Office Address: 7 Moselle Place, Carseldine, QLD 4034
Contact: Rev. Garth T Read, Coordinator
Phone: 07 3263 8068
Email: garthread@ecn.net.au
Brief Description/History
The Aspley Uniting Church has established Interfaith Relationships as one of its outreach and community service priorities. Several different events have been held over recent years and each of these has been strongly supported by members of the morning and evening congregations.
Activities
2003The first event involving members of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities was held in August 2003. The focus of this event was on prayer and worship. It was held on a Saturday evening to coincide with the end of the Jewish Shabbat (Sabbath). The evening began in the hall where Rev Garth Read interviewed Rabbi Uri Themal about the significance and importance of Shabbat. The Rabbi, along with members of his congregation, then invited the audience (70 people) to gather in a circle while the Jewish people performed the rituals and prayer associated with the closing of Shabbat. Light refreshments were then served after which the audience moved into the church. Garth Read interviewed Rev Ted Hutton about the significance and importance of Sunday worship. The Aspley choir sang an Introit, an elder read the scripture for the day and the minister offered prayer followed by the singing of the Lord’s Prayer. Light refreshments were again served in the courtyard. Everybody assembled again in the hall where Imam Muhamad Abdullah from the Kuraby Mosque was interviewed about the Muslim five daily prayers. The Muslims present then assembled facing the Kaba, the central feature of the Great Mosque in Mecca, and performed the last of the daily prayers (‘isha’). The evening closed with a moment of silence followed by handshakes and greetings of peace and goodwill.
2004
The second event was held in April 2004 when the theme was ‘Festivals, Food and Faith’. During the first half of the evening the audience (100 people) was seated at tables of 8/10. Samples of the symbolic foods used during three festivals were placed on each table.
- Jewish: Symbolic foods used during the Seder Meal at the beginning of Pesah or Passover:- Matzah - unleavened bread and haroset – representing the mortar used by the Hebrew slaves to make bricks in Egypt.
- Christian: Symbolic foods used during Holy Communion and on Maundy Thursday during Holy Week:- Bread and Wine.
- Muslim: Symbolic foods used by Muslims as Iftar at the end of each day’s fast during Ramadan - Glass of water and dates.
Rabbi Uri Themal, Rev Alan O’Hara and Ismail Moola in turn gave a short commentary on the festivals of Passover, Easter and Ramadan. All present were invited to sample each of the symbolic foods and were then served light refreshments. Everybody then moved into the Church where Rev Prof. James Hare spoke about Interfaith Dialogue. A panel of young people from the three Faiths responded to Prof. Hare’s address. The evening closed with a moment of silence and everybody exchanging greetings of peace and goodwill.
2005
The emphasis during 2005 has been on strengthening relationships between the Aspley congregation and the local Muslim and Hindu communities. In August a group of 12 members of the congregation visited the Hindu Temple at Boondall for their celebration of Lord Krishna’s Birthday. In September, Aspley held its annual Congregational Dinner and invited representatives from the local Anglican, Catholic, Muslim and Hindu communities to attend. In all 130 people sat down for dinner prepared by the Ladies’ Fellowship. The meat dishes used Halal meat purchased from the local Muslim butcher and vegetarian meals were available for the Hindu and others who preferred such meals. Archbishop John Bathersby gave the address. In October a few members of the Aspley congregation attended the Brisbane Divali (Hindu Festival of Lights) celebrations in a pavilion in the RNA Show Grounds. The Muslim community is looking forward to the completion of their new Mosque (Masjid Taqwah) at Bald Hills and the additional opportunities this will give for further opportunities for meetings between people from the three communities.
2006
Three Interfaith events were held at the Aspley Uniting Church during 2006.
The first was an Interfaith Multicultural Concert held on Saturday 1st. April, 2006. The proceeds from this event ($1,800) were given to Louise Edward’s appeal to support the secondary education of three girls in Fiji. These girls, Liti, Milisi and Rigi, are from the village of Qeleni on Taveuni Island. They will do their secondary education at the Methodist Lay Training College in Suva. The program was opened by representatives from the Muslim, Hindu and Maori communities offering a welcome to all present. They also presented to the Fiji appeal the proceeds from the sale of tickets within their communities. The Aspley Uniting Church choir and the Aspley young people’s band opened the program and then artists from each of the Muslim, Hindu, Maori and Scottish communities presented their items. Approximately 200 people attended this entertaining and community building function.
The second involved a visit from Professor Norkaya Muhammed who was an overseas visitor to the National Assembly of the Uniting Church being held in Brisbane in July. Rev. Alan O’Hara invited her to visit Aspley Uniting Church for morning tea on Tuesday 11th. July. Some 15 people from the church and the Bald Hills Mosque gathered in an informal occasion of conversation and fellowship. Professor Norkaya responded by saying how grateful she was to have this time to meet members of local Christian and Muslim communities. After morning tea Imam Tariq and several other members of the group took Professor Norkaya to look over the Mosque at Bald Hills.
The third event in 2006 took the form of an Interfaith Coffee Shop on Saturday evening 18th. November 2006. This event was sponsored jointly by the Aspley Uniting Church, the Bald Hills Mosque and the Multi Faith Centre, Griffith University. Once again the proceeds from this event went towards an overseas project. This time the project chosen was the Silsilah Christian/Muslim Youth Camp Project in Mindanao in the southern Philippines.
