REV. DONNA MORTON
October 12, 2021 | 0 COMMENTS |The Rev. Dr. Donna T. Morton
The Salaam Network (TSN), established in 2016, is an all volunteer not-for-profit that seeks to educate the community and advocate for justice and peace for all people in the community. It has been a privilege to join with Dr. Riffat Hassan, scholars and social justice advocates as a member of the Core Group. We seek, through educational presentations to inform the community about the history, traditions, interconnections of the three Abrahamic faith traditions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Throughout the history of these faiths, there have been people who have oppressed and discriminated against each of them (including shameful histories of one group violence against another). Unfortunately, this is often the only thing people know about the groups of which they are not members. So much of the literature, music, science and art of these groups is completely unknown to people raised in the other religious groups (or with no religious background). Through TSN, we have held numerous presentations in houses of worship (e.g. Jewish, Christian, Unitarian Universalist, Islamic, Buddhist) educational institutions (like Bellarmine University and JCPS) and in libraries (such as the LFPL). Scholars and religious leaders have graciously donated their time to these excellent presentations.
In one of these series that I coordinated with Fourth Ave. United Methodist Church, Central Presbyterian Church, the Cathedral of the Assumption, Guiding Light Islamic Center, we heard from academics, faith leaders, and students about contributions the Abrahamic faith traditions have made to cultures throughout the world. Through the panels we have held with high school and university students, we have heard the painful stories of Islamophobia and bullying played out in our community that prides itself on being a progressive, compassionate city. Through the many programs TSN has sponsored, friendships have been forged across religious and secular lines. Clergy who have co-sponsored these events have reported how they have continued dialogues and friendships with the other sponsoring groups.
Much more work is needed. Volunteer members of the Core Group have spent their own funds on basics like printing and distributing flyers and providing refreshments. The houses of worship and libraries have been generous in providing space free of charge. In order to meet a wider audience TSN needs funding to maintain and update our web page, to provide video presentations, and to reach a broader audience through multi-media projection.
TSN is both diverse and inclusive and has tackled subjects that others fear, including racial justice, gender equality, LGBTQA rights, and the scourge of Islamophobia. There is much work to do to help create the beloved community of justice, unity, peace, and love.
Rev. Dr. Donna T. Morton
November 24, 2019
