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The Muslim-Catholic Dialogue Committee in the Albany Diocese is marking its 10th anniversary with joy, friendship -- and a panel discussion on the sacred spaces of each faith.

"Sacred Spaces" will be held June 2, 7-9 p.m., at the Al-Hidaya Center in Latham (see sidebar). That new mosque had its grand opening earlier this month, with both Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger and Bishop Emeritus Howard J. Hubbard of the Albany Diocese in attendance.

Their presence speaks to the advances in Muslim-Catholic dialogue over the years.

"We are completely at ease with one another. It's the work of the Holy Spirit," said Audrey Hughes of Immaculate Conception parish in Glenville, chair of the dialogue committee.

The dozen or so members of the committee meet each year to plan a topic for their annual June event, she said; and today, "We are really friends. The whole climate has changed. There is a strong interfaith network."

Committee member Imam Djafer Sebkhaoui of the Al-Hidaya Center told The Evangelist that "we are improving in our relationships," with "more understanding [in] the way we are talking to each other."

The way people look forward to Muslim-Catholic events, the easy connections among committee members and the fact that the next gathering will be held at the new mosque are "all telling me very positive things" about the future of Muslim-Catholic relations, he said.

The dialogue committee was initially formed in 1999, but temporarily disbanded after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Dialogue continued informally until the committee was officially restarted a few years later.

Mrs. Hughes attributed the committee's success since then to its focus on matters of faith. The group has sponsored presentations on Muslim and Catholic beliefs about Mary, Abraham, Jesus and the prophets; committee members discuss common concerns like fair housing, immigration, human trafficking, food pantries and help for senior citizens.

Catholic members attend area Ramadan dinners (see a previous story on a Ravena gathering at www.evangelist.org) and Islamic conferences. Members also write letters to the editor when newspapers misrepresent Muslim beliefs, particularly after the Boston Marathon bombings in 2012 and the more recent Mideast attacks by Islamic State militants.

"We have stood up when Muslims are being targeted," Mrs. Hughes said.

Imam Sebkhaoui noted that Muslims "are having a difficult time, because we feel so bad that there are some people misunderstanding Islam.

"What is painful is the way it is portrayed sometimes," he continued. "Some ignorant people are misrepresenting Islam. Their voices are louder, and they are gaining more space in the media. They are seen as representative of Islam when they are not."

Rev. James Kane, chair of the diocesan Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs for more than 30 years, agreed that today's headlines about crises in the Mideast and the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing trial "make the urgency of the dialogue more intense. To keep the dialogue going is so much more important than it was at the beginning."

He pointed to the fact that two major mosques in the area -- the Islamic Center of the Capital District in Schenectady and Al-Hidaya -- are represented on the dialogue committee.

"We're in fine shape," he concluded.

Imam Sebkhaoui said he's confident that the dialogue committee is "sensitive to issues that are local or national" and ready to confront them together.[[In-content Ad]]

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