An encounter between the Murid and Mennonite faiths

The Anabaptist World of January 31, 2024 has an interesting article by Lynda Hollinger-Janzen on an encounter between the Murid and Mennonite faiths in Paris on November 25. We generally think of Murids as part of the Sufi tradition, although the article in The Anabaptist World describes them as a  "Muslim renewal movement." The Mennonites self-describe as being "an Anabaptist, Christian denomination with roots in the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe." I want to recommend that you red the short article and prayerfully consider what is being said there and the implications of the encounter.

Photo from The Anabaptist World

I believe that the Holy Spirit leads people of faith to such work as this. I also believe that people who attempt this work have to be prepared for it by the Holy Spirit. The article points out that both Murids and Mennonites

— Practice nonviolence, which grows out of a belief that all people are children of God and are called to forgive their enemies rather than take revenge.

— Have histories of migration and establishing self-supporting faith communities wherever they go.

— Tend to be inwardly focused on sustaining religious life and practice yet have made positive contributions to the societies in which they have settled. For example, Infinity Mennonite Church and the Murid Islamic Community in America — each unaware of the other’s work — both contributed to the revitalization of Harlem, a neighborhood in New York City, in the 1990s and early 2000s.

In a sense, then, preparation for this encounter began decades or centuries ago and proceeded through times of difficult struggles, violence and persecutions and then entered into community building. The "heat" of the past made people malleable and (I think) then cleansed and sharpened them so that they could approach one another within democratic and non-violent contexts and begin conversations that allowed the participants to "talk respectfully about what separates us" and not "risk falling into squishy dialogue that isn’t fruitful.” From that "atmosphere of confidence and trust" something "wholesome and solid" might be constructed "that we can offer our religious communities and the societies in which we live.” This paraphrasing is taken from the article.

My point in looking at this in the framework that I am is to recall that the hard and difficult times come to us as tests and that they create possibilities that we cannot imagine in the moment. Also, these possibilities often blossom into their full beauty under conditions of democracy and relationship-based trust and non-violence. Political conditions and political consciousness matters because they interact with our spirituality, each shaping the other. And if the Holy Spirit is indeed guiding us to encounter and love one another through tearing down the walls that separate us, then the Holy Spirit desires democracy and peace. These encounters strengthen my universalism in the sense that they help me better see and appreciate how Spirit-led movements function across time, countries and cultures.  Finally, I am mourning for the lost opportunities over the centuries and for our unwillingness to encounter others as equals and as partners. We are making "the work of making God real" incredibly difficult by allowing unreasonable and ill-advised competition, violence, exploitation, offenses against creation, racism and sexism and national chauvinism.

Thank you to the Murids and Mennonites for stepping forward!

One woman's testimony of faith

It is not a shame to be Muslim and wear a hijab.

But I love and trust in Jesus Christ

Who raised the dead and healed the blind by the testimony of the Quran

It is not a shame to love the greatest who came to earth

He gave the best heavenly message in loving humans

I adore the teachings of Christ and the sermons he gave.

Note: In the great beauty of this world people will search for and find many ways to be who they are or represent who they are and who they wish to become. It can be beautiful and maddening all at once, but it is always difficult to find your own combinations in a world that insists on being one kind of person and rejects complexity and intersectionality. Be patient and help one another to grow and self-develop. It is one thing to be disciplined and work within your tradition, but it is another matter to force conformity and uniformity.

"Roe v. Wade v. God"---A thoughtful clip from National Public Radio

The "Today Explained" National Public Radio show did a thoughtful piece on how Judaism and Islam view abortion and what some Jews and Muslims are doing in response to the recent Supreme Court ruling. This is a scripturally-based and tradition-based discussion that you can listen to in less than 25 minutes. Do you think that you know what these traditions have to say about abortion and how they arrived at those points? Listen in---you may be surprised.

The link is here.    

What does Islam Say About Trendy Fashion?---Encouragement for our Muslim sisters and brothers (and others)

 

Encouragement for our Muslim sisters and brothers (and others)

Encouragement for our Muslim sisters and brothers (and others)

 

Encouragement for our Muslim sisters and brothers (and others)

 

Islamic Networks Group Statement of Solidarity with Victims and Families of Buffalo Shooting

From the Islamic Networks Group:

We at ING join the rest of the nation in expressing our grief and solidarity over the horrendous act of racist violence in Buffalo, New York, this past weekend. We mourn the deaths of the 10 innocent victims and pray for the healing of those who were injured, most of whom are Black Americans. Our hearts go out to all those who are mourning loved ones and to all the communities and individuals shaken by this latest manifestation of racism and bigotry in our country and the world.

We stand in solidarity with all those impacted by this heinous act against racism, bigotry, and hate.

The attack in Buffalo, clearly motivated by racism according to the words of the shooter himself, was no isolated incident. We need only recall Oak Creek, WI, Charleston, SC, Pittsburgh, PA, Poway, CA, El Paso, TX, and too many other places that have suffered similar lethal attacks based on the same hatred that took ten lives in Buffalo, to see that this tide of racist violence has reached epidemic proportions. Behind these crimes lies a racist ideology that is now openly espoused by leading media and political figures.

The suspect in the Buffalo shooting issued an antisemitic and racist manifesto against Jews, Blacks, and other people of color indicating that he acted out of fear that White Americans like himself were in danger of being “replaced” by non-White “others”—a fear vigorously stoked by talk show hosts and even some members of Congress, to the point where a recent survey showed that one-third of Americans accept the basic tenets of this theory of “the Great Replacement.” And behind this openly racist ideology lies the ongoing problems of structural racism and implicit bias that still afflict our country.

Racism and bigotry in all their forms not only threaten the lives and physical safety of people of color and of minority religions, they are polarizing Americans to the point that calm and reasoned political discussion are rendered impossible and threatening our democracy, including measures to restrict voting that are justified by barely concealed appeals to the sort of racist fear that led the shooter in Buffalo to open fire on peaceful shoppers in a grocery store.

We must not let our country “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” to fall prey to the scourge of fear, division, and authoritarianism that is currently spreading through much of the world.

The terrible event in Buffalo must serve as a wake-up call, leading us to work with even greater determination against all forms of racism and bigotry.

We at ING have developed tools and resources for this that have been utilized by educators, corporations, local government, law enforcement, community organizations and other groups and institutions across the country.

Our Intercultural Speakers Bureau (ICSB) offers panels with representatives from marginalized groups who explore the roots, history, and current manifestations of racism and invite audiences to take specific, concrete action against racism personally and in their communities.

Our online educator resources offer teachers a 14-lesson plan curriculum free of charge that examines the history and origins of dominant narratives about marginalized groups, the process of racialization that leads to implicit bias and racism, and their manifestations in society today. The curriculum concludes with lesson plans about the power of counter narratives through the voices of the affected groups, as well as individual and collective actions for countering racism.

We encourage you to go to our website (www.ing.org) and join us in our critical work towards an America that lives up more fully to our ideals of justice, equality, and human rights for all its citizens.

ING Team

Encouragement for our Muslim sisters and brothers (and others)

 

Encouragement for our Muslim sisters and brothers

 

Encouragement For Our Muslim Sisters And Brothers