{"id":22159,"date":"2016-12-02T00:38:35","date_gmt":"2016-12-02T08:38:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=22159"},"modified":"2016-12-02T11:58:33","modified_gmt":"2016-12-02T19:58:33","slug":"unique-book-group","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2016\/12\/02\/unique-book-group\/","title":{"rendered":"Unique book group"},"content":{"rendered":"

The next novel up for discussion at the Jewish-Muslim women\u2019s book group is The Red Tent<\/em>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

One Sunday in July led to several new experiences for yours truly, a 23-year-old Jew living on Vancouver\u2019s North Shore. For starters, it was my first time in a mosque, it was my first time in Delta and it was without a doubt my first Jewish-Muslim book gathering. Thankfully, it wasn\u2019t my first time reading a book in less than 24 hours, as my decision to attend the gathering after seeing it mentioned in this very newspaper, was pretty spur of the moment.<\/p>\n

The book group\u2019s second-ever session was held at Baitur Rahman Mosque, a building that, upon first impressions, was slightly imposing \u2013 British Columbia\u2019s largest mosque, dwarfing any synagogue I\u2019ve come across \u2013 but which proved home to an incredible amount of warmth. The warmth began with smiles when I entered the room late \u2013 it was a longer journey than I expected \u2013 and continued through the entire two-hour session about the book (I Am Malala<\/em> by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb), and well into the snacks and chats afterwards.<\/p>\n

Having been greeted by 30 or so women from both Jewish and Muslim backgrounds, there was the classic ice-breaker \u2013 going round in a circle, saying one\u2019s name, a little bit about yourself and an interesting fact. I may not have been able to beat one woman\u2019s fact (she used to be a stilt walker) but my relatively young age meant I stood out.<\/p>\n

This lengthy introduction introduced me well to the thoughtful, kind group. In true Canadian spirit, they were from so many different places and cultures. The Muslim women in particular had a heartening appreciation for their country. One said she \u201cliked Canada very much\u201d; another one-upped her, exclaiming, \u201cI am one of the luckiest people alive\u201d for having been welcomed here. There\u2019s no doubt that the women from both religions were of a progressive stance \u2013 the bulk of Jews was from egalitarian Or Shalom synagogue, while the Muslim women were part of the Ahmadiyya community, which has been persecuted relentlessly by more orthodox Muslim groups.<\/p>\n

As conversation began about the book, it became clear that everyone was so lovely \u2013 was I the only person who hadn\u2019t helped Syrian refugees settle in Canada? \u2013 that I began to wonder if the group was a case of \u201cpreaching to the converted.\u201d Surely the people most ignorant, and most in need of education about other religions, weren\u2019t the type who would turn up to this group? A cynic by nature, this worry stayed with me during the (fairly fleeting) discussions about the book and the (much longer) follow-up conversation about the link between religion and education, how and whether you can teach critical thinking, and other thought-provoking questions.<\/p>\n

So, I reached out to the organizers from both sides. The email chains that followed gave me insight into two great communities and their prior interfaith ties, as well as into two pioneering women: Tiferet Welch from the Jewish community and Aisha Naveed from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama\u2019at. They provided some strikingly similar answers to my questions, illustrating how much common ground can be found between the two religions (religions that, evidently, don\u2019t always see eye to eye).<\/p>\n

About why the book group came about, it seemed that the books were simply a way of facilitating discussion about religion itself. Welch said she decided to make the group happen after meeting some of the Muslim women, who \u201cstated their knowledge of Judaism and, hence, Jews, was extremely limited,\u201d but they were \u201cfueled with a strong desire to know more.\u201d Naveed said \u201cthe book club was initiated to remove common misconceptions between the Jewish and Islamic faith,\u201d explaining to me how her community believes in interfaith dialogue to \u201cencourage learning\u201d and \u201cprevent ignorance.\u201d<\/p>\n

The women were also on the same wavelength about the group\u2019s future \u2013 Naveed called it \u201can organic venture\u201d and Welch said \u201cwe want to see it progress organically.\u201d They were both proud of what it had accomplished in such a short time: Naveed proclaimed it \u201ca huge success,\u201d while Welch described the discussions as \u201copen\u201d and \u201chonest.\u201d<\/p>\n

