Opinion - Whatcom View

POSTED: Sunday, Nov. 01, 2009

Now is the time for interfaith dialogue

On Wednesday, Nov. 4, the Whatcom Peace and Justice Center and The Whatcom Interfaith Group will sponsor a conversation about interfaith dialogue as a follow up to the September 2 visit of the "Three Interfaith Amigos: to Bellingham. Two-hundred and fifty people attended the event that featured Rabbi Ted Falcon, Sheikh Jamal Rahman and Minister Don MacKenzie to hear these spiritual leaders talk about their path to dialogue and friendship.

Their exuberant witness, and that of others who have engaged in dialogue with people of other faith traditions, clearly demonstrates the benefits of such endeavors.

Apart from increasing our knowledge of other faith traditions, engaging in interfaith dialogue sharpens our sense of our own religious beliefs and practices and of the history of our own faith tradition.

For example, when someone asks Nick about the role of Mary in his Catholic tradition, he finds reason to further educate himself in order to explain his understanding of his church's teaching about Mary as the first and most perfect Christian. When Dilara chimes in that from the Islamic perspective, Mary is highly revered and respected -- in fact, the Quran contains an entire chapter named "Mary" - both of us find our understanding and our faith broadening and deepening.

Whatcom County is becoming more diverse, both ethnically and in terms of faith communities. By learning about other faiths through dialogue, we are both welcoming our neighbors and opening ourselves to their wisdom, energy and talents.

In a gesture of interfaith celebration, the local Muslim community invited the public to a celebratory barbecue at Bloedel-Donovan Park at the conclusion of the month of Ramadan. Those who attended learned that Islam, which is not usually portrayed in this country as a joyous religion, is in fact a religion of celebrations with much in common with Judeo-Christian observances.

We also made new friendships and laid a foundation for further dialogue on matters of common concern from finding babysitters to required classes at Whatcom Community College and Western Washington University. With many holidays from the Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Christian faiths coming up, we can all look forward to more interfaith festivities and delicious food!

Increased knowledge and understanding of other faith traditions builds trust and facilitates cooperation on matters of mutual concern, whether it be a local initiative to preserve library funding or faith-based efforts to address global climate change.

The accomplishments of Whatcom's Interfaith Coalition, which include the walk-in health center on Unity Street and several housing programs, exemplify the benefits to our community of cooperative action. As Benjamin Franklin once noted, "All who think cannot but see there is a sanction like that of religion which binds us in partnership in the serious work of the world."

As we face local, national and global challenges, interfaith dialogue will help build stronger coalitions to address them and create a more neighborly and united community.

Nick Mele, a retired US diplomat and member of Assumption Catholic Church, is a founding member of The Whatcom Interfaith Group. Dilara Hafiz is the former VP of the Arizona Interfaith Movement and co-author of "The American Muslim Teenager's Handbook."