Dearborn
Heights, Metro Detroit, Michigan. Members, associates and friends of the
Dearborn Area Interfaith Network, DAIN,
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| DAIN - Dearborn Area Interfaith Network |
This
was the 10th annual event by DAIN, held for the first time ever at a
mosque. DAIN committee member Imam Elahi, hosted the event at his mosque, the
Islamic House of Wisdom. Although a new member of DAIN and new to Interfaith I
was honored to be among the speakers, reading a prayer for Peace and Harmony
from “Goddess Bless!” by Sirona Knight (about 38 minutes into the program, on the youtube above).
Later I also read, along with fellow committee member Regina, quotes
from Dr. King’s “Letter From a Birmingham Jail”.
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| Oberon reading the alternative, Goddess prayer |
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| Regina and Oberon reading from "A Letter from a Birmingham Jail" |
Regina
also introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. James Perkinson, who spoke for about 25
minutes. Dr. Perkinson, author of
White Theology: Outing Supremacy in Modernity and other books is a professor of
Ethics and Systematic Theology at Ecumenical Theological Seminary. Dr. Perkinson’s speech tied a number of threads from Social
Justice matters, such as Civil Rights, Ferguson, Police Violence, Inequality,
and Global Warming to a solid message encouraging and demanding participation
from everyone in the fight for justice.
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| Dr. Perkinson delivers the keynote speech` |
The
observance featured a number of musical selections from the Henry Ford College
Choir, including “We Shall Overcome” as their final selection, which most of
the audience sang too. Other selections included “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
and “O For a World”. For the special offering, nearly $900 was raised for the
Lebanese American Heritage Project, which provides services for low-income
Lebanese American children and seniors. Dr. Tallal Turfe, long-time activist and humanitarian,
presented a “Muslim perspective on Dr. King’s Life and Legacy”.
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| DAIN committee members, Lila, Fran, Oberon and Regina, in front of the Remember Me Quilts |
Afterwards,
for the reception, the friendly staff at the House of Wisdom served a pleasant,
light meal that included a Mediterranean style lentil soup and salad, as well
as breads and sweet pastries. During the reception, Sandy North, Coordinator of
Remember Me Quilt Project, spoke near the display of quilts her group brings to
many Interfaith events in Detroit and Michigan. The quilts display the innocent
victims of gun violence, a cause very dear to the Project’s heart. She invites
the audience to participate in the quilt project by submitting their own dead
family or friends of gun violence. As long as the victim was not a felon, or a
gang member, they are welcome to be remembered on one of their quilts. If the
Remember Me Quilt Project has their way, they would like more cities, towns and
states to adopt the message and display victims of gun violence on their own
quilts. Although this project has been around several years, in the aftermath
of Ferguson, it not only takes on greater meaning but also asks all of us to go
deeper and question the value of life. Not just all lives, but especially those
who are most at risk.
The message of Interfaith In
Detroit, on Martin Luther King Day is to honor his message and to continue to
speak truth to power. As Witches, we
not only honor all life, as we are called to serve the Goddess, but to strive
to protect those lives that are endangered. In the Detroit Interfaith
community, it is a given that #Blacklivesmatter.
Alan Toubeaux, aka Oberon Osiris
In Service to the Covenant of the Goddess
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