A talk with two faith leaders

This talk, held at Saint Mark’s on April 13, 2016, was led by two faith leaders, The Rt. Rev. Greg Rickel, Bishop of the Diocese of Olympia, and Arsalan Bukhari, Executive Director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The conversation focused on interfaith relations, islamophobia, and the vocation of the church as a beacon of inclusion, dignity and respect. This talk was held as part of Saint Mark’s Cathedral Commons series.

A recent statement from the House of Bishops, a governing body of the Episcopal Church, expresses the need for reconciliation amidst the current political rhetoric: “In a country still living under the shadow of the lynching tree, we are troubled by the violent, coercive forces being released by this season’s political rhetoric. Americans are turning against their neighbors, particularly those on the margins of society. They seek to secure their own safety and security at the expense of others. There is legitimate reason to fear where this rhetoric and the actions arising from it might take us. […]We reject the idolatrous notion that we can ensure the safety of some by sacrificing the hopes of others. No matter where we fall on the political spectrum, we must respect the dignity of every human being and we must seek the common good above all else.”

Resources mentioned in this video:
CAIR Seattle, the Council on American – Islamic Relations- cairseattle.org
Find a mosque, learn more about the faith – islamicfinder.org
MAPS – Muslim Association of Puget Sound – mapsredmond.org
Getting to know our Muslim neighbors – video series from the Diocese of Olympia
Standing Together 2016, interfaith study and dialogue program – standingtogether2016.com
Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign, interfaith activism – shouldertoshouldercampaign.org
Catacomb Churches – catacombchurches.org