IN THIS ISSUE: Support ICP | Bay Area Religious Leaders Against Hate | Veterans Day | Advent Service | Job Opening at MIC URI at Standing Rock | The Interfaith Observer | Notes & Quotes |

The Interfaith Center at the Presidio links the power of interreligious cooperation by welcoming, serving, and celebrating the diverse wisdom and faith traditions of the Bay Area.

Following months of ugly campaigning and the startling presidential election last month, many of us are concerned as never before about the future of those in our society who are marginalized. The FBI just released a report that hate crimes are markedly up from last year.  Elementary school teachers are noting an increase in bullying and harassment. We in the interfaith community are especially worried about all our sisters and brothers from those faith traditions that are under siege. Now, more than ever, the work of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio is needed to support, protect, and celebrate the diverse faith traditions of the Bay Area.

The Interfaith Center serves a unique role as a regional interfaith body, helping interfaith councils and allied groups of the greater San Francisco Bay Area to communicate, cooperate, and collaborate with each other. We further link these local groups with interfaith networks at the national and global level – the North American Interfaith Network, the United Religions Initiative, and the Parliament of the World's Religions. Locally, we assist interfaith councils and other groups in the production of programs of value to the community– programs relating to peace, veterans, the environment, interfaith education, etc.– and identify programs originating in one part of the Bay Area that could be replicated elsewhere.

Housed in the Main Post Chapel in San Francisco's Presidio, we host interfaith services, interfaith musical concerts, and more. Members and representatives of over 50 religious and spiritual traditions participate in the ICP programs. We generate original interfaith projects and programming, such as an Interfaith Songbook, an Interfaith Sacred Space Design Competition,and the McDonald Windows, stained glass windows incorporating glass from sites destroyed during WWII. The ICP supports the Lost & Endangered Religions Project, which works with marginalized religious communities around the world to help preserve religious traditions that are either in danger of being lost.

And, of course, we produce and distribute the Bay Area Interfaith Connect newsletter each month with a calendar of dozens of interfaith events around the greater Bay Area and additional resources and opportunities from across the country and around the world.

NOW, more than ever, if you find BAIC interesting and useful; if you support the need for a regional interfaith presence and connections in the days to come, please support the work of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio with a donation of $5, $18, $50, $501, or whatever you feel is appropriate for your situation. You can donate online via PayPal or send us a check. Full information is available on the ICP website.

BAY AREA RELIGIOUS LEADERS AGAINST HATE. ICP Executive Linda Crawford, Board President Fred Fielding, and Board Member (and BAIC editor) Andrew Kille joined with religious leaders around the Bay to speak out against hatred directed at people because of their religion. The statement reads in part: "As religious leaders in the San Francisco Bay Area, we cherish the rich diversity of religions, spiritual expressions and indigenous traditions that comprise the mosaic that is America. Our diversity is a resource rather than a barrier to the democratic nation that we seek to be. Incidents of hate, such as this, seek to dehumanize “the other” and contradict the most basic principles common to our age-old faith teachings and those religious liberties enshrined in the American Constitution... When any one religion comes under attack, all religions come under attack. Therefore, we unite in condemning such acts. We stand together to denounce this and all acts that seek to marginalize and target entire faith communities." Read the full statement here.

VETERANS DAY SERVICE. On Friday, November 11, the Interfaith Center at the Presidio held a Veterans Day service in the Main Post Chapel at the Presidio that included veterans and those who work for and serve veterans. A message from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was shared by her aide Alex Lazar, Sensei Elaine Donlin of the Buddhist Church of San Francisco led the meditation. A dramatic note was offered by Brian Vouglas, a local actor, who proclaimed Lincoln's Gettysburg Address with a response. Erich Sylvester, Musician and Presidio Resident provided music, Chaplain Willard Bolden of the VA gave a benediction. ICP Executive Linda Crawford and board President Fred Fielding also spoke. Photos of the event are available on the ICP blog.

A PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIAN SERVICE OPEN TO ALL. Rev. Susan Strouse and First United Lutheran Church in San Francisco, a progressive Christian congregation, will hold "Peace, with a Jazzy Edge," an Advent service at 5:00 pm on Sunday, December 4, at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio. Peace is central to the three major Western religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. To express the sentiment “Peace be with you,” Jews often say “Shalom aleichem.” Muslims say “Salaam alaikum.” Christians might say “Pax vobiscum.” Come, light a candle of peace with us on this second Sunday of Advent. Those of any or of no religious/philosophical tradition are most welcome to this service.

JOB OPENING AT MARIN INTERFAITH COUNCIL. Stephanie Humphrey, MIC's Acting Programs Associate, is returning to school in January. We are grateful to Stephanie for her faithful, professional, gracious service. Therefore, MIC has an opening for a part-time Administrative Assistant starting in the new year. Please click here for the job description. Applicants must submit a resume and cover letter to: Scott Quinn, Acting Director, at director@marinifc.org. Please, NO phone calls.

URI AT DAKOTA PIPELINE. On Sunday, December 4th, a delegation from URI will join thousands of others at the Oceti Sakowin Camp at Standing Rock Sioux Reservation for an observance of an Interfaith Day of Prayer. This is a truly remarkable and historical moment showcasing people from diverse religions, faith traditions, and cultures peacefully rallying together around a single cause—stopping the Dakota Access oil pipeline from threatening the reservation's water supply. The URI delegation will be led by Executive Director the Rev. Victor H. Kazanjian, Jr., who will be joined by URI North America Regional Coordinator Sari Heidenreich, URI Environmental Resource Coordinator Katherine Hreib, and Jaya Priya Reinhalter and Fred Fielding (Chair of the ICP Board), members of the URI Global Council You are invited to join, wherever you are, by sending words of prayer and solidarity, which will be brought to the gathering. Please send your prayers and statements of support by filling out this form or by sending them to standingrock@uri.org. They would like to have words from all parts of the URI global community.

THE INTERFAITH OBSERVER. In September, TIO was relaunched with a new website that makes the 1,500+ articles that have been published much more accessible to readers searching for particular authors or subjects. It is a library divided into ‘rooms’ devoted to (1) who we are, (2) interfaith formation, (3) interfaith relationships, and (4) important issues for interfaith communities globally.

In November – Post Election Tonic...

• Aśoka: Honour All Religions by Marcus Braybrook
• Listening to Jesus’ Words in a New Kind of Way  by David Parks-Ramage
• I Belong, Therefore I Am by Jim Burklow
• Review: Women, Religion, and Peacebuilding by Kathe Schaaf and Kay Lindhal
• Burkini Bands, Muslim ‘Hygiene,’ and the History of the Holocaust by Anya Cordell
• Interfaith Options for Christians at Advent by Vicki Garlock
• Changing the World Through Social Media by Sari Heidenreich
• Why We Create an “Us” and “Them” and How We Might Stop by Bud Heckman
• Dr. Mehnaz Afridi: Defying All Stereotypes by Ruth Broyde Sharone
• Editorial: A New Kind of Interfaith World by Paul Chaffee

NOTES & QUOTES: We are saddened to learn of the death of Rev. De. Paul Eppinger, director of the Arizona Interfaith Council and leader of the Arizona Interfaith Movement. An American Baptist, Dr. Eppinger directed the campaign to make Martin Luther King, Jr. Day a national holiday. He was also a Trustee of the Parliament of the World's Religions. He was 83..."When you find yourself powerfully opposed, disappointment, despair, and fear are realities to be visited but not indulged for long. Mystics, wise ones, and Buddhists, in particular, all counsel us to attend to our inner peace, to nurture ourselves in the safety of Spirit, whatever one’s tradition. That equanimity, besides making us feel better, can help us better the world, each in our own particular context" -- Paul Chaffee...

SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!

BAY AREA INTERFAITH CONNECT is sent each month to nearly 2,000 subscribers, and is available online at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio website. To Subscribe: If you do not receive the monthly updates and would like to do so, simply write to info@interfaith-presidio.org. Please include your name, and, if you are willing, your street address and phone will help us to keep you up to date on interfaith activities. To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you. About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

IN THIS ISSUE:Veterans Day | UN Association Award | Advent Service | Interfaith Speakers Bureau | Be Sure to Vote! | The Interfaith Observer | From URI | The Spiritual Edge | Docent Tours | Notes & Quotes |

NOVEMBER 11 was for many years celebrated as "Armistice Day," as it was on that day in 1918 that the armistice ending World War I was signed, ending "the war to end all wars." It was first celebrated in 1919, and then in 1938, Congress made it an annual holiday. After World War II, the observance was expanded to include all Veterans.

The Interfaith Center at the Presidio will once again sponsor an interfaith Veterans Day service at our headquarters, the Main Post Chapel at the Presidio. Please join us Friday, November 11, 2016 11:00 am at the Chapel 130, Fisher Loop San Francisco. The focus will be on veterans themselves. Speakers will include veterans, those who work on behalf of veterans and those who serve veterans directly. There will be music, meditation and prayerful reflection. Speakers include William Cullen, Marine Corps Veteran – Mill Valley; Sensei Elaine Donlin, Buddhist Church of SF; Erich Sylvester, Musician and Presidio Resident; Chaplain Willard Bolden, Veterans Administration Medical Center - SF; Brian Vouglas, Theatrical Performer; and Swords to Plowshares - SF.

UN ASSOCIATION AWARD. As we mentioned last month, the United Nations Association East Bay Chapter awarded their Global Citizen Award to the "Save Us from Genocide" Campaign, co-sponsored by ICP and the interfaith councils of Contra Costa County, Marin, San Francisco, and Silicon Valley on October 23 at the International Center at UC Berkeley. Linda Crawford was present to receive the award on behalf of the councils. You can read more and see photos at the ICP Blog. To learn more about the Save Us from Genocide project, go to yezidis-assyrians.org/ or go to www.norcalrabbis.org/yezidi-fundraiser/ to contribute to the Beyond Genocide project to assist Yezidi resettlement.

A PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIAN SERVICE OPEN TO ALL. Rev. Susan Strouse and First United Lutheran Church in San Francisco, a progressive Christian congregation, will hold "Peace, with a Jazzy Edge," an Advent service at 5:00 pm on Sunday, December 4, at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio. Peace is central to the three major Western religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. To express the sentiment “Peace be with you,” Jews often say “Shalom aleichem.” Muslims say “Salaam alaikum.” Christians might say “Pax vobiscum.” Come, light a candle of peace with us on this second Sunday of Advent. Those of any or of no religious/philosophical tradition are most welcome to this service.

INTERFAITH SPEAKERS NEEDED. ING, Islamic Networks Group, is again looking for speakers for its Interfaith Speakers Bureau. Modeled after the Islamic Speakers Bureau, the Interfaith Speakers Bureau (IFSB) organizes panels consisting of two or more representatives from the five major religious groups trained to speak on a variety of topics to schools, colleges, universities, and other venues. The Interfaith Speakers Bureau currently includes representatives of the Islamic, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, and Hindu religions. Join ING on Thursday, November 10th at 6pm for alcohol-free drinks and to learn more about the Interfaith Speakers Bureau! For more information and to RSVP, go to ing.org.

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE! Voting is one way to express our religious commitments and concern for the wider community we share. Religious congregations, leaders, and persons acting in an official capacity may not endorse or oppose candidates or political parties, and may not advise congregations to vote for or against specific candidates or parties. However, the IRS does allow charities and churches to engage in voter education activities. These educational activities can include issue briefings, legislative scorecards, voting records, candidate questionnaires, hosting candidate forums, voter registration, and get out the vote campaigns.

THE INTERFAITH OBSERVER. In September, TIO was relaunched with a new website that makes the 1,500+ articles that have been published much more accessible to readers searching for particular authors or subjects. It is a library divided into ‘rooms’ devoted to (1) who we are, (2) interfaith formation, (3) interfaith relationships, and (4) important issues for interfaith communities globally.

