UCC - Reading of ?The Faith Club' aims to bridge interfaith gap

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Reading of ?The Faith Club' aims to bridge interfaith gap

> Written by Jeff Woodard
> July 2, 2011

> "Please don't let this be related to Islam."

Ranya Idliby prayerfully clung to that hope when
she heard that airplanes had slammed into the Twin Towers on Sept., 11, 200 1.

Idliby, an American Muslim of Palestinian

descent, was barraged by questions ? about Islam,
about God and about death ? from her children,
the only Muslims in their classrooms. Inspired by
a story about Muhammad, Ranya reached out to two
other mothers ? one Christian, one Jewish ? to
try to understand and answer those questions.

The result was a book titled The Faith Club,
co-authored by Idliby, Suzanne Oliver and
Priscilla Warner. As part of Suncoast Saturday at
General Synod 28, an hour-long readers' theater
presentation of the book was given in Ballroom B
of the Tampa Convention Center.

Early on, it is apparent that Ranya (played by
Umnia Khan of Orlando), Oliver (the Rev. Mary
Blocher of Leesburg, Fla.) and Warner (Phyllis
Lowe, The Villages, Fla.) need an open
environment to exchange concerns, stereotypes and
misunderstandings about each other. A great deal
of soul-searching later, the three grow begin to explore what unites them.

The authors wrestle with the issues of

anti-Semitism, prejudice against Muslims, and
preconceptions of Christians in a post-Sept. 11
era when fundamentalists dominate much of the
public face of Christianity. They write of their
families, losses, grief, fears and hopes for
themselves and their loved ones. As layers of
belief are examined ? some peeled away for good ?
a new way of relating to others is born.

> A Kansas City resident, Mary was raised
> Catholic and is now Episcopalian. She was
> "intrigued" when she met Ranya, wondering about
> oft-reported phrases and behaviors attributed to
> Muslims ? "an eye for an eye," polygamy, women
> being stoned and Koran-inspired attacks.

Phyllis, self-described as suffering from 35
years of severe panic attacks even before Sept.
11, is a Jewish woman now living in constant "low
grade" panic. She once removed a picture of Jesus
from her hotel room wall, in part because, "I
didn't want a dead guy hanging over my bed."

Saturday's presentation represented about

one-quarter of the book. In the final chapter,
the co-authors offer advice on starting a faith
club ? the questions to ask, the books to read
and the open-minded attitude to maintain to come
through the experience with an enriched personal
faith and understanding of others.

> For more information on the book, log on to
> <http://thefaithclub.com/>thefaithclub.com.