On Sunday, May 15, a diverse group of 150 New Yorkers met for the 9th Annual Dialogue Project “Interfaith Teach-In,” held at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. The program, “Approaching the 10th Anniversary of 9/11,” began with Christian, Jewish and Muslim songs performed by the Peace of Heart choir, which formed in response to 9/11. A keynote exchange followed between author and scholar Haroon Moghul of the Maydan Institute and rabbinical student and interfaith leader Joshua Stanton of Religious Freedom USA focused on the subtle challenges of engaging with the Other, with reference to Islamophobia and other challenges since 9/11.
Then came the heart of the afternoon’s program, in which three to four religious leaders and teachers from Jewish, Buddhist, Christian and Muslim backgrounds each conducted a round-table discussion, each with about 10 participants from other faith groups. The facilitators had prepared a study-discussion about how their texts, values, and traditions guide us regarding either Community Trauma and Healing, Transforming and Resolving Conflict, or Stereotypes: Understanding the Stranger and the “Other”.
Tags: Annual Dialogue Project “Interfaith Teach-In”, Borough of Manhattan Community College, Haroon Moghul, joshua stanton
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