In October – Ancient Mentors, Emerging Leadership…

• Akhenaten: Monotheistic Mystic, or a Megalomaniac?  by Marcus Braybrooke
• The Interfaith Significance of Alexander the Great  by Henry Karlson
• A Report from The Tabernacle Experience  by Jonathan Homrighausen
• Koans, Parables, and the Realm of God  by David Parks-Ramage
• Beating a Message of Peace in Uganda  by Vicki Garlock
• Skillsets to Overcome Religious Bigotry  by Ariella Amit
• Obama’s Final Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge  by Ruth Broyde Sharone
• Shadowing the China G20 Summit: An Interreligious Gathering   by Katherine Marshall
• The INTRAfaith Conversation (2016) by Susan Strouse Reviewed  by Kay Lindahl
• Following the Path of Transformation  by Westin Pew
• Editorial: The United States at an Interfaith Crossroads  by Paul Chaffee

NEWS FROM URI

#TangibleHope CAMPAIGN. URI has developed a video representation of everything this campaign is about — the #TangibleHope campaign trailer. You can see it at the URI website, along with postings from people around the world about what gives them hope.

DAKOTA PIPELINE. On October 1, 2016, URI Global Trustees and Elders Audri Scott Williams and Phil Lane Jr. presented a declaration to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. It said in part, "The United Religions Initiative will pray and stand beside Standing Rock as long as it takes for all Members of our Human Family to fully understand that your struggle is not only for the way of life of the Great Sioux Nation, but for the health, safety and well-being of all current and future generations of the Human Family and Life everywhere on Mother Earth!" Read the full statement here.

THE SPIRITUAL EDGE. The Spiritual Edge is a project at Radio KALW in San Francisco, reporting on the dynamic, growing edges of religion, faith and spirituality in the Bay Area. Recent stories have concerned the translation of the Jewish mystical text the Zohar, and pastor and social justice advocate Rev. Mike McBride of Oakland. You can find a link to the show at kalw.org, , or subscribe to their newsletter here.

DOCENT TOURS OF PRESIDIO CHAPEL. The weekly Open House/Docent Tours at the Presidio Chapel on Sundays from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm have proven quite popular. An average of 10 people come each week to view the 33' fresco painted by Victor Arnautoff, a protege of Diego Rivera, and the stained glass windows created by Willemina Ogterop, the first woman stained glass artist west of the Mississippi to be inducted into the Stained Glass Artists Guild. Comments have praised the Chapel and the docent, Daniel Johnson. The open house is listed on the Presidio Trust's website with other guided tours. Learn more about the Presidio Chapel here and then plan to visit us and take a tour.

NOTES & QUOTES: Congratulations to Moina Shaiq, Chair of the TriCities Interfaith Council in Fremont, who was honored by the Council on Islamic-American Relations for her "Meet a Muslim" program..."Interfaith dialogue is a door that opens up opportunities to build a better understanding and tolerance in any community. It helps us overcome the ignorance about our neighbors who can be representatives of different faiths than ours" - Iskandar Atajanow..."Over the last 5 years and since the dawn of social media, the interfaith world has been left behind in its impact. Material that is sensational and inflammatory and which acts as clickbait gets a wider audience and this includes news and text promoting material which shows communities in conflict" - Fiyaz Mughal..."“We are asking the religious leaders to come and support them to stand side-by-side with them because the are standing in prayer" - Chief Arvol Looking Horse at Dakota Pipeline.

SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!

BAY AREA INTERFAITH CONNECT is sent each month to nearly 2,000 subscribers, and is available online at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio website. To Subscribe: If you do not receive the monthly updates and would like to do so, simply write to info@interfaith-presidio.org. Please include your name, and, if you are willing, your street address and phone will help us to keep you up to date on interfaith activities. To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you. About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

IN THIS ISSUE: Religious Liberty | Veterans Day | Alameda Interfaith | Yezidi Project | Multifaith March | NAINConnect 2017 | Docent Tours | Notes & Quotes | Send Us Your News |

It's an old bit of advice: "Don't talk about politics or religion!" That caution most likely arose out of some unfortunate experience, but in these days leading up to an election, we find ourselves talking about little else. How should our religious commitments influence our voting? What role should congregations or religious communities play in addressing the issues of our day?

During this past week, Americans United for Separation of Church and State shared a series of messages that included quotes from the founders of the United States and from contemporary voices highlighting the importance of religious liberty. One of these came from an address that Pope Francis gave in Independence Hall in Philadelphia last year:

The Declaration of Independence stated that all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, and that governments exist to protect and defend those rights….When individuals and communities are guaranteed the effective exercise of their rights, they are not only free to realize their potential, they also, through their talents and their hard work, contribute to the welfare and enrichment of society as a whole….[religious freedom] is a fundamental right which shapes the way we interact socially and personally with our neighbors whose religious views differ from our own.

Interfaith Power and Light, together with Faith in Public Life and other partners, has developed a guide for religious congregations getting involved in the voting process: Faith, Values and the 2016 Election: Toward A Politics of the Golden Rule: Reflection Guide and Resources.

OBSERVING VETERANS DAY November 11, 2016 at 11:00 am, at the Main Post Chapel of the The Interfaith Center at the Presidio, 130 Fisher Loop, San Francisco, CA. Come honor American veterans of all wars in prayer, meditation and music. Watch for details in next month's BAIC.

WELCOME ALAMEDA COUNTY INTERFAITH COUNCIL! On Sept. 29, the newly-formed Interfaith Council of Alameda County held a kick-off celebration at the East Bay Community Foundation to introduce the newly-formed council to 100 attendees, including the CEOs of the East Bay Community and San Francisco Foundations. The Council began last June, as over 40 religious leaders from Alameda County met for the first time at the West Side Missionary Baptists Church in Oakland to begin the process of creating an interfaith council. Meeting with them were Directors and representatives from the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, Marin Interfaith Council, San Francisco Interfaith Council, Silicon Valley Interreligious Council, Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, and United Religious Initiative. Each shared their organizations’ mission, activities, and organizational structure. With the close assistance of ICP's Executive, Linda Crawford, a task force worked through the Summer to create a mission statement, form a Working Group and an Interim Executive Committee, and draft an organizational structure. They now have a Facebook page (Interfaith Council of Alameda County). The ICP is proud to be an integral part of this initiative and will continue to participate in all aspects of the group.

YEZIDI PROJECT. Since last year, a coalition of interfaith groups in the Bay Area has been supporting efforts to call attention to the plight of Yezidis, Assyrians, and other religious minorities who continue to be forced from their homes in Iraq and Syria, their women and girls kidnapped and raped. Thousands have been murdered and more thousands now live in refugee camps. The Yezidis are a Kurdish people who share an ancient religious tradition, while the Assyrian Church is one of the oldest Christian traditions. The Interfaith Center at the Presidio, along with the Marin Interfaith Council, the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, and the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council, has been working with Rabbi Pamela Frydman to bring the situation to the attention of governmental leaders, elected officials, and United Nations representatives. All four groups are Cooperating Circles of the United Religions Initiative, and you can find out more at the URI website.

In recognition of this work, the United Nations Association East Bay Chapter plans to confer their Global Citizen Award on the "Save Us from Genocide" Campaign at a dinner on October 23 at the International Center at UC Berkeley.. More information and tickets is available at Eventbrite. To learn more about the Save Us from Genocide project, go to yezidis-assyrians.org/ or go to www.norcalrabbis.org/yezidi-fundraiser/ to contribute to the Beyond Genocide project to assist Yezidi resettlement.

MULTIFAITH PEACE MARCH AND PICNIC. On September 11, the 15th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, over 750 people gathered in Palo Alto to demonstrate the kind of country and world they envision. Convening at Congregation Etz Hayim (Tree of Life), people then set out on a trek through the streets of Palo Alto calling the nation to move "from fear to friendship." Their route took them past the the Unitarian Church, University African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and Our Lady of the Rosary to end at Mitchell Park with a Multifaith Picnic and program. Sponsored by Multifaith Voices for Peace and Justice, American Muslim Voice and several other community groups, the Peace Walk and Picnic was a visible reminder of people's vision of peace and diversity. Stories and photos of the day can be found at SiVIC, The San Jose Mercury, and Palo Alto Online.

NAIN CONNECT IN SAN DIEGO. The next NainConnect, the annual convening of the North American Interfaith Network, will take place on the University of California, San Diego campus in La Jolla, CA, August 6-10, 2017. With the theme HARMONY: Journey to One Heart, the program will include workshops and keynote speakers every morning and bus trips to faith locations every afternoon. The goal is to highlight programs which are working to bring harmony in your community for replication by others throughout North America. From the Sunday night opening to the closing event there will be numerous celebrations and opportunities for you to connect with interfaith people of all ages. The Poway Interfaith Team are sponsoring; see more information at their website: powayinterfaithteam.com/.

DOCENT TOURS OF PRESIDIO CHAPEL. The weekly Open House/Docent Tours at the Presidio Chapel on Sundays from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm have proven quite popular. An average of 10 people come each week to view the 33' fresco painted by Victor Arnautoff, a protege of Diego Rivera, and the stained glass windows created by Willemina Ogterop, the first woman stained glass artist west of the Mississippi to be inducted into the Stained Glass Artists Guild. Comments have praised the Chapel and the docent, Daniel Johnson. The open house is listed on the Presidio Trust's website with other guided tours. Learn more about the Presidio Chapel here and then plan to visit us and take a tour.

NOTES & QUOTES: Congratulations to Rita Semel, longtime interfaith figure in San Francisco, who celebrated a long-delayed Bat Mitzvah at Congregation Emanu-El on September 10. Listen to the sermon from that service here...The Interfaith Council of Sonoma County led a successful effort to have the County Board of Supervisors declare Sonoma County an "Islamophobia-Free Zone."... The Hindu American Foundation honored Rev. D. Andrew Kille, Chair of the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council with the 2016 HAF Mahatma Gandhi Award for the Advancement of Religious Pluralism..."we need to move beyond interfaith “dialogue,” which tends to remain verbal and cerebral, and move toward the physical activities of religious practices, including pilgrimage. We don’t merely need to talk together, we also need interfaith activities, interfaith eating, interfaith art exhibitions, and interfaith walking" S. Brent Plate.

SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!

BAY AREA INTERFAITH CONNECT is sent each month to nearly 2,000 subscribers, and is available online at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio website. To Subscribe: If you do not receive the monthly updates and would like to do so, simply write to info@interfaith-presidio.org. Please include your name, and, if you are willing, your street address and phone will help us to keep you up to date on interfaith activities. To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you. About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

IN THIS ISSUE:A Season of Peace | Against Extremism | Peace in the Park | #TangibleHope | Election Rules | Muslim Appreciation Month | Diwali Stamp | Giving Seminar | Docent Tours | Notes & Quotes |

A SEASON OF PEACE. For several years now, the days between September 11 and September 21 have been observed by many as the 11 Days of Global Unity. Beginning on the anniversary of the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York, a day that has become the National Day of Service, and stretching through the International Day of Peace, these days have become a time for people to dedicate themselves to acts of compassion, service, and peacemaking.

The first International Day of Peace was first observed at the United Nations Headquarters on September 21, 1982. In 2002, a General Assembly resolution, fixed Peace Day each year on the 21st. The theme for this year is "Building Blocks of Peace."

The annual Peace in the Park Festival takes place on September 17th (see below). In the South Bay, the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council is encouraging participation in the Compassion Games- a cooperative competition among individuals and groups to take compassionate actions for others, for the earth, and even for oneself- during these days. In Palo Alto, an Interfaith March for Peace and Picnic will be celebrated on September 11. Worldwide, people are taking a minute of silence at noon on September 21 wherever they are. Check our calendar listings for other opportunities to join in making peace during this time, get together with your friends and community, or take part in the URI #TangibleHope campaign!.

AGAINST EXTREMISM. Fatih Ates, Director of the San Francisco and East Bay branches of Pacifica Institute (they share offices in the Presidio Chapel with ICP and the San Francisco Interfaith Council) will speak on Saturday, September 3, at 1:00 pm at the Richmond/Senator Milton Marks branch of the San Francisco Public Library, 351 9th Ave San Francisco. He will discuss the pillars of Islam, the Koran's teachings of peace, and the importance of interfaith dialogue. The event is co-sponsored by the Interfaith Center at the Presidio.

