I'm not sure what happened to November, but in December we had a meeting/party where we shared our different holiday traditions and ate good food!
January? Hmm, I think we didn't meet.
So now here we are in February!
J had most of the news. She had been in Sarasota and attended a meeting with the Center for Religious Tolerance. It seems as though they are moving towards helping more womens groups to do things, rather than the original Abrahamic Reunion which was just trying to get people to talk to each other and eat together. J had had an understanding of how many Jews in America think of Israel - more as the Promised Land, rather than as a political identity, so they don't really pay attention to the political things that are being done there. She felt this was very sad. She told us about BDS, Boycott Divest and Sanctions - which is how Palestinians are choosing to boycott Israel, with actions such as taking Israeli food products off the shelves of the co-op in Olympia - which caused a big split in the Jewish community there. Another recent activity has been here in Seattle where they wanted to use the buses for an advertisement to advertise their actions, but in the end the bus company decided there might be problems for the safety of the commuters.
J also showed us pictures from Andy's last trip to Israel, which were interesting.
UD had also been to Sarasota to attend a Healing meeting, with Shahabuddin where the main focus of the discussion was on how to make the section more accessible to ordinary people.
I intend the March minutes to be more prompt!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Monday, October 18, 2010
Minutes for Meeting 13th October 2010
Tonight we are missing D. She went to China with Shahabuddin, and has been sick since getting back. I miss her presence very much.
J tells us news of Iptisam and her husband. He is doing better. Recently he tried a PAP machine, which helps you to breathe at night, and he slept soundly, so they are raising money to buy one. Iptisam is doing her BA and is getting great marks. Because of her work with women's empowerment, the mayor of her town wants to make her Head of Women's Affairs, but she must be a graduate for this position.
J went to see a play called "There is a Field", and was riveted by the performance. It is about a Seeds of Peace worker, a young man who was killed by the Israeli police. It suddenly became clear to J, that the Palestinians who live in Israel suffer much racism. There was an after-play speaker who reinforced this idea, and she saw how the Government uses pacifying policies, giving the people just enough to stop them from causing trouble. J wondered if she should be a political worker, not a peace worker.
So we talked about how fighting can be seen as resistance or terrorism, depending on which side you are looking from. H talks about the intersection of peace and politics. J tells us how hard it can be to be a peace worker - how workers in Israel are attacked by the radicals with bombs and their lives and families are threatened.
We move sideways. How can we know what it is that God wants us to do - what must we give up?
T tells us about how young Israeli soldiers have been boasting on Facebook about how mean they can be to Palestinians. H points out how wide open the Internet is, and how it has changed our perceptions and ability to interact with each other. How thoughtless youth cam be.
H has an idea for holding a meeting on a weekend day, where different teachers would present different practices, and we could learn something about our 3 religions We cover some arrangements for Shahabuddin coming in November and set a date for December when we can meet again and have a party to celebrate this festive time of year.
J tells us news of Iptisam and her husband. He is doing better. Recently he tried a PAP machine, which helps you to breathe at night, and he slept soundly, so they are raising money to buy one. Iptisam is doing her BA and is getting great marks. Because of her work with women's empowerment, the mayor of her town wants to make her Head of Women's Affairs, but she must be a graduate for this position.
J went to see a play called "There is a Field", and was riveted by the performance. It is about a Seeds of Peace worker, a young man who was killed by the Israeli police. It suddenly became clear to J, that the Palestinians who live in Israel suffer much racism. There was an after-play speaker who reinforced this idea, and she saw how the Government uses pacifying policies, giving the people just enough to stop them from causing trouble. J wondered if she should be a political worker, not a peace worker.
So we talked about how fighting can be seen as resistance or terrorism, depending on which side you are looking from. H talks about the intersection of peace and politics. J tells us how hard it can be to be a peace worker - how workers in Israel are attacked by the radicals with bombs and their lives and families are threatened.
We move sideways. How can we know what it is that God wants us to do - what must we give up?
T tells us about how young Israeli soldiers have been boasting on Facebook about how mean they can be to Palestinians. H points out how wide open the Internet is, and how it has changed our perceptions and ability to interact with each other. How thoughtless youth cam be.
H has an idea for holding a meeting on a weekend day, where different teachers would present different practices, and we could learn something about our 3 religions We cover some arrangements for Shahabuddin coming in November and set a date for December when we can meet again and have a party to celebrate this festive time of year.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Minutes for September 22nd 2010
Tonight there is a strange coincidence - we all more-or-less bring the same food - cheese, tomatoes and bread or crackers! Fortunately our hosts ransack their fridge, and come up with a few tasty extras, and there is some salad and carrots as well. I guess we are all hanging on to the last shred of summer - of which there has been precious little in Seattle this year.
We start to share our news. UD took her great-neice to the town where the vampires supposedly live - Forks. H has been hiking and there is talk about bears seen around Mt Rainier.
