Jews, Christians and Muslims Join Together

Jews, Christians and Muslims Join Together to Launch Charter for Compassion in NZ
Media Release – Rasheed Memorial Dawah Trust

Auckland – For Immediate Release

Jews, Christians and Muslims will join together at the Ponsonby Mosque on Sunday to celebrate the international launch of the Charter for Compassion. They will read verses from the Torah, New Testament and Koran together, and work on an action plan to increase compassion in our daily lives. The event is a dedication to the Charter which is seen as document of great hope for change.

Aarif Rasheed, of the Rasheed Memorial Dawah Trust explains that the Charter promotes the “golden rule” (we should act toward others as we would like them to act toward us) and urges us to bring compassionate action to the centre of religious, moral and political life. “People are working together all over the world on this project. The Charter has much to offer the world including New Zealand. Our peaceful existence in New Zealand is a model to the world and thus gives strength to the charter. We've organised the event to link the charter to NZ and build on its principles in a way that is unique to the history and situation of our country..”

Dave Moskovitz representing the New Zealand Jewish Council said many would be surprised to see Jews, Christians and Muslims studying their sacred texts together at a Mosque. “Compassion plays a central role in all of our religions. Working together on this project will help us break down stereotypes so we can learn more about each other and become better friends.”

The meeting will take place at the Ponsonby Mosque, 17 Vermont Street on Sunday 15 November at 2.15pm. Everyone is welcome to attend.

The event is being organised by the Rasheed Memorial Dawah Trust and supported by The New Zealand Jewish Council, the New Zealand Council of Christians and Muslims, the Union for Progressive Judaism (Australia, Asia and New Zealand), and the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand amongst others.

The charter: The Charter for Compassion is an open and collaborative effort. In late 2008, people of all nations, all faiths, all backgrounds, submitted their own words for inclusion in the Charter. Using a web-based decision making platform, thousands of people from over 100 countries added their voice to the writing of the Charter. In a six week period, thousands of submissions were entered which were then read and commented upon by the sites over 150,000 visitors. These contributions were then sorted through by the Council of Conscience in crafting the final document.
See http://charterforcompassion.org/

Rasheed Trust: The Rasheed Memorial Trust is founded in the memory of Auckland lawyer and pioneering interfaith worker Abdul Rahim Rasheed, and aims to engage peoples of all faith through collaborative action.
See http://www.rmdt.org.nz/
ENDS