St. James Episcopal Church |
The goal was to build bridges, to get beyond the nosiy political rhetoric, to meet and know PEOPLE.
Speaking for myself, I learned a lot and indeed, met some wonderful people.
Contact info is included here. Go build a bridge.
Here are some of the people we met:
Last night MAY 4
MYProject USA runs a food pantry and thrift shop on
Sullivant Ave. Zerqa spoke to us of her concerns regarding Somali
children being lost to gangs, on the dangers of addiction, human trafficking,
and the difficulties plaguing the poor and displaced.
Her immediate need is for $5,000.00 to expand a door way in
her shelter building facilitating easier-and more-food delivery. Does anyone
know a company that would do this work gratis or at a reduced rate?
$5,000.00 could feed and clothe a lot of people. I’ll be looking around. Maybe
you will , too?
One of our members from St. James asked if all of our
speakers “asked for something”. They did not. He then said, “Well, it makes it
easier to know who to help!”
Zerqa and her programs need our help.
FEB 16 OSU MUSLIM STUDENT’S ASSOCIATION http://www.msaohiostate.com/
NABEEL ALAUDDIN Alauddin.1@osu.edu
JERI MILBURN, CAIR Ohio jmilburn@cair.com
Jeri converted to Islam. She offered a very personal
view of a Christian’s women’s conversion.
Nabeel Alauddin was my first meeting when I began setting up
these talks. He came to our first session and recited to us from the Qur’an. He
also gave a wonderful presentation on the Qur’an , particularly enlightening
for those of us with no knowledge at all.
Note that the Muslim Student’s Association at OSU provide
bag lunches for the homeless being served In the Garden at Trinity Church in
downtown Columbus. Zerqa last night also spoke to us of the MSA’s help on
Sullivant avenue.
MARCH 2 WOMEN AND ISLAM NAHLA
AL-HURAIBI nahla_Huraibi@outlook.com
Nahla is a college professor and sociologist. Her research
covers the role of Muslim women now living in this country. She spoke to us of
the cultural challenges these women encounter. The point was made that Islam
insists on the dignity of women. The Qur’an does not prohibit women working
outside the home and does not mandate the veil. The latter remains a personal
choice. The point was made that Muslim men, now living in this country can
admit to needing help supporting the family. Thus, women leave the home and go
to work. A step for them toward equality.
Members of the Muslim Student’s Association returned for this
meeting. It was great having them! The talk covered relationships and we
learned about one of several APPS that facilitate Muslim dating!
Professor Payind is Director of the Middle Eastern Studies
Center at OSU. For many of us, Shar’ia law mans the horrors we see on CNN.
Professor Payind gave us context.
MARCH 30 HORSED NOAH
ABUBAKAR ASIDDIQ ISLAMIC CENTER
Director · Columbus, Ohio
Horsed Noah brought some young people with him. He
shared with us his own journey in coming to this country with his family.
He directs an Islamic Center on the West Side and my impression is that
he is a very gifted mentor/father figure. His perspective for us was one of
teacher and leader.
AAIC is a multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi-lingual,
non-sectarian, diverse, and open community committed to full and equal
participation and involvement
APRIL 20 from the NOOR ISLAMIC CENTER
Nicol Ghazi from the Noor Islamic Ctr sent us two of their
board members, Faouki Majeed and Noorgul Dada. People had asked to learn more
about the depiction of Jesus and Mary in the Qu'ran.
Noorgul recited from the Qur’an. More than one person told
me later they could have listened to him all night. Me too. In the Qur’an Jesus
is named Isa and Mary is Maryam.
From Wikipedia:
Mary (Arabic: مريم, translit. Maryam), the mother of Jesus
(Isa), holds a singularly exalted place in Islam as the only woman named in the
Qur’an, which refers to her seventy times and explicitly identifies her as the
greatest of all women,[2][3][4] stating, with reference to the angelic
saluation during the annunciation, "O Mary, God has chosen you, and
purified you; He has chosen you above all the women of creation."[5] In
the Quran, her story is related in three Meccan chapters (19, 21, 23) and four
Medinan chapters (3, 4, 5, 66), and the nineteenth chapter of the scripture,
the Chapter of Mary (Surat Maryam), is named after her. The Quran refers to
Mary more than the entire New Testament.[6]
According to the Qur’an, divine grace surrounded Mary from
birth,[7] and, as a young woman, she received a message from God through the
archangel Gabriel that God had chosen her, purified her, and had preferred her
above all "the women of the worlds."[7] This event, according to the
same narrative, was followed by the annunciation of a child who was to be
miraculously conceived by her through the intervention of the divine spirit
while she was still virgin, whose name would be Jesus and who would be the "anointed
one," the Promised Messiah.[7] As such, orthodox Islamic belief "has
upheld the tenet of the virgin birth of Jesus,"[7] and although the
classical Islamic thinkers never dwelt on the question of the perpetual
virginity of Mary at any great length,[7] it was generally agreed in
traditional Islam that Mary remained virgin through the entirety of her life,
with the Qur’an's mention of Mary's purification “from the touch of men”
implying perpetual virginity in the minds of many of the most prominent Islamic
fathers.[8]
The Quran refers to Mary more than the entire New Testament.
According to the Qur'an, divine grace surrounded Mary from birth, and, as a
young woman, she received a message from God through the archangel Gabriel that
God had chosen her, purified her, and had preferred her above all "the
women of the worlds."
Thanks to NICOL HAZI Outreach director at Noor Islamic Ctr.,
nicol ghazi nic.3@live.com She
is a great resource for anyone wanting to know more.
That’s it. For now. Let’s build bridges and keep the
dialogue going. Again, thank you.
And thank you particularly to our Muslim speakers and
guests.
Thank you Emily Wendel for the refreshments.
Thank you St. James Episcopal Church for the use of the
hall!
Christopher Purdy