Dear readers, please find a brief recap of some major highlights
of IFI in 2018. Also do visit our website for more information
on the IFI at www.interfaithny.com.
Vision: Be a Center of excellence for developing and sustaining a progressive, vibrant interfaith community and a nurturing
environment for the society at large.
Mission: Engage Muslims and members of other faiths by promoting values and teachings of Islam and other faiths and to
advocate/promote inter-faith harmony in a multicultural environment in accordance with the Holy Quran and the Sunnah.
Institute Governance: On Dec 31st 2017 the IFI board members completed their three year term. The IFI was delighted to
welcome back - Rev Dr. Calvin O. Butts, Rev Tom Goodhue,
Ms. Jean Kelly, Dr. Unni Mooppan, Dr. Isma Chaudhry, Imam
Malik Mujahid, Dr Faroque A Khan and Prof Diana Eck to
serve on the board of IFI for a second three year term from Jan
2018 to Dec 2020.
IFI Board Members at the 3rd Annual Awards Event - Oct 7th 2018:
(Standing L to R last row) - Rev. Mark Lukens, Br Sohail Nabi, CEO of
Ethan Allen Farooq Kathwari, Dr Unni Mooppan, Sant Singh Parhar, Imam
Khalid S Lateef. (Middle row L to R) - Rev Tom Goodhue, Dr Syed
Yousuf, Rabbi Michael White, Prof Marjaneh Issapour, Dean Benjamin
Rifkin, Sr. Zainab Bey. (Seated L to R) - Faroque A Khan, Sr. Seema Rahman, Dr Panna Shah, Prof Arfa Khan, Chaplain Sr. Sanaa Nadim and Rev
Dwight Wolter
The current 40 member IFI board has thirteen members from
ICLI (eight from the ICLI board and five from the general
membership). In addition, IFI board is blessed to have six
members from various clergy - Imam Malik Mujahid, Rabbi
Michael White, Rev Tom Goodhue, Rev Mark Lukens, Rev
Vicky Eastland, Rev Joann Barrett, Dr Calvin Butts president
SUNY @OW, Benjamin Rifkin dean Hofstra university, emeritus professors Arthur Dobrin and Arfa Khan, CEO of Ethan
Allen Mr. Farooq Kathwari, representatives from media Robert
Keeler, and public officials - Tom Suozzi, Mayor Peter Cavallaro, activists and representatives from other masajids - IALI/
MDQ/Hamza academy, and representatives from Iranian, Jain
and Sikh communities.
Here are some highlights of programs IFI sponsored and or
supported in 2018:
March 7th 2018: Sr. Shaida Khan represented IFI at the
2018 American Jewish Committee (AJC) NY / ACCESS NY
Diplomatic and Interfaith Seder at the B'nai Jeshurun synagogue upper West Side in NYC.
April 19th 2018: Sr. Shaida Khan represented the Interfaith Institute of the ICLI in the 8th Annual Gala organized by
The Muslim Community Network (MCN).
May 8th 2018: Sr. Shaida Khan represented the IFI at the
annual Pre-Ramadan Conference which brings together NYPD
Officers and members of the Muslim community at One Police
Plaza Headquarters in NYC.
July 27th 2018: IFI board member Tom Suozzi hosted a
Congressional briefing in Washington in which the IFI supported book WISEUP was introduced to 100 plus congressional
staff and elected officials.
Sept 16th 2018: IFI board member Robert Keeler organized and moderated a program titled: If News is Fake What is
at Stake. Over 150 attendees participated and several news reports resulted from this
Award Picture Legend: L to R. Anna Kaplan - Councilwoman town of
North Hempstead, Judy Bosworth Supervisor town of North Hempstead,
IFI awardee Rabbi Jerome Davidson, Dr Faroque A. Khan and NYS
Assemblyman Chuck Levine
PS. - Councilwoman Anna Kaplan won her election on Nov 6th
and will represent New York State Senate District 7
Oct 7th 2018: Third annual IFI awards event, this years
awardee was Rabbi Jerome Davidson. An attractive journal
spear headed by Br Sohail Nabi highlighting the 1400 plus year
history of Jewish-Muslim relations was shared with the 100
plus attendees, in addition a lively informative chat was held
with the two national co-chairs of Muslim Jewish Advisory
Council- Mr. Farooq Kathwari CEO of Ethan Allen, IFI board
member and Mr. Stanley Bergman former president of AJC and
CEO of Henry Schein Inc. Thanks to Dr Unni Mooppan’s initiative and support the highlights of this seminal event will
be broadcast globally on the Keralite TV outlet.
