WORLD INTERFAITH HARMONY WORSHIP SERVICE "For the Love of God (or for the Love of the Good) and the Love of the Neighbor." ~ World Interfaith Harmony Week Date: Sunday, February 20, 2022 Time: 10:00 am This event is Virtual Join Virtual Gathering: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86058697481?pwd=NjNCR2NyS1lYMUYxZ3JwM0lQWVJBQT09 ID: 860 5869 7481 Passcode: Harmony Imam Jamal Rahman welcomes Rabbi Anson Laytner, Nejoud Al-Yagout, Silvana & John Hale to join him in celebrating World Interfaith Harmony Week. Within this interfaith worship service we shall exemplify the intention set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010, inspired by King Abdullah II of Jordan, that establishing World Interfaith Harmony Week on the first week of February every year is a perfect way to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith recognizing that the common values we hold far outweigh our differences. World Interfaith Harmony Week‘s inspiration is inclusive of all people of goodwill, of any faith and no faith, as expressed in these Commandments: ‘Love of the Good, and Love of the Neighbour’, Learn more here: https://worldinterfaithharmonyweek.com/ Music and song will be shared by Jeffry Steele and Monica Steele. https://jeffrysteele.com/index.html ABOUT our worship presenters: Imam Jamal Rahman (http://www.jamalrahman.com/home.html) is a popular speaker and author on Islam, Sufi spirituality, and interfaith relations. Along with his Interfaith Amigos (http://interfaithamigos.com/Home.html), he has been featured in The New York Times, CBS News, BBC, and various NPR programs. Jamal is co-founder and Muslim Sufi Imam at Interfaith Community Sanctuary (https://interfaithcommunitysanctuary.org/), and adjunct faculty at Seattle University (https://www.seattleu.edu/). He is president of Northwest Interfaith a non-profit, non-denominational organization (http://www.northwestinterfaith.org/). Jamal travels nationally and internationally, presenting at retreats and workshops. Jamal’s passion lies in interfaith community building and activism.​ View brief teachings and spiritual practices video collection on Call of Compassion NW YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/…/UC_hqbzgW7Sg8pXxpn-PCV9A/videos Anson Laytner is a happily retired rabbi. He currently serves as president of the Sino-Judaic Institute and edits its journal Points East. Laytner has long been active in interfaith activities in our region, most recently serving on the board of Northwest Interfaith. He is the author of Arguing with God: A Jewish Tradition; The Animals’ Lawsuit Against Humanity; The Chinese Jews of Kaifeng; and The Mystery of Suffering and the Meaning of God. He and his wife, Richelle Harrell, live in Seattle along with their #@%&** cat. Nejoud Al-Yagout is a published poet and writer based in Kuwait and the founder of Interheart Kuwait, Interheart Kuwait goes beyond “coexistence” and all the euphemisms which conceal our aversion toward diversity. It seeks to venture beyond race, religion, gender, inclination, tribe, ethnicity, origin. The initiative finds inspiration in pacifists, peacemakers, and all the trailblazers who choose love over fear. John Hale John successfully applied his engineering and business education for over 20 years within a Fortune 50 corporation. Then, he cultivated entrepreneurial skills by starting his own business as a communications infrastructure contractor. His life’s focus changed with 9/11 when he and his wife realized how little they knew about Islam, and about other non-Christian religions as well. Since that time they have committed themselves to interfaith engagement, understanding, and celebration. ​ John co-founded Northwest Interfaith Community Outreach (NICO) to bring people together and discover the richness of our religious traditions and the common ground that we share in our principles and values. NICO has since merged to form Northwest Interfaith and enjoys partnerships with many religious, spiritual, and secular allies in the community. He likes to say: “this work is almost like traveling the world without leaving home!” Silvana Hale Silvana has a broad range of experiences, skills, and interests. Born in Eritrea under bombardment, she was raised in Italy, emigrated to Venezuela, earned her CPA in Italy, worked as a Chief Accountant, married her husband John, a Peace Corps Volunteer, and came to the US where she completed her education with an MA in Sociology. She then taught in a migrant ghetto school in SE Texas and later started a small business and became an entrepreneur. ​ Silvana credits her passion for interfaith to 9/11 and her good friend Soraya from Saudi Arabia. She knew her life in this country would never be the same, but she wanted to help. She and John began to learn more about Islam and that began a decades long quest to engage, learn, understand, and share life experiences with people from other religions and spiritual traditions. They were co-founders of a non-profit interfaith organization that has now merged to become Northwest Interfaith. As Treasurer she enjoys the opportunity to share her accounting skills in an endeavor that reflects her life values. DONATIONS INVITED Interfaith Community Sanctuary is a grass-roots self-governing spiritual community practicing circular leadership principles. We invite your generous gifts to help us continue offering our ongoing interfaith worship services, classes, and study opportunities. We are stewards of a building (built in 1890) requiring ongoing maintenance. We are dedicated to preserving it as a historic landmark and spiritual center despite the encroaching modern condos flooding our neighborhood. Thank you for helping us with these ways of service. DONATE HERE. Interfaith Community Sanctuary’s Spiritual Discernment for 2021 “Encountering the Infinite: Meeting the Divine Mother in Nature, Humanity, and the Cosmos ~ a contemplative, exploratory inquiry and discovery” January through April we will explore the Divine Mother in Nature. (learn more here: https://interfaithcommunitysanctuary.org/resources/discernment-for-the-year/)