproductive to use a single tool to build a house, it can also be counterproductive to study a single religion to develop a relationship with God. There are things that Christians can learn from Muslims, things Muslims can learn from Jews, and things all three can learn from Hindus.

Thus, I proudly introduce this 5-part video series: Beyond The Headlines: An Interfaith Dialogue at American University, hosted by a new friend, multimedia journalist Imran Siddiqui (check out his site: www.globalcrossover.com). I simply love the idea of bringing together a Jew, a Hindu, a Muslim, a Christian and a Unitarian. The objective is simple: looking for a common ground.

In Part 1:  A Jewish woman explains the traditional holiday of Yom Kippur, and a comparison between Yom Kippur and the Muslim celebration of Ramadan as a time of fasting and introspection, and whether fasting is practiced in the Hindu faith.

I’ll be posting this video in five segments, however if you’d like to view the whole thing at once, click below:

Feel free to post your thoughts below . . .

Jewish Rabbis and Muslim Imams Sit Down To Talk

If you read “A Message From God,” you’ll come to understand that I flat out refuse to believe that God only spoke to one group of people and everybody else is going to hell. I think God is speaking to all of us right where we are — and that there are things that Christians, athiests, Buddhists and Native Americans can learn from one another. And of course, there are things Muslims can learn from Jews and vice versa . . . if we can just get reasonable people of faith to just sit down and talk to one another.

Well, that’s what’s happening right now in New York and Washington, DC — a conference that’s brought together Muslim imams and Jewish rabbis for a discussion on combating the anger and fear between the two. Check out these different links for perspective from U.S. journalists, as well as those from Jewish and Muslim news sites.

Washington Times

Islamonline.net

Haaretz (which may show how peace efforts can be so easily derailed by one person making a harsh remark).

What got me onto this story was a piece I read by Russell Simmons on the Huffington Post. I love to hear celebrities talk about things we’re not used to hearing them talk about . . . particularly things of substance, and even more particularly, issues of faith.

Russell Simmons, literally the kingmaker behind the original hip hop Kings of Rock RUN-DMC, has gone on to be successful in a variety of other fields, including fashion (Phat Farm, baby phat), television (Def Comedy Jam) & music (Def Jam Records). With so much street cred and connection to young pop culture, it can be easy to overlook that Russell Simmons is also a 52-year-old successful businessman with a wealth of life experiences. And he writes pretty eloquently, I might add:

It is a simple fact that all human beings have the same aspirations, wants, needs and desires. I believe that when leading men of faith get in a room to discuss tolerance and respect, it’s easy to make great progress. The hard part is getting them in the room.

So what else does “Rush” have to say about this effort among European imams and rabbis? Well, in addition to helping coordinate this meeting of the minds . . . read for yourself:

Russell Simmons: Fighting the Good Fight of Faith.

A New Beginning

Last month, President Barack Obama addressed an audience at Cairo University, in the heart of the Muslim World. His goal: to lay a foundation for how the United States and Muslims can establish a common ground built on “mutual interests and mutual respect.”

Regardless of your personal opinions of Obama and his policies, this is profound on so many levels. I immediately compare it to his “A More Perfect Union” speech, which he gave during the campaign, in which he boldly, eloquently and respectfully explained both sides of the race question in America. He’s done it again in terms of U.S.-Muslim relations.

A few notes, for perspective:

•  The common ground for Islam, Judaisim and Christianity, actually goes back to the very beginnings. All three religions are literally brothers — born in the same area of the world, from the same traditions. In a manner of speaking, the schism between the three religions is quite literally a family feud.

•  Obama called for us to look beyond stereotypes. And just as many Christians oppose abortion rights but were still horrified by the murder of Dr. Tiller in Kansas, so too, there are Muslims who oppose American policy, but are horrified by acts of violence committed in the name of their religion. Now there’s a common ground: the majority of Christians and Muslims don’t like to have acts of violence carried out in the name of their respective religions.

Of course, everyone — including Obama — knows that 50 minutes of flowery words won’t replace actions on the ground. Much of anti-American sentiment in the Middle East is rooted in the simple concept that many there don’t like the U.S. interfering in their affairs, period. It’s kind of like having an argument in your family, and having someone barge into your living room and start ordering people around. So there will need to be significant policy changes.

But as I watched news reports of everyday Muslims reacting to the speech, I still have great hope. Just as my daughter will grow up in a world where having an African-American president is the norm, there will be children in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran and Pakistan that will grow up inspired by an American leader, instead of reviling him. Maybe a Christian and a Muslim can sit down over a cup of coffee and talk calmly about the principles of their respective faiths — peace, love, understanding. Or better yet, stuff like raising kids, problems with in-laws, stuff like that — things that are common regardless of religion.

Hope and change, indeed.

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