Vigil Monday Oct 29th Remembering Victims of Tree of
Life Terrorism-ICLI/IFI 2018. Prof. Faroque A Khan -
Chair Interfaith Institute of Islamic Center of ICLI.
Saturday morning Oct 27th brought news of a mass shooting at
a Pittsburgh synagogue, where congregants had gathered for
services. A man shouting anti-Semitic slurs ran inside the Tree
of Life synagogue in the close-knit neighborhood of Squirrel
Hill and opened fire, killing 11 people. Six people were injured
in the attack, but it left many more hurting.
This horrific act of terror by Robert Bowers led to the deaths of
eleven congregants who were engaged in a peaceful service in
a house of worship and were murdered simply because of their
faith. Our heartfelt condolence to the families of the deceased: Joyce Feinburg 75, Richard Godfried 65, Rose
Mallinger 97, Jerry Robinowitz 66, Cecil 59, and his brother
David Rosenthal 54, Bernice Simon 84, Sylvan Simon 86,
(married couple), Daniel Stein 71, Melvin Wax 88, Irving
Yungner, 69. May their memories be for a blessing.
The Quran commands that we restrain each other to protect
"monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques in which
God's Name is oft-remembered" (Quran 22:40).
This mass killing in a place of worship reinforces the need and
urgency for passage of common sense gun laws and a lot of
tikkum olam - repair of the world.
Finally, I do not wish to see armed guards at the gates of houses of worship. That is not the America I admire and love.
I am reminded of the wise words of President George Washington who after a visit to Newport, R.I wrote on Aug 18,
1790.
May the Children of the stock of Abraham, who dwell in this
land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants; while everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine
and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid. May
the father of all mercies scatter light and not darkness in our
paths, and make us all in our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in his own due time and way
everlasting happy. G. Washington.
Several Anton newspapers reported on this and other vigils the
local Westbury Times had this vigil as the lead story for its
Nov 12th edition.
Sunday Nov 4th – IFI/DHF Collaborative Program In a first time joint collaboration between the Interfaith Institute of the
Islamic Center of Long Island (IFI) and Domestic Harmony
Foundation (DHF), a non-profit organization designed to empower survivors of domestic violence, the two groups hosted a
unique event titled, “Reaching Domestic Harmony in a World
of Abuse and Violence: The Role of Religious Leaders in Creating Healthy Relationships”.
Recognizing the need to keep breaking the silence around what
remains taboo in all faith communities, this dialogue on how
clergy and religious leaders can support domestic violence survivors both spiritually and socially, was intended to foster important conversations and share information among diverse
clergy, scholars and community members. It was designed both
as a clergy training as well as a community forum with a question and answer component.
Faith and spiritual leaders are in an influential role to assist survivors who are seeking trust, guidance, direction and support
during difficult and often unsafe situations in their relationships
and in their homes; houses of worship are sought out as a place
of refuge and safety and faith leaders are often the individuals
to be providing the first and sometimes the only response to
someone being abused who may never reach out again. Therefore we underscore that knowing what to do and how to respond is of utmost concern and importance. An all-star lineup
of Long Island interfaith community representatives on the panel was moderated by Stony Brook University Chaplain Sanaa
Nadim and featured nationally renowned Keynote Speaker
Imam Mohamed Magid of the ADAMS Center in Virginia;
guest panelists included Rabbi Michael White of Temple Sinai,
Roslyn, Rev. Dwight Lee Wolter of the Congregational Church
of Patchogue, Hindu Scholar Mr. Narinder Kapoor of Geeta
Ashram in Syosset and Ms. Jassu Sidana, Sikh representative
from Mata Sahib Kaur Gurudwara in Glen Cove who stood in
to replace Interfaith Leader Mrs. Raj Singh who was unable to
attend.
Panelists shared their individual faith perspectives on the issue
and addressed specific questions about how they respond to
power and control abuse dynamics in their congregations. The
audience inquired about a range of topics including how to design a marriage contract that supports the rights of wives, believing victims, connecting the dots to culturally and religiously
appropriate services, how to provide structure to the next generation for healthy relationship models and separating traditional
cultural practices used to justify abuse, from the true essence of
religion.
