The Ottawa Citizen
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, December 28, 2003: Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is setting an example of interfaith harmony for the rest of the country and perhaps the world. Two organizations, the Capital Region Interfaith Council and Interfaith Ottawa, are cited as the initiatives responsible for the interfaith harmony. The article explains the functions of the two organizations, “Capital Region Interfaith Council promotes cooperation among religious groups on issues of peace, justice and the environment, and Interfaith Ottawa, a partnership between the multifaith community and the City of Ottawa, provides a united voice against acts of intolerance or hatred.” Working in collaboration with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board, Interfaith Ottawa has been working to improve students’ understanding of all world faiths by initiating field trips to temples, mosques and synagogues. Each year a thousand students attend these events. Pandit Madhu Saharabudhe of Ottawa’s Hindu temple explains, “This couldn’t have happened 50 years ago, and it could happen only in Canada, and at the moment it could only happen in Ottawa. There are other groups in other cities, but they are not as organized yet, and they don’t have the recognition we do.” When the Ottawa Hospital Christian Chapel was replaced last October with a new multifaith prayer room that includes symbols from all the world’s religions, interfaith harmony escalated. In addition, a Good Servant Medal award was given to three Ashbury College students from Muslim, Jewish, and Christian backgrounds who became friends and then began promoting interfaith understanding in Ottawa schools. On top of all this, in the summer of 2003 the article points out that the United Church of Canada released a statement on Islam, in which it affirms Islam as a religion of peace and mercy, acknowledges a long history of misunderstanding between Christians and Muslims and commits itself to reconciliation with Muslim neighbors. Pandit Sahasrabudhe, 79, a Hindu priest of 40 years, is now the President of the Capital Region Interfaith Council. He conducted prayers at a multifaith Thanksgiving service on Parliament Hill last year. He adds, “I’m a Hindu priest in a mostly Christian country, and I feel gratified to be asked. There wouldn’t be any backlash in Ottawa, but in other places there would be.”