PEACE IN THE PARK FESTIVAL brings together the diverse San Francisco and surrounding communities to unplug and explore activities of peace and happiness in a fun, inspiring and healthy atmosphere. With a vision of facilitating positive change globally, the festival unites world-renowned peace leaders, yogis, scientists and experts in the field of neuroscience, meditation teachers, performers and artists. Hear from global thought leaders, authors and experts. Walk away with tools on how to integrate peace. Enjoy a day of peaceful movement, meditation and conscious cuisine. We welcome yogis & kale lovers of all ages. Channel your creativity. Learn about community and global peace initiatives.

Saturday, September 17th, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, the 4th annual festival will feature world music and visual artists; tai chi, hatha yoga; life-changer seminars, arts, crafts, exhibits by local non-profits and meditation experience. At the majestic Bandshell of Golden Gate Park, this event will demonstrate how to nurture peace and happiness even while living in a fast-paced urban environment. Presenters will include Dr. Jim Doty of the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research, Diane Tillman, creator of Living Values for Children, and San Francisco Supervisor London Breed.

The festival is offered free of charge by a coalition including Brahma Kumaris, SF Parks Alliance, Institute of Noetic Sciences, United Religions Initiative, and many more. More information at www.PeaceInTheParkSF.org. Watch a 1-minute video at YouTube.

URI BEGINS #TangibleHope CAMPAIGN. What are you and your community doing that gives you hope for the future? All too often those acts of compassion, service, and gratitude that give us hope are hidden away and don't get the attention they deserve. That's why the United Religions Initiative is inviting you (whether you are affiliated with the URI or not) to share written or audivisual stories about what is happening in your part of the world and to use the hashtag #TangibleHope. Wherever you may be in social media, be it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and beyond, using the tag #TangibleHope will help get the word out and make all our efforts more visible. (If you're not sure how to use a hashtag, check out this video tutorial.).

Gratitude for what we see around us, Awareness of hopeful actions in our communities, and an inspiration for yet more Action — that's what #TangibleHope enables. To find out more, see the Introduction and 3 Easy Steps messages from URI. Questions? contact Anissa at anissa@uri.org.

ELECTION RULES FOR CONGREGATIONS. As we approach the Fall elections, you may be wondering how and if your congregation can be involved in advocacy. Interfaith Power & Light is sponsoring a free Webinar to learn how your congregation can appropriately and legally, as a tax-exempt nonprofit corporation, engage in the upcoming elections. IPL has online resources to help you do this, but this Webinar will be led by an attorney and expert on Nonprofit advocacy with Alliance for Justice. The training will provide a general overview of permissible activities and specifics about what your congregation can and cannot do legally as a tax-exempt nonprofit. The free Webinar takes place on Thursday, September 8 at noon Pacific Time; sign up here.

AUGUST WAS MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONTH On Monday, August 1, the California State Assembly voted to approve House Resolution 59, officially declaring the month of August as “Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month.” The resolution, introduced by Assemblymember Bill Quirk of Hayward, "respectfully acknowledges the rich history and guiding virtues of Muslim Americans, and commends Muslim communities in California for the lasting positive impact they have made, and continue to make, toward the advancement of the state and the nation…" On August 16, Mayor Sam Liccardo and Council Member Ash Kalra recognized “Muslim American Appreciation Month” in the City of San José. The California Assembly has previously issued similar proclamations of Awareness and Appreciation months for the Hindu and Sikh communities that are part of our diverse California population.

DIWALI STAMP. The United States Postal Service announced last month that a new "forever" stamp commemorating the joyous Hindu festival of Diwali will be issued on Wednesday, October 5, with a dedication ceremony at the Consulate General of India in New York. Diwali celebrates the triumph of good over evil. Spanning five days each autumn, it is considered by some to be the start of the new year. The stamp design is a photograph featuring a traditional diya oil lamp beautifully lit, sitting on a sparkling gold background. Diya lamps are usually made from clay with cotton wicks dipped in a clarified butter known as “ghee” or in vegetable oils. Read more.

THE SPIRITUALITY OF PHILANTHROPY. “Shrouds Have No Pockets,” a seminar on how to inspire philanthropy and giving within community organizations, will be offered September 15, 2016 at the John Muir Medical Center, 1601 Ygnacio Valley Rd, Walnut Creek in the Ball Auditorium. The program begins with a complimentary breakfast at 7:30, followed by the presentation from 8:00 - 9:30 am. Presenters will include Michael G. Crvarich, Vice President – Legacy & Major Gifts at John Muir Health Foundation and April Bell, Professional Videographer, John Muir Health Foundation Tree of Life Legacies. This program is designed to explore Legacy Storytelling as a gateway for discovering core values that inspire philanthropy and a Legacy of Giving within the organizations you serve. Attendees will walk away with a framework for leading others through the Legacy Storytelling Process consistent with your organization’s particular spiritual and faith traditions in a “retreat like” environment. Co-Sponsored by: Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County. Please RSVP by Sept. 8th to Mary David at (925) 941-2134 or mary.david@johnmuirhealth.com

DOCENT TOURS OF PRESIDIO CHAPEL. The weekly Open House/Docent Tours at the Presidio Chapel on Sundays from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm have proven quite popular. An average of 10 people come each week to view the 33' fresco painted by Victor Arnautoff, a protege of Diego Rivera, and the stained glass windows created by Willemina Ogterop, the first woman stained glass artist west of the Mississippi to be inducted into the Stained Glass Artists Guild. Comments have praised the Chapel and the docent, Daniel Johnson. The open house is listed on the Presidio Trust's website with other guided tours. Learn more about the Presidio Chapel here and then plan to visit us and take a tour.

NOTES & QUOTES: Congratulations to URI Founder and President Bishop William Swing on his 80th birthday last month...We were saddened to learn of the death of “Woody” Trautman, a long-time interfaith activist in Ohio who, with his wife Judy Trautman was a cherished member of the North American Interfaith Alliance (NAIN)..."The greatest thing that makes conflict stop is relationship” - Rev. Bitrus Dangiwa, Interfaith Meditation Center.

SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!

BAY AREA INTERFAITH CONNECT is sent each month to nearly 2,000 subscribers, and is available online at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio website. To Subscribe: If you do not receive the monthly updates and would like to do so, simply write to info@interfaith-presidio.org. Please include your name, and, if you are willing, your street address and phone will help us to keep you up to date on interfaith activities. To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you. About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

IN THIS ISSUE: NAINConnect 2016 | TIO: Don Frew | Peace in the Park | Declaration on Hate | Commonwealth Club | Interfaith in Sonoma | Nuclear Weapons | Gicing Seminar | Docent Tours | Notes & Quotes | Send Us Your News |

NAIN CONNECT 2016. ICP Board Chair Fred Fielding and Executive Director Linda Crawford attended NAINConnect 2016, hosted by the Carpe Diem Interfaith Foundation in Guadalajara, Mexico, July 10-13. More than 100 people from across North America attended this annual meeting of the North American Interfaith Network. The conference was held at a convent in the middle of Guadalajara run by the Hermanas Esclavas de Cristo Rey ("Sister Servants of Christ the King"); their hospitality proved most welcoming and helpful.

This year's theme was "Sacred Space/ Espacio Sagrado," and thus it was more than appropriate that Linda and Fred twice made a presentation on the Presidio Chapel and the McDonald Windows. They were also able to share copies of Sacred Spaces, the book that describes the 2004 Interfaith Sacred Space Design Competition with the newly-elected chair of NAIN, Brian Farr, the chair of the Parliament of the World's Religions Larry Greenfield, and Gabriela Ana Maria Franco Valtierra of Carpe Diem. You can see some photos and a pdf version of Linda's presentation on our blog.

Former ICP Interim Director Susan Strouse was also there, making a presentation based on her recent book The INTRAFaith Conversation. She writes about her experience on her blog. NAINConnect 2017 will take place in San Diego. "Harmony, Journey to One Heart" will be focused on sharing best practices. Organizers hope to have 500 attendees, and ICP will certainly be involved.

 

DON FREW AND THE INTERFAITH OBSERVER. For the past several months, we have been highlighting each issue of the unique online journal The Interfaith Observer (TIO). Recently, TIO has revisited its archives to share articles by Marcus Braybrooke, Ruth Broyde Sharone, Vicki Garlock, Bud Heckman and Eboo Patel. The July issue centers on the contributions of our own Don Frew, a longtime ICP Board Member and interfaith activist. A Wiccan high priest, Don has represented the Covenant of the Goddess in many diverse interfaith settings. He was active in the Berkeley Area Interfaith Council in the 1980's and has been a part of creating the United Religions Initiative and the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, serving both organizations as a Board member. He has attended every gathering of the Parliament of the World's Religions since 1993 and has led several workshops.

At ICP, he organized the annual "People of the Earth" assemblies that brought together neo-pagans and earth-based religious traditions, and was a judge for the Interfaith Sacred Spaces competition, editing the book Sacred Spaces that describes the competition and the designs that were submitted. He created the "Lost and Endangered Religions Project," working with marginalized religious communities in several countries to preserve religious traditions in danger of being lost forever.

Don not only brings his commitment, his leadership skills and his broad experience to the work of building interfaith relationships, he is also a thoughtful and perceptive writer, as this collection of his contributions to TIO amply illustrates:

Don Frew – Opening the Indigenous Door (Feb. 2015) by Paul Chaffee

Featuring Donald H. Frew…

• Finding Light in the Midst of “Devil-worshippers” (Dec. 2014)
• When Wiccans & Evangelical Christians Become Friends (Jan. 2012)
• The Dark Side of the Golden Rule and Other ‘Universals’ (August 2011; July 2016)
• Creating Sacred Space for All of Us (June 2004; July 2016)
• When Nature Talks Back (Feb. 2015)
• Wiccans, Indigenous Peoples, and the Interfaith Movement (March 2012)
• “Interfaith 3.0” from the Outside (June 2012)
• The Rudiments of My Neopagan Spiritual Practice (Nov. 2013)
• Guidelines for Engaging in Productive Interfaith Dialogue (Sept. 2011)
• Saving Pagan Lives (Feb. 2015)

PEACE IN THE PARK FESTIVAL brings together the diverse San Francisco and surrounding communities to unplug and explore activities of peace and happiness in a fun, inspiring and healthy atmosphere. With a vision of facilitating positive change globally, the festival unites world-renowned peace leaders, yogis, scientists and experts in the field of neuroscience, meditation teachers, performers and artists. Hear from global thought leaders, authors and experts. Walk away with tools on how to integrate peace. Enjoy a day of peaceful movement, meditation and conscious cuisine. We welcome yogis & kale lovers of all ages. Channel your creativity. Learn about community and global peace initiatives.

Saturday, September 17th, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, the 4th annual festival will feature world music and visual artists; tai chi, hatha yoga; life-changer seminars, arts, crafts, exhibits by local non-profits and meditation experience. At the majestic Bandshell of Golden Gate Park, this event will demonstrate how to nurture peace and happiness even while living in a fast-paced urban environment. Presenters will include Dr. Jim Doty of the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research, Diane Tillman, creator of Living Values for Children, and San Francisco Supervisor London Breed.

The festival is offered free of charge by a coalition including Brahma Kumaris, SF Parks Alliance, Institute of Noetic Sciences, United Religions Initiative, Creative Canopy, Interfaith Center at the Presidio and SF Vegetarian Society. ICP will have a booth at the event. More information at www.PeaceInTheParkSF.org. Watch a 1-minute video at YouTube.

