Peace through understanding

If we are really serious about our messages of “Peace on Earth” and want to do something to promote it, we need to be learning about our world neighbors. Understanding their language, religion and culture will help all of us. We could be learning Arabic and the history of Muslim countries from educated native speakers.

Spokane has many of them. A course in Arabic is being offered winter quarter at Spokane Falls Community College. Fr. Patrick McReynolds taught an excellent course in Islam this year at Corbin Senior Activity Center.

Programs could be offered by public television from university channels, by organizations such as the Institute for Extended Learning, by libraries and by exchange programs in the churches. A Presbyterian church here in Spokane recently shared a Christian speaker from Pakistan with a nearby mosque. Congregations from each visited services in the other house of worship. Women of the mosque provided lunch for their Presbyterian guests.

Ruth Carrington Birch

Spokane