Panel: Symbols illustrate beliefs
By SARAH NESTOR
News Writer
Hoping to bring the community together, the Saint Mary's students and faculty held the second annual interfaith celebration Sunday.
Five different speakers discussed the importance of symbols in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Baha'i as part of the theme: "Sacred Symbols, Sacred Objects." Symbols such as Sabbath candles, robes and calligraphy were displayed during the talk.
Ethel Bartky spoke first on the relationship of symbols in the Jewish faith.
"Judaism uses lots of objects and lots of symbolism," she said. "The objects themselves are not sacred but the use of the objects are so that we become closer in our mind to God."
Imam Waliyyuddin Beyah spoke about the Muslim faith. He explained that there are not objects used in Muslim, but what is most sacred is the written word or the Qu'ran.
He further explained that as a Muslim there are certain expectations, such as a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Beyah also touched on the subject of the war in Afghanistan and the concept of jihad in Islam. Beyah said that Osma bin Laden was not conducting a jihad.
"Jihad or ijtihad, is not fighting with guns, it is an internal fight within ones self to become closer to God. Ummah is the term for war and fighting with others," Beyah said.
Tom Brown explained Buddhism and what it is to be a Buddhist. As a Buddhist there are three goals, to avoid evil, do only good and purify your mind. Any object can be scared because Buddhists believe that everything is, and of, God.
"You can be a Buddhist and still attend Catholic Church," Brown said. "In Buddhism you depend on experience and not on what is taught."
Professor Alexis Brooks De Vita shared the Baha'i's believes with the panel. There is no clergy but each person takes it upon himself or herself to study and attend to their own belief in God.
Symbols in the faith are the five-pointed and nine-pointed star and an object called the ring stone. The ring stone consists of three different vertical bars, the top bar represents God, the middle is manifestation and the third represents the human world.
"It reminds us that we cannot understand the mind of God," De Vita said.
Professor Beth Newman finished the discussion with an interpretation of Christianity and jthe use of icons and the idea of idolatry, which goes against the Commandments.
Those who did not want to use icons believed that since no one knows what God looks there cannot be prayer to drawn icons.
Others believed that since God allowed himself to become man and can be drawn in the symbol of Jesus that icons can be used.
"God cannot be pictured, cannot be understood but we all as humans reach out," Newman said.
To bring the faith together there was then an interfaith payer service in which all the religions took part. Readings were taken from the Baha'i faith, the Qur'an, in Arabic, the Prophet Isaiah from Judaism in Hebrew and from 1 John from Christianity.
The service included music from the First AME Zion choir. Students from Saint Mary's also participated in leading a number of songs and incorporating dance into the program.
"We are bringing the community together to educate and share our faiths," said Mana Derkashani, a co-planner.
"What we [the Saint Mary's community] have in common is a faith. A belief in God, and so humanly we are the same," Beyah said.
All News Stories for Monday, January 21, 2002