DECLARATION ON HATE AND HATE SPEECH, VIOLENCE, AND WAR. Participants at the 2015 Parliament of the World's Religions in Salt Lake City had the opportunity to sign on to a declaration regarding hate, violence, and war. In light of recent events around the world and in our own country, Leaders of the Parliament are urging signees to recommit themselves to active in seeking to end hate and violence, and inviting those who might not have been present to sign and "recommit themselves to those exemplary elements of their own tradition that stand against hate and the rhetoric of hate, against violence and terrorism, against conflict and war." Out of that commitment, people should take part in "the practices of justice-seeking and peacemaking, the disciplines of non-violent protest against injustice and war, and the active engagement in both religious and civic organizations and movements that will be transformative in the cause of justice and peace." You can read the full declaration and sign on at the Parliament of the World's Religions website.

COMMONWEALTH CLUB. The Commonwealth Club will present a panel discussion on Interfaith Power and Light on Friday, August 9th at 555 Post St., San Francisco. Moderated by San Francisco Interfaith Council director Michael Pappas, the panel will include Rev. Sally Bingham, Executive Director, Interfaith Power and Light’s Regeneration Project; Rabbi Marvin Goodman, Executive Director, Northern California Board of Rabbis; Sumbul Ali Karamali, Author, The Muslim Next Door.They will discuss each of their faith’s views about protecting the Earth, caring for the environment and being proactive in combatting climate change, which many believe is Earth’s biggest problem. Rev. Bingham will also describe the work of the Regeneration Project, which promotes renewable energy and conservation as part of Interfaith Power and Light, an interfaith climate change initiative. To reserve tickets, visit commonwealthclub.org or call 415-597-6705.

INTERFAITH COUNCIL OF SONOMA COUNTY and their campaign, Of One Soul, invite everyone to their annual gathering and dinner, "Across the Interfaith Table 2016." Workshops, presentations, and food, connecting compassionate hearts in discussion and dinner. It begins on Sunday, August 28 at 2:30 pm with workshops and presentations, offers worship, including Muslim prayer at 5:00 and a Vegetarian potluck buffet dinner from 6:30 - 8:00 pm. Admission is free, and there will be free childcare. It all takes place at the Presbyterian Church of the Roses, 2500 Patio Ct, Santa Rosa, California 95405. To join as a Sponsor, Endorser or volunteer, contact interfaith@norwitz.net. For more information: socointerfaith@gmail.com.

GLOBAL PRAYER FOR ABOLITION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS. URI and the Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons Cooperation Circle invite you and your community to join in a global prayer to end nuclear madness. Join with friends, neighbors, co-workers, members of your faith community and people around the world at anytime between August 5th and 8th to recite The Nuclear Prayer. Starting July 29th, take a photo or video of yourself, friends, congregation, etc. reciting the prayer and email it to voices@uri.org or post it on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #TheNuclearPrayer. Go to thenuclearprayer.org/ for more information, a copy of the prayer, a video with URI President and Founder Bishop William Swing, and more.

THE SPIRITUALITY OF PHILANTHROPY. “Shrouds Have No Pockets,” a seminar on how to inspire philanthropy and giving within community organizations, will be offered at the John Muir Medical Center, 1601 Ygnacio Valley Rd, Walnut Creek in the Ball Auditorium. The program begins with a complimentary breakfast at 7:30, followed by the presentation from 8:00 - 9:30 am. Presenters will include Michael G. Crvarich, Vice President – Legacy & Major Gifts at John Muir Health Foundation and April Bell, Professional Videographer, John Muir Health Foundation Tree of Life Legacies. This program is designed to explore Legacy Storytelling as a gateway for discovering core values that inspire philanthropy and a Legacy of Giving within the organizations you serve. Attendees will walk away with a framework for leading others through the Legacy Storytelling Process consistent with your organization’s particular spiritual and faith traditions in a “retreat like” environment. Co-Sponsored by: Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County. Please RSVP by Sept. 8th to Mary David at (925) 941-2134 or mary.david@johnmuirhealth.com

DOCENT TOURS OF PRESIDIO CHAPEL. The weekly Open House/Docent Tours at the Presidio Chapel on Sundays from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm have proven quite popular. An average of 10 people come each week to view the 33' fresco painted by Victor Arnautoff, a protege of Diego Rivera, and the stained glass windows created by Willemina Ogterop, the first woman stained glass artist west of the Mississippi to be inducted into the Stained Glass Artists Guild. Comments have praised the Chapel and the docent, Daniel Johnson. The open house is listed on the Presidio Trust's website with other guided tours. Learn more about the Presidio Chapel here and then plan to visit us and take a tour.

NOTES & QUOTES: Congratulations to Joy-Ellen Lipsky, a member of the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council who is also an Ambassador for the Parliament of the World's Religions. She was profiled in the June issue of the Parliament's Ambassador Times... Ethel Seiderman, beloved by the Marin Interfaith Council and many other communities throughout Marin and beyond, passed away peacefully July 26. Ethel was the recipient of MIC's Visionary Marin award in 2013...Congratulations to Vanessa Brake, former ICP board member now in the Stanford Campus Ministry, who was elected to the board of NAIN this month..."In a strange way, it seems that the faiths that don’t have a history of religious violence are being marginalized once again, as if not being violent made us somehow irrelevant. I would argue the opposite; that perhaps such faith traditions might have insights that could help" - Don Frew..."When you visit each other, pray with each other, break bread together, and work on projects together, you grow strong" - Vern Barnett

SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!

BAY AREA INTERFAITH CONNECT is sent each month to nearly 2,000 subscribers, and is available online at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio website. To Subscribe: If you do not receive the monthly updates and would like to do so, simply write to info@interfaith-presidio.org. Please include your name, and, if you are willing, your street address and phone will help us to keep you up to date on interfaith activities. To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you. About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

IN THIS ISSUE: Religious Liberty | NAINConnect 2016 | Ramadan Iftar | Ghost Army Benefit | Docent Tours | Peace in the Park | On Terrorism & Solidarity | Defusing Hate | The Interfaith Observer | Notes & Quotes | Send Us Your News

As the people of the United States celebrate Independence Day, recalling the dedication and sacrifice of the pioneers and founders of our nation, it is also a time to remember and lift up the unique vision of liberty that emerged as those founders shaped the laws and institutions that would serve to guarantee the "unalienable Rights" invoked in the Declaration of Independence — "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

It took a while to hammer all this out, but soon the founders came to understand that religious freedom was essential to all, and not just to a few. James Madison wrote in 1785:

What influence in fact have ecclesiastical establishments had on Civil Society? In some instances they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of the Civil authority; in many instances they have been seen upholding the thrones of political tyranny: in no instance have they been seen the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wished to subvert the public liberty, may have found an established Clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just Government instituted to secure & perpetuate it needs them not. Such a Government will be best supported by protecting every Citizen in the enjoyment of his Religion with the same equal hand which protects his person and his property; by neither invading the equal rights of any Sect, nor suffering any Sect to invade those of another. (Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments)

Rather than stifling religious life, the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of religion has enabled a flourishing of religious life in all its diversity and is one of the reasons that Americans are known as among the most religiously committed people in the world. It has also offered us the challenge and opportunity to learn how to work together across our differences to work together for the good of our nation.

NAIN CONNECT 2016. The annual NAINConnect will take place Sunday, July 10- Wednesday, July 13 in Guadalajara, Mexico, exploring the many dimensions of Espacio Segrado (Sacred Space). ICP will be represented by Board Chair Fred Fielding and Executive Director Linda Crawford. Linda will be on the Environment and World Peace panel where she will present the Presidio Chapel and "Remembered Light: the McDonald Peace Windows" project. Former ICP Interim Director Susan Strouse will lead a session based on her recent book, The INTRAfaith Conversation, and ICP founding Executive Director, Paul Chaffee, will present “Interfaith Realities in the U.S.” and, jointly with Ruth Broyde Sharone, "How to Create Sacred Spaces for Yourself and Your Community." We look forward to hearing about this rich time of engagement and learning. For more information, go to the NAIN website.

RAMADAN IFTAR A GREAT SUCCESS. The iftar (fast-breaking) dinner co-sponored by Pacifica Institute, Calvary Presbyterian Church and ICP brought some 250 people of differing religious background together to share conversations, a meal, and a chance to hear from Dr. Scott Alexander, Assistant Professor of Muslim Studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

Fran Moreland Johns, a local author and blogger, wrote about celebrating her birthday at the iftar at The Huffington Post.

GHOST ARMY DINNER. A group of 30 folks attended a lovely evening at the Foreign Cinema, co-owned by Bruce McDonald, grandnephew of Chaplain Fred McDonald of the McDonald Windows. They enjoyed a four-course meal and watched the film "The Ghost Army" with producer Rick Beyers. The Ghost Army was the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. From June 1944 to March 1945 it staged 20 battlefield deceptions. The existence of this unit was kept secret for 40 plus years during the cold war in case the U.S. went to war with the Soviet Union and wanted to use its methods again. Guests also received copies of the book "The Ghost Army of WWII" by Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles. Net proceeds will benefit The Ghost Army Legacy Project and the McDonald Peace Project.

DOCENT TOURS OF PRESIDIO CHAPEL. The weekly Open House/Docent Tours at the Presidio Chapel on Sundays from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm have proven quite popular. An average of 10 people come each week to view the 33' fresco painted by Victor Arnautoff, a protege of Diego Rivera, and the stained glass windows created by Willemina Ogterop, the first woman stained glass artist west of the Mississippi to be inducted into the Stained Glass Artists Guild. Comments have praised the Chapel and the docent, Daniel Johnson. The open house is listed on the Presidio Trust's website with other guided tours. Learn more about the Presidio Chapel here and then plan to visit us and take a tour.

PEACE IN THE PARK FESTIVAL brings together the diverse San Francisco and surrounding communities to unplug and explore activities of peace and happiness in a fun, inspiring and healthy atmosphere. The festival was created in response to the growing concern - we are an overly stimulated, ADD-afflicted and tech-saturated culture.  On September 17th, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, the 4th annual festival will feature world music and visual artists; tai chi, hatha yoga; life-changer seminars, arts, crafts, exhibits by local non-profits and meditation experience. At the majestic Bandshell of Golden Gate Park, this event will demonstrate how to nurture peace and happiness even while living in a fast-paced urban environment. You'll be among some of the best artists, scientists, peace makers and policy makers in the Bay Area at this event. The festival is offered free of charge by a coalition including Brahma Kumaris, SF Parks Alliance, Institute of Noetic Sciences, United Religions Initiative, Creative Canopy, Interfaith Center at the Presidio and SF Vegetarian Society. More information at www.PeaceInTheParkSF.org. Watch a 1-minute video at YouTube.

ON TERRORISM AND SOLIDARITY. Following the terrorist attack in Istanbul, the San Francisco Interfaith Council released this statement:

The Board of Directors and member congregations of the San Francisco Interfaith Council join with people of good will all over the world in mourning the death of innocent victims of terrorism in Istanbul. Tragically, this terrorist attack occurred during the Muslim sacred observance of Ramadan. We cannot let these acts of terror stop us from working together to make a safer and better world for all. They must strengthen our resolve to work together to solve the problems which we face. In unity there is strength. While we mourn for these innocent men and women, we vow to honor their memory by increasing our efforts at meaningful understanding of the values we share and the work we have to do together.

SFIC has also compiled expressions of grief and support for the victims of the shootings in Orlando earlier in June published by religious communities and organizations locally and nationally. You can find them on their website.

DEFUSING HATE GUIDE The US Holocaust Memorial Museum has worked with fellow Rachel Brown to produce Defusing Hate: A Strategic Guide to Counteract Dangerous Speech. Informed by history and drawing from a range of disciplines—from political science to communications, from marketing to neuropsychology—the guide offers activists, religious and civil society leaders, and their supporters the strategies and tools they need to prevent hate speech that has the potential to influence people to accept, condone, or commit violence against targeted groups. It's available as a free download.

The Interfaith Observer (TIO) is an independent internet journal about all things interfaith. Each month it goes to more than 16,000 faith and interfaith leaders, including about 2,300 outside the U.S. More than 300 writers have contributed articles. Download back issues. TIO is free.

