In commemoration of World Interfaith Harmony Week, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of South Africa and the Cape Town Interfaith Initiative hosted a gathering to discuss interfaith work and caring for the environment.
The event was held at the Baitul Awwal Masjid in Athlone on Thursday February 7.
Guest speakers included Reverend Natalie Simons-Arendse and Sarah Oliver from the Cape Town Interfaith Initiative. The pair discussed their experience at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, which happened in Canada last year. They also spoke about their work with Marlene Silbert’s Youth Interfaith Intercultural Programme.
Ms Oliver said the main message they wanted to get across was what interfaith work means in the context of South Africa.
“Peace cannot happen without social justice. We went there for a purpose – to present our work on interfaith, and the experience gave us a sense of how people see South Africa and Cape Town,” Ms Oliver said.
Reverend Simons-Arendse said 7 500 people from across the world attended the gathering, but that access to this event was limited, as many cannot afford the cost to travel. This, she said, was a challenge in terms of inclusion.
Another speaker, Reverend Rachel Mash, who is from Green Anglicans, gave a talk on the”Capetonian perspective on climate change”.
“Cape Town is unique as a global city, because we were able to cut down our water usage by 50% during the drought. We thank God for the rain. However, during that time, many agricultural and tourism workers lost their jobs. Water is sacred and a gift from God. As Christians we became members of the family of God through the sacred waters of baptism. Our Muslim brothers and sisters wash their face and limbs every time before they pray. There is 722 verses in the Bible that speaks about water. We must work for water justice. We are devastating God’s planet, and this is a human rights issue of our time. I pray for the spirit of God to fall over us so that we can take better care of His creation,” Reverend Mash said.
Majid Hargey Sahib, from the Jama’at Ahmadiyya, read a paper written by Badr Lubowa Mwanje Sahib, which dealt with the environment and Islamic teachings.
An excerpt of the paper reads: “We hear many voices alerting people to the dangers that threaten the environment, urging people to take immediate action to save the world from the bad effects of the modern way of living and to stop further pollution of the surrounding atmosphere and to draw their attention to any health hazards that may affect them. Many organisations have been founded to protect nature and wildlife. Others are urging people to be cautious when it comes to selecting the food they eat and to abandon any foods that may in any way cause injury to their health. As a result, people are becoming more aware of the problem and they are now very particular in the choice of the food they eat and are even worried about the air they breathe. Of course, this is very sensible, as people around the world today are suffering from many problems and physical ailments caused by the pollution of the environment.
“As human beings, we are not merely physical objects but are also endowed with a soul that can be described as a spiritual being, the environment for them can be defined as the surrounding circumstances and conditions that affect them in any way, physically, morally or spiritually. So according to this definition, the environment of human beings is not just the surrounding physical world that affects their physical bodies, but it also includes all aspects that may affect their moral condition and that are responsible for their spiritual status.
“The Holy Qur’an informs us that Allah has provided all necessary requirements for the healthy living of each and every creature on earth. So we as individuals should act on the Qur’anic injunction that promotes balance and avoids excess and nations need to be more willing to share knowledge for the sake of the planet, rather than for profit, and take collective action in line with their collective responsibility – only then do we have hope. By doing so we will be able to win the pleasure of God and honour our trusteeship of the earth for the present and future generations.”