Queens, New York, October 4th, 2010 – Sixty-four years ago, the fledging United Nations Security Council found a home in Flushing, Queens. Today, Queens, itself, has become a kind of United Nations, being the most diverse county in the United States. And on Sunday, October 24th, United Nations Day, everyone is invited to join the Second Annual Queens Interfaith Unity Walk starting at 1:00 pm where else but in Flushing. People of all faiths will gather and walk as one to various houses of worship in the neighborhood of downtown Flushing. This innovative event is developed from a model in Brooklyn called "Children of Abraham Peace Walk" which has been bringing churches, mosques, and synagogues together for several years. The Queens event adds non-Abrahamic religious groups, as well.
Director of Pax Christi Metro New York and one of the Unity Walk’s founders, Rosemarie Pace, noted how timely it is for us to have this Walk when there is so much tension around the development of an Islamic community center in downtown Manhattan and mosques across the country.
The Walk seeks to build trust among neighbors of the famously diverse Flushing neighborhood. Said Planning Committee member Adem Carroll, founder of the Muslim Consultative Network, "We Muslims must reach out and deepen relations with our neighbors. We fully support the message of unity embodied in this event."
The walk will start at the Gurudwara Saahab, Sikh Center of Flushing, 38-17 Parsons Boulevard, a short walk from the Main Street stop on the 7 train. People will gather at 1:00 pm and be greeted with a presentation at 1:15. In addition, before the start of the Walk, at the Sikh Center, free vegetarian lunch, 'Langar' is being offered.
The Sikh community welcomes everyone to take part in the Community Kitchen to enjoy their favorite Indian dishes.
From the Sikh Center, we will proceed to the Macedonia AME Church on Union Street, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Queens and the Syed Jamaluddin Afghan Mosque on 149th Street, the Swami Narayan Temple on Bowne Street, and the Won Buddhist Temple on Cherry Street. Our Walk will end at the Free Synagogue on Kissena Boulevard. At each stop, the respective faith will highlight important religious beliefs, traditions and/or rituals. At the synagogue, we will conclude with light refreshments.
"We strongly encourage young people to attend," stated Robina Niaz, Executive Director of Flushing-based Turning Point for Women and Families, a Planning Committee member. "Young people can make this event their own and take the steps needed. It may not be the New York Marathon, but trust building is a long range journey we are undertaking here. The future can look frightening sometimes but action to build trust now is an essential step in building a more peaceful world."
This community event is co-sponsored by Pax Christi Metro New York and Pax Christi Queens, Muslim Consultative Network, and Turning Point for Women and Families, in coordination with diverse Churches, Mosques, Synagogues, Gurudwaras, and Temples of Flushing
Contact: Adem Carroll 646-251-0402 or Rosemarie Pace 212-420-0250