Last month TIO began a five-month focus on writers from different religious traditions who have contributed a particularly rich stream of articles to this publication. This month features Eboo Patel, a Muslim and founder of the Interfaith Youth Core.

• Featuring Eboo Patel by Paul Chaffee
• Sacred Ground by Eboo Patel: A TIO Review (January 2013)

     By Eboo Patel …

• On Being a Muslim Parent (Dec. 2014)
• What We Can Learn from the Same-Sex Seating Controversy (April 2015)
• The Shifting Terrain of Interfaith Relationship (Nov. 2014)
• New Rooms in the Interfaith Movement (June 2016)
• How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious (April 2013)
• Interfaith Fundraising: How to Make it Work (May 2014)
• Excerpts from Interfaith Leadership: A Primer (2016)
  

NOTES & QUOTES: A warm welcome to Rev. Jessica Shine, who began as Community Minister at the Chaplaincy Institute in Berkeley at the end of May... “Religion is like a pair of shoes.....Find one that fits for you, but don't make me wear your shoes.” - George Carlin... “If a believer demands that I, as a nonbeliever, observe his taboos in the public domain, he is not asking for my respect, but for my submission.” - Flemming Rose... “If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein."- Robert H. Jackson..."The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."- Thomas Jefferson..."One of America’s continuing needs is to develop, out of our differences, a common vision for the common good. Today that common vision must embrace a shared understanding of the place of religion in public life and of the guiding principles by which people with deep religious differences can contend robustly but civilly with each other." - The Williamsburg Charter

SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!

BAY AREA INTERFAITH CONNECT is sent each month to nearly 2,000 subscribers, and is available online at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio website. To Subscribe: If you do not receive the monthly updates and would like to do so, simply write to info@interfaith-presidio.org. Please include your name, and, if you are willing, your street address and phone will help us to keep you up to date on interfaith activities. To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you. About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

IN THIS ISSUE: Ghost Army Film | Muslim/Christian Book Study | Ramadan Iftar | Memorial Day Service | NAINConnect 2016 | URI Elections | The Interfaith Observer | ING Halaq-Seder | Docent Tours | Notes & Quotes |

One of the little known stories of World War II is that of the "Ghost Army," a top-secret WWII unit that was commissioned to create the illusion of military operations in order to confuse the German commanders and divert their attention from actual Allied forces. Using inflatable tanks, sound effects, theatrical tricks, and fake radio transmissions, the Ghost Army succeeded in deceiving the German forces again and again.

The chaplain for the 12th US Army Group Special Troops of which the Ghost Army was a part was Father Frederick Alexander McDonald. Fr. McDonald spent 12 months close to enemy lines, driving hundreds of miles across the war-torn countryside to offer worship and pastoral care to the small army of military professionals marching the Allies into Germany. Some of the deception soldiers attended his services, and he wrote vividly about the unit in his unpublished memoir.

Father McDonald also stopped at sanctuaries that had been damaged in the war. He picked up broken fragments of stained glass from the rubble, labeling them carefully. These shards formed the basis of the McDonald Windows, as the pieces were included in new windows that would, as he hoped, “serve as a memorial to the places they were found and offer hope for lasting peace.” The windows have been exhibited in several places, most recently at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Salt Lake City. The Interfaith Center at the Presidio has been the steward of the McDonald Windows since 2007, and hopes eventually to include them in a renovation of the Presidio Chapel.

On Monday, June 20, there will be a unique opportunity to enjoy a three-course dinner with a screening of the award-winning documentary The Ghost Army and a presentation of Remembered Light: The McDonald Peace Project. Rick Beyer, Producer of Ghost Army and author of the related book will be present for a post-film discussion. Monday, June 20, 6:00 - 9:00 pm at Foreign Cinema, 2534 Mission Street, San Francisco. Proceeds will benefit The Ghost Army Legacy Project and the McDonald Windows Project More information and tickets are available at Eventbrite.

MUSLIM/ CHRISTIAN BOOK STUDY. Due to Ramadan observances, the book club will not meet in June. Together, we are reading A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam by Karen Armstrong. Armstrong, a British former Roman Catholic nun, is an author and commentator known for her books on comparative religion and founder of the Charter for Compassion. Armstrong has written at least 25 books, including Buddha and Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time. Although the group is focused on Christians and Muslims, people of any faith (or none) are welcome to join us. Sponsored by First United Lutheran Church, Pacifica Institute and the Interfaith Center at the Presidio.

RAMADAN IFTAR. Ramadan, the month of the Muslim year devoted to fasting, prayer, and acts of compassion, has been a particular opportunity for Muslim communities to welcome their friends and neighbors to the traditional iftar meal that breaks each days fasting at sundown. This year, Ramadan begins on June 6. During the month, local Muslim groups will hold dinners and open houses around the Bay Area. Check the calendar below for dates.

The Pacifica Institute and partners invite you to the annual San Francisco Ramadan Iftar Dinner on Wednesday, June 8th at 7:00 pm at Calvary Presbyterian Church. The theme for the evening is "The Art of Living Together: Building Relationships," with special keynote speaker Dr. Scott Alexander, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at the Catholic Theological Union at Chicago. Calvary church is located at 2515 Fillmore St. in San Francisco. The dinner is co-sponsored by Calvary Presbyterian, the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, URI, San Francisco Interfaith Council, University of San Francisco, First United Lutheran Church, Congregation Emanu-El, the San Francisco Foundation, St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Jewish Community Relations Council, Japanese American Religious Foundation of SF, St. Mary the Virgin Episcopal. RSVP is required by June 5th at ramadandinnersf.eventbrite.com

MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE. Following ceremonies in the Presidio cemetery, an interfaith prayer service was held in the Presidio Chapel. The service opened with a greeting from ICP Director Linda Crawford, and continued with prayers, poems, meditations and a homily presented by Baha'i, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and Sufi leaders. Over the years, ICP has been honored to offer this sacred space to people of all religious backgrounds as a safe space for prayer, reflection, and renewal.

NAIN CONNECT 2016.The theme for the July 2016 North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) Connect is “Sacred Space” which is right in ICP’s wheelhouse. The first North American Interfaith Network NAINConnect to be held in Mexico runs from Sunday, July 10- Wednesday, July 13 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Our own Executive Director, Linda Crawford, will be serving on the Environment and World Peace panel presenting the Interfaith Center and Remembered Light: The McDonald Peace Windows. On another panel, ICP’s founding Executive Director, Paul Chaffee, will speak about “Interfaith Realities in the U.S.”

In recent years NAIN has highlighted local indigenous people; last year in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, we met with and learned from Canada’s First Nations. This year we will hear from the Maya and Huichole. We are looking forward to hearing about interfaith work in Mexico. Fred Fielding, ICP’s Board President, is also attending. Registration is now open. You don’t have to speak Spanish to participate or to speak; simultaneous interpretation will be provided. For more information and registration, go to the NAIN website.

URI ELECTIONS. Congratulations to ICP Board President Fred Fielding, who was elected to represent the North America region on the URI Global Council Trustees along with Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell (Ohio) and Jaya Priya Reinhalter (Florida). New Trustees begin their terms of office on July 1, 2016. You can find out more about them and the other new Trustees at the URI website.

The Interfaith Observer (TIO) is an independent internet journal about all things interfaith. Each month it goes to more than 16,000 faith and interfaith leaders, including about 2,300 outside the U.S. More than 300 writers have contributed articles. Download back issues. TIO is free.

Last month TIO began a five-month focus on writers from different religious traditions who have contributed a particularly rich stream of articles to this publication. From the current issue …

Featuring Vicki Garlock and Bud Heckman by Paul Chaffee

     For Our Children, from Vicki Garlock…

• A Bible-Based, Interfaith Sunday School Curriculum (Sept. 2015)
• Helping Kids Connect to the Earth (Feb. 2015)
• Seeking Peace through Art for Children (March 2015)
• Serve2Unite Takes on Violence Fearlessly (Feb. 2016)

      For the World, from Bud Heckman…

• The Interfaith Movement’s Evolution and Future Challenges (March 2015)
• Funding for the Interfaith Movement (May 2014)
• Obama’s Interfaith Vision and the Restlessness of Our Wretched Refuse (Jan. 2016)
• Hacking a Better Future for Interfaith Cooperation  (May 2016)

ING HALAQA-SEDER CELEBRATION. A group of Muslims and Jews gathered in Los Gatos in April for the second annual Muslim-Jewish Halaqa-Seder: A Celebration of the Exodus Story. After dramatic reenactments of scenes from the Exodus story, members of each faith discussed the different narratives at their tables as well as their sacred text’s commonalities and differences. The discussions were so engrossing that people had a hard time ending their conversations, which continued through the halal/kosher dinner. The event concluded with an open mic session where participants voiced their appreciation for the event and their desire to learn more about each other’s tradition. Watch video highlights from the April 3 event and see the full program at the ING website.

DOCENT TOURS OF PRESIDIO CHAPEL. We have opened the Presidio Chapel for Open House/Docent Tours on Sundays from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm. Come visit one of the Mission Revival jewels of Presidio National Park which includes a 33' fresco painted by Victor Arnautoff, a protege of Diego Rivera. Also on view are the stained glass windows created by Willemina Ogterop, the first woman stained glass artist west of the Mississippi to be inducted into the Stained Glass Artists Guild. See the newly-refurbished sacred space with banners featuring local wildlife. Learn more about the Presidio Chapel here and then plan to visit us and take a tour.

NOTES & QUOTES: Rita Semel is a founding member of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio and of the San Francisco Interfaith Council and a beloved presence at interfaith activity in San Francisco and beyond. She and her daughter Elisabeth Semel, Director of the Death Penalty Clinic at the U.C. Berkeley Law School were interviewed in a special Mothers Day episode of the Grace Cathedral Forum. Enjoy their conversation about being on the frontlines of social justice for two generations here...“I believe that the moment has arrived for the representatives of the Divine Religions to participate strongly and in a concrete way to give humanity a new direction, towards mercy and peace, so that humanity can avoid the great crisis we are suffering now” - Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Cairo’s al-Azhar Mosque, after an historic meeting with Pope Francis... “If a Muslim woman wishes to wear a veil, she must be able to do so. Similarly, if a Catholic wishes to wear a cross. People must be free to profess their faith at the heart of their own culture, not merely at its margins” - Pope Francis..."A multifaith setting gives us an opportunity to see beyond the boundaries we often set for ourselves” - Rabbi Meir Goldstein.

SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!

BAY AREA INTERFAITH CONNECT is sent each month to nearly 2,000 subscribers, and is available online at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio website. To Subscribe: If you do not receive the monthly updates and would like to do so, simply write to info@interfaith-presidio.org. Please include your name, and, if you are willing, your street address and phone will help us to keep you up to date on interfaith activities. To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you. About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

IN THIS ISSUE: Memorial Day Observances | Muslim/Christian Book Study | Exploring Extremism | Ghost Army Film | INTRAfaith Conversation | The Interfaith Observer | URI Elections | Docent Tours | Notes & Quotes |

MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCES

Memorial Day has been observed as a day for honoring those Americans who have died in war since shortly after the Civil War. Originally known as "Decoration Day," it was a time for families and communities to remember and honor those who gave their lives. It takes place at the end of May because it did not commemorate a specific battle and was a time that flowers were in bloom. In 1968, it was moved to the last Monday in May from its traditional date of May 30. This year, May 30 is a Monday.

Following a parade and program at the San Francisco National Cemetery, the Interfaith Center at the Presidio invites all who wish to join at 1:00 pm at the Presidio Chapel for an interfaith service of prayer and remembrance. The service will include music from the organ and prayers from several traditions: Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Baha’ i. The parade will take place at 10:30 am; the program at 11:00 at the San Francisco National Cemetery at the Presidio.