Audience members took away valuable messages requiring a
shift in thinking: all civil divorce is considered a religious divorce by law of the land, look at the social aspect and how the
community must stop creating stigma around divorce and the
treatment of divorced women; there must be preventive care
and education and structures in place that eliminate the need to
return to abusive relationships; there must be encouragement
and pathways set up to leave a relationship when it is not working and ability to seek empowerment services. Sermons, khutbahs, seminars and workshops can be routinely used as powerful tools in houses of worship to build awareness, accept the
reality and begin healing and transformed lives.
The importance of discussions like this demonstrates the value
of many voices and allies coming together to leverage the impact we have in raising awareness about this epidemic, while
working together to form solutions to end the intergenerational
cycle of violence.
Report Courtesy of Neelofer Chaudry | Domestic Harmony
Foundation | Executive Director
P.O. Box 35, Syosset, NY 11791 | www.dfhny.org | office &
helpline: 516-385-8292
November 4th 2018 - The Spirituality of Peace, Love & Understanding Concert and Fundraiser
IFI board member Khalid S Lateef participated in The Spirituality of Peace, Love & Understanding which was written and
conceived by Rev. Dwight Lee Wolter;. The Congregational
Church of Patchogue is a historic church that was built in
1892.The church has a Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry. They
have a free Mobile Shower Unit and give free haircuts and
hairdressing for men and women. During holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter the church offers fellowship and
food to the people in the neighborhood.
Reverend Wolter is on the Advisory Board of the Interfaith
Institute. Recently, in the Congregational Church of
Patchogue’s newsletter, he expressed being proud of his appointment to the Advisory Board and shared with his readers
the close relationship he has had with ICLI for over 10 years.
He recalled that members of the ICLI attended a worship service on a Sunday morning to hear Dr. Faroque Khan and he copresent a sermon based on the Bible and Quran and how ICLI
has attended, participated in and contributed generously to their
outreach services: ICLI donated 25 new blankets, with loving
notes to the homeless and most recently contributed toilet paper that was distributed to homeless veteran shelters, domestic
violence shelters and food pantries.
Picture from the Congregational Church of Patchogue Newsletter taken
at IFI event Picture Legend: IFI Advisory Board Members: Standing L
to R: Rev Dwight Wolter, Dr Yousuf Syed, Dr Faroque Khan, Imam
Khalid S Lateef, Dr Unni Mooppan, dean Benjamin Rifkin, Dr Hafiz
Rehman. Seated L to R: Dr Panna Shah, Robert Keeler, Dr Arfa Khan,
Seema Rahman, Zainab Bey and Dr Isma Chaudhry.
The Benediction at the end of the concert was done by reciting “Let there be peace, love and understanding in this world, and
let it begin with me”. It was done in different languages by Rabbi Azriel Fellner of Temple Beth El of Patchogue, Dr.
Yousuf U. Syed a Trustee Islamic Association of Long Island /
The Selden Mosque and IFI board member, Executive Director
Mehmet A. Tetik of the Turkish Cultural Center Long Island
and Khalid S Lateef as a Representative of the Interfaith Institute of the Islamic Center of Long Island. The closing benediction was a display of the unity of the Human Family.
This report courtesy of Br Khalid S Lateef. IFI advisory board
member
Sunday Nov 11th 2018 - Forgiveness: Book Discussion: The
Sunflower by Simon Weisenthal -Thanks to IFI board member
Prof Arthur Dobrin IFI hosted a fantastic informative event on
Forgiveness Prof Arthur Dobrin initiated this program from
conception, development to completion. Arthur had recruited rabbi Dr Linda Henry Goodman, Bhakti Shastri minister
Joshua Greene and Rev Tom Goodhue to complete the panel.
Arthur gave a brief intro about the book The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal which poses the question: A prisoner in a concentration camp is asked for forgiveness by a dying Nazi soldier. What would you do if you were in such a situation? Each
panelist provided a brief intro from the respective religious perspective--Judaism, Islam, Christianity and Hinduism. The attachment on page 7 highlights my presentation regarding the
Islamic perspective of forgiveness.
There was a very lively engaging audience who asked key penetrating questions and Arthur made sure all questions were addressed.
We had a large contingent from Gathering of Light led by IFI
board member Rev Joane Barrett--she provided the attached
picture of the panelists and the IFI board members who attended the program- and many members from the Ethical Humanist
Society. The feedback from the attendees was very positive. It
was a pleasure to welcome the many first time visitors to ICLI
The logistic support provided by IFI board members--Seema
Rahman, Khalid S Lateef and Dr Unni Mooppan is greatly appreciated.
