Category: Inter-faith

Current Affairs Inter-faith

Abrahamic Call for Peace

islamoyankee

Jews, Muslims, Christians Agree on Gaza-Israel Crisis This statement by leaders of the three Abrahamic communities in Boston was issued yesterday and was published in the Boston Globe by a columnist who writes on religion. Its thoughtfulness and the breadth and stature of its signers are extraordinary – representing the best version of our religious traditions and communities. If in your own community, religious leaders are well on the way to adopting your own statement on the Gaza-Israel war and publicizing it, wonderful! — If however you don’t have such a statement ready, the existence of this one could be…

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Inter-faith

Weekend of Twinnings

islamoyankee

I was recently asked to address the Sutton Place Synagogue as part of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding‘s Weekend of Twinnings. Below are my comments, as prepared, that I delivered on Nov. 22, 2008. I will post some questions and reflections in the next few days. —– Comments Offered on the Weekend of Twinnings at the Sutton Place Synagoge (as prepared, not as delivered) Shabbot Shalom Salaam Alaykum Ya Ali Madad In the Name of God the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful Thank you for opening your doors to me today and inviting me into your worship space. I hope…

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Inter-faith

Eboo Patel on Mumbai

islamoyankee

My friend Eboo writes a piece for NPR on how to reach out to Jews during this most recent Eid al-Adha. I appreciate the sentiment, my daughter and his son are about the same age, and I think it is an important way to bridge the gap. Where I disagree is that this is an opportunity for inter-faith dialogue. In so far as religions share certain basic principles we can reach out, but the loss and horror of Mumbai is far more primal. His story highlights the more basic, human losses we share and support we need. It’s not about…

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Inter-faith

Canticle of the Sun

islamoyankee

A prayer by St. Francis of Assisi that I found very moving: Most high, all powerful, all good Lord! All praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing. To you, alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name. Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him. And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness. Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in…

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Inter-faith

The Truth of Oskar Schindler

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The NYT does a review of books on Schindler. I like the little details that get left out. I think the last line says it best “Much as the rescue could not have occurred without many small contributions along the way, the credits for the blockbuster “Schindler’s List” should begin not with a successful novelist or a powerful Hollywood director but with the immigrant proprietor of a luggage store.” Schinder

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Inter-faith Intra-faith

Jews, Muslims, and Orthodoxy

islamoyankee

Over at Talk Islam, Abu Noor talks about what the face of Islam in America will look like. He picks up two issues that I have argued previously: 1. The Catholic-Protestant divide is not a useful analogy for discussing the Sunni-Shi’ah divide. 2. We do not need a Reformation in Islam. (See more recently, my talk on Muslims in the Media (part 2)) Where I have difficulty with his argument is the extension of the analogy with Judaism. I agree that the movement approach (Conservative, Reform, Orthodox, etc.) better fits the Muslim experience. We generally speak of turuq (paths), of…

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