Presbyterian project brings Muslims, Christians together

By Bruce Schreiner ~ The Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Muslims and Christians sat near one another, crossed-legged in their stocking feet, listening to a sermon that stressed connections binding people otherwise separated by faith and custom.

"We are all creations of God, the same God," said Aly A. Farag, the imam, or religious leader, at the mosque near the banks of the Ohio River.

A dozen Presbyterians listened intently as Farag stressed the importance of obedience to the Almighty and treating others with kindness.

They were familiar themes to the Presbyterians, who attended the Islamic prayer service as part of a denominational effort to bridge the gulf separating Christians and Muslims in this country.

"I felt quite comfortable and at peace with what he said," Karolyn Mangeot, a Presbyterian from Corydon, Ind., said afterward. "There were parts of that I thought could be in any Christian sermon. Clearly we are all following the same path, and God and Allah are the same." The Christians were invited as part of an interfaith listening project organized by the Presbyterian Church (USA). The previous night, Christians and Muslims met at a synagogue with members of a Jewish congregation.

The disparate groups were brought together by visiting strangers.

The denomination recruited seven teams, each consisting of one Muslim and one Christian, from overseas to visit Presbyterian congregations across the country. The Louisville-based denomination is the nation's seventh-largest, with about 2.5 million members. One such team, a Muslim woman and a Christian man from India, spent three days in Louisville.

The purpose is to promote understanding and harmony between Christians and Muslims -- a concept given greater urgency since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the prospects of war with Iraq, an organizer said.

"We're well aware that neither of our communities can, in isolation, deal with the problems in our world today," said the Rev. Margaret Thomas, the denomination's interim coordinator for interfaith relations.

The Muslim-Christian teams are visiting dozens of cities, small and large, from coast to coast. In some cases, local Muslim communities were invited to help organize interdenominational events, Thomas said.

The two-person teams come from Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Jordan and Niger.

Those who arrived in the United States this month have been immersed in Presbyterian life, from potluck dinners to worship services.

The Ethiopian team, which includes an English-speaking interpreter who is Muslim, attended an interdenominational prayer service in Traverse City, Mich., on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

On another evening, the Ethiopians attended a dinner at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Beulah, Mich., followed by a discussion, said Don Mead, a church member and host for the group. The Ethiopians talked about efforts in their homeland to ease tensions among Christians and Muslims.

"I think most people in our congregation had never met a Muslim before," Mead said. "To see that these were people who have very reasonable opinions and were working closely with Christian colleagues and friends in Ethiopia to defuse potentially violent situations was, I think, phenomenally important." Respecting people of other faiths was a common theme during discussions. At the Islamic service in Louisville, Andreas D'Souza, a Christian visiting from India, noted that passages in the Quran and Bible urge followers to reach out to other people.

"When we try to cross the boundaries that we created, then something happens. It is a process that gives way to friendships," he said.

Farag, the imam and a University of Louisville engineering professor, said Muslims should not withdraw when approached about their religion. They should be inclusive, inviting outsiders to visit the mosque, he said.

"This religion is an open book," he said. "There are no secret rituals. There is no secret in it." Farag also stressed the need for tolerance, saying any attack on someone who is different amounts to an attack on God. "We are all brothers in God," he said. "We are his creations." Later, the Presbyterian visitors watched quietly as Muslims bowed, then knelt to recite prayers. Men gathered in one room, women in an adjoining room, as Islamic custom dictates.

Afterward, Muslims took turns shaking hands with Halsey Sandford, a member of Louisville's Central Presbyterian Church.

Sandford said he knew little about Islam and attended the service to "listen and learn." He was surprised to hear themes familiar in both churches and mosques, Sandford said.

"I've become struck by the commonality because we've been totally ignorant of each other," he said. "We didn't know where our common ground was." Sandford said he had chatted with Muslims about keeping in touch -- the kind of interaction that the tour's organizers want to foster.

"Our hope is that ... we will acknowledge the complexities of our lives and accept God's call to struggle together for the well being of our communities, society and the peace of the world," Thomas said.

The Rev. Barbara Roche, former editor of a Presbyterian magazine, said it was interesting to be in a "totally different worship experience." She said she was impressed by the "humility and openness" of the Muslim men during a discussion period after the service.

"I was surprised that I could be surrounded by men in a mosque and feel so comfortable and see into their faces that they were gentle men," she said.

Want to learn more?

The Islamic Center of Cape Girardeau will hold an open house at 1 p.m. Sunday. The center is at 298 N. West End Blvd.

Information about Islamic beliefs and books will be displayed, as well as samples of ethnic food made by members.

On the Net:

Presbyterian Church (USA): www.pcusa.org/