Interfaith Works of CNY promotes religious tolerance at annual celebration
Members of the Onondaga Women's Singing Society performed songs celebrating women at the 11th annual World Interfaith Harmony Day Event hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Remi Turner | Asst. Copy Editor
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When Malik Tijani heard a familiar verse recited through the stage speakers, he immediately recognized it as a popular reading from the Quran.
Previously an Islamic practitioner and now a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Tijani, a Syracuse resident, said he enjoyed appreciating other faith traditions at Interfaith Works of CNY’s World Interfaith Harmony Day celebration.
The 11th annual World Interfaith Harmony Day event, hosted by the InterFaith Works El-Hindi Center for Dialogue & Action and Round Table of Faith Leaders, showcased different faith traditions with local representatives from 10 faith practices.
“It was really cool to see other people who are trying to live in unity without trying to force one another into one religion or belief,” Tijani said.
The event, sponsored by Women Transcending Boundaries, saw performances from songs and prayers to a meditative sound bath, each performer sharing an element of their practice with the crowd.
Monday was the second time The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held Interfaith Harmony Day. The event began in 2010 at the United Nations.
One of the event facilitators, Rev. Tim Hannon of Christ Church in Manlius said that the event was an opportunity for people to catch their breath and show love for their neighbors.
Hannon, a member of The InterFaith Works Round Table, said that the purpose of World Interfaith Harmony Day is for people of many different faiths and backgrounds to enjoy community together, not convert one another.
“We can kind of get this feeling like everyone’s against us or that things are too dire, that nothing’s going good,” Hannon said. “But things like this show that there are good people in the world who are doing good things.”
The last Syracuse celebration was hosted in 2020. Despite the hiatus, over 50 locals from around the area came together to celebrate interfaith practices.
World Interfaith Harmony Day is part of World Faith Harmony Week, an annual celebration during the first week of February. Chris Foley, the president and CEO of InterFaith Works of CNY, said the event demonstrated that regardless of one’s faith practices, “We are one community.”
“Central New York has a long history of people living side by side across differences,” Foley said. “While diversity is certainly one of our strengths, harmony doesn’t happen automatically. It’s built by relationship by relationship, especially when times feel unsettled.”
Andrea Williams, a practicing Baptist, sang acapella, and two members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints performed the Irish hymn “Be Thou My Vision” on piano and cello. The Onondaga Women’s Singing Society then concluded the night by performing a few songs “in honor of women.”
Others, including Maggid Jim Brulé, shared a story from their faith practice.
JoAnn Cooke, Hendricks Chapel’s Buddhist chaplain at Syracuse University, shared the stage with Madalyn Smith, who told an anecdote about a pilgrimage to India focused on receiving blessings from different faith traditions.
Cathy Garvey, a member of Advocates for Social Justice through St. Augustine’s Church in Baldwinsville, attended the event with other members of her group. As a volunteer for Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement, she said she’s been able to meet members of various religions.
“I just love personally finding out about other religions and perspectives, they’re also beautiful,” Garvey said.
Wearing an “I come from immigrants” pin on her puffer jacket, Garvey and her friends, including Luanne DeFelice, came to World Interfaith Harmony Day to continue their activism efforts after protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Erie Boulevard Saturday.
“I’m very drawn to anything that’s interfaith,” DeFelice said. “With the state of our country now it just feels like we need to recognize our commonalities.”
For some, such as Rabbi Ilan Emanuel, the event was their first World Interfaith Harmony Day. Emanuel is a new member of the InterFaith Works Round Table of Faith Leaders, who said he hopes tonight’s event serves as a counterpoint to the chaos and turmoil in the world right now.
“It’s pretty self-evident if you turn on the news, doom scroll, look at social media and so much of what’s driving our attention and sadly our reality is division,” Emanuel said. “Hopefully, we’re an oasis of harmony.”
Hannon closed the evening with a prayer celebrating the diversity in the room.
“This is what true America looks like,” Hannon said. “Diverse and open-hearted.”
