(Thursday, September 20, 2001) -- If the interfaith movement in Rochester had
been at a crossroads before last week, it is now traveling a unified path.
The objective: Help people of various beliefs cope with the fallout from the
worst terrorist attack in history.
It would appear to be a most difficult task, considering that some of the
interfaith movement's members adhere to Islam, the same religion that some,
such as Osama bin Laden, claim in their "holy war" against the United
States.
But many leaders in local interfaith efforts said their relationships have not
been strained by the attacks. If anything, they said, the bonds have grown
stronger.
"The relations are overwhelmingly good and positive," said Isobel
Goldman, community relations director at the Jewish Community Federation of
Greater Rochester.
More than 20 interfaith leaders met Sunday at Covenant United Methodist Church
on Culver Road for a two-hour discussion of what to do now.
For years, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and members of other faith groups
in Rochester have been meeting through several different organizations to learn
more about one another.
Leaders in those groups said they don't expect that to change now during a
national crisis, because the friendships built over time are genuine and
lasting.
"It isn't show work," said Goldman.
"There's an incredible friendship there. You walk into a room and people
hug you and shake your hand."
One of the themes that developed during Sunday's meeting was the need for
people to learn more about Islam.
Interfaith leaders are scrambling to put together educational forums explaining
the faith, which has an estimated 1.2 billion adherents around the world,
including 7 million in the United States and nearly 20,000 in the Rochester
area.
Federal investigators believe the terrorists involved in the hijackings and
crashes were part of bin Laden's holy war.
But interfaith leaders said Muslims, like people of any faith, are diverse, and
the terrorists don't represent the religion.
"We are facing a common catastrophe and tragedy and we are all touched by
it," said Aly Nahas, a founding member of the Islamic Center of Rochester.
The Muslims that the Rev. J. Paul Womack, pastor of Covenant Church, knows
"are caring, sensitive people. They're very patriotic," he said.
And the world has been dealing with religious violence long before there were
terrorists who use Islam as the basis for their actions, said the Rev. Patricia
Snyder, co-pastor of Downtown United Presbyterian Church.
"All of the world religions have had people performing acts of violence in
the name of their faith," she said.
Prior to the terrorist attack, some people within the interfaith movement
worried that the effort was losing steam. Now, many leaders are convinced their
work is needed more than ever.
"We need to do a better job of broadening the base of our
participation," said Womack.
Groups like the Interfaith Forum and the Greater Rochester Community of
Churches are planning for the long haul, including the possibility of a
protracted war.
"We have to be ready to sustain things over time," said Sister Beth
LeValley, president of GRCC.
"It's a moment for us and we need to seize that moment."