From left to right: Rev. Doyeon Park, Dr. Sofia Oviedo, Rabbi Saadia Pewzner, Father James Sheehan and Imam Ammar Abdul Rahman.
In the face of rising anti-semitism, islamophobia, and other forms of hate and discrimination towards ethnic and religious communities, Hostos Community College has been holding a series of events as part of the CUNY Anti-Hate Initiative to help foster mutual understanding, empathy, and respect. The latest event in this series, the Second Annual Multi-Faith Symposium and Luncheon, occurred on Tuesday, April 16, and was a community-building event that supports and honors diverse forms of faith and spiritual expression at the College.
Representing the different religions observed by the Hostos community were faith leaders Rabbi Saadia Pewzner, Director of the Bronx Jewish Center; Imam Ammar Abdul Rahman, Deputy Imam at Masjid Al-Haram USA; Reverend Doyeon Park, Minister of the Manhattan Won Buddhist Temple; Rabbi Robert Kaplan, Executive Director of the Center for Shared Society at JCRC-NY; and our own Father James Francis Sheehan, Hostos Campus Minister.
The symposium was moderated by Research Programs Director Dr. Sofia Oviedo, who organized the event along with Chief Diversity Officer Phil Oliveri, Esq. In his greetings to the attendees, Oliveri pointed out that the event reflects the diversity and inclusion that defines Hostos. “This symposium is a beacon of hope to celebrate our differences in the face of rising intolerance and acts as a catalyst for discussion in which we really listen to each other.”
President Daisy Cocco De Filippis then took the mic to entreat the attendees to recognize and love the humanity in everyone, and stressed the importance of opening oneself up to learn about other cultures and beliefs as we strive to build a strong and resilient community. “This really exemplifies what we do here at Hostos. We hold each other up, support each other, and know that we are all just one human family.” She then recruited SGA President Dainma Martínez to read a poem by Sufi poet Hafiz, “Can Any Beauty Match This?” which sings the praises of brotherly love: “Brotherhood, sisterhood, humanity becomes the joy and emancipation,” concluded the verses.
Dr. Oviedo then led the discussion with the august panel of faith leaders, who each, in turn, expounded on what it means to be a faith leader and shared some of the philosophies and traditions of their respective faiths.
Rev. Park shared that she had not originally intended to become a faith leader but has, over time, come to the realization that serving the spiritual needs of others has unexpected benefits. “In Buddhism, it’s very simple. When you help others, you are really helping yourself. And when you help yourself, you are also helping others. This dialectic speaks to the interconnectedness of life and our places in it.”
Imam Abdul Rahman (right) describes the basic tenets of Islam as Rev. Park listens (left).
Imam Abdul Rahman recounted how when he immigrated from Ghana in 2012, he found a yawning gap between the muslim adults and the youth. “So I worked to bridge that gap. I wanted to show the youth that you can live your life as an exemplary Muslim and still be cool!” He went on to describe how for muslims, the key is to accept that whatever God decides to do is good, even if it poses tremendous challenges to the people. One must simply be grateful for whatever blessings Allah bestows, even the difficult ones, as gratitude and humility are always rewarded.
Father James Sheehan, the Hostos chaplain, added that “there is an immediacy at Hostos when it comes to discussing the coexistence of various faiths. Today is a day of salvation. Today we must all love each other.” Given the multiplicity of faiths in the room, and the strains that the world has endured of late, he suggested, “We don’t need God as much as we need wisdom.”
Rabbi Pewzner then talked about how the Jewish tradition of lighting candles on the Sabbath is, in effect, shining a light on the world so we can see it clearly and understand it better. And he shared an anecdote about a Passover Seder at which someone had suggested they set an extra place for the lost Israelites, but a revered Rabbi insisted that instead they invite someone from outside the community because everyone has something to teach us. “There is always something you can learn from anyone. We say that even from someone who steals, we can learn seven things: they are persistent, they don’t brag, etc. So even from someone who steals, there are good things that we can learn.”
Father Sheehan (left) listens intently as Rabbi Pewzner (right) shares a story of Passover.
Rabbi Kaplan elaborated on the importance of the Sabbath, pointing out that one of the first commandments they received upon their liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt was to maintain the Sabbath, the holy day of rest where one ceases to work and instead communes with loved ones. “This acts as a nexus between the holy and the mundane. It brings holiness back into the week.” He also spoke about how you have to be aware above all else. “When you’re on the journey, you have to be aware of the road you’re on, who you encounter, where you encounter them, and treat them all with the dignity that God has put inside of them. If I don’t see that, then I can’t possibly be a faith leader,” he added.
Unsurprisingly, the consensus in the room was that one quality that all religions share is the golden rule of treating others how you would like to be treated. This simple rule could solve so many of the world’s problems, if only people would follow it consistently, they all agreed. And, giving hope to the idea that a multi-faith community can, in fact, live and work in harmony, Imam Abdul Rahman recounted a story of how his mosque helped to feed a hundred migrant refugees in the Bronx with the help the Christian-led multi-faith group, with food donated by a Mormon church in New Jersey and cooked in the kitchen of a Buddhist temple.
Following the Q&A with the faith leaders, a panel of Hostos students from various faiths took to the dais to share their perspectives on religion and what it meant to them. The students included Ansumana Jammeh, Dainma Martínez, Jahneilia Curtin, Emmanuel Cornelio, Rzan Albahri, and Miriam Fidelis. Fidelis, a Christian, echoed Buddhist Rev. Park, saying, “ When I show kindness to others, I do it for God, and he will reward me.” Albahri shared that her Muslim faith has helped her as a student. “As Muslims, we have to pray five times a day, which gives me discipline. And that discipline translates into everything I do.” And Cornelio pointed out that his name Emmanuel means “God is with us” and posited that “we all serve the same God, but we just call him by different names.” That idea, if universally agreed upon, could certainly smooth the way for the peaceful coexistence of multiple faiths around the world.
Students Miriam Fidelis and Rzan Albahri shared their perspectives as religiously observant students.