An Interfaith Movie Night and Dialogue in Calgary
A cozy gathering of IDI members and guests met in its NE Calgary office Thursday, November 6 for, you guessed it, some dinner, dialogue and the screening of “The Imam and the Pastor,” a film highlighting the power of committing to peace even under the direst circumstances. Opening words from Executive Director Malik Muradov were followed by an introduction of Initiatives of Change. Its Coordinator of Programs, Ms. Janyce Konkin, outlined her organization’s similar mandates to IDI: to promote cultural and spiritual tolerance and that first we must question and seek truths within ourselves before understanding global issues. Guests were treated to a touching and informative video of just one aspect of I of C, a unique international scholarship program held yearly in Caux, Switzerland to explore some of these mutual ideals. The main feature of the evening, “The Imam and the Pastor,” documented the life journeys of Muslim leader Imam Dr. Muhaammad Nurayn Ashafa and Christian leader Pastor James Wuye during Nigeria’s most tumultuous times of religious warring. These two men of faith eventually came together to embody how ego and pain must not stand in the way of humanity, growth and tolerance. After a brief but intense inter-table discussion, each table’s representative shared what personal and universal messages they gleaned from the film on the importance of love, understanding, forgiveness and communication if we are all to fulfill our true purposes on earth.
