Annual General Meetings have the reputation of being rather dry events, but not this one! About 30 showed up at the Victoria Multifaith Society’s Annual General Meeting on November 24th for , and were held in rapt attention by keynote speaker Hanan Abousaleh, who had told us in advance that she wasn’t going to pull any punches.
Hanan told the story of her journey this past year as a young Muslim woman who found herself in the role of community organizer of the Palestine solidarity rallies when the October 2023 massacre led a brutal occupation to become an even more brutal war on Gaza.
As the emcee of the rallies for several months, her approach was simple: welcome people to the rally; give an overview of the past week; introduce presenters; lead a march. This has happened every weekend for the past 59 weeks and counting. Hanan is driven by the struggle for human rights. She described some of the abuse and intimidation she and fellow activists have faced, but she remains steadfast in her commitment to the liberation and equality of all people as one family.
Hanan credits her faith for giving her hope and courage through this very long and intense ordeal of reporting each weekend on massacre after massacre. As an example, she cited the teachings inscribed on the sword of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):
“Maintain relations with those who cut you off, speak the truth even if it is against yourself, and be good to one who is evil to you.”
The teaching to speak the truth even if it would be to your own detriment moved her to action. She also spoke of the good that has come from several unexpected places on this journey. It was through the welcoming community at various Palestine-related activities that she learned about other important local causes that sparked her compassion and admiration. This diverse community comprising people of all faiths, ethnicities and backgrounds only strengthened her belief in the importance of building connections and finding common ground.
Activism, she now believes, should be treated as a way of life, not just a series of temporary campaigns. She encourages everyone to be curious about the causes of their neighbours, as curiosity is the first step to solidarity.
Reaction of AGM participants was overwhelmingly positive to this inspiring message, which was heartwarming to see. The year has been a tough one for many in the multifaith community, with passions running high on this painful issue.
Several board members of the Victoria Multifaith Society had met Hanan for the first time when she agreed to join the organizing committee of the VMS series of Listening Circles, designed to heal rifts and bring communities together. Our earlier effort following October 2023 to hold a “prayers for peace” meeting had ended in failure and cancellation when a small angry group had threatened in advance to disrupt it. In April, we did something we’d never done before. We held a closed meeting, asking for those who were prepared to listen and to share. Ten members from each of the Abrahamic faiths (Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Baha’i) were individually invited to come together for facilitated, heartfelt conversations. The organizing committee was composed of two members from each of those groups who knew their communities. Every single one of those who said they would show up did so. Many came back over a series of four bi-monthly meetings to continue to share their responses to difficult questions and build relationships. We spoke quietly in groups of eight, sometimes with emotion, tucked away among soaring columns and stained glass. Those conversations were among the most meaningful and impactful we’ve witnessed over many years on many topics.
Hanan is right, of course. We’re one family, inextricably linked, and we need to behave as such. We hope that the political world will catch up with that reality, that basic human rights will be universally recognized, and that we will learn to speak the truth even when it’s against us.
It seems so appropriate to remember this as December 10th approaches, the anniversary of the world coming together for the first time to proclaim the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We need those who will hold fast and struggle without stopping, until we’re all finally included in that circle.
Sheila Flood is the Executive Director of the Victoria Multifaith society
You can read more articles on our interfaith blog, Spiritually Speaking, at /blogs/spiritually-speaking
