Oblate News
Women of Different Faiths Come together for Peace Denis Hurley Centre: Muslim and Jewish Women praying for peace
This article has been taken from the Denis Hurley Centre Newsletter. Find out more about Denis Hurley Centre – www.denishurleycentre.org
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So many of us have been troubled by what has happened, and continues to happen, in the Middle East and wonder how to respond. As Pope Francis has said: “War is always a defeat.” We were thus delighted when we were asked by a Jewish woman and a Muslim woman to help facilitate a prayer meeting. The request came jointly from DUT’s Prof. Monique Marks (a long-time partner of the DHC) and from Nadia Meer (whose aunt, Fatima Meer, was a close friend of Archbishop Hurley). Our own Sr Cathy Murrugan was a key participant with her fellow Holy Family sisters. The following report is from Monique:
On the evening of 19 October, an usual event took place in Durban in the midst of the massive destruction and loss of life in the Holy Land. Over 30 women from different cultures and beliefs (Bahá’i, Christian, Jewish, Hindu and Muslim) came together peacefully to dialogue about the very distressing situation in Palestine and Israel. The aim was to create a welcoming platform for the sharing of grief and fears as well as hopes, and to join hands in friendship and prayer.
These diverse women met at Saint Joseph’s church hall in Morningside. Symbolically wearing white and bearing candles, women spoke of the importance of commonality rather than difference. Their common identities brought them together as mothers, sisters and conscious human beings who are distressed by suffering and injustice. Some have been directly impacted by the existing conflict, with families in Gaza or in Israel.
Theirs was a resounding shared call: “We as South African women say stop the violence. We call for peace!” It is a simple message but one that is not being practiced by global leaders as they continue to make decisions with violent outcomes. Instead they could be looking for just and peaceful solutions utilising their power and influence to promote truth and reconciliation.
The event was facilitated by Hailey Fudu from the Bahá’i community. She held each woman present with care, allowing every person to speak up and out within the bounds of mutual respect and consideration. She provided prayer books from all global religions for the women to explore and many were moved to share short readings from these texts that have meaning in the current context. Interestingly, most women shared something they connected with from a faith other than their own.
Some of the women had braved condemnation from their own communities and their families for participating in this event, thus showcasing the commitment of these women to sisterhood and to mutual care. The spirit of South African Ubuntu emerged in this safe space of sharing: we are who we are because of others; we know that peace is possible even when it appears unattainable.
This group is committed to meeting on an ongoing basis, bringing along menfolk in the future, but holding sisterhood as an example for a better world. For more information about this group, please get in touch with the Denis Hurley Centre by clicking HERE.
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