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Multifaith ceremony marks Day of Peace
AMI MIZELL-FLINT, Special to the Standard-TimesMonday, September 17, 2007

As summer settles into fall, the world becomes a little quieter — school schedules are under way, the days become cooler, and night falls earlier each day. The world seems to be begging for peace.
To mark progress toward peace and serve as a reminder of a commitment to peace, the United Nations General Assembly in 1992 set Sept. 21 as the International Day of Peace.
In keeping with the ideal of promoting peace in San Angelo among the three major Abrahamic religions — Christianity, Judaism, and Islam — Bishop Michael Pfeifer of the Catholic Diocese of San Angelo brought together two people from each of these religions for a symposium in January 2006. The group has since stayed together and named themselves “Ambassadors for Peace.”
They meet monthly to exchange ideas, discuss community projects and listen to other speakers.
The group has served meals at Wesley United Methodist Church’s Soup Kitchen, prepared backpacks for the ISD Family Shelter, and held community prayers for peace. They speak several times throughout the year to various religious groups and to the public, promoting their ideas of peace.
Following are three of the members’ thoughts on peace.
Peaceful greetings
Rashda Khan is one of the Muslim members of the Ambassadors for Peace. She is also the busy mother of two children. Originally from Bangladesh, she has called San Angelo home for more than 10 years.
“Growing up Muslim, the importance of personal responsibility was drummed into me. My father often quoted from the Quran:
‘If anyone does a righteous deed it is to his/her own benefit;
‘If he/she does harm, it works against his/her soul.
‘In the end, you will all be brought back to your sustainer.’ (45:15)
“Being the daughter of a sailor, I got to see many strange and wonderful parts of the world — Egypt, Singapore, Italy, Africa — before leaving my childhood home of Bangladesh and arriving in America, another new and different world. When saying goodbye as I left for Houston, my father again quoted from the Quran:
‘O humankind! We created you all out of a male and a female,
‘And made into nations and tribes
‘That you may come to know each other.
‘Truly, the most highly regarded of you in the sight of God
‘Is the one who does most good!’ (49:13)
“What I like about America is how all the world’s people come together and call it home. In college, my friends came from Africa, Finland, Vietnam, Russia, the Phillipines, Mexico, India, France and more, and they were all Americans. They represented a rainbow of colors, beliefs and languages.
“As we studied together, we went to plays and concerts, had lunch, joked, shared dreams and comforted each other during times of need. I learned it didn’t matter what color our skins were, where we grew up, what name we used for God or how many different languages we spoke. What mattered is what we chose to say and how we chose to act with each other.
“You can say peace in many different ways: pax, shanti, salaam, shalom.
“The Quran recognizes the importance of peace:
‘When you are greeted with a greeting of peace,
‘Answer with an even better greeting, or at least with its like.’ (4:86)
“In the end, each of us can choose to greet another with the greeting of peace and help make this world a better place. God gave us that choice when he created us.”
Internal peace
Ozi Utah, an honorary Peace Ambassador, is a 21-year-old Christian college graduate. She came to the U.S. from Africa to pursue her education.
“I grew up in Africa, a continent that is often associated with war, strife and suffering. My childhood was as normal as it could be under the circumstances.
“My friends and I rejoiced when there were riots in the city because we didn’t have to go to school. Our excitement was similar to that of American children on a snow day.
“Even in the most violent and volatile times, I counted it a blessing to be living in Nigeria. The uprisings that took place in my city were nothing compared to the genocides and social atrocities I heard about on the news every day.
“Needless to say, I didn’t have the idyllic notions of peace that most children have. For me, peace has always been internal.
“As long as this world is in existence and man lives within it, there will be war. This is primarily because man, for the most part, is not at peace with himself. Sometimes, man’s internal unrest is caused by a need for freedom and justice. Other times, it is brought about by greed and lust for power.
“Whatever the reason for his discontent, man’s internal strife often develops into an external struggle. Unfortunately, unwilling parties are swept into the battle, caught in the middle of a fray they did not initiate.
“War begins in the heart of man, and so does peace. As we strive for a more peaceful existence, it is imperative that we remember that peace begins within us. When we are at peace with ourselves, we endeavor to create a peaceful environment that is consistent with the peace we already possess.
“More than anything, my faith in God gives me internal peace. In turn, I maintain peace in my immediate environment by reminding myself the world does not revolve around me and a petty need to win verbal battles.”
Open to others
The writer of this article is Ami Mizell-Flint, a Jewish member of San Angelo’s Ambassadors for Peace. She has three children, ages 11, 9 and 3. She grew up in New York and South Florida, but loves San Angelo and everything it offers her family.
“Needless to say, living in San Angelo is different from living in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., or Long Island, N.Y., where I spent my childhood and young adult years.
“Aside from the fact that I live farther from the beach than I have at any point in my life, people here have a different way of thinking. To be honest, my family was worried about me living in ‘the Bible Belt’ at first.
“They were afraid I’d have a hard time adjusting to the small Jewish community here, and that my children would be subjected to others questioning their beliefs.
“I hadn’t lived here long when I realized I love the small, older Jewish community, who treat my children as their own grandchildren. And, yes, my family’s beliefs are questioned, but the questions are more inquisitive than invasive.
“Many people I meet tell me they’ve never met a Jewish person before, or, if they have, they never had the opportunity to ask questions. Once people I talk to realize I am willing to share my ideas, but not argue about them, the conversation is always beneficial to both of us.
“Living in New York and South Florida, I noticed people of different religions mostly stay to themselves. Perhaps that is because there were so many people within each congregation; they had no reason to go outside their own faith. Because of this, the only religious discussions I had were with other Jewish people, who shared my same views.
“Here in San Angelo, I hold Sunday school for my children and as many as six (depending on the year) around my dining room table. My kids are still learning their beliefs, as many others their age are, but they know they are Jewish and are proud of that.
“As they get older, I have no doubt they will be in a religious discussion they may not have an answer to. I pray they will go to their religious reference books to get the answer for themselves — not to argue a point but to be assured they can be confident in what they believe.
“Being a member of Ambassadors for Peace has given me another resource. I have found friends of different faiths who I can ask to answer a question I have or to clarify a comment I hear.
“I sincerely enjoy living in the Bible Belt. Now, if we can just find an ocean nearby ...”
© 2006 The San Angelo Standard-Times