Grace LaTourelle-
The third part of the Interfaith Discussion Series will take place on Tuesday, April 23rd at 10:00 a.m. in Christ Chapel. The dialogue will be about the Muslim faith. The Interfaith Discussion Series was headed up by Senior Zoe Jesh who is the current Interfaith Intern for the Chaplain’s Office and Religion Department.
“My role with this interfaith series was to coordinate all of the guests, communicate the questions that I would be asking ahead of time, and to facilitate the actual discussions,” Jesh said.
The first two discussions in the three-part series revolved around Judaism and Buddhism. The Chapel Break discussions were created to enter into inclusive dialogue and learning for students, faculty, and staff.
“Part of it is learning for the broader campus community and it’s also helpful for people of non-Christian faith traditions to have people be curious about and wonder and learn,” Chaplain Besty Hoium said.
In the series, Hoium and Jesh alternate sessions as well as interviewing the guests. This session will be led by Jesh, interviewing Dr. Hagar Attia, who has been named the head of the Muslim Student Association.
“We’re asking the same or similar questions at each of these: asking about what it is like to live in a diverse world, a major faith milestone or memory, [an] overview of their faith tradition, how to learn more…” Hoium said.
Jesh also noted that one particular question will be asked; it will revolve around a teaching that Attia finds particularly profound in the Muslim faith. Jesh aimed the discussions to highlight the background and personal experience of each guest who was invited.
“The importance of these discussions/Q&A sessions is to make students, faculty, and staff aware of the differing faith/religious backgrounds that Gustavus has on campus,” Jesh said.
The Muslim faith is the largest non-Christian faith represented on campus. As well as coming to the interfaith discussion and learning, students and faculty are also encouraged to uplift their Muslim peers.
“…we can lift up our Muslim peers in many ways. One way we can do this is through acknowledging and celebrating in a respectful way, certain holidays specific to the Muslim faith,” Jesh said.
Jesh identified that Muslim students may feel overlooked, also commenting on the Islamaphobic rhetoric in society and the safety concerns that are raised alongside that.
“We can also lift up Muslim students on campus by creating safe and welcoming spaces to have dialogues similar to the interfaith series that allow them to inform students about the Muslim faith and why it is important to them,” Jesh said.
Gustavus represents the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, a denomination of Lutheranism. Jesh noted that often, students who identify as or similar to that faith are drawn to campus. However, the Lutheran faith, as Jesh and Hoium identified, encompasses learning and acceptance of other faith traditions.
“The Lutheran faith is very much…rooted in Lutheranism and open to other traditions and how we partner with our neighbors,” Hoium said.
The series does not only aim at teaching but also acknowledging students of other faiths on campus to create a welcoming space.
“Too often students of a different faith on campus are overlooked. If they see that there are other people who identify with the same faith, they are more likely to feel welcomed and accepted on campus,” Jesh noted.
The discussion on April 23rd will conclude the series, however, students are encouraged to keep learning and having interfaith discussions.
“…inter-religious/inter-faith discussions can sometimes be hard to have,” Jesh said. “…if we can introduce students to discussions like this it will set an example of how people can approach difficult conversations outside of the realm of faith.”
Hoium also noted the broader impact that the discussions and dialogue have on individual and community spirituality.
“It makes the campus stronger when we value other faith traditions because you both learn more about your own tradition and beliefs and about others when you are in dialogue,” Hoium said.
Hoium suggested building relationships and doing fun things together to reduce the ‘us’ and ‘them’ rhetoric, in the “ever increasingly diverse world”. Students and faculty are encouraged to bring questions and an open mind to the final part of the discussion, as well as continue to make interfaith connections.
“I would just like to add that I have had a wonderful time planning this series and getting to talk to some amazing people. I also appreciate all of the students, staff, and faculty that have come to the discussions so far,” Jesh said.