| Israeli-Palestinian Dialogue |
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Middle
East and North Africa 5th Annual Conference (Under the Theme "Religious
Traditions") Conference Overview: The conference aimed at gathering URI Cooperation Circles and some potential groups interested in joining URI, in MENA Region to achieve the following goals: · Introduce URI’s MENA CC’s and potential groups who are interested in joining URI. · Enhance the cooperation and the interaction among URI MENA family. · Discuss the theory and the practice of different religious traditions. · Exchange experiences, resources and knowledge. · Enhance the participants’ skills in handling conflicts and communicating effectively in multicultural environments. This year, MENA team decided to invite participants from MENA countries only and invite one representative of each CC in order to have a space for inviting potential groups. The theme of the conference “Religious Traditions” is meant to deepen the participants’ appreciation and understanding of different religious traditions. Therefore, it provided unique opportunities to explore similarities and differences among the participants' religious traditions. On the other hand, to maximize the outcome of the conference, two workshops were conducted. The first was on conflict management and the second was on Effective Cross-Cultural Communication. Moreover, the conference used interactive participative methodology that focused on learning through open discussions and mutual understanding. Enough time was dedicated to informal discussions. It is worth mentioning that the attendance percentage ranged between 92% and 96 % for the main activities of the conference.
In
overall evaluation, the conference was very successful and met the
participant'
Participants details:
§ Jordan (13 Participants ) § Iran ( 2 Participants including one Global Trustee) § Morocco ( 2 Participants) § Palestinian Authority ( 3 participants) § Egypt ( 4 participants) § Israel (12 Participants) § Organizing team of three persons from Jordan: the Regional Coordinator, the Legal Representative and the spot translator. § Two honorable quests from Jordan which were approved by the MENA team.
Jewish, Muslim Sunni, Muslim Shi'a, Muslim Sufi, Christian/ Coptic orthodoxy, Christian Orthodox, Christian Catholic, Christian/ Maronite church, Druze, and Taoist.
Annex (1) Food and food-related occasions in Islam Prepared by: Dr.Taleb Al-Harithi Coordinator of the Palestinian Peace Society – URI cc
palestinepeacesocie PREFACE: We all know that food is considered the vital matter that sustains life, as all creatures need food to live. Islamic religion, as other religions, had deliberately discussed the food issue. Many phrases (Ayat) of the Koran deal with and discuss the food issue from many perspectives e.g. what types of food are prohibited or permitted for the Moslem to eat, how and how much to eat, where to eat, for whom to give food, from whom/where to get food, and even when to eat …..etc. In Koran, there is a “Soura” called Al-Ma’ida (the “dining table”سورة المائدة), one of the longest Souras in the Holy Koran - 120 Ayas120 آية – which discusses the food issues and edicates and how to deal with them. But food and food issues and occassions had been mentioned and discussed in many other Souras, either in brief or in detail. In Sourat Al-Baqara (the cowسورة البقرة ) for example, Aya 172 God سبحانه و تعالىsays: "يا أيها الذين آمنوا كلوا من طيبات ما رزقناكم و اشكروا الله ان كنتم اياه تعبدون" “O you who believed, eat from the good [i.e. lawful] things, which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is [indeed] Him that you whorship”. In this Aya God ordered us to eat only what we are sure is good (lawful=Halal) and thank the Lord. Another Aya, Al-Ma’ida 88 says “و كلوا مما رزقكم الله حلالا طيبا و اتقوا الله الذي به تؤمنون " “And eat of what Allah has provided for you [which is] lawful and good and fear Allah, in whom you are believers”. Also Islam urged people not to prohibit themselves from enjoying food and food delicates as long as they are Halal and good [unspoiled] as God said “ يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تحرموا طيبات ما أحل لكم” “O you have believed, dont forbid the good that God allowed for you”. In Islam, every food type, whatever it is and from where it comes, is considered God,s boon (رزق الله) and God سبحانه و تعالى grants it to people who should thank Him; “"هو الذي جعل لكم الأرض ذلولا فامشوا في مناكبها و كلوا من رزقه و اليه النشور “It is He who made the earth tame for you – so walk among its slopes and eat of what His provision – and to him is the surrection. Islam also urged people not to be excessive in eating food, Aya 31 of Al-A'araf Soura says;”"وكلوا و أشربوا و لا تسرفوا، انه لا يحب المسرفين “and eat and drink, but not excessive. Indeed, He [the Lord] likes not those who commit excess. Related to this context, our prophet Mohammed صلى الله عليه و سلم said: ” ما ملأ ابن آدم وعاء شر من بطنه، فان كان لابد فاعل فثلث لطعامه و ثلث لشرابه و ثلث لنفسه” “ The worst container the child of Adam to fill is his stomak; but if for him is unavoidable to do then one third for his food, one third for his drink and one third for his breath”.