M has been thinking about tradition - he wants to know examples of where the tradition is greater than the sum of the people involved. We come up with various ideas, and mull over whether or not tradition can hold us back as well as help us to remember important events from the past.
A dog next door barks and barks, and we talk about how disturbing this can be, and we have all experieinced this problem in one way or another.
It seems the evening is gone too fast, and we have barely begun, have not done any peace talking. We say the Peace Prayer and bid each other farewell until next time, with love and hugs.
We start to share our news. UD took her great-neice to the town where the vampires supposedly live - Forks. H has been hiking and there is talk about bears seen around Mt Rainier.
M has been thinking about tradition - he wants to know examples of where the tradition is greater than the sum of the people involved. We come up with various ideas, and mull over whether or not tradition can hold us back as well as help us to remember important events from the past.
A dog next door barks and barks, and we talk about how disturbing this can be, and we have all experieinced this problem in one way or another.
It seems the evening is gone too fast, and we have barely begun, have not done any peace talking. We say the Peace Prayer and bid each other farewell until next time, with love and hugs.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Minutes for August 23rd 2010
There was no meeting in July - summer and holidays made choosing a time very difficult, so this next meeting was joyful as we could all get together and share what we had been doing for 2 months. Now I have had my own holiday - a new experience, sailing classes for a week - shame the weather did its usual Seattle thing, but we learnt to motor in the fog! ...and I am now trying to remember what we did talk about. What do these scratchy notes mean?
Well, D is getting ready to go to China with Shahabuddin. She has had to buy a new car, the old one fell apart after driving to summer camp in Colorado, and a camera for the trip, she is very excited with her purchases.
T has been on jury duty - we talk about that and its responsibilities and demands.
There has been talk about doing a short class that helps us to get ready for the practicalities of dying - maybe in January. H's mother in law passed, and she tells us how that was for her family.
We talk about some places that we could hold meetings for Shahabuddin, and take a short walk to look at one nearby.
In the middle of my notes is a sentence. Your opinion of me is none of my business.
We close as always with the Peace Prayer. No matter what we talk about, our hearts are here for each other and for all of you in other lands struggling to find peace in your daily lives. We pray for you.
Well, D is getting ready to go to China with Shahabuddin. She has had to buy a new car, the old one fell apart after driving to summer camp in Colorado, and a camera for the trip, she is very excited with her purchases.
T has been on jury duty - we talk about that and its responsibilities and demands.
There has been talk about doing a short class that helps us to get ready for the practicalities of dying - maybe in January. H's mother in law passed, and she tells us how that was for her family.
We talk about some places that we could hold meetings for Shahabuddin, and take a short walk to look at one nearby.
In the middle of my notes is a sentence. Your opinion of me is none of my business.
We close as always with the Peace Prayer. No matter what we talk about, our hearts are here for each other and for all of you in other lands struggling to find peace in your daily lives. We pray for you.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Minutes of Meeting June 28, 2010
Today we start by getting an update from the people who went to Sufi Camp in Colorado, - wish I had been there! T tells us about Reb Zalman Schecter-Shalomi who gives a talk that is very inspiring and thought provoking. One of our number is still on her way back.
UD and J went to a talk by William Dalrymple. He spoke about travel writing, and about how people are different under apparently similar surfaces. Understanding this helps to keep us humble because we cannot assume that we understand what others are feeling etc. This idea prompts H to talk about Cherags and the Universal Worship - Shahabuddin has also been talking about re-envisioning the Universal Worship. H wonders if we make the wrong assumptions about others more often than we realize.
J has news of Soubghi. He has been getting treatment, and they have diagnosed him as having a neuromuscular disease. There will be more news to come. We all understand how scary this is for his family - he is their sole support and has done so much to help Ibtisam and her projects.
H's mother-in-law is failing, and she has changed her personality - we talk about how H can help, and think about what we learnt from our last seminar with Shahabuddin.
It hardly seems to be summer here - Seattle-ites say summer comes after July 4th! I hope so
UD and J went to a talk by William Dalrymple. He spoke about travel writing, and about how people are different under apparently similar surfaces. Understanding this helps to keep us humble because we cannot assume that we understand what others are feeling etc. This idea prompts H to talk about Cherags and the Universal Worship - Shahabuddin has also been talking about re-envisioning the Universal Worship. H wonders if we make the wrong assumptions about others more often than we realize.
J has news of Soubghi. He has been getting treatment, and they have diagnosed him as having a neuromuscular disease. There will be more news to come. We all understand how scary this is for his family - he is their sole support and has done so much to help Ibtisam and her projects.
H's mother-in-law is failing, and she has changed her personality - we talk about how H can help, and think about what we learnt from our last seminar with Shahabuddin.
