Peace Dialogue continued in two Muslim Founded Think Tanks
The Rumi Forum (http://www.rumiforum.org/) today brought in Rabbi Lustig of the Washington Hebrew Congregation to discuss some key aspects of Deuteronomy and Leviticus that all three major Abrahamic faith traditions can agree on to underscore the biblical commonality that we all share. He emphasized the qualities of righteousness that involve charitable works and the Moses Maimonides Treatise on Tzedakah.
He was warmly greeted by an audience of Muslims, Christians and Jews devoted to reconciliaton and peace through constructive dialogue. A day earlier, Muslims, Christians and Jews packed an event at the Stimson Center for an event co-sponsored by Conflict Solutions International (http://www.csiorg.org/) and the Al Waref organization at which the notions of Separation of Church and State were explored in the context of Muslim society, with attorneys, writers and an Iraqi women's rights advocate who detailed abuses against women's dignity under Sharia law. Discussion revolved around the role of clergy, the possibilities of degrees of secularization in various predominantly Muslim countries, how separation of church and state might be achieved to create a Safe Sacred Space for civil dialogue and the history of the church-state non-establishment constitutionally espoused in the United States.
http://www.alwaref.org/en/component/content/article/163-may-26-09-separate-state-religion. Check Al Waref's website in coming days for video of the event.
Both the Rumi Forum and Al Waref have a wealth of brilliance, insight and goodwill for
reforming and transforming political conflict into places where peace reigns and pluralistic co-existence is not only possible but preferable. God Bless them all.
No comments:
Post a Comment