Description of some food types in Koran: A.Honey: taken as example "فيه شفاء للناس" “in which there is healing for people”. Many other food types are mentioned in the Holy Koran like figs, olives, dates, grapes, meat, milk, apple, ….etc.
Slaughtering Animals in Islam:
“و
لا تأكلوا مما لم يذكر اسم الله عليه و انه لفسق ...”
“ And do not eat of that upon which the name of
Allah has not been mentioned, for indeed it is grave disobedience” What is allowed and prohibited to eat for Moslem: “يا أيها الذين آمنوا انما الخمر و الميسر و الأنصاب و الأزلام رجس من عمل الشيطان فاجتنبوه لعلكم تفلحون” “O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah] and devining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful. حرمت عليكم الميتة و الدم و لحم الخنزير و أهل لغير الله به و المنخنقة و الموقوذة و المتردية و النطيحة و أكل السبع الا ما ذكيتم، و ما ذبح على النصب و ان تستسقمها بالأزلام ، ذلكم فسق" Al-Ma’ida 3 “Prohibited to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah, and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a headlong fall or gorning يجرح بقرن of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death], and those which are sacrified on stone altars مذبح في معبد, and [prohibited is] that you seek decission through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience. Prophet Mohammed صلى الله عليه و سلم said: ان الله حرم أكل كل ذي ناب من السباع و كل ذي مخلب من الطير" ” “God prohibited eating those wild animals that have canine tooth and those birds that have claws”. “و طعام الذين أوتوا الكتاب حل لكم و طعامكم حل لهم “ “ ... and the food of those who were given the scripture is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them...”. “ و حرم عليكم صيد البر ما دمتم حرما .. “ “ but forbidden to you is game from the land as long as you are in the state of Ihram...”. Al-Ma’idah 96.
الأمن الغذائي في الاسلامFood Security in Islam: "فليعبدوا رب هذا البيت الذي أطعمهم من جوع و آمنهم من خوف" “ Let them whorship the Lord of this House, who has fed them [saving them] from hunger and made them safe [saving them] from fear.
Food Occasions in Islam: 1) Sadaqa: Any thing the Moslem gives for those in need, especially the food. 2) Aqiqa: To slaughter animals and cook their meat and invite those in need and relatives after a Moslem becomes a child. 3) Nathr (Vow): When a Moslem runs in bad situation he/she says:"If God rescues me safe out of this situation I vow to do so and so". He should fulfill his word and do it. 4) Dead Food: When a Moslem dies, other Moslems are urged to provide food for the family of the Dead. Prophet M. said when Ja'far died:" Feed the family of Ja'far". 5) Lokmat Arbaeen Almayyet "Mozma": The family of the Dead, after 40 days passing on his death, slaughter animals and kook for the people, mainly the poor. 6) Khamis Almayyet: Food is prepared and provided to those in need on the first Thursday after the death. 7) Tekeyya food: Food provided for those in need all times. 8) Iftar Arrahman: Food is provided to those in need in Ramadan at Iftar. 9) Sadaqa: In form of food also. 10) Ransom "Fida" or Fado or Fdayeh: Resembles Vow but voluntary done with no vow. 11) Sacrifice and sacrifice day. الأضحية 12) Oblation قربان: Verbally pronounced unusual in Islam, but many people use to slaughter animals and divide the flesh to the poor. 13) A Moslem should be generous to his guests. 14) Kaffara: When a Moslem does not fast intentionally or swears to do something but could not fulfill his swearing, he ought to provide food for the poor as purification index e.g. for one day not to fast he/she should feed 60 poor/in need. 15) Alhadi: Every Moslem who pilgrims to Mecca should slaughter an animal –called Alhadi- and divide its flesh on the poor.