It hardly seems to be summer here - Seattle-ites say summer comes after July 4th! I hope so
Monday, June 7, 2010
Minutes for Meeting May 17th
...at least, I think it was the 17th. So much seems to have happened since then, that I want to skip the meeting and move on. But maybe that is not right.
Our personal items get mixed up with our peace items.
J tells us about a movie in the Seattle True Independent Film Festival made by a teacher who has made a trip to Afghanistan - it is called Seeds of Peace.
UD has just had a trip to Taos in New Mexico, where amongst other things, she had a flight in a hot air balloon. Wow.
The neighborhood choir that D belongs to is giving 2 concerts soon. T tells us that the hugging saint - Amma, will be in Bellevue next Friday. D is going to Sufi camp in Colerado.
Since then, there has been 2 incidences at sea off Gaza. Our beloved Sheikh Bukhari has passed on, and Iptisam's husband is sick.
Most of us happen to be at a seminar called "Being in Harmony with Life" this last weekend, and so we make a small circle and pray for Iptisam's husband, that the right medical treatment and money may be found to help our dear friends.
Our personal items get mixed up with our peace items.
J tells us about a movie in the Seattle True Independent Film Festival made by a teacher who has made a trip to Afghanistan - it is called Seeds of Peace.
UD has just had a trip to Taos in New Mexico, where amongst other things, she had a flight in a hot air balloon. Wow.
The neighborhood choir that D belongs to is giving 2 concerts soon. T tells us that the hugging saint - Amma, will be in Bellevue next Friday. D is going to Sufi camp in Colerado.
Since then, there has been 2 incidences at sea off Gaza. Our beloved Sheikh Bukhari has passed on, and Iptisam's husband is sick.
Most of us happen to be at a seminar called "Being in Harmony with Life" this last weekend, and so we make a small circle and pray for Iptisam's husband, that the right medical treatment and money may be found to help our dear friends.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Minutes of Meeting April 26th 2010
There are two items that relate to peace making tonight.
T happened to meet up with the lady that did the translating for Iptisam, and she wants to start taking groups of people to tour in Jerusalem. She needs contacts, so T has passed on J’s phone number – J being the person with all the contacts! J tells us that Iptisam has moved into the new house.
We update each other on our own news.
M has been planting a vegetable garden in a pea patch, where all the food goes to a Food Lifeline.
U is more into political action – she has had a meeting with Jay Inslee, a senator for Waashington.
T took her class on Religions of the World – and makes us laugh, telling us about her interactions with the children – this weeks class was about Islam. She also tells us she wants to find a different job or a different way of earning money.
H takes an adult class about Comparative Religions and it is going well. There are more people attending and she feels more connection with them. She too wants to get away from her job.
B can’t think what to say, except she is desperate to get away from her job! She felt very strange when Shahabuddin left at the end of his recent seminar. Not only sad, but something else she can’t put her finger on. It seems that Shahbuddin has had a big impact on us all, and things have changed or moved for us all.
J2 feels that his mother is going to pass soon. He talks about a significant dream he has had – and this leads several others in the group to talk about dreams they have had. Shamans becomes the next topic, and J1 tells us a great book she read was call Secrets of the Talking Jaguar, by Martin Prechtel.
H tells us about a Longhouse in West Seattle, that is the Duwamish tribes, and how it feels to her – and what a great place it would be to hold a seminar.
It is time to go – after a wonderful meal, and the warmth of friendship, it is awfully wet and cold outside
T happened to meet up with the lady that did the translating for Iptisam, and she wants to start taking groups of people to tour in Jerusalem. She needs contacts, so T has passed on J’s phone number – J being the person with all the contacts! J tells us that Iptisam has moved into the new house.
We update each other on our own news.
M has been planting a vegetable garden in a pea patch, where all the food goes to a Food Lifeline.
U is more into political action – she has had a meeting with Jay Inslee, a senator for Waashington.
T took her class on Religions of the World – and makes us laugh, telling us about her interactions with the children – this weeks class was about Islam. She also tells us she wants to find a different job or a different way of earning money.
H takes an adult class about Comparative Religions and it is going well. There are more people attending and she feels more connection with them. She too wants to get away from her job.
B can’t think what to say, except she is desperate to get away from her job! She felt very strange when Shahabuddin left at the end of his recent seminar. Not only sad, but something else she can’t put her finger on. It seems that Shahbuddin has had a big impact on us all, and things have changed or moved for us all.
J2 feels that his mother is going to pass soon. He talks about a significant dream he has had – and this leads several others in the group to talk about dreams they have had. Shamans becomes the next topic, and J1 tells us a great book she read was call Secrets of the Talking Jaguar, by Martin Prechtel.
H tells us about a Longhouse in West Seattle, that is the Duwamish tribes, and how it feels to her – and what a great place it would be to hold a seminar.
It is time to go – after a wonderful meal, and the warmth of friendship, it is awfully wet and cold outside