MUSLIM/ CHRISTIAN BOOK STUDY. It’s the Perfect Time to Join the Discussion! On Wednesday, May 4, 2015, 7:00 pm at the Presidio Chapel we begin our second book: A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam by Karen Armstrong. Armstrong, a British former Roman Catholic nun, is an author and commentator known for her books on comparative religion and founder of the Charter for Compassion. Armstrong has written at least 25 books, including Buddha and Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time. To read for the next meeting: chapters 1-3. Although the group is focused on Christians and Muslims, people of any faith (or none) are welcome to join us. Sponsored by First United Lutheran Church, Pacifica Institute and the Interfaith Center at the Presidio.

ICP, AHIMSA AND PACIFICA ENCOUNTER EXTREMISM. In a wide-ranging conversation, several Bay Area interreligious leaders addressed the manifestations of extremism in the religious world today at "Religious and Political Extremism - Creating an Effective Response," a gathering at the Presidio Chapel on April 10th. Rod Cardoza of Abrahamic Alliance International led off with a clear and thoughtful presentation on the roots of violence. The perpetrators of violence have some admirable qualities– a passion for change and an unwillingness to accept the status quo– but sadly, these are joined with a spiritual immaturity that seeks to impose a simplistic dogmatism on the world around them. Cardoza described the work of the Abrahamic Alliance, which brings together Jewish, Christian, and Muslim congregations to join in service projects, often feeding the needy. The encounters include opportunities to learn about each other's traditions and to develop relationships in the context of the shared values of the three communities. Read more...

GHOST ARMY FILM. Save the date of June 20 for a unique opportunity- a three-course dinner with a screening of the award-winning documentary The Ghost Army and a presentation of Remembered Light: The McDonald Peace Project. Post-film discussion with Rick Beyer, Ghost Army filmmaker and author. Monday, June 20, 6:00 - 9:00 pm at Foreign Cinema, 2534 Mission Street, San Francisco. Proceeds will benefit The Ghost Army Legacy Project and the McDonald Windows Project More information and tickets are available at Eventbrite.

THE INTRAFAITH CONVERSATION. "I'm worried that I'm betraying Jesus." Elsie L. Many who have been involved in cooperative engagements with people of other faith traditions discover that it is often easier to talk with people of a different religion than it is with the person sitting next to you in your own congregation. In her new book, The INTRAfaith Conversation: How Do Christians Talk Among Ourselves about INTERfaith Matters?, the Rev. Dr. Susan Strouse addresses the challenges that the increasingly interfaith realities of our day present for Christians, and invites reflection on how Christian theology and identity might be shaped by the interfaith encounter. Susan is a long-time associate of ICP, served as the Interim Director in 2011 and is currently Pastor of the First United Lutheran Church in San Francisco. For more about the book and an interview with Susan Strouse, click here.

The Interfaith Observer (TIO) is an independent internet journal about all things interfaith. Each month it goes to more than 16,000 faith and interfaith leaders, including about 2,300 outside the U.S. More than 300 writers have contributed articles. Download back issues. TIO is free.

Last month TIO began a five-month focus on writers from different religious traditions who have contributed a particularly rich stream of articles to this publication. This month TIO turns to Ruth Broyde Sharone, a Jewish filmmaker, author, and passionate interfaith activist from Los Angeles. As a TIO Correspondent since TIO launched nearly five years ago, Ruth has written 50 articles for the publication.

From Ruth Broyde Sharone …

• A Personal Reminiscence of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (Sept. 2014)
  
• The Sacred Power of Indigenous Women Threatened (June 2015)
• Torah, Sequined Saris, Chapattis, and Peace (Oct. 2011)
• How a Samoan Mormon Became a Global Interfaith Activist (April 2012)
• In the Face of Proselytizing (Dec. 2015)
• Confronting ‘the Other’ in Your Own Community (June 2012)
• Climate and the People: September 19-23, New York City (Oct. 2014)
• Ruth’s Musical – Going to the Heart of Interfaith on Song by Paul Chaffee

URI ELECTIONS. For those who are part of a Cooperating Circle, votes for Trustees for North America are due by May 13. You can find interviews with the candidates at YouTube. The call begins with candidate introductions before moving into a question and answer time. After that they each (briefly) answered two questions:

• What do you view as the role and purpose of the United Religions Initiative in North America?
• What do you see as the role of URI and URI Global Council Trustees in supporting Cooperation Circles and in seeing more Cooperation Circles come into the URI network?

The full video is available at www.youtube.com/. Please consider sharing this with your members. With the consensus of the group, your Cooperation Circle may vote for up to three candidates. You can access the ballot and written candidate information here: uri.org/about_uri/trustee_selection_process. Questions? Contact Sari Heidenreich (sari@uri.org) or Karen Hernandez (khernandez@uri.org).

DOCENT TOURS OF PRESIDIO CHAPEL. Beginning this coming Sunday, April 3, we will be opening the Presidio Chapel for Open House/Docent Tours on Sundays from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm. Come visit one of the Mission Revival jewels of Presidio National Park which includes a 33' fresco painted by Victor Arnautoff, a protege of Diego Rivera. Also on view are the stained glass windows created by Willemina Ogterop, the first woman stained glass artist west of the Mississippi to be inducted into the Stained Glass Artists Guild. See the newly-refurbished sacred space with banners featuring local wildlife. Learn more about the Presidio Chapel here and then plan to visit us and take a tour.

NOTES & QUOTES: The Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County has been offering a series of "Love Your Muslim Neighbor" events throughout the East Bay. Anissa Abdel-Jelil interviewed Director Rev. Will McGarvey and wrote about it at the URI... As they bid farewell to long-time Executive Director Rev. Carol Hovis, the Marin Interfaith Council has announced two interim leaders. Rev. Scott Quinn, former Director of Community for The Chaplaincy Institute in Berkeley and board member of both Marin Interfaith Council and Interfaith Center at the Presidio, will serve as Acting Executive Director. Acting Programs Associate will be Stephanie Humphrey, a congregant of Unity In Marin, a New Thought spiritual center. Stephanie has served on the MIC Board for two years. Congratulations and best wishes to Scott, Stephanie, and the Marin Interfaith Council... "The orthodox have nothing to learn about God from other human religions. Their own tradition, their own orthodoxy, is not merely sufficient but complete. While engaging in dialogue might send them back to their own religious tradition with interesting questions or viewpoints, and thus lead them to recognize truths about God they hadn’t previously recognized, it will not actually teach them anything they didn’t already in principle know." - Robert Hunt...“It took meeting a real Muslim, or a few of them, to understand that there’s an Islamophobia industry in our culture that perpetuates these lies about Muslims.” - Rev. Will McGarvey... "It’s good to know something about the world’s religions: at least enough to know just how much you don’t know!" - Rev. Jim Burklo.

SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!

BAY AREA INTERFAITH CONNECT is sent each month to nearly 2,000 subscribers, and is available online at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio website. To Subscribe: If you do not receive the monthly updates and would like to do so, simply write to info@interfaith-presidio.org. Please include your name, and, if you are willing, your street address and phone will help us to keep you up to date on interfaith activities. To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you. About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

IN THIS ISSUE: Religious and Political Extremism | Post-Parliament Gathering Postponed | Docent Tours of Chapel | Muslim/Christian Book Study | Memorial Day Observances | Peacebuilding Through the Arts | URI Elections | NAIN Connect | Standing with Muslim Neighbors | The Interfaith Observer | Notes & Quotes |

With news of increased tensions and religion-based violence continuing to come from around the world, the Interfaith Center at the Presidio is joining with two of our partners– AHIMSA Berkeley and The Pacifica Institute– to offer a panel discussion:

Religious and Political Extremism -
Creating an Effective Response

Exploring the extremist phenomenon with a distinguished interfaith panel with a view toward developing positive, workable solutions

The Panel will include Fatih Ates - Pacifica Institute; Rabbi-Cantor Elana Rosen-Brown Congregation Rodef Sholom, San Rafael; Rod Cardoza – Abrahamic Alliance International; Ravit Baer – Israeli Deputy Consul General, San Francisco; and Elizabeth Padilla – Brahma Kumaris. The panel will be moderated by Rev. Gerry Caprio, a member of the ICP Board and AHIMSA-Berkeley.

Bring your questions and your perspectives to what promises to be a fascinating discussion! Download a flyer and share it!

Sunday, April 10, 2016 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Interfaith Center at the Presidio
Main Post Chapel - 130 Fisher Loop, San Francisco

NOTE: PARLIAMENT CELEBRATION POSTPONED! Due to scheduling issues, we have had to postpone the post-Parliament gathering that was planned for this month. We are considering a one-year anniversary celebration in the Fall. We will have had a year to reflect, process, and dream about the ongoing impact of the Parliament. Whether or not you were able to attend in Salt Lake City, we will invite you to join us and celebrate the ongoing connections in the Bay Area that carry forward the vision and values of the Parliament!

DOCENT TOURS OF PRESIDIO CHAPEL. Beginning this coming Sunday, April 3, we will be opening the Presidio Chapel for Open House/Docent Tours on Sundays from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm. Come visit one of the Mission Revival jewels of Presidio National Park which includes a 33' fresco painted by Victor Arnautoff, a protege of Diego Rivera. Also on view are the stained glass windows created by Willemina Ogterop, the first woman stained glass artist west of the Mississippi to be inducted into the Stained Glass Artists Guild. See the newly-refurbished sacred space with banners featuring local wildlife. Learn more about the Presidio Chapel here and then plan to visit us and take a tour.

MUSLIM/ CHRISTIAN BOOK STUDY We have completed Islam’s Jesus, and have not as yet chosen a new book. Although the group is focused on Christians and Muslims, people of any faith (or none) are welcome to join us on Wednesday, April 8, 2015, 7:00 pm at the Presidio Chapel. Sponsored by First United Lutheran Church, Pacifica Institute and the Interfaith Center at the Presidio.

MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCES. The Interfaith Chapel will be open on Memorial Day, May 30, following the Presidio Memorial Day observances at the San Francisco National Cemetery next to the Chapel. This safe, sacred space will be open to those who wish to continue their honoring or our military dead. Watch for details in the May BAIC.

PEACEBUILDING THROUGH THE ARTS. URI (United Religions Initiative) welcomes you to the 13th annual Circles of Light Gala, which honors URI’s Cooperation Circles that build peace through the arts. The theme for the 2016 event is the ARTS which include music, dance, visual arts, poetry, and theatre. URI will feature Cooperation Circles from around the world that utilize the ARTS as a key tool in promoting interfaith dialogue in their community. During the reception, guests will enjoy a gallery-like setting, featuring sculptures, paintings, music, photography, and dance, and showcasing additional Cooperation Circles such as Aflaiai (Eterno), Heartbeat: Jerusalem, Umbiyozo Cultural Diversity, and The Voices of Peace CC. The Circles of Light Gala takes place Saturday, April 16, 2016 at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco. For more information, please consult URI’s website at uri.org or call Diana Conan at (415) 762-2723 or send an email to events@uri.org

URI ELECTIONS. URI Cooperating Circles in Latin America, Multi-Region, Middle East and North Africa and North America are currently in the process of selecting Trustees to represent their regions on the Global Council. Candidates in the North America Region include interfaith activists from places ranging from Culver City in Southern California to Vancouver, British Columbia to Chagrin Falls, Ohio and Sebastian Florida. Our own Fred Fielding, current President of the ICP Board, is one of the candidates. He asks all URI Cooperation Circle members for their consideration. There will be an opportunity to hear from all of the candidates for North America on a conference call next week on Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 10 am (PDT). You will access that call using this link: www.bigmarker.com/URINorthAmerica/Global-Council-Trustee-Candidates-Call. If you want to know more about the process, you can find details and supporting documents at uri.org/about_uri/trustee_selection_process

NAIN CONNECT 2016. Plans are well underway for the North American Interfaith Network NAINConnect, to be held Sunday, July 10- Wednesday, July 13 in Guadalajara, Mexico. This will be the first time that NAIN has met in Mexico. The theme for the conference is "Espacio Sagrado" or "Sacred Space." They have extended the deadline for program proposals to April 7th; details are here. For more information about NAINConnect 2016, see the NAIN Blog. Special scholarships are available for Young Adults (18-35) who are actively engaged in interfaith work. Information about the scholarships and application is available at form.jotform.com/60428405845154 Applications are due Friday, April 15, 2016 11:59 PM PST If you have any questions, please contact youngadults@nain.org.

