Jews, Muslims, Christians & Camels
Written by Glenine Hamlyn Saturday, 03 October 2009 02:30
It was probably the camels who felt most at home. The dust of the desert surrounded them and all others who gathered in the Mount Gravatt Showgrounds, Brisbane on Saturday 26 September for the annual Eidfest. Never mind: the atmosphere under the big blue tent top which joined the many stalls was one of friendship and celebration. This year there were no side partitions between the stalls, lending a greater sense of openness to the event and enhancing communication between neighbours.
Openness was what the representatives of the Queensland Forum for Christians, Jews and Muslims ("the Forum") had come to demonstrate. Various forms of information and a DVD on interfaith programmes drew a considerable number of interested visitors to the stall. The big new banner was a help, and as Forum member Rev. David Pitman remarked, the very fact that the Forum was seen to be present at Eidfest was in itself a witness to good relations between the three faiths. David is a former QCT president and former moderator of the Uniting Church in Queensland.
Culinary delights
Eidfest is hosted each year by the Muslim community in Brisbane and celebrates the end of Ramadan. Besides a programme of events, camel rides, information booths and displays, Eidfest is famous for the food. Culinary delights from all parts of the Muslim world (all halal of course) add to the celebratory atmosphere.
For the Forum members who participate in Eidfest, the sharing at the stall is a valuable part of the exercise. Christians, Jews and Muslims set up the stall together, talk to visitors together, bring each other cups of coffee, and importantly, the hours spent together under the tent roof provide opportunities for unhurried conversations about what we believe and about our practice of faith – opportunities that we so seldom have otherwise. A Jewish woman and a Muslim woman, both interested in languages, look at the Jewish prayer book (called the Siddur) together. A Jewish participant asks me to explain the essences of the Lutheran tradition in a few sentences (now there's a challenge!). We talk about the Lord's Prayer. Another Jewish participant explains how his community spends Yom Kippur, which was starting one day after Eidfest. Our Muslim friend tells me about the mosque she attends.
Promoting harmony
It was encouraging to hear the support of many people who visited the stall and who were obviously pleased to see us there. Harmony is so important, they said. This year there was keen interest in three brochures compiled by the Forum, outlining points to note when visiting the places of worship in the three faith traditions: Entering a Mosque, Entering a Synagogue, Entering a Church.
Musical evening 19 November
We look forward to seeing some of those faces again, together with you, our readers, when in a few weeks the Queensland Forum for Christians, Jews and Muslims again hosts an evening of sacred music from the three faiths, organized jointly with the Multi-Faith Centre of Griffith University. Note this date in your diary: Thursday, 19 November 2009, 7:30pm. And in case you need an added incentive: Forum member Sultan Deen has promised to make his famous curry again, complementing the wide range of delicacies provided by the Jewish and Christian communities. Don't miss this wonderful event!