A Call to Prayer — Interreligious Violence in India
Observe September 7 as a Day of Prayer and Fasting
A great deal of violence has been directed against Christians in the state of Orissa in India. Various church bodies have called churches to observe September 7 as a Day of Prayer and fasting for Peace and Goodwill. PC(USA) leaders have expressed our solidarity to our church partners in India and our concern to leaders of the Indian government, and have called Presbyterians to prayer.
Learn more about this issue and find suggested responses and resources from the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program.
Visit of Christian-Muslim team from Pakistan postponed
Recent events in Pakistan have made it impossible for the Rev. Dr. Maqsood Kamil, executive secretary of the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan, and Mr. Khuram Dastgir Khan, elected member of Pakistan’s National Parliament from the Muslim League Party, to come to the United States at the originally-scheduled time (September 26 – October 20, 2008). We are now in the process of rescheduling this visit. When they do come, the team will still visit churches and colleges, men’s and women’s groups, and ecumenical and interfaith gatherings in the six hosting presbyteries. For more information about the program, see the Interfaith Listening Program site or contact Jay T. Rock in the Office of Interfaith Relations.
A relationship renewed
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is initiating a new, national series of conversations with the Muslim community following Imam Warith Deen Mohammed. During the last 17 years, our church has engaged in sporadic relationships with this community, formerly known as The Mosque Cares, and the American Muslim Society. Presbyterians and Muslims in the San Francisco Bay Area held a significant African-American Christian-Muslim consultation, with national participation in May 1992. Imam Mohammed invited the Stated Clerk to attend their national convention in that year, and the PC(USA) has sent representatives to their convention from time to time. Interfaith Relations Coordinator Jay Rock attended the national convention of Imam Mohammed on Labor Day weekend in 2007, and recently returned from the latest convention in Detroit, along with the Rev. Robina Winbush, associate stated clerk and director of Ecumenical and Agency Relationships.
Imam Mohammed gave his strong support and blessing to our new conversations, which will begin with a meeting in Chicago in October. The mutual goals for this effort include
- Learning from each other about each other’s faith and experience as American religious communities;
- Reflecting together on the responsibilities of faith communities in the United States today; and
- Exploring possible ways to cooperate in calling people to a different way of living, based on our understandings of what God/Allah wants for the transformation of the world.
Interfaith dimensions of the General Assembly
Rabbi Melanie Aron of Congregation Shir Hadash in Los Gatos, Calif., spoke on an interfaith perspectives panel at the Ecumenical Breakfast at the 218th General Assembly. Photo by Danny Bolin The 218th General Assembly approved a theological study of Christian-Muslim relations and encouraged congregations to develop Christian-Muslim and Jewish-Christian-Muslim dialogue and cooperation. Helpful debate arose around how to understand the oneness of God in relation to the different revelations of God known by Muslims, Jews and Christians.
Commissioners also asked the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its congregations to respond positively to the international Muslim invitation to engagement contained in A Common Word Between Us and You. Read more about this at the Web site of the Presbyterian Ecumenical and Interfaith Network.
Dr. Muneer Fareed, secretary general of the Islamic Society of North America, spoke at the General Assembly Ecumenical Breakfast. Photo by Danny Bolin Representatives of many national and local Jewish groups were present to speak with commissioners and in the committee open hearing on Israeli-Palestinian issues. On the first Sunday of the Assembly, the local Jewish community of the Bay Area held a reception and interfaith panel for Presbyterians at the Assembly focusing on approaches to Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. The actions adopted by the Assembly reflected a thoughtful consideration of a range of perspectives. Jewish organizations welcomed the actions of the Assembly.
The Rev. Ron Kobata, executive assistant to the Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America, spoke at the General Assembly Ecumenical Breakfast. Photo by Danny Bolin This was the first Assembly to include “Interfaith Guests,” representatives of three national organizations of other faiths in the United States invited to bring greetings to the Assembly, to be present with us and available to speak with committees during our decision making. Our guests were Rabbi Melanie Aron, representing the Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist Jewish movements; Dr. Muneer Fareed, secretary general of the Islamic Society of North America; and the Rev. Ron Kobata, executive assistant to the Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America (the oldest Buddhist association in the United States). A highlight of the Assembly was a panel presentation by our three guests at the Ecumenical Breakfast. See also the remarks by Dr. Fareed in an interview.
Other resources of note
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help in responding to new instances of anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim bias.