STANDING WITH MUSLIM NEIGHBORS. Tessa Rouverol Callejo is the FAITHS Program and Civic Engagement Officer at The San Francisco Foundation (TSFF), working with faith communities throughout most of the San Francisco Bay Area. Linda Crawford and Rita Semel of the ICP Board are on the FAITHS Leadership Council, as are representatives from the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, the Marin Interfaith Council, and San Francisco Interfaith Council. Tessa wrote about the recent "Hands Around the Mosque" event in Fremont on the TSFF blog.

The Interfaith Observer (TIO) is an independent internet journal about all things interfaith. Each month it goes to more than 16,000 faith and interfaith leaders, including about 2,300 outside the U.S. More than 300 writers have contributed articles. Download back issues. TIO is free.

This month TIO embarks on a five-month focus on writers from different religious traditions who have contributed a particularly rich stream of articles to this publication. We begin this month with Marcus Braybrooke, an Anglican and TIO Correspondent since its launch in September 2011.

• Featuring Marcus Braybrooke by Paul Chaffee
• High Tea with Marcus and Mary   by Ruth Broyde Sharone
  
• A TIO Interview with Marcus Braybrooke  –  October 2011
  

     And by Marcus Braybrooke …

• The Birth of the Interfaith Movement – A Dream That Is Contagious  –  Oct. 2011
  
• “There is No Future Without Forgiveness”  –  April 2014
  
• Should People of Different Faiths Pray Together?  –  February 2012
  
• “Am I My Brother’s Keeper?”  –  October 2015
  
• Interfaith and Peace, Social Justice, and Respect for the Earth  –  May 2012
  
• Is a World Faith Worth Dreaming About?  –  March 2015

NOTES & QUOTES: Deborah Ann Light, a much beloved and revered leader in the Covenant of the Goddess and early representative to URI summits, passed away July 21, 2015. Our condolences to her friends and community, who will be gathering to remember her on April 17 in Bolinas..."I do not see interfaith worship as a substitute for the rituals of a particular faith tradition, but, on suitable occasions, as an affirmation of the truth that God is not the possession of any one religion and a reminder to us that the Divine Mystery is greater than any of us. It also is a powerful witness to our shared humanity and responsibility for each other. It inspires us to work together for peace and the relief of the suffering." - Marcus Braybrooke

SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!

BAY AREA INTERFAITH CONNECT is sent each month to nearly 2,000 subscribers, and is available online at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio website. To Subscribe: If you do not receive the monthly updates and would like to do so, simply write to info@interfaith-presidio.org. Please include your name, and, if you are willing, your street address and phone will help us to keep you up to date on interfaith activities. To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you. About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

IN THIS ISSUE: Support for Muslim Neighbors | Coming to ICP | Muslim/Christian Book Study | Marin Interfaith Council | Congratulations Michael Pappas | NAIN Connect | Religious Literacy | The Interfaith Observer | Notes & Quotes |

Last Fall, fear and bigotry came to center stage in our nation. Prominent voices calling for suspicion and prejudice against Muslims led to rallies and demonstrations across the country in which armed demonstrators gathered at mosques and Muslim community centers, seeking to intimidate and harass their Muslim neighbors.

In response, communities around the Bay Area came together not with arms, but with hands. Hands outstretched to Muslim brothers and sisters, hands reaching out to our neighbors of all races, of all religious traditions (and no religious tradition), of all ages, genders, and social conditions. Hands prepared to join together in building a more just and compassionate society.

Some 250 supporters gathered at the Islamic Society of the East Bay in Fremont on February 28 and heard messages of encouragement and support from speakers including Mayors of Fremont and Palo Alto, State Senator Bob Wieckowski, religious leaders from Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, and Jain communities, peacemakers and interfaith leaders from around the Bay Area. You can read about "Hands Around the Mosque" at The San Jose Mercury News.

In Byron, Concord, Orinda, Lafayette, and Rossmoor, the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County has been presenting a series of "Love Your Muslim Neighbor" panels, with conversation with local Muslims speaking about their faith and experiences. In the South Bay, the Chung Tai Zen Center in Sunnyvale held a Buddhist-Muslim dialogue, while the Pacifica Institute hosted a panel on "Combating the Cancer of Extremism." Bishop William Swing of United Religions Initiative joined Andrew Kille of the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council and other local interfaith for a panel on "Interfaith and Tackling Phobia." The local Ahmadiyya Muslim community held an open conversation on Islam at a public library in San Jose. Week after week, Moina Shaiq of the Tri-Cities Interfaith Council has invited people in Fremont to " Meet a Muslim" in coffee shops and community centers.

The January issue of The Interfaith Observer centered on "Understanding and Addressing Islamophobia," noting the ways that people around the country have been responding to the language of prejudice and offering resources like the Islamophobia Guide developed by the Charter for Compassion. URI Cooperation Circles across the nation have likewise taken action.

Thanks to all those who have stood up for their neighbors; if you or your organization is planning an event, please let us know at calendar@interfaith-presidio.org.

COMING SOON TO ICP. April will bring two special events to the Interfaith Chapel; please mark your calendars NOW and watch for more information in next month's BAIC:

• Sunday, April 10, 2016, 1:30- 4:30 pm
  Extremism, Religiously and Politically Motivated Violence - Origins and Response
  An exploration of this current phenomenon by a distinguished interfaith panel. Presented in cooperation with Ahimsa Berkeley.
  
  
• Sunday, April 17, 2016, 2:00 - 5:00 pm
  Post-Parliament Party
  Did you attend the Parliament in October? If not, are you curious about what happened and what it might mean for the future? Join us, share your stories, your inspirations, your questions, and let’s celebrate together the connections in the Bay Area that carry forward the vision and values of the Parliament. RSVP and for more information: Linda Crawford at linda@interfaith-presidio.org. Download a poster.

MUSLIM/ CHRISTIAN BOOK STUDY Our book study continues Wednesday, March 2, 2015, 7:00 pm at the Presidio Chapel. We are reading through Islam’s Jesus, which takes a bold yet candid look at the highly charged topic of Jesus’s place in Islam, exploring some of the religion’s least understood aspects. Actively engaged in efforts to promote interfaith dialogue and harmony, the author argues that the shared belief in Jesus presents an excellent opportunity for understanding between Muslims and Christians. Together, they constitute more than half of the world’s population, and such understanding may be a foundation for peace. Sponsored by: First United Lutheran Church, Pacifica Institute and the Interfaith Center at the Presidio. Although it's focused on Christians and Muslims, people of any faith (or none) are welcome.

CHANGES AT MARIN INTERFAITH COUNCIL. The Rev. Carol Hovis, Executive Director of the Marin Interfaith Council, has announced that she will be leaving at the end of April. She and her husband plan to relocated to South Carolina to be nearer to family there. Rev. Hovis, a Presbyterian minister, has served as the Director of MIC since 2004, Before that time, she was Community Advocate with the San Rafael Canal Ministry. She has been a valued colleague, and was the convener of the Bay Area Interfaith Leaders group that has met at the Presidio Chapel. We wish her and her husband Chris all the best as they enter a new phase of their lives.

Temporarily stepping into Carol's role will be Rev. Scott Quinn, a former ICP Board member who served most recently as Director of Community at The Chaplaincy Institute in Berkeley. We welcome Scott to his new role and look forward to continuing our long collaboration with MIC.

CONGRATULATIONS TO MICHAEL PAPPAS. Michael Pappas, Executive Director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council, was recently awarded the Civic Leadership Award by the Jewish Community Relations Council of San Francisco. He was acknowledged as someone "who has been an incredible ally to the Jewish community and shown outstanding leadership in building bridges between communities of faith and civic leaders." The award was inspired by Rita Semel, a founder and longtime member of the Board at ICP.

NAIN CONNECT 2016. Plans are well underway for the North American Interfaith Network NAINConnect, to be held Sunday, July 10- Wednesday, July 13 in Guadalajara, Mexico. This will be the first time that NAIN has met in Mexico. The theme for the conference is "Espacio Sagrado" or "Sacred Space," and NAIN is currently seeking proposals for program sessions. These can be individual presentations, panels, or workshops. For more information about NAINConnect 2016 and how to submit a proposal, see the NAIN Blog. Special scholarships are available for Young Adults (18-35) who are actively engaged in interfaith work. Information about the scholarships and application is available at form.jotform.com/60428405845154

HARVARD TEACHES RELIGIOUS LITERACY. Six religion professors from Harvard University, Harvard Divinity School and Wellesley College are kicking off a free, online series on world religions open to anyone. The courses online at edX, which Harvard University launched with M.I.T. "Through the lens of scriptures, this Religion XSeries will explore how religions are internally diverse, and how they evolve and change as living traditions that impact, and are impacted, by the cultural, historical, and political contexts of adherents." The series consists of six sessions in all, including classes on Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Islam. The cost is $50 per class. See details at the edX website.

The Interfaith Observer (TIO) is an independent internet journal about all things interfaith. Each month it goes to more than 16,000 faith and interfaith leaders, including about 2,300 outside the U.S. More than 300 writers have contributed articles. Download back issues. TIO is free. Recent articles include …

• Interfaith Generation Emerging  by Susan Katz Miller
• Huston Smith and the Parliament of the World’s Religions  by Rob Sellers
• Sweden’s Religious Community Responds to Flood of Refugees  by Birgitta Winberg
• Serve2Unite Takes on Violence Fearlessly  by Vicki Garlock
• Muslims for Progressive Values Takes on Wahhabism  by Ruth Broyde Sharone
• “I’d Like to Help” – A Conversation with Charles Gibbs  by Kozo Hattori
• Planning this Year for TIO 2.0  by Paul Chaffee
  

The whole February 2016 issue includes the Interfaith News Roundup, the Religious Calendar, and much more!

NOTES & QUOTES: "When politicians insult Muslims, whether abroad or our fellow citizens, when a mosque is vandalized, or a kid is called names, that doesn’t make us safer. That’s not telling it like it is. It’s just wrong. It diminishes us in the eyes of the world. It makes it harder to achieve our goals. It betrays who we are as a country." - President Barak Obama..."By taking note of the complexity and depth of our own and others’ stories, pluralists participate in the act of giving people a voice, making hearing the full story more important than our immediate responses to them." - Micah Pace..."I will not mince my words: the absence of dialogue between different religious groups and even between members of a particular religious group will lead to more ignorance and then fear and then seeing that group as 'other.'” - Nora Zaki

SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!

BAY AREA INTERFAITH CONNECT is sent each month to nearly 2,000 subscribers, and is available online at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio website. To Subscribe: If you do not receive the monthly updates and would like to do so, simply write to info@interfaith-presidio.org. Please include your name, and, if you are willing, your street address and phone will help us to keep you up to date on interfaith activities. To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you. About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

IN THIS ISSUE: World Interfaith Harmony Week | Four Chaplains Day | Post-Parliament Gathering |Meet A Muslim | Love Your Muslim Neighbora | Dharma Studies at GTU | Marrakesh Declaration | The Interfaith Observer | Notes & Quotes |

WORLD INTERFAITH HARMONY WEEK FEBRUARY 1-7

While many in the Bay Area will be preparing this week for the Super Bowl, others will be taking time to celebrate World Interfaith Harmony Week, which has been celebrated the first week of February every year since 2010. This year, the Charter for Compassion and the Compassion Games have come together to hold a special WIHW coopetition- inviting individuals, congregations and groups to join in "coopetition" (cooperative competition) to see who can do most to demonstrate "love of the Good and love of the Neighbor. You can find out more about how to participate, and sign up as an individual or a team at compassiongames.org/world-interfaith-harmony-week/.

One event is the "Souper Bowl," a challenge to see which group can gather as many containers of soup as possible for local food banks. On Super Bowl Sunday, the results will be tallied and shared to make visible the benefits of compassion, peacemaking, and collaboration to the wider community.

