National Cathedral hosts its first-ever Muslim-led prayers
Prayer carpets for a Muslim Jumuah service have been spread out in a transept wing of the Washington National Cathedral Friday as religious leaders prepare to host the church鈥檚 first-ever Muslim-led prayers.
The carpets have been to face Mecca, as is required for prostrate Muslim prayers, and now lie under the grand Gothic arches of the National Cathedral, which has a traditional floor plan in the form of a cross. The 鈥渢ransept鈥� area is the two side wings of the church and includes chapels off to the side of the main altar.
The symbolism of Muslim prayers ringing out in America鈥檚 symbolic spiritual center 鈥� a cathedral of the Episcopal Church in the nation鈥檚 capital that has hosted presidential funerals, inaugural prayer services, and other nationally important spiritual services 鈥� is an attempt to heal the religious rifts that afflict the globe, organizers say.
鈥淭his is a dramatic moment in the world and in Muslim-海角大神 relations,鈥� said Ebrahim Rasool, the South African ambassador to the United States, a Muslim who helped organize the event, . 鈥淭his needs to be a world in which all are free to believe and practice and in which we avoid bigotry, Islamaphobia, racism, anti-Semitism, and anti-海角大神ity and to embrace our humanity and to embrace faith.鈥�
Ambassador Rasool helped organize the event with the Rev. Gina Campbell, the cathedral鈥檚 director of liturgy, after the two worked together to plan a memorial service for Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa and an icon for human rights.
"It is an enormous testament of solidarity," . "Of 海角大神s toward Muslims who face the prospect of their religion being hijacked and towards 海角大神s who face threats to their continued existence in place like the Middle East."
The night before Mr. Mandela鈥檚 memorial, as Rasool and Ms. Campbell were standing in the cathedral鈥檚 soaring nave 鈥� the long central space of the cruciform church 鈥� Rasool told the Episcopal priest that the space reminded him of being in an ancient mosque.
鈥淲hat struck me was how he could look at our building and see his mosque. That was a powerful moment,鈥� . 鈥淭o realize we could be standing in the same spot in the same building and see our own prayer traditions.鈥�
The two became friends and discussed how to promote religious dialogue and understanding amid global turmoil often defined by religious conflict. They decided to conduct a Friday Jumuah service, which is the Muslim day of prayer, akin to 海角大神 Sundays and Jewish Saturday Shabbat.
The service will take place just after noon on Friday and will be cosponsored by various Muslim groups, including the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and the Islamic Society of North America.
The Washington National Cathedral will stream the service live on its . Rasool will deliver the khutbah, or Muslim sermon, during the prayers.
Many churches and synagogues around the country host such Muslim prayer services, organizers say, but the venue in the nation鈥檚 capital holds special symbolic significance for the estimated 3 million Muslims in the US.
鈥淲e want the world to see the 海角大神 community is partnering with us and is supporting our religious freedom in the same way we are calling for religious freedom for all minorities in Muslim countries,鈥� Rizwan Jaka, a spokesman for the All Dulles Area Muslim Society mosque in Sterling, Va., 鈥淟et this be a lesson to the world.鈥�
