Hallelujah

Interfaith Thanksgiving service hosted by Muslims at Beth IsraelDespite snub from Hyde Park Baptist Church, Sunday service drew hundreds

By Patrick GeorgeAMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFFMonday, November 19, 2007

For 23 years, Thanksgiving in Austin has come with huge crowds of people in saris, hijabs, clerical robes and yarmulkes, celebrating their similarities. Sunday's 23rd annual Austin Area Interreligious Ministries Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration marked the first time the service was hosted by Muslims — and it was at a Jewish temple, no less.
But the service wasn't without some controversy. Last week, Hyde Park Baptist Church, on whose property the event was originally going to be held, backed out because it objected to non-Christians — particularly Muslims — worshipping at its Quarries location.

Congregation Beth Israel stepped up, and the standing-room-only service was held there....
"On Wednesday morning, we got the call from one of our congregants who works at Austin Area Interreligious Ministries' building about the issue," said Jennifer Smith, executive director at Beth Israel. "We made some calls and realized we had plenty of room for everyone."

Smith said that although the temple served as the location for the service, it was Central Texas Muslimaat that ran the show Sunday. Austin's Muslim community lacks a space big enough to hold the worshippers. Simone Talma Flowers, Austin Interreligious Ministries' interim director, said Muslims have always been involved with the service but were most heavily engaged this year.

"There are a lot of stereotypes about how far apart Muslims and Jews are, and I don't think it's true," Smith said. "This shows that Muslims and Jews can work together."
The event featured a Jewish shofar — a trumpet typically made of a ram's horn — a Muslim song calling for prayer and Christian bell music. Religious leaders from several faiths and denominations, including Methodists, Bahais and Buddhists, took part. At sundown, the Maghrib, the fourth of five daily Muslim prayers, was also held there.

"This is a very good concept," said Ahsan Chowdhury, a Muslim who worships at the North Austin mosque. "This country is a country of immigrants. We should be breaking our boundaries of religion, culture and heritage as part of this great American holiday."
As for Hyde Park Baptist Church's decision not to allow the event on its property, "it shouldn't have happened," Chowdhury said. "But these types of things slowly improve. In the future, we will see less and less of it."

An evangelical megachurch at West 39th Street and Speedway, Hyde Park is not a member of Interreligious Ministries. Last week, church leaders issued a statement that said, "Although individuals from all faiths are welcome to worship with us at Hyde Park Baptist Church, the church cannot provide space for the practice of these non-Christian religions on church property."

Smith said that most of her congregants were happy and proud that Beth Israel stepped up to the plate. Others at the event Sunday criticized Hyde Park leaders.
Don Waak, a former Southern Baptist who also attended the service last year, said, "It really breaks my heart to see this. They have a right to do it, but what does it say?"
Janet Nitibhon said, "To me, this was the biggest slap in the face to the whole idea of this celebration. One congregation's decision wasn't a very charitable or Christian gesture."

pgeorge@statesman.com; 445-3851