Good deeds would help th world with its families, and communities, when people will call a spade a spade and stand up against violation
share your thoughts on this article.
Talking the Walk Against Violence
Muslim cleric attracts multifaith support
Dateline: September 08, 2008
by Penney Kome
Straight Goods - Canada’s independent, reader supported on-line source of news you can use
Imam Syed Soharwardy is no stranger to controversy. But the most public and s us tained action he has ever taken, has aro us ed remarkably little attention. Since April 20, he has been walking across Canada to encourage leaders of all kinds of faith communities to speak out against violence. And leaders of all kinds of faith communities have been coming out to support him.
As the Imam’s Walk Against Violence passed through Calgary — his home town — he was feted at a public gathering that featured brief talks or letters from representatives of the Jewish, Sikh, Cambodian Christian and Buddhist, Anglican, Unitarian, and United Church communities, as well as social workers dealing with immigrant and especially African communities.
“Violence only occurs when there is a power struggle,” observed Dr Harjot Singh. “Sikhs have faced discrimination and violence” in pursuing their faith, she said. “The aim of this walk is to bring dialogue about violence, to deal with it on the individual level first, and then at the community, nation and world levels.”
“I grew up in a country that experienced war,” said social worker Pol Ngeth, originally from Cambodia , “and I work with newcomers fleeing from wars. Unhealed trauma can lead to violence.”
“Children who witness ab us e are wounded for life,” said Dean Robert Pynn, a retired Anglican Archdeacon, pointing out that such children are liable to repeat the ab us ive behaviour when they become parents. Pynn and Soharwardy both serve on the Board of the Alliance Against Violence.
Pynn also helped create Homefront, an agency that works with families dealing with domestic violence, and that foc us es on the offender. “We’ve reduced recidivism by two-thirds,” he said. An allied agency is Faithlink, which links clergy with social workers.
“In one survey, sixty percent of those asked said they would call on their faith community for help,” in event of domestic violence, said Linda White, Executive Director of the ( Calgary ) Alliance Against Violence. Hence, the need for organizations that provide resources for faith communities who need to help community members dealing with family violence.
“No one in the world wants family violence,” The Venerable Keo Hong (a Buddhist leader) said through his translator and assistant, Chang Son. “We m us t seek peace in ourselves to achieve peace in the world.”
Soharwardy is the founder of two Canadian organizations, the Islamic Supreme Council and M us lims Against Terrorism, but is perhaps best known for having brought a Human Rights Commission complaint against Western Standard publisher Ezra Levant, for re-printing the Danish cartoons about Islam that ca us ed riots in Europe .
Soharwardy withdrew his complaint in late 2007, in the spirit of forgiveness associated with Christmas and the M us lim holiday Eid al Adh-ha. Interestingly enough, the purchaser and new publisher of the Western Standard personally called Soharwardy and apologized for the cartoons and especially for the vitriolic comments and death threats that readers posted to the Western Standard comments section.
Syed Soharwardy also serves on the Board of the Calgary Action Committee Against Violence, founded in 1991, which is about to re-launch as the Alliance Against Violence. At a Board meeting last fall, when people were brainstorming ways to raise awareness of the ca us es and effects of violence, he suggested a cross-Canada walk, something like what Terry Fox did.
“Everyone thought it was a great idea,” he said, “but nobody wanted to do it.” So Soharwardy went home and re-mortgaged his ho us e to pay for the trip and the motor home that accompanies him. On April 20, he dipped his feet in the Atlantic Ocean in Halifax .
He intends to keep walking until he can dip his feet again in the Pacific Ocean in Victoria , probably on October 28. September brings a double challenge, beca us e he m us t fast and observe the religio us duties associated with Ramadan.
The Very Rev Robert Pynn has accompanied Soharwardy on parts of the journey. He said, “I want to thank Syed for revealing to us the heart of Islam. Syed says there is no place for violence in religion.”
Soharwardy said that he has been gratified by the positive reception he has found almost everywhere. “People were friendly even in Quebec , where ‘reasonable accommodation’ was a hot issue at the time,” he said. “Also, I went through a lot of reserves. The young people would wait by the side of the road to give us water.”
No matter what the Walk costs him — and he is still hoping that donations will cover most of the finances — Soharwardy still thinks the Walk makes an important statement. “Canadians have a special duty to speak out against violence,” he said, “beca us e we are a peaceful people.”
Penney Kome is an award-winning author and journalist who has published six books with major publishers. She is also the Editor of Straight Goods.
http://www.straightgoods.ca/ViewFeature8.cfm?REF=468