In the Press
The devout celebrate their diversity -- 10-06-2006
The devout celebrate their diversity
BERYL CHONG
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Posted: 10/6/2006
In 1980, Betsy Rowland met Sami Fadali at a Spanish class at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.
In January, Rowland, a Quaker, and Fadali, a Muslim, will celebrate their 26th wedding anniversary.
"My life is about interfaith dialogue," said Rowland, of Reno. "I don't think we are all that different. There's a huge fund of similarities we have to draw on each other."
On Thursday night, the couple sat down to dinner with Buddhists, Christians, Muslims and Jews to celebrate the third annual Interfaith Dialogue Dinner.
The event, in the Reno-Sparks Convention Center along South Virginia Street, was organized by the Sierra Foundation.
Several Muslims started the non-profit group about three years ago to promote peace.
"This is where people can express their feelings and get to know each other," said Ismail Ozdemir, president of the Sierra Foundation. "By sharing our common values with people from different religions, we believe we will achieve peace in the near future."
Thursday's event featured several religious leaders.
They included Bruce Brinkerhoff of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Reno; Rabbi Myra Soifer, of Temple Sinai; and Imam Abdul Barghouti, president of the Northern Nevada Muslim Community mosque in Reno.
The dinner tables were organized so people from different religions could sit next to each other. Some met before while others were strangers.
The event was organized during the holy month of Ramadan.
The Sierra Foundation wanted to host the after sunset dinner called "iftar," and invite people they consider friends.
"As a Muslim, we invite our friends to have dinner with us and with people of different cultures and religions," Ozdemir said. "It's a month of sharing."
More than 100 people of different faiths took part in the dinner. They were encouraged to get to know each other and keep in touch after the event was over.
"As Americans, we need to practice relationships with people from other countries instead of nations," said Marcia Paulson, a member of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Reno. "They are hoping for the same things as the rest of us."
DETAILS
Asiye Yaman of Istanbul, Turkey prepairs for a marbling or Ebru demonstration before the Sierra Foundation Interfaith Dinner Thursday at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.
The Sierra Foundation is a non-profit group started to promote acceptance, respect and love through social events such as Thursday's Interfaith Dialogue Dinner.
on the web
For more information, log on to www.sierraf.org
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