Ottawa, An Interfaith Community

[Guest guest]

Here's one for Om Prem, Shakti Sadhana's official ambassador from the

capital of Canada! ;-) The article appeared in "The Ottawa Citizen"

about a month ago, but was just picked up by Hindu Press

International the other day:

 

OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA - Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is setting

an example of interfaith harmony for the rest of the country and

perhaps the world.

 

Two organizations, the Capital Region Interfaith Council and

Interfaith Ottawa, are cited as the initiatives responsible for the

interfaith harmony.

 

The Capital Region Interfaith Council promotes cooperation among

religious groups on issues of peace, justice and the environment, and

Interfaith Ottawa, a partnership between the multifaith community and

the City of Ottawa, provides a united voice against acts of

intolerance or hatred.

 

Working in collaboration with the Ottawa Carleton District School

Board, Interfaith Ottawa has been working to improve students'

understanding of all world faiths by initiating field trips to

temples, mosques and synagogues.

 

Each year a thousand students attend these events.

 

Pandit Madhu Saharabudhe of Ottawa's Hindu temple explains, "This

couldn't have happened 50 years ago, and it could happen only in

Canada, and at the moment it could only happen in Ottawa. There are

other groups in other cities, but they are not as organized yet, and

they don't have the recognition we do."

 

When the Ottawa Hospital Christian Chapel was replaced last October

with a new multifaith prayer room that includes symbols from all the

world's religions, interfaith harmony escalated. In addition, a Good

Servant Medal award was given to three Ashbury College students from

Muslim, Jewish, and Christian backgrounds who became friends and then

began promoting interfaith understanding in Ottawa schools.

 

On top of all this, in the summer of 2003 the United Church of Canada

released a statement on Islam, in which it affirms Islam as a

religion of peace and mercy, acknowledges a long history of

misunderstanding between Christians and Muslims and commits itself to

reconciliation with Muslim neighbors.

 

Pandit Sahasrabudhe, 79, a Hindu priest of 40 years, is now the

President of the Capital Region Interfaith Council. He conducted

prayers at a multifaith Thanksgiving service on Parliament Hill last

year.

 

He adds, "I'm a Hindu priest in a mostly Christian country, and I

feel gratified to be asked. There wouldn't be any backlash in Ottawa,

but in other places there would be."

 

URL: http://www.hinduismtoday.com/hpi/2004/2/2.shtml#1

[Guest guest]

OM Deva Bhakti

 

Ottawa has been active on the Interfaith scene for a long time.

That does not mean that all is harmonious but that there is an

intention to work toward harmony.

 

Ottawa, as a national capital, is, of course, full of politics and

politically correct behaviour. But this politically correct

atmosphere has made the interfaith dialogue possible.

 

We still have all the dogma and the politics of the various

religions to wade through to reach understanding. We still have

the misinterpretations of the teachings of the various religions

and their off shoot sects by both the adherents of those

religions/sects and those outside of the religions/sects to

overcome before understanding is reached. We still have ego

and fear to overcome before hearts will be truly open.

 

But, at least, a start has been made and the journey made a little

easier.

 

The prana in Ottawa is very sattvic. That prana is what

persuaded me to live in Ottawa. At the grassroots level, Ottawa is

a very open city. People are interested in others. I am a member

of the program committee of a group called Spiritual Frontiers

Canada. that offers monthly talks and workshops on a very wide

variety of spiritual topics. We often have representatives of

various religions speak to us on the essentials of their spiritual

path. The latest talk on religion was given by a spokesperson

from the local Hindu temple and was well received.

 

http://members.attcanada.ca/~sfc/

 

Each of us in his/her own way can foster the coming together of

people, Once the obstacles of ego and fear are overcome, the

collective prana can move each of us a little further along our

own spirtual path.

 

OM Namah Sivaya

 

Omprem

 

 

 

, "Devi Bhakta"

<devi_bhakta> wrote:

> Here's one for Om Prem, Shakti Sadhana's official

ambassador from the

> capital of Canada! ;-) The article appeared in "The Ottawa

Citizen"

> about a month ago, but was just picked up by Hindu Press

> International the other day:

>

> OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA - Ottawa, the capital of Canada,

is setting

> an example of interfaith harmony for the rest of the country and

> perhaps the world.

>

> Two organizations, the Capital Region Interfaith Council and

> Interfaith Ottawa, are cited as the initiatives responsible for the

> interfaith harmony.

>

> The Capital Region Interfaith Council promotes cooperation

among

> religious groups on issues of peace, justice and the

environment, and

> Interfaith Ottawa, a partnership between the multifaith

community and

> the City of Ottawa, provides a united voice against acts of

> intolerance or hatred.

>

> Working in collaboration with the Ottawa Carleton District

School

> Board, Interfaith Ottawa has been working to improve students'

> understanding of all world faiths by initiating field trips to

> temples, mosques and synagogues.

>

> Each year a thousand students attend these events.

>

> Pandit Madhu Saharabudhe of Ottawa's Hindu temple

explains, "This

> couldn't have happened 50 years ago, and it could happen only

in

> Canada, and at the moment it could only happen in Ottawa.

There are

> other groups in other cities, but they are not as organized yet,

and

> they don't have the recognition we do."

>

> When the Ottawa Hospital Christian Chapel was replaced last

October

> with a new multifaith prayer room that includes symbols from

all the

> world's religions, interfaith harmony escalated. In addition, a

Good

> Servant Medal award was given to three Ashbury College

students from

> Muslim, Jewish, and Christian backgrounds who became

friends and then

> began promoting interfaith understanding in Ottawa schools.

>

> On top of all this, in the summer of 2003 the United Church of

Canada

> released a statement on Islam, in which it affirms Islam as a

> religion of peace and mercy, acknowledges a long history of

> misunderstanding between Christians and Muslims and

commits itself to

> reconciliation with Muslim neighbors.

>

> Pandit Sahasrabudhe, 79, a Hindu priest of 40 years, is now

the

> President of the Capital Region Interfaith Council. He

conducted

> prayers at a multifaith Thanksgiving service on Parliament Hill

last

> year.

>

> He adds, "I'm a Hindu priest in a mostly Christian country, and I

> feel gratified to be asked. There wouldn't be any backlash in

Ottawa,

> but in other places there would be."

>

> URL: http://www.hinduismtoday.com/hpi/2004/2/2.shtml#1

[Guest guest]

Namaste OmPrem ...

 

You note, "The prana in Ottawa is very sattvic. That prana is what

persuaded me to live in Ottawa."

 

I know we've discussed this off-board in the past, but for the record

I just wanted to second your statement. It is absolutely true. The

feeling absoluely palpable in the city. I can't wait to visit again;

maybe this autumn, in time for the laid-back, end-of-season

atmosphere and spectacular foliage (not to mention prodigious

quantities of apple cider and maple syrup at Byward Market!

Yowsa!).

 

Hope we'll meet up at last! ;-)

 

DB