19 February 2003
Afghan Leaders Observe Islam and Other Religions in America
(Delegation establishes that "our similarities are stronger than our
differences") (770)
By Stephen Sinclair
Washington File Special Correspondent
Washington -- Six distinguished Afghan citizens -- editors, government
officials, and religious leaders -- spent January 21 to February 7
traveling across the United States talking to American Muslims and
interfaith-understanding groups. Under the auspices of the U.S.
Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs'
International Visitor Program, the six went from Washington, D.C., to
New York City to Salt Lake City, Utah, to Portland, Oregon, and
Cincinnati, Ohio.
The purpose of the program, called "Islam in America," was to enable
the visitors, among whom were the editor of the Kabul daily Hewad and
the deputy governor of Nangarhar, to talk to American adherents to
Islam about the richness and diversity of Muslim culture in the United
States. The program was also designed to highlight that tolerance is a
primary value in American attitudes toward religion and ethnic
minorities.
Among the highlights of their visit were an opportunity to meet
Secretary of State Colin Powell and talk at length with Assistant
Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Patricia
Harrison.
In Washington, D.C. at Georgetown University, the oldest Roman
Catholic college in the United States, participants met with Imam
Yahyi Hendi, the university's Muslim chaplain. They also went to the
U.S. House of Representatives offices to talk to Jameel Aalim Johnson,
an American Muslim and the chief of staff of New York Congressman
Gregory Meeks.
After visiting Washington, the group traveled west. In Salt Lake City,
Utah, the center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
(Mormon faith), they talked to representatives of the Episcopal and
Roman Catholic dioceses as well as the United Religion Initiative, an
interfaith organization with centers in 47 countries. They also
received a warm welcome from the Utah State Legislature. In Oregon,
the delegation spoke to Imam Mohammad Majieb, director of the Muslim
Community Center of Portland.
At their final destination, Cincinnati, Ohio, they met with the head
of the Cincinnati Islamic Center to learn about African-American
Muslims. They also took part in a forum at the Brueggeman Center for
Interreligious Dialogue at Xavier University, a Jesuit institution.
These activities drew the attention of both radio stations and
newspapers in Cincinnati.
Richard LaJeunesse, a Cincinnati lawyer, wrote about the privilege of
having the Afghan visitors to dinner at his home.
"We spoke and learned much from our guests. Hopefully, they learned
about us and our country -- citizen diplomacy at work. We found out
that the top priorities of Afghans are security, food and education.
We empathized with their plight in which political discussions and
theories necessarily take second position when people go hungry. We
learned that the problems facing Afghanistan are huge. Nonetheless our
guests are hopeful," he wrote.
"We also shared the perspectives of our religious faiths which bind
together Judaism, Christianity and Islam, as the three great
monotheistic religions of the world. We conclusively established that
our similarities are stronger than our differences," he added.
According to interpreter Daud Ayazi, who escorted the group throughout
their trip, what surprised them most as a group was the "unexpected
freedom of religion in the United States. They were surprised to learn
that there are 2,000 or more religions in the U.S. They did not expect
that, or that Muslims are so free to practice their religion, and that
in the educational system there are courses in Islamic studies, whole
curriculums . . . . . They also found out how much people in this
country do not know about Islam and how hard American Muslims strive
to educate people about Islam."
Assistant Secretary Harrison said the purpose of such programs as
International Visitors is precisely to stimulate such awareness.
"Through Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs programs," she
said, "journalists, religious leaders, business people, community
leaders, government officials -- men and women from virtually all
walks of life can experience for themselves how democracy works. They
can see how they can be instruments of change within their own
societies helping others realize their birthright of freedom.
"Through our programs we reach opinion leaders and future leaders, men
and women from so many different cultures but with one common
ambition: the desire to make a positive contribution to their own
societies and to the world. Tapping into their energy, helping them to
broaden their perspectives, helping them to see and understand America
at first-hand, helping Americans connect to other cultures is ECA's
goal. Our product is mutual understanding and respect."
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
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