This Sunday I had the privilege of attending the first annual conference of the Sisterhood of Salaam-Shalom in Philadelphia. An amazing gathering of forceful, creative, committed, skillful, beautiful women. Committed to what? To creating bedrock islands of friendship and mutual support in the sea of mutual distrust and stereotyping and hatred that is threatening to engulf our communities. Why do I want to be part of this work, and what do I hope to gain from it? I want safety, connection, trust, allies. I want to know that I am not only respected, but cherished, by people who deeply value their own community, who are committed to defending it, but are not afraid to criticize it. People I know well, whom I’ve struggled with, who know me well, so well that we will stand together even when most of those around us are turning on each other. And I want to learn a way of working through conflicts, of communicating with people that does not involve us papering over differences and still allows us to reach the bedrock of true mutual respect and love. I never want a Bosnia or a Rwanda or a Poland or a Syria or a Gaza to happen here or anywhere else in the world again. I realize that for me that involves some big changes, the most important of which is staying in vital touch with new and old friends. It’s not enough to make lovely beginnings that I let drop in the swirl of daily life or new commitments. It’s not enough to get in touch with old friends every 10 or 20 or 50 years, even though the old ties remain amazingly strong. I also need to figure out how to communicate with people of fixed and strongly held beliefs, while remaining open and true to my own beliefs. And to talk to people of strong faith, when mine is so variable. At this conference there were women who were participating in or starting chapters of the Sisterhood in New York, New Jersey, DC, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Detroit. Picture a room full of women, Muslims, Jews, Christians, some in hijab headscarves and some wearing skullcaps, some with long dark hair flowing, some short-cropped and graying, some wearing skirts and high heels, some in slacks, all in earnest conversation with one another. Leaders of workshops ranged from recent college graduates to women over 60. Andrea Varadi, 32, founded the Global Forum for Counter Radicalization and the Global Muslim Jewish Friendship Forum. Brenda Rosenberg, former vice president for Hudson’s Department Stores in Michigan, and Samia Bahsoun, a Lebanese-American fiber-optics engineer and entrepreneur, founded Tectonic Leadership. Both groups have done amazing work with bringing together and changing the perspectives of young people of opposing groups—even including members of Al Quaida and ISIS. Journalist Symi Rom Rymer in Washington, DC, to counter a barrage of hate-filled anti-Muslim advertising, arranged a neighborhood to neighborhood bus tour with the slogan “Spread Humus, not Hate.” Why women? I know men who would be great members of this sisterhood. But many women find it easier to communicate on an emotional level than many men do. One goal of the Sisterhood is creating trust, which takes emotional openness, even tenderness. The second goal is to empower women to change the ways their communities think and act. That empowerment may be easier to anchor when women support one another. While I think dialogues that include both men and women are desirable, this group seems a promising place to start. I hope to facilitate this dialogue through my Facebook page, Woman-Spirit, by encouraging women to share their spiritual experiences, the ways they are sustained and anchored both by long-held traditions, and by moments of insight or joy. So please join me, share your journey and encourage your friends to do so. It’s my belief that we are all spiritual beings, whether we believe in God sometimes, always, or not at all. What sustains you?
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 14:53:32 +0000
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