And what did they have to say to my \u201cpreaching to the converted\u201d angst? Naveed said that, because interfaith gatherings \u201care a form of open and safe space,\u201d they mean you learn a great deal about one another. Welch said \u201cthere needs to be a distinction made between being open and being knowledgeable.\u201d In layman\u2019s terms: those who attend the group are open, but that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re knowledgeable, and the group aims to educate.<\/p>\n

Welch also pointed out that, because the event is promoted, for instance, via Or Shalom\u2019s electronic bulletin, geography is a non-issue. Theoretically, people all around the globe can subscribe to the group and see how progressive it is. And, she reminded me that, once this article is published, other Jews will know about it, and thus the group\u2019s potential for change is increased.<\/p>\n

With that in mind \u2013 how to sell the group to someone reading this? I\u2019ll break it down, simply and honestly, into three points.<\/p>\n

First off, the reading material is quality. The first session the group discussed the book Faithfully Feminist: Jewish, Christian and Muslim Feminists on Why We Stay<\/em>, edited by Amy Levin, Gina Messina-Dysert and Jennifer Zobair. It led to a worthwhile discussion on how both religions are traditionally patriarchal, and what this has meant for female faith in male-dominated arenas. For me, having started off dubious about I Am Malala<\/em>, the second session\u2019s read proved a powerful one. The youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize winner\u2019s account is both humble and knowledgeable, a memoir that explains well the Taliban\u2019s rise, Pakistan\u2019s history and politics, and the monumental importance of educating girls.<\/p>\n

Second, the discussions that stem from the books are as intelligent as they are interesting. The two-hour discussion flew by at the mosque \u2013 the only thing I can compare it to is a dream university seminar or tutorial; i.e. one not ruined by hung-over students unable even to blag the required reading. Participants were incredibly educated and respectful. We covered moral values and where they should be learned, we discussed the media\u2019s portrayal of religion and our internal prejudices, and I gained a ton of insight into a religion that many of us could, and should, know more about. Their actual definition of jihad<\/em> \u2013 as education; a clear rejection of terrorism \u2013 which hung proudly in the room, struck me as particularly vital in this day and age.<\/p>\n

Third, the post-discussion food is fantastic. The informal portion of the event, where we stood eating (delicious snacks) and chatting, was where we all connected more personally and more deeply. I found out what it\u2019s like to be judged immediately and constantly for wearing a hijab, and how it feels to be asked where you\u2019re from, to reply saying \u201cCanada,\u201d and then receive a demanding \u201cNo, but where are you really from?\u201d On a more light-hearted note, I found out how pleasing it is to interact with people outside my usual social circle, to do something new and to spend a Sunday afternoon with a group of thoughtful, inspiring women from all over. Oh, and did I mention how good the food is?<\/p>\n

The group\u2019s next meeting \u2013 about The Red Tent<\/em> by Anita Diamant \u2013 is scheduled for Dec. 18, 2-4 p.m., at Or Shalom. Women interested in attending are advised to follow Or Shalom\u2019s web page or subscribe to its email list, and to RSVP Welch at twilla.welch.1@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rebecca Shapiro<\/strong> is the associate editor of vivalifestyleandtravel.com<\/a> and a travel blogger at thethoughtfultraveller.com<\/a>. She\u2019s been published in the <\/em>Guardian, <\/em>Elle Canada and the <\/em>Huffington Post, as well as various other Jewish newspapers in the United Kingdom and Canada. She currently resides in Vancouver, having previously lived in London, Shanghai and Toronto.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The next novel up for discussion at the Jewish-Muslim women\u2019s book group is The Red Tent. One Sunday in July led to several new experiences for yours truly, a 23-year-old Jew living on Vancouver\u2019s North Shore. For starters, it was my first time in a mosque, it was my first time in Delta and it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22133,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[784],"tags":[1808,6352,218,3021],"class_list":["post-22159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","tag-dialogue","tag-islam","tag-judaism","tag-women"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22159"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22159\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}