George Grose ““ an ordained Presbyterian minister ““
sits in his small office on the third floor of the University
Religious Center discussing the importance of Islamic Awareness
Week.
But, as one of the founders of the Academy of Judaic, Christian
& Islamic Studies at UCLA, he emphasizes the pathway to
awareness is not a one-way street.
The week is also an opportunity for different religious
communities to learn about each other, Grose said. The week’s
events are being coordinated by faculty and students in the Muslim
community on campus.
Like Grose, several campus religious leaders believe the
significance of learning about religions different from their own
is great. And as the beliefs of Islam have recently taken center
stage, these leaders have taken a slightly different role than
simply preaching their own religion ““ the role of promoting
an awareness of Islam, a faith some believe is widely
misconceived.
The walls of Grose’s office reflect the value he has for
the relationship between the three religions on which he lectures.
Mounted on one wall is a sketch of the Old Testament story of
“The Binding of Isaac,” placed next to a photograph of
millions of people worshipping at the shrine of Mecca.
Next to a bookshelf filled with Grose’s personal
collection of books on several religions, hangs a Rembrandt
painting featuring the portrait of Jesus Christ.
Grose said he decided to pursue interreligious studies in 1963
when he visited Cairo, Egypt ““ a predominantly Muslim city
““ and said he felt surprisingly at home there.
“The people were strange, the smells were strange, the
sights were strange, what they called a prayer was strange, but I
felt at home,” he said.
Grose teaches an interreligious seminar along with Jewish,
Muslim and Christian leaders throughout the L.A. community. For the
first time since its inception in 1998, the seminar is being
offered all three quarters this year.
Down the street from the academy’s headquarters resides a
reverend who also wants to bring more awareness of the Islamic
community to his parish in St. Alban’s Episcopal Church.
“We have not done a whole lot (to promote awareness of
Islam),” said Rev. J.R. Lander, but added it is something he
hopes to pursue further during his time in St. Alban’s.
Lander said he invited his father who lives in Saudi Arabia to
talk to the church about his experiences as a western Christian in
the Middle Eastern country.
Lander’s father made it clear to the parish that Islam was
different from culture to culture, Lander said.
The presentation was received with a lot of interest, Lander
added.
“People came because they are so curious about Islam and
the Gulf states,” he said, adding it benefits everyone to
know about the culture.
Current events have spurred interest in Islam that seems to be
permeating many religious boundaries on campus.
Emily Jen, a member of the Buddhist Value Creation Society on
campus, said she plans to continue her attempts to collaborate with
Muslim leaders and students on campus to participate in interfaith
dialogues.
People need to understand that every religion can be taken to an
extreme both negatively and positively, Jen said. But, she added it
is important that each religion learns from each other.
Some leaders in the Jewish community are also involved in
educating the campus about Islamic culture.
Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller, director of UCLA Hillel,
collaborated with Muslim leaders to teach a “Voices of
Peace” seminar under the sociology department last
spring.
“We are all in the same boat,” said Gideon Baum,
president of the Jewish Student Union, referring to the
discrimination that both cultures face.
For example, many Persian Jews were questioned about terrorist
activity after Sept. 11, 2001, Baum said. He also cited recent
events in France, where a proposal to ban students from wearing
religious symbols ““ such as the Muslim head covering, the
Jewish skullcap, and large Christian crucifixes ““ in state
schools, is backed by the French president.
Lander said he has a theological reason for why mutual
understanding is important.
“I don’t presume to have a complete understanding of
God and faith,” Lander said. “Its always important to
grow and understand each other.”