2007
Eight members of the Aspley Uniting Church traveled to the Maleny Showgrounds on Saturday 10th. March to attend the first National Interfaith Festival. This was an extremely well organized national event showcasing a wide range of different religions that have significant numbers of adherents in the Australian community. The opening ceremony attracted a large audience and presented an inspirational program of music, ceremony, prayers from different Faiths and greetings from Local, State and Federal politicians. Through out the day a wide variety of short programs, presented by members of different Faiths, were presented in four separate venues. Small booths offering literature and other sources of information regarding different Faiths and organizations were spread around an area where, at other times, the noise and bustle of sideshow ally was dominant. As we gathered to return home, we all agreed that we had had an educational, entertaining and inspiring time. This had been a day in which we experienced the reality of a very rich multicultural and multi-religious Australian community, meeting together where the feelings of respect, goodwill and harmony were given generous and genuine expression.
On Thursday 19 April the Aspley Uniting Church Interfaith Relations Committee met with the Management Committee of the Bald Hills Mosque and a representative of the Hindu community to discuss the possibility of a joint project designed to assist interfaith activities in Fiji. A local Indigenous Fijian Christian minister has indicated an interest in these discussions. Attempts to establish contacts with existing interfaith groups in Fiji are continuing.
On Thursday 14th June Imam Tariq Syed delivered the monthly lecture at the Classes for Seniors on the topic Understanding Islam. These Classes for Seniors are an ongoing community service venture sponsored by the local Uniting, Catholic and Anglican Churches. Over 50 people attended this public lecture by Imam Tariq. The general response by the audience and the quality of discussion during question time indicated a genuine interest in the topic and an awareness of the need for developing harmonious interfaith relationships within local communities.
The Multi Faith Centre at Griffith University held a Refugee Week celebration on Thursday 21 June using the theme The Voices of Young Refugees. This was a multicultural and multifaith event featuring young refugees from Afghanistan, Rwanda and Sudan. The program also included multicultural performances from African, Latin American and Indonesian groups. Representative leaders from different religious traditions in Brisbane read a joint statement about concern and care for refugees and some responded to the stories of the three young people who came to Australia as refugees. Six members of the Aspley Uniting Church Interfaith Relations Committee attended this function.
One obvious outcome of this focus on interfaith relationships is the willingness of a significant number of members of the Aspley Uniting Church, the Bald Hills Mosque and the Boondall Hindu Temple to extend and accept invitations to significant events in each other’s communities.
The Muslim month of Ramadan finished on Saturday 13th October with Eid ul Fitre (the Festival of the end of the fast). Due to the local custom of waiting for someone to sight the new moon before announcing when the Eid Prayer and community sharing of food would take place, I only had a few hours notice of the event. Over 200 people attended and the relaxed family atmosphere underlined the significance of the time of fasting and of the strong family ties that characterize a Muslim lifestyle.
The Aspley Uniting Church and the Bald Hills Muslim community co-sponsored an Interfaith Forum and Dialogue evening with George Negus as the keynote speaker that took place on Wednesday 5th December at 7.30pm.at the Aspley Uniting Church. More than 150 people crammed the church to listen to George Negus. Opening prayers were given by Jewish, Christian and Muslim representatives and choral items were rendered by the Sweet Chilli Choir of Maleny.
The local newspaper summarized George Negus’ address as follows:
The proceeds for the evening will be used to support some local and/or international interfaith activities.In the past 10 to 20 years religion that we regarded as very private is now extremely public and very political and it is impossible to separate the two. To say that they don’t mix is absurd.
You cannot ignore the potency of religion in the current world we live in – for good and for bad.
It’s a potentially disruptive force, not Islam, but the divide between Islam, the Christian and the Muslim faiths. I’m not sure which is most disturbing – terrorism or the war on terrorism.
2008
A number of us attended 'A Day Out on the Northside' at Bald Hills Mosque on the 16th of March 2008. This event was very well supported and it gave us a chance to see the work of the young students in the Bald Hills and Kurabi Maddressah (religious classes). Bald Hills Mosque has about 30 students who performed songs, plays, etc. with great enthusiasm.
Early in 2008 our Aspley Interfaith Committee merged with the North Brisbane Interfaith Group. It is expected that all future Interfaith events will be organized by the North Brisbane Interfaith Group.
Difficulties encountered during our interfaith dialogue initiatives/activities.
The major difficulty encountered by our Committee over the last 6 years has been the frequent changing of personnel in each of the local religious communities who have taken leading roles in encouraging their members to join in interfaith activities.
Helping factors in facilitating the success of these interfaith dialogue activities
The acceptance by the Aspley Uniting Church of Interfaith Relations as one of its community service and outreach priorities and the establishment of a formal committee with responsibility to translate this commitment into regular practical programs has ensured that interfaith activities have continued over the years.
Future plans or proposals for promoting interfaith dialogue.
Our plan is that the continuation and development of interfaith activities on thenorth side of Brisbane will be driven by the newly formed North Brisbane Interfaith Group. This group now has over 70 people on its mailing list. The most significant feature of this development is that we now have a network of people representing a wider range of religious and faith communities. Clearly the Aspley Uniting Church will continue to provide the primary location for interfaith events with an increasing number of other communities inviting members to their special occasions.