The Words of the Davies Family
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The Words of the Davies Family |
Inter-religious experiences of UPF-NL Muslim Ambassadors for Peace at New York Assembly, July 24
Two UPF Nederland Muslim Ambassadors for Peace, Sufi Imam Dr. Hashim Jansen and Sheik August S. Abdul Santoe, European Coordinator Ahmadiyya Lahore Movement, were amongst those attending UPF's World Assembly of July 24 in New York. UPF Nederland was also represented by 23 Dutch Unificationist activists -- 11 of them now living in the US.
In giving a report of the Assembly to UPF Dutch Unificationists, Hans Campman, Chairman, Family Federation for World Peace -- The Netherlands, recounted some of their experiences that he witnessed or heard about.
After praising their whole hearted attendance at a two day seminar that accompanied the Assembly, he mentioned that, as Muslims, they had warmed to the report of UPF's activities being given by Tageldin "Taj" Hamad, UPF International Secretary-General since Dr. Thomas Walsh was appointed UPF President. Mr. Hamad is originally from Sudan and proudly proclaims his Muslim background.
They had further delighted when Rev. Sun Myung Moon's daughter, Rev. In Jin Moon, FFWPU-USA President, prefaced a talk with a quote from the 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, theologian and Sufi mystic Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī -- known to the English-speaking world simply as Rumi.
They had enjoyed meeting friends from earlier conferences, in particular, Dr. Rachid Zaitri, Founder of the Islamic council of Finland (SINE) and Imam Janssen had had a particularly memorable meeting with an American Jewish woman rabbi.
Coming back on the plane, Imam Jansen had changed seats with an Orthodox Jew, so the Jew could sit next to his wife. This also placed the Jew next to Hans Campman, who was then able to talk to him about UPF and the Assembly in New York.
Imam Jansen also attended the first such Assembly in Korea, where he was particularly moved by the painting depicting Islam in the inter-religious prayer room in the new Unification Temple in Seoul. And he is planning to attend the third Assembly in Israel, which is to be part of an International Interfaith Consultation on "Interfaith, the United Nations and Peace in the 21st Century", August 20-24, as is Abdullah Haselhoef, former president of the Muslim Council of the Netherlands, who became the public face of authentic Islam in the Netherlands post 9/11 by offering himself as an unofficial spokesman on behalf of his faith and fellow practitioners.