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Eid Ul-Fitr JOP gathering (step one) |
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EID UL-FITR GatheringJourney of Promise step oneOn the morning of 25 November 2003, the first major step was taken on the DOV inspired inter-faith Journey of Promise project, as a group of young Christians and Jews joined Muslims at the mosque at the AFIC offices for the end of Ramadan prayers
We were situated in a room to the side of the gathering space where we could observe the prayers without actually entering the worship space. We had commentary throughout the prayer time to advise us of what was happening, why and how. The experience was new, amazing and revealing. New and amazing because it was so foreign for one coming from a Pentecostal Christian background, revealing because we were given the opportunity to see a community of faith celebrating one of their happiest and holy festivals. After prayer time we, the particpants of JOP, socialised with the worshippers and then retired to a private reception brunch for the JOP participants. The socialising was an opportunity to get to know one another, ask questions, laugh and learn. Each participant and faith leader introduced themselves and told the group whom they represented. The experience was very worthwhile and I look forward to attending the next JOP exposure for Hannukah.
Our journey to the mosque in Zetland was touched by irony. At Central Station, we waited for a taxi for 1/2 hour. When one finally arrived, the driver told us that there were few taxis on the road that day. Most of the taxi drivers were Moslems and had taken the day to celebrate Eid-Ul-Fitr and be with their families. In the quiet room at the back of the mosque, watching the people pray, I was struck by one thing in particular. The 'sermon' was in English, but the prayers were entirely in Arabic. Still, there was one phrase I recognised- allah akbar ('allah is great'). This was repeated several times throughout the prayers, much as Christians recite particular benedictions. What struct me was the reverence and adoration in their voices as they praised God. In the room upstairs, after quieting my stomach with some of the delectable pastries and fresh fruit, I spent time talking to some of the Moslems who joined us upstairs. Their graciousness and hospitality was amazing, as was their genuine desire to find points of connection between their faith stories and mine. The sense of joyful community there reminded me of the best moments I have experienced in church. I left appreciating the Islamic faith with a little more understanding, and more than a little full.
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Today I attended the end of Ramadan prayers at the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils.
On Tuesday the 25th of November, I was privileged to be invited to the Festival of Eid-Ul-Fitr, celebrating the end of Ramadan (the Islamic month of fasting and prayer). This invitation was part of the Journey of Promise, an initiative of the Abrahamic faith communities in Australia (Islamic, Christian and Jewish) bringing young people together to enjoy each other's major holy days and learn from each other.
I found the visit to the mosque really interesting. I think what most struck me was kind of how normal the situation was, in a sense, because in hearing about Muslims praying 5 times a day makes them sound like almost intimidatingly "religious". But here there were kids running around, I noticed a really small boy imitating the way they pray so close to the ground and it reminded me of a church service like I'm used to."This project is proudly supported by the Australian Government's Living in Harmony initiative. Administered by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, the Living in Harmony initiative aims to promote community harmony. It recognises that, whatever our backgrounds and beliefs, we are united as Australians and want to live in a country that is free of racial intolerance. For more information on the Living in Harmony initiative, visit www.immi.gov.au/harmony."
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