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Issue #9 - November 2008
Catholic Youth Crossing the Faith Line
As 40 religiously diverse youth travel on an interfaith exchange between their hometowns of Chicago and Amman, Jordan they begin a different kind of conversation about religion, a conversation that has them asking real questions about their lives, faiths and the differences between them. Will the Middle East and Midwest be too far apart to build a bridge between? Young people of different faith traditions from Chicago and Amman, Jordan supported refugee children from multiple countries by helping them enhance their reading and writing skills through interactive performances and personal story telling. The performance, entitled, Coming to Stories of Our Found Destinies is the culmination of the InterACTION Youth Exchange project, which helps youth of different faiths find opportunities for cooperation vs. conflict. Declaration of the Catholic-Muslim Forum at the Vatican
An important and demanding declaration was published by the Vatican and by representatives of the 138 Muslim scholars who wrote the well-known letter to the pope and other Christian leaders, A Common Word. Among other things, it affirms respect for life and for the dignity of each person, man or woman, which involves, among other things, respect for freedom of conscience and religion; the rejection of discrimination on account of faith; the importance of bearing witness through prayer to the transcendent dimension of life in an increasingly secularized world; an affirmation of the duty to give young people a solid moral, civil, and religious education, and teach them about the faith of others. The declaration also speaks of the possibility of creating a permanent mixed committee, and announces a second forum to be held within two years, in a Muslim majority country. Read the final declaration What Catholics believe about Interfaith Dialogue
The Pope shared at the Catholic - Muslim Dialogue at the Holy See: "I am well aware that Muslims and Christians have different approaches in matters regarding God. Yet we can and must be worshippers of the one God who created us and is concerned about each person in every corner of the world. Together we must show, by our mutual respect and solidarity, that we consider ourselves members of one family: the family that God has loved and gathered together from the creation of the world to the end of human history." Read more... American Muslim Teens Speak Out
This half-hour video features nine teens in a refreshing, first-person look at modern Muslim American youth who illustrate the diversity that is Islam. They are African-American, American Caucasian, Middle Eastern, from the Asian subcontinent and Africa. Moderated by Alex Kronemer, one of the producers of PBS's Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet, participants engage in a lively and honest conversation about fitting in, prayer, misunderstandings, dress, fun, drinking, dating, and parents. The video is intended for use in classrooms, youth groups, and other settings specializing in cultural education. American Muslim Teens Talk is available for broadcast and educational use. If interested, please contact us at 1-800-727-2470. Check out the promo on YouTube. Download Youth Activities based on on the film:
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Issue #9 - Nov. 2008“Imagine a world where people from different religious backgrounds come together to create understanding and respect by serving their communities and world. THIS IS THE WORLD WE ARE BUILDING"
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