“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9.

We were very pleased and impressed with the Islamic Forum held last Tuesday evening at the Church of the Ascension in Fountain Hills.

Courageous peacemakers gathered as a panel and audience to share conversation about the Islamic faith. The evening was well attended and, for the most part, attendees were respectful of each other.

The panel was diverse enough to give the attendees a sense of the typical American Muslim’s experiences, beliefs and opinions. The evening was made up of both serious exchanges and numerous moments of shared laughter and applause as people expressed delight in their commonalities and recognized the spoken truths.

It was enlightening and refreshing to hear from our Muslim brother and sisters, and be able in some small way to imagine we had seen a little through their eyes, as we attempt to better understand each other and try to take a step in their shoes.

All religions are blessed with a majority of moderate practitioners and challenged by the messages and actions of their radical members.

Muslim and Christian believers make up a majority of the world’s population (Muslims, 25 percent; Christians, 33 percent). For this reason alone, it is imperative that we learn to live peacefully together and learn how to mitigate the impact of the radicals with which both religions contend. Muslims, Christians, and Jews are people of the book, sharing a common forefather in Abraham.

We support and anticipate more interfaith dialogues and activities so that we can meet each other on a personal basis and build better relationships. By working together we can encourage peace. We are grateful to live in a community that strives to create a more peaceful world by bringing people of faith together.