Annex (2) The Sacraments of the Church:
by Georgette Boushra from Egypt. By looking at the Sacraments we get an insight into the teachings of our Church and also into the spiritual needs and well-being of ourselves and our families. Each one of us needs some power or a boost just to live our daily lives. A Spiritual power not only points our lives in the right direction, but gives us hope for life after this one. Jesus Christ brings God's love and power to us every day through the Sacraments. God touches our lives and makes them holy and hopefully Godlike. The Sacraments are the way we come into personal contact with Christ. The Sacraments are our connection to a life with our Lord in this world and also a taste of His Kingdom. The word for sacrament in Greek (mysterion) means mystery. A Sacrament is a mystery because it is the secret will of God that saves us and our world from sin. We don't know exactly what God wants for us, but we do know that it is good. This we know by the coming of Jesus Christ- that we are saved from sin and protected from the evil of this world through the Sacraments and by the Holy Spirit. All of the Sacraments use physical things, to bring the Holy Spirit to us. For example, the water in Baptism, and the oil in Holy Unction both all used to deliver the Holy Spirit and God's love. In this way God's power and grace is made real through our five senses. A definition of a Sacrament is - a service instituted by Jesus or His Apostles, which brings to us the invisible grace of God through visible signs. A sacrament makes the intangible experience of God a tangible experience. These signs are what make a Sacrament something solid we can experience and remember. We have many services in our Church that could be Sacraments. However, there are Seven main services that we hold above all the others. St. Symeon of Thessaloniki was the first to recognize the Seven main Sacraments of our Church as a result of dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church in the 15th Century. Up until that time we recognized the Sacramental quality of all of our services, but in affirming the seven main sacraments of the Catholic Church we seem to have limited our own definition. Some of the services that we have that are not considered one of the seven Sacraments are: Funerals, the Service of Agiasmos (Blessing of the Waters), making someone a monk or nun, and the Consecration of a Church. These Seven Sacraments keep us on the road as followers of Christ, each in its own way. Here's a brief overview of the Seven main Sacraments of our Church- Baptism is the first Sacrament we participate in, and makes us a member of Christ's Church. As Orthodox Christians we baptize with water and immerse, or dunk the new Christian three times. The baptism of a new Christian is a community event. In ancient times the whole parish gathered together to celebrate the mystery of the making of a Christian - a new person. Chrismation usually immediately follows Baptism. While Baptism brings us into the family of Christians, Chrismation brings us the power of the Holy Spirit. We say that it seals us as a Christian. In other words, we're marked with the Holy Spirit, and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts help us be the best Followers of Christ we can, and help the Church. Holy Communion and the Divine Liturgy is the main Sacrament of the Church. In the Divine Liturgy we are closer to Jesus than at any other times in our lives. This is where we actually come in contact with His Body and Blood, and worship with the rest of the parish the Body of Christ. We are expected to prepare for Holy Communion by prayer, fasting and Confession. Confession is necessary for all Christians. Everyone in the Church is human and sometimes does things that miss the mark set for us by God and the Church. This is sin. Confession is the healing of the effect sin has on us, or the forgiveness of sins. This means that we realize that we sin and have a change of heart. Marriage is a special way of life under the blessings of our Church. This blessing brings the love of the couple into the Church, and makes it a Christian relationship. Holy Unction is the anointing of the sick with blessed oil for healing the soul and body. This Sacrament is celebrated on Holy Wednesday, but can also be performed any time for the sick. Ordination sets apart certain people that want to give their lives to serve the Church and God's people. Ordination is the Sacrament that makes them able to bless, preach, teach and lead the people of God, just as the Apostles did.
