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A collection of 232 posts

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Winnipeg to host international religious event

(May 11, 2010) – About 80 high profile religious leaders from around the world will gather in Winnipeg from June 21- June 23 to listen and report to one another – but most importantly collaborate on sending a unified message to government leaders of the G8/G20 nations. The message will press

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Toronto Faith Communities Respond to the Environmental Challenge

(March 11, 2010) – People of faith came together on Sunday, March 7th at the Green Awakening/Greening Sacred Spaces Annual Leaders Forum to discuss the biggest challenge to the welfare of life on earth – the destruction of the natural environment. “Care for the environment is considered to be the same

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Notes From the Interfaith Underground

By Anton Kuratnik (February 26, 2010) – It seems that in addition to being the MSA’s token white guy, I’ve also become its token interfaith guy. I guess the two go hand in hand, given that my token whiteness allows me to more freely navigate the seas of the

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A Catholic perspective on the theology of Tariq Ramadan

By Hind Al-Abadleh On Friday, February 12, 2010, Professor Gregory Baum from the Centre Justice et Foi and McGill University delivered a public lecture at the Waterloo Lutheran Seminary at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, ON. The title of his talk was Islam and Democracy: A Catholic Perspective on Reform

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What Americans think about Muslims

By Dalia Mogahed The American people and their openness to Muslim communities will in many ways determine the success of US President Barack Obama’s global engagement initiative, which he launched on his inauguration day a year ago by calling for a “new way forward” with Muslims. Change will depend

2010 World Religions Summit

A Time for Inspired Leadership and Action

Steering Committee for the “World Religion Summit 2010 Interfaith Leaders in the G8/G20 Nations” and four Tony Blair Faith Acts Fellows. Since 2005 faith leaders from around the globe have met in parallel to the G8 Leaders’ Summit. The leaders gather to challenge the G8 nations to live up

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My Melbourne Experience at the Parliament of World Religions

By Abdul Hai Patel The year 2009 will be remembered for number of international gatherings and conferences. A year, when G8 summit is changed to G20 summit, an Environment conference in Copenhagen and host of other political, social and religious conferences. But in my opinion, the most significant gathering of

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Safaa Zarzour chosen as ISNA Secretary General

January 7, 2010 – The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) has announced the appointment of Safaa Zarzour as its new secretary general. Mr. Zarzour will move to his new office in Plainfield, IN, from Bridgeview, IL, early next week. Mr. Zarzour is a lawyer and educator, and has outstanding contributions

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Toronto interfaith group joins fight against malaria

Erica Spracklin, Faiths Act Fellow(December 30, 2009) – Across the globe, young people of faith are combining forces to take action against one million preventable deaths occurring every year due to malaria. The young people are part of Faiths Act, the Tony Blair Foundation’s [http://www.tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/pages/

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Is the Qur’an hostile to Jews and Christians?

By Leena El-Ali (December 12, 2009) – When violence is committed in the name of Islam, the perpetrators often say that Muslims were never meant to enjoy good relations with followers of other religions, specifically Jews and Christians. They invariably quote verses from the Qur’an which they argue prove that

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Why Interfaith Dialogue?

By Abdul Malik Mujahid I saw two groups demonstrating against the Parliament of World Religions at Cape Town University in South Africa in 1999. One was of white Christians and the other of Indian Muslims. They were standing apart from each other despite their common cause against the Parliament. What

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Eid ul-Adha – A time to learn what sustains us

By Wael Haddara [The following is a transcript of the Eid ul-Adha sermon deliver by Dr. Wael Hadarra at the CNE Queen Elizabeth building in Toronto on Friday, November 27, 2009] We are gathered here today to mark two traditions – one, a tradition or sunnah of our Prophet, peace be

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Film screening opens up lively inter-faith dialogue

Muneeb Nasir and Dr. Kevin Livingston at Don Heights Unitarian Congregation (Dec 1, 2009) – The Don Heights Unitarian Congregation and Initiatives of Change (Canada) hosted an interfaith dialogue following the screening of the award winning documentary film, The Imam and The Pastor [http://www.iofc.org/imam-pastor], on Sunday November