Be sure to check the event listings below for opportunities to join with others during this week, and thus demonstrate how "mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace."

FOUR CHAPLAINS DAY. Since 1988, February 3rd has been commemorated as "Four Chaplains Day," in memory of the four army chaplains— Rabbi Alexander Goode, Roman Catholic Fr. John Washington, Methodist Rev. George Fox, and Reformed Church Rev. Clark Poling— who were aboard the USAT Dorchester when it was torpedoed on that date in 1943. The four chaplains helped other servicemen to abandon ship, gave their life vests to those who needed them, and then joined arms, said prayers, sang hymns, and were lost as the ship sank. You can learn more about them at Wikipedia. A large stained-glass replica of the commemorative stamp issued in 1948 is displayed in the ICP offices.

POST PARLIAMENT GATHERING POSTPONED. We have had to postpone our plans for a Post-Parliament gathering at the Presidio Chapel. Watch for more information in the March issue of Bay Area Interfaith Connect. We'll have a chance to learn from each other about what we saw, heard, and experienced, and perhaps even look to how we can keep the momentum going. Whether or not you were able to attend in Salt Lake City, plan to be with us!

MEET A MUSLIM IN FREMONT. Moina Shaiq continues her series "Meet A Muslim: Questions and Answers" on Monday February 1, 2016, 7:00 - 8:00 pm, at Mission Coffee, 151 Washington Blvd. in Fremont. She and Azam Khan will be there to answer any questions that you might have to the best of their ability. Moina's previous "Meet a Muslim" event got excellent local news coverage.

LOVE YOUR MUSLIM NEIGHBORS. The Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County has set up a number of panel conversations at churches around the county featuring Muslims speaking about their own experiences. Among the questions that may be touched on are: What is it like to be a Muslim in America?  Share your difficulties and causes for gratitude.  Discuss the misconceptions of Islam and how to overcome them.  What answers do you give to questions regarding how people can be doing what they do in the name of Islam?  What would you like your American neighbors to know about Islam? A video of one such panel in January is available on YouTube. Upcoming panels are scheduled in Byron, Concord, Orinda, Lafayette, and Rossmoor; see listings below for details.

DHARMA STUDIES AT GTU. The Graduate Theological Union (GTU) of Berkeley, California, has announced a $4.4 million gift from Mira and Ajay Shingal to establish and endow the first Center for Dharma Studies in the United States. The Center will focus on leading edge, multidisciplinary, graduate research and teaching in Hindu Studies and Dharma Studies. The GTU currently offers a graduate certificate in Hindu Studies, MA and PhD degree concentrations in Hindu Studies, and courses in Jain Studies.

MARRAKESH DECLARATION. More than 100 countries were represented at the gathering of Muslim leaders in Marrakesh this week, sponsored by the Moroccan government and the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies, an organization led by Islamic scholar Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah. Focusing on the rights of religious minorities in Muslim majority countries, the representatives issued the Marrakesh Declaration, which declared the need for cooperation among religious groups and that "such cooperation must go beyond mutual tolerance and respect, to providing full protection for the rights and liberties to all religious groups in a civilized manner that eschews coercion, bias, and arrogance." The Statement calls on Muslim scholars, educators, politicians and decision makers, to join in advocating for just treatment of religious minorities. The full statement can be found here.

The Interfaith Observer (TIO) is an independent internet journal about all things interfaith. Each month it goes to more than 16,000 faith and interfaith leaders, including about 2,300 outside the U.S. More than 300 writers have contributed articles. Download back issues. TIO is free. Recent articles include …

• “Kindling Love” – A Reflection on Solstice and Choosing Love during Dark Times by T. Thorn Coyle
• Sri Ramakrishna: A Profile of Vivekananda’s Teacher by Marcus Braybrooke
• All or Nothing? – the Quality of Interfaith Engagement  by Mary E. Hunt
• Unpacking Pluralism by Mark Waters
• What is Islamophobia? – New Guidebook  from the Charter for Compassion
• Local Communities Affirm Solidarity with Muslim Neighbors by Paul Chaffee

The full January 2016 issue includes the Interfaith News Roundup, the Religious Calendar, and much more!

NOTES & QUOTES: "Unless there is religious freedom, minority groups, including women, will not be at the table and their vital, productive and creative voices will not be heard." - Brian Grim..."Compassion is a practically acquired knowledge, like dancing. You must do it and practice diligently day by day." - Karen Armstrong..."We don't have any power other than our intellect and our hearts. And that's what we're fighting with. Ideas must counter ideas. You can drop all the bombs you want, but if you don't pull up weeds by their roots, they just grow back." - Sheik Hamza Yusuf..."Apathy- a lack of active caring about anything- may be a barrier to peace greater than all the others. It creates a breeding ground for extremism, for inhumanity to flourish." - Jean Lesher..."To kindle light in darkness is not to curse the dark. It is to honor the dark as that which obscures things, holding them in secret and deep mystery." T. Thorn Coyle

SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!

BAY AREA INTERFAITH CONNECT is sent each month to nearly 2,000 subscribers, and is available online at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio website. To Subscribe: If you do not receive the monthly updates and would like to do so, simply write to info@interfaith-presidio.org. Please include your name, and, if you are willing, your street address and phone will help us to keep you up to date on interfaith activities. To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you. About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

IN THIS ISSUE: New Year | Book Study | World Interfaith Harmony Week | Post-Parliament Gathering | URI Christmas Eve | Meet A Muslim | The Interfaith Observer | Notes & Quotes | Send Us Your News |

No matter when you celebrate it, the turn of a new year is always a good time to pause and reflect on what has gone before and what lies ahead. A quick glance at the issues of the Bay Area Interfaith Connect during this past year brings back to mind:

• The Parliament of the World's Religions - preparations begun early for the gathering of nearly 10,000 in Salt Lake City in October included a Pre-Parliament gathering in June and sending the McDonald Windows to be exhibited.
• World Interfaith Harmony Week- sharing the work of interfaith organizations around the Bay on our blog
• Responding to terrorist acts and hateful speech, some coming from presidential candidates
• Top 5 Reasons to attend Interfaith Events
• Advocating for the Yezidis, Assyrians, and other persecuted peoples in the Middle East
• Learning about peaceful coexistence in Granada, Spain, and pondering the challenges of our modern technological age
• Holding interfaith services for Memorial Day and Veterans Day
• Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the United Nations and the 15th anniversary of United Religions Initiative
• The North American Interfaith Network Connect in Regina Canada and Peace in the Park in San Francisco
• The arrival of Pacifica Institute at the Chapel and a shared Muslim/Christian Book Study

And throughout the year in many ways unleashing the power of interfaith cooperation locally and around the world. We look forward to carrying on the important work of ICP in 2016. You can find details on these events and more on our 2015 Accomplishments page and the 2015 BAIC archive page on our website.

MUSLIM/ CHRISTIAN BOOK STUDY Our book study continues Wednesday, January 6, 2015, 7:00 pm at the Presidio Chapel. We are reading through Islam’s Jesus, which takes a bold yet candid look at the highly charged topic of Jesus’s place in Islam, exploring some of the religion’s least understood aspects. Actively engaged in efforts to promote interfaith dialogue and harmony, the author argues that the shared belief in Jesus presents an excellent opportunity for understanding between Muslims and Christians. Together, they constitute more than half of the world’s population, and such understanding may be a foundation for peace. Sponsored by: First United Lutheran Church, Pacifica Institute and the Interfaith Center at the Presidio. Although it's focused on Christians and Muslims, people of any faith (or none) are welcome.

WORLD INTERFAITH HARMONY WEEK FEBRUARY 1-7. Every year the first week of February has been designated by the United Nations since 2010 as a week to showcase and celebrate the ongoing work of interreligious harmony and peacemaking. Groups and individuals are encouraged to sponsor events during this week and to share the information on the World Interfaith Harmony Week website. Last year, ICP showcased the interfaith organizations around the Bay Area on our blog as part of our observance. Does your group have any planned events to honor this year's Harmony Week? Let us know!

POST PARLIAMENT GATHERING. Save the date! Plans are in the works to share a Post-Parliament gathering at the Presidio Chapel on Sunday, February 28, from 2:00 - 5:00 pm. We'll have a chance to learn from each other about what we saw, heard, and experienced, and perhaps even look to how we can keep the momentum going. Whether or not you were able to attend in Salt Lake City, plan to be with us!

URI CHRISTMAS EVE CELEBRATION. If you didn't get a chance to watch the Interfaith Christmas Eve service that was broadcast on CBS television on December 24th, you can still see it online at www.uri.org/cbs. "May Peace Prevail on Earth" features music, dance, and ritual highlighting the call for peace in our world and the ways that URI Cooperation Circles are working together around the world to bring it into being. Set at the St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco, the celebration includes messages from URI founder Bishop Swing and Director Victor Kazanjian, along with messages of peace from around the world.

MEET A MUSLIM IN FREMONT. Moina Shaiq a Muslim resident of Fremont for the past 33 years, a mother of four and an active member of our community would like to extend an invitation to come and meet with her at Meet A Muslim: Questions and Answers on Monday January 11, 2016, 7:00 - 8:00 pm. The location is Sujus Cafe in the Sundale Shopping Center, 4949 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont. Bring any question that you might have, she will try to answer to the best of her ability. Know that she won't be offended by any question. Are women oppressed in Islam? How do Muslims practice their faith? How does Islam view other religions? What is Sharia law? What is the Islamic view of terrorism? What factors contributed to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism? Moina, the Chair of the Tri-Cities Interfaith Council, hopes to offer a "Meet A Muslim" session each week.

The Interfaith Observer (TIO) is an independent internet journal about all things interfaith. Each month it goes to more than 16,000 faith and interfaith leaders, including about 2,300 outside the U.S. More than 300 writers have contributed articles. Download back issues. TIO is free. Recent articles include …

• Taste-buds and Interfaith Bridge-building  by Vicki Garlock
• The Christmas Narrative Revisited by Isabella Price
  
• Responding to Global Violence in Montgomery County, Maryland  by Mansfield ‘Kacey’ Kaseman
  
• Obama’s Interfaith Challenge to 3 Million Collegiate Students  by Bud Heckman
  
• In the Face of Proselytizing by Ruth Broyde Sharone
  
• Bidi-Smoking Muslims and Miracles  by Murali Bulaji
  
• The Rest of TIO December 2015 including Interfaith News Roundup

TIO is looking for “Supporting Partners.” These are interfaith projects which make two agreements. First, to submit one or more stories each year that tell the interfaith community-at-large the most important news about their work, what they most want us to know about them. Second, to distributing TIO to their constituencies. If your group is interested in being a Supporting Partner, please contact them at info@theinterfaithobserver.org.

NOTES & QUOTES: "As we listened to our Muslim friends tell of their devotion to both Mary and Jesus, we were challenged to rethink our own understandings of who and what Jesus was and is" - Susan Strouse...“Hate violence is society’s visible eruption of long-standing practices of injustice that are expressed in a multitude of ordinary ways. Like Poe’s purloined letter, they are hidden out of sight” - Kay Whitlock and Michael Bronski..."Violent extremism has no religion; there will always be people who manipulate faith texts" - Fethulla Gulén...“What we are doing is walking silently for peace, and that power overcomes all the words that are being said to incite violence, that use religion as an excuse for killing” - Elana Rozenman..."[Interfaith] was not just a matter of learning about other religions: it was also learning from them – what Jacques-Albert Cuttat, Swiss ambassador to India in the 1960s, called a 'meeting in the cave of the heart'” - Marcus Braybrooke

SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!

BAY AREA INTERFAITH CONNECT is sent each month to nearly 2,000 subscribers, and is available online at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio website. To Subscribe: If you do not receive the monthly updates and would like to do so, simply write to info@interfaith-presidio.org. Please include your name, and, if you are willing, your street address and phone will help us to keep you up to date on interfaith activities. To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you. About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.