Charlottetown church learns more about Islam

Rev. John Clarke thought the best way to educate members of his congregation about Islam was to hear about the faith firsthand.

That is why Clarke, rector of St. Paul's Anglican Church in Charlottetown, invited Zain Esseghaier to speak to parishioners on Sunday.

Commitment to compassion

"So rather than just kind of believing some of the propaganda that's out there in oppositionto the Islamic faith, we would hear directly from them,"Clarke explained.

Clarke added that earlier in the year, the church signed the Charter of Compassion to show that decisions would be based on that idea. He said inviting Esseghaier was part of that commitment to compassion. Clarke would like to see other faiths and cultural groups speak at the church.

We all live in the same community.- Zain Esseghaier

Esseghaier, a member of the Muslim Society of P.E.I., covered the basics of the faith and compared Islam and Christianity in areas such as daily prayer. He also answered questions about how women are treated and jihad.

Esseghaier explained that Islam, similar to other religions,can be misinterpreted.

"If you take something as a beautiful idea and you see people corrupt it, it's the same for me as people taking a beautiful idea such as, say democracy, and use it to dominate other people,"he said.

"Sometimes we are afraid of things we don't know. And until we take that step to educate ourselves, we will remain in a position where we are afraid of the other."

Standing ovation

At the end of his presentation, Clarke saidEsseghaier received a standing ovation.

Esseghaierexplained it was important to speak to the parishioners because it helps address prejudices and stereotypes about Islam, adding that "we all live in the same community."

"The more we know about each other [and] the more we know about different faiths that constitute this community, the better we all willbe because it will develop more understanding, more respect for each other and especially more acceptance of the other,"Esseghaier said.

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