On Monday, April 15, the annual Interfaith Expo took place in the Butler reception Room.
The Expo’s theme, “Who’s Got Faith in Faith Anymore?” brought three main speakers to place perspectives and to discuss audience questions and thoughts.
The speakers, Sheik Kifah Mustafa, Imam at Bridgeview Mosque, Rabbi Ellen Dreyfus of B’nai Yehuda Beth Sholom in Homewood, IL, and Saint Xavier’s very own Graziano Marcheschi, Executive Director for University Ministry were in attendance. Also present were faculty, staff and students and various religious organizations.
“Throughout the years we hosted Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Buddhist organizations and representatives,” stated Khaled Alzoubi, Associate Professor Of Computer Sciences.
“Organizations bring their literature, posters and video clips to display around the Butler reception room,” he continued.
This year, the Expo had about 15 organizations from diverse faiths, including two interfaith organizations called the South West Interfaith Team (SWIFT) and the Niagara Foundation.
The event lasted from 12:00-4:00 p.m., and to settle the estimated 150 hungry stomachs, the Expo served Middle Eastern Falafel sandwiches. Later, to end off the event, Alzoubi mentioned that a raffle was held.
However, what was the purpose of the Interfaith Expo at Saint Xavier? Alzoubi discussed the reason to bring these diverse parties together.
“The main purpose of the Interfaith Expo is to remove fears and speculations and to promote understanding, diversity, and education among the SXU community,” Alzoubi explained.
“I believe people of faith have more in common than what differentiates them. The followers of their own faiths always strive for the common good. If we spend enough time understanding and utilizing our commonalities we will not have time to recognize our differences,” he continued.
The Interfaith Expo has been around for quite some time. Alzoubi works hand-in-hand every year with students and organizations to make it happen. He went on to explain the Expo history and development.
“In 2004 I nominated myself to the Religious Affairs Committee for the purpose of promoting interfaith relations and to start interfaith functions. In 2005 we held the first interfaith event. In 2007 we held the First Saint Xavier Interfaith Expo, and we decided to make it an annual event” Alzoubi remarks.
“Even-though my term ended as a committee member in 2007, I continued to work with the religious affairs committee to keep this annual event going.”
Alzoubi then stated that the Middle Eastern Studies Committee and the Mission and Heritage Office joined with the Religious Affairs Committee and sponsored the project.
Then, in 2012-2013, University Ministry volunteered to sponsor and host the Expo. Alzoubi then mentioned that “This year the Muslim Students Organization (MSA), and the Student Ambassador played a vital role in making this year’s event a great success.”
Ahlam Shaabneh, Sophomore, Biology Major, and President of the Muslim Student Association (MSA), worked the MSA table with her board member Hosam Haddid-Public Relations Officer.
“It was a great event, with a great turnout. So many organizations, students, faculty and staff came it was great to see the community get together” Shaabneh stated.
“The speakers were simply divine, they all had great perspectives on the theme ‘Who’s Got Faith in Faith Anymore’. I felt the audience really got to see how similar different faiths can be,” Shaabneh mentioned.
The Interfaith Expo is an annual event that has happened every year for the past seven years. In each Expo, Alzoubi said that it is evident that “What brings us together is much bigger than what divides us.”
Nermeen Shaabneh
News Editor