Resource
:
http://www.transchu
Annex (3) Jewish Tradition Leah Lublin from IEA-Reut/Sadaqa in Jerusalem made a presentation on weddings in the Jewish tradition. For visuals she first put on a CD of her daughter's wedding – and then explained what was happening during the wedding ceremony. The video showed a rabbi leading the ceremony, after which both the bride and groom were given ceremonial wine to take a sip from. The marriage contract was written out in a long scroll and read in the ancient Aramaic language. At the end of the ceremony the groom broke a glass with his foot.She then explained some of what we saw on the video. The first blessing over the wine signifies that just as we pronounce the holiness of the Sabbath and festivals over the wine, we sanctify the personal relationship of marriage over wine. Therefore, the bride and groom each take a sip of the wine. In the presence of two witnesses, the groom places a simple ring on the bride's right forefinger. The ring is put on the forefinger because this is the finger which is easiest for the witnesses to see. Only a simple gold band (without engravings or adornment) is used. As the groom places the ring on her finger he says: "Harei At Mekudeshes Li B'taba'as Zo Kedas Moshe V'Yisrael - Behold, you are consecrated to me with this ring according to the laws of Moses and Israel." It is a sign of being in a covenant together forever. This wedding contract (called a "Ketubah") goes as far back as 170 CE, as it was written in Aramaic which was the language of the land at that time. According to some authorities it also dates back to Biblical times. The ketubah details the husband's obligations to his wife: food, clothing, dwelling and pleasure. The document is signed by the groom and witnessed by two people, and has the standing of a legally binding agreement, that in many countries is enforceable by secular law. The concluding portion of the marriage ceremony is the seven blessings. Several different people are called upon to recite these blessings in the presence of a quorum of at least ten men. At the conclusion of the blessings, after the couple drinks from the second cup, the groom breaks the glass with his right foot, as an additional remembrance of the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Traditionally, this custom was also incorporated into the ceremony to remind everyone that even at the height of one's personal joy, we must, nevertheless, remember the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Leah also went on to explain that in some Jewish circles men and women do not date casually and when they are ready for marriage, a matchmaker is called to arrange a match or parents and friends can be matchmakers. After a few "dates" in a public place, the couple decides whether they are right for each other or not. After the wedding many traditional couples observe "family purity" laws, which is that seven days after the woman's menstrual cycle ends, she must go to a ritual bath ("mikveh") and immerse herself three times in those waters - which is a combination of mostly natural water (from rain, lake, ocean, etc.) and regular tap water - before the couple can have marital relations. These nearly two weeks of abstention from martial relations have a good affect on the marriage and the couple must relate to each other as close friends rather than just to satisfy each other's physical needs.
Leah and
Evelyne made a short presentation on the recent
Passover holiday, how the Jews were so rushed to escape Egypt that there
was no time for the bread to rise, thus the reason for eating special
Passover unleavened bread called "matzah". They explained the special
Passover meal called the "seder" and its rituals, the special foods eaten,
the reading of the book at the seder called the "haggadah" with the final
prayer being "Next Year in Jerusalem", etc. and Leah
joked that
nowadays many Israelis rush back into Egypt during the Passover holidays to
vacation in Sinai. Evelyne explained that this holiday, symbolizing the
freedom of the Jewish people was so ingrained in peoples' souls that some
traditions were even kept secretly, to some extent, by the hidden Jews of
Spain, the Marranos/Anusim, who were forced to
convert to Christianity in 1492 - such as not eating bread during a certain
time during the Spring season. Leah gave out samples of matzah for everyone
to taste. Annex (4) Evaluation & Results Reference to the evaluation form that we distributed to the participant we noticed the following results: § All participants highly appreciated: - The cooperation and the understanding among the organizers and the participants - The diversity and the equality of the participants - Offering chances for making new connections and friendships. - The general friendly atmosphere - Training workshops. - Motivation and commitment of the participants. - The proficiency of organizers. - Team Spirit. - Offering chance for open dialogue and experience exchanging.
§ Participants recommendations: - Offer more skills developing activities (include more workshops) - Extend the period of the conference to be 5 days. - Invite more participants (3 participants per CC) - Some suggested holding next MENA conference in Morocco, Egypt or Tunisia, while few suggested Turkey and Iran. - Arrange the social activities such as Petra trip in the first day to allow participants get to know each other more to get more connected and active during the conference. - Having more spot translators. - Covering more topics. |
