Local mosque fights Islamophobia with interfaith dialogue during Ramadan
By Samer Hijazi
Friday, 08.10.2012, 05:01am- Arab American News
DEARBORN
HEIGHTS — Last Saturday the Islamic House of Wisdom (IHW) in Dearborn
Heights hosted an Interfaith Iftar Dinner that brought out a variety of
guests including the mayor of Dearborn Heights, civil rights groups,
local church leaders and congregation members, as well as imams from
local mosques who joined in solidarity to discuss the importance of
diversity and dialogue.
The IHW started the
reception one hour prior to Iftar on this particular evening. Imam Elahi
welcomed the diverse crowd during a speech in the venue's auditorium,
stressing on the importance of building bridges with communities of
other faiths.
"Diversity is a blessing from
God...he created us with different colors, different races, and
different identities…disagreement does not mean destruction. The goal
should be to have dialogue and co-operate with each other while living
in peace. Understanding and working together is good for humanity," Imam
Elahi told the crowd.
Imam Elahi thanked the
diverse group for their efforts and discussed one positive contribution
spearheaded by a Pastor from the Christus Victor Lutheran Church,
located in Dearborn Heights. Pastor Amy Kienzle, who was in attendance
at the event, spent three months in Palestine as a way to personally
learn about the suffering of the Palestinian people. Upon her return,
Pastor Kienzle has been spreading her message to her congregation and
other community members, shedding light on what she witnessed during her
visit. Imam Elahi acknowledged her actions as both inspiring as well as
a perfect example of reaching out to communities of different faiths.
The
topic of Islamophobia was also a major discussion point of the
conversation during the evening. Imam Elahi stated that the best way to
tackle Islamophobia is through interfaith, as reaching out to various
communities would break any stereotypes that might have been implemented
by the media. Imam Elahi mentioned the recent movie theater shooting in
Colorado as an example of this.
"How come when
James Holmes did that crime nobody talked about his religion. But if it
was an Arab or Muslim, all we would hear about is his faith.
Unfortunately this tactic has been used to brainwash people...this is
why there is so much ignorance out there," Imam Elahi stated.
Local
leaders included representation from CAIR-MI as well as H.Y.P.E
Athletics, who recently opened up their new facility down the street
from the mosque. Ali Sayed, the founder of H.Y.P.E, also discussed ways
the community could make an impact on the youth. Mayor Dan Paletko of
Dearborn Heights also gave a brief speech, recognizing the mosque's
continuous efforts.
But even through interfaith discussions, the message of Ramadan was not left un-tackled by Imam Elahi.
"The
month of Ramadan is the month of revelation and resistance. Fasting
represents resistance against our physical desires and demands. When we
have the two together, it brings a message. It makes a revolution out of
the soul," Imam Elahi added.
Imam Elahi’s
continued interfaith efforts were acknowledged by various attendees.
Elahi says that the mosque will continue to reach out to the surrounding
communities. For their next interfaith event, which is expected to take
place sometime in September or October, they are opening up their doors
to the neighborhood that surrounds the mosque, which is located on
Warren and Ann Arbor Trail.
"It was inspiring
to see people from all faiths and cultures come together like a family
and sharing issues from the heart. Sharing their ideas and thoughts in
such an honest and sincere way. We think one of the best ways of
bringing education and fighting Islamphobia is through interfaith. It’s
one way of changing the situation. Bringing together the people who live
in the neighborhoods and making our mosque an open house, it brings a
sense of clarity and understanding."
The IHW
has also been busy holding their nightly Ramadan lectures for both their
English and Arabic guests with speaker Sayed Mohammad Qazwini. The
lectures take place every night at 10:00 p.m.