Finally, I am thankful for the many responses I received when
I asked for the feedback to the four questions Arthur had asked
the panelists in preparation for the session - the questions and
the responses follow:
Q1- Can you forgive someone on another’s behalf? 13/16 NO
remaining 3 were ambivalent - ex minor/if allowed by the
wronged party.
Q2 - Can you forgive someone who isn’t repentant? - 12/16 -
YES.
Q3 - How do you know that the repentance is sincere? Does it
matter whether you are certain or not? 6/16 YES, rest ambivalent, not sure or no.
Q4 - Is repentance sincere if it is based upon fear (of the afterlife or punishment in this life)? 8/16 YES, rest ambivalent.
Respondents: 16 adults - six females, ten males. Eleven physicians.
Prof Arthur Dobrins Blog on Forgiveness: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/am-i-right/201511/
forgiveness-may-harm-society
Report Courtesy of Prof Faroque A Khan
Panelists L to R: , Bhakti- shastri minister Joshua Greene, Rev Tom
Goodhue , Faroque Khan Rabbi Dr Linda Henry Goodman and Prof
Arthur Dobrin
Nov 14th 2018: IFI Advisory Board member Sr. Shaida
Khan represented Interfaith Institute of the Islamic Center of
Long Island (IFI) in the Muslim Jewish Advisory Council
(MJAC NY) meeting with Stephanie Bazell, Chief of Staff to
NYS Senator Brad Hoylman at the American Jewish committee office in NY. Ms. Bazell addressed the group on the
Senators top priorities with a focus on hate crimes and strategies in creating new programs to enforce and implement the
Senator’s priorities effectively.
Eric Post, Associate Director, AJC NY opened the meeting
with introductions and thanked Stephanie Bazell, Senator Brad
Hoylman’s Chief of Staff for the Senator’s work in combating
anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, advancing pluralism, and preventing and addressing hate crimes.
Junaid Chida, member of MJAC NY provided an overview of
the National MJAC, and its significant achievement in passing
the ‘Protecting Religiously Affiliated Institutions Act of 2018’
which recently signed into law by President Trump, this Act
expands the coverage of Federal hate crimes laws to include
religiously affiliated institutions such as schools and community centers, in addition to houses of worship. It clarifies that
threats against, as well as acts that result in damage to religious
institutions' property is covered.
Chief of Staff, Stephanie Bazell spoke about Senator
Hoylman’s work on hate crimes and how the challenges in
combating hate crimes has a lot to do with lack of reporting and
lack of data. One can report a hate crime through the DA’s office, NYPD, and several other entities.
After discussing the challenges faced by the Jewish and Muslim communities, a few steps for legislative partnership between MJAC NY and Senator Hoylman were noted as follows:
“Surely We sent down the Torah, wherein is guidance and light, by which the prophets who
had surrendered (themselves to Allah) judged the Jews, as did the rabbis and priests (who
followed) the scripture of Allah which they were bidden to observe, and to which they were
witness. So fear not men but fear Me. And sell not My verses for a trivial gain. Whoever
judges not by that which Allah has revealed, these are the unbelievers.”
Qur’an 5:44
“And We sent, in their footsteps, “Isa (Jesus) son of Mariam, confirming that which was
(revealed) before him of the Torah, and We bestowed on him the Gospel, wherein is guidance
and light, confirming the Torah which was before it a guidance and admonition for those who
fear Allah.”
Qur’an 5:46
“And to you (Muhammad) We have revealed the Book with the truth, confirming whatever
Scripture was before it, and a watcher over it. So judge between them by that which Allah has
revealed, and do not follow their vain desires to forsake the truth that has come to you. To
each of We prescribed law and a method. Had Allah willed, He would have made you one nation (united in religion), but (He intended) to test you in what He has given you; so race to
(all that is) good. To Allah is your return all together, and He will (then) inform you concerning that over which you used to differ.”
Qur’an 5:48
This event attracted a large gathering, received extensive TV and print media coverage in Newsday, Long Island Press and Islamic Horizon magazine.
Earlier this year when we heard about the visit of Pope Francis we extended an invite for him to formally launch the interfaith institute at ICLI which he was unable to accommodate.
The presentation was very well received. We were able to share a short video from the Oct 25th launch of the interfaith institute of ICLI
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