IAPD France: Dialogue and Alliance - 11th Scriptural Sharing by Zoom in France

Some participants attended in person at the Espace Barrault, in Paris. Many others connected via Internet from several countries, from: Austria, Burkina Faso, Benin, Canada, Ivory Coast, France, Gabon, Indonesia, Italy, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Pakistan, Spain, Switzerland, United States, Zambia, etc.

11th Scriptural Sharing by Zoom in France, Sunday, January 9, 2022, from 5 to 6:30 pm.

On Sunday 9 January 2022, IAPD-France organized its monthly interfaith meeting on the theme: “LIVING WITH GOD EVERY DAY”. This Sunday being the first of the year, we asked Dr. Mouslim FIDAHOUSSEN to present the plan for the new year where we want to innovate by adopting a common theme for the whole year. The first reading brought a look from Hinduism and Buddhism. “Om Purnamadah Purnamidama” was read and commented on by Venerable Michel THAO CHAN, founder and president of the Cercle de Réflexion des Nations.

“Dialogue & Alliance” is a cooperation circle affiliated with the Interfaith Association for Peace and Development (IAPD-France) and supported by the United Religions Initiative (URI), the Interreligious and Intercultural Alliance of Geneva (GIIA), etc. https://textes-sacres-du-monde.fr dialogueetalliance@gmail.com

After the attack on the Bataclan in Paris and the murder of Father Hamel, the trio “Ensemble” sought to respond to the attacks with music: - The first is a rabbi and cantor in a synagogue. - The second is a lyric singer and priest. - The third is a comedian, humorist and Muslim essayist. Their initiative wants to express that in France, in these troubled times, the three monotheistic religions can do something together. We are particularly grateful to them for allowing us to use their title “And God in all this” for our meeting: https://youtu.be/SX0lLl- 6CJI?list=RDSS-xDnrk2TQ . The second reading Matthew 28:16-20 brought a Christian perspective. It was read by Mr Modeste AMOUSSOU, who is from Benin and a member of an Evangelical church. To comment on this passage, we invited Father Daniel FOUCHER, from the Diocese of Nantes, who explained to us concretely how he himself lives with God on a daily basis.

The third reading brought a Muslim perspective. It was verses 9 to 23 of Sura 20 and was recited by Shahryar Parhizghar. Of Iranian origin, he had won first prize in 1985 in an international Quran recitation competition. Then, Dr Mouslim FIDAHOUSSEN, Islamologist, commented on it. The fourth reading brought a Unificationist perspective. It was an excerpt from the speech “The Homeland of God and the Kingdom of Peace” delivered by Reverend Sun Myung Moon on 1 May 2004. It was read and commented on by Mr Jacques MARION, President of the Universal Peace Federation in France, who has a great deal of international experience in Africa, Russia, China, and now throughout Europe. After a question-and-answer session, moderated by Mr Laurent LADOUCE, Mr Jean- François MOULINET concluded the meeting by presenting the KOOL OULAM initiative in Israel, which regularly brings together people of different religions (none of whom had ever met before) to learn to sing and harmonize a song in three different languages: English,

Arabic and Hebrew. The resulting concerts bring the spirit of the new times to the world and are an excellent example of interfaith cooperation. We hope to inherit their dynamism at the beginning of this year which, in Asia, is the year of the Black Tiger! https://youtu.be/XqvKDCP5-xE . Our next Sharing is scheduled for Sunday 6 February 2022 on the theme: LIVING WITH GOD IN DIVERSITY, on the UN World Interfaith Harmony Week and the International Day of Human Brotherhood. To receive an invitation to this coming event, please contact dialogueetalliance@gmail.com .

P.S. Event recording: https://youtu.be/RWufWl702BM .