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Toronto Celebrates Charter for Compassion

(November 20, 2009) – Toronto residents took part in the launch of the Charter for Compassion [http://www.charterforcompassion.org] last week by holding lectures, discussions, film screenings, reflective walks and dedicating weekly sermons to the topic of compassion. The Charter for Compassion, officially launched on November 12, is a 330-word

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The one you choose to feed

By Louise Diamond (November 19, 2009) – There is a classic Native American story about a grandfather who tells his grandson about the battle between two wolves inside us all–one full of angry, fearful energy and one full of compassionate, benevolent energy. When the boy asks, “Which wolf wins?” the

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Be more proactive – Monia Mazigh to Canadian Muslims

(November 17, 2009) – Canadian Muslims need to be more proactive when it comes to supporting other Canadians who are detained overseas, according Dr. Monia Mazigh. Mazigh, the wife of Maher Arar, was a keynote speaker at the Inspired and Engaged Citizens: Canadian Muslim Conference held over the weekend in Hamilton,

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Interfaith scripture readings invite personal reflection

By Nermeen Mouftah (November 10, 2009) – I attended my first Reading Abrahamic Scriptures Together (RAST) session in September 2008, during the first month of my doctoral studies in Islamic religion. RAST is a group that meets twice a month to read and discuss a theme or figure in the Hebrew

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Erosion of Human Values

By Imam Abdul Hai Patel (Sermon delivered at the Anglican Church of the Transfiguration in Toronto, during the church’s Second Annual Interfaith Evensong organized by the Neighbourhood Interfaith Group on October 18, 2009). In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful Praised be to God, who has given

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Muslim American Organizations Denounce Shooting Incident at Fort Hood

(November 6, 2009) – Earlier yesterday a United States officer in the military identified as Army Major Malik Hasan reportedly shot and killed 12 American soldiers and wounded 31 others at Fort Hood in Texas. The Muslim Public Affairs Council-DC (MPAC-DC), the Islamic Society of North America Office for Interfaith and

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Welcoming the changing face of Canada

By Hussein Hamdani (Oct 31, 2009) – Hamilton has succeeded in attracting another major conference. The selection of the Hamilton Convention Centre as the site for the Inspired & Engaged Citizens: Canadian Muslim conference, is an endorsement of Hamilton to handle such a gathering. On Nov. 14, hundreds of Canadians from

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Imam Preaches at Church this Sunday

(October 17, 2009) – This Sunday, Imam Abdul Hai Patel will preach at the Anglican Church of the Transfiguration, during the church’s Second Annual Interfaith Evensong which is organized by the Neighbourhood Interfaith Group. “The interfaith evensong service and reception on October 18th, is a unique way of bringing people

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The confluence of civilisations

By President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (October 15, 2009) – Several months ago, President Barack Obama made a historic speech in Cairo seeking to redefine relations between America and the Muslim world. I would like to respond to that speech. Sixteen years ago, Samuel Huntington published an essay proposing that after the

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World Leaders and Scholars Discuss Interfaith Challenges

(October 9, 2009) – Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, called upon faith groups to highlight interfaith commonalities to address global issues of peace and security at a two-day conference on Muslim-Christian relations this week. “The best hope for faith in the 21st century is that we confront all of this

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'Racing to good works' - Muslim Americans answer the call to serve

By Salma Hasan Ali (September 23, 2009) – This year, 11 September was proclaimed the National Day of Service and Remembrance, symbolically concluding a nationwide summer of service movement, United We Serve. This programme was launched by US President Barack Obama to encourage Americans to volunteer in their communities, and Muslim

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Tariq Ramadan Responds to his Dutch Detractors

By Tariq Ramadan (August 19, 2009) – Once again I have come under attack in The Netherlands. Last May and June, I was accused of “doublespeak”, of “homophobia” and of demeaning women. Upon investigation, Rotterdam Municipality declared the accusations unfounded. Today, the argument goes, I am linked to the Iranian regime;