Shalom, Salam and Hallelujah!

On September, 17th, OBAT spent an elegant evening with the rest of its Center for Interfaith Cooperation partners, III, MAI and BRIDGE, hosting a fundraiser at the Indiana Interchurch Center. The objective was to raise funds which the partnering organizations could use for their collective administrative expenses. OBAT’s secretary and the Director of the International Interfaith Initiative, Charlie Wiles was the glue and force that brought the whole event together. The beautiful Krannert Hall with its multihued stained-glass windows was a perfect setting for the soothing music played on the oud by Yuvol Ron, an Israeli award-winning musician. The guests sang along with him to the infectious strains of his song, “Shalom, Salam and Hallelujah.”
 Feryal Khatri from BRIDGE, Anwar Khan from OBAT Helpers and Razi Nalim from MAI gave short introductions about their respective organizations. The special guests of the occasion were the Honorable Congressman, Andre Carson and the President of the Christian Theological Seminary, Rev. Dr. Matthew Boulton. Both speakers stressed on how the common thread of benevolence toward mankind ran through and unified different faiths and religions and that in essence we all are one big human family.  The Congressman was presented a photograph by Pakistani American photographer, Asrar Burney who had given a similar one to his grandmother, Julia Carson while she was in office.  At the end, guests enjoyed appetizing Middle-Eastern cuisine.
Thank you, our valuable CIC partners; it’s great to partner with an organization which advocates peace and harmony in a world torn with strife and conflict. And to all our friends out there, we say, Shalom, Salam and Hallelujah!