Upcoming CBS News Documentary Engages Wittenberg Community
Springfield, Ohio – An upcoming documentary, “Countering the Seeds of Hate,” which will be filmed by CBS News, May 5-7, extends much of the community-building being led by Wittenberg students, faculty and staff.
The theme will be centered on Christians and Muslims living together and how faith communities are reaching out to those targeted and misrepresented for a CBS News report on religion and culture.
The filming will take place primarily at Al-Madina Mosque and Central Christian Church. Springfield was selected for a variety of reasons, and many people with connections to Wittenberg have nurtured the kind of interfaith dialogue that will be highlighted in the episode.
“We are so very pleased that Springfield will be featured in this program that highlights the challenging work of building relationships across religion and culture - the work of building community,” said Jennifer Oldstone-Moore, professor of religion and East Asian studies at Wittenberg. “Wittenberg has been contributing to this work in Springfield for a long time.”
Oldstone-Moore said that for many years, Jerry Pankhurst, professor emeritus of sociology at Wittenberg, held community iftars (meals breaking the Ramadan fast), bringing together Springfield’s Muslim and Wittenberg communities. Last year’s "Combatting Islamophobia" workshop, jointly sponsored by academic departments, the student group Build a Better Wittenberg, and Weaver Chapel, also engaged the Springfield community on campus.
“The name of the student organization says it all,” Oldstone-Moore added. “This good work of educating and connecting university and community, and nurturing interfaith understanding and relationships will certainly get a boost from CBS’s work - and it will continue into the future.”
Many people from the Wittenberg community are connected with the events during this weekend's filming, including
- Wittenberg’s Interfaith Senators Heath Queen ’16 and Zara Tickner ’17 have been building connections with local mosques and other religious organizations to create interfaith education and dialogue. Heath also attended Global Education and Peace Network meetings, a group that will have a panelist and a table at one of the events.
- Wittenberg alumna Sana Ahmed, class of 2015, who majored in education and minored in mathematics, will be a panelist for a town hall-style discussion called "Beyond Tolerance: Honoring the Call to Love our Neighbors." Ahmed, who is from Springfield, is currently a teacher in the Urbana public school system, but will join Springfield’s STEM school in the fall. She is a member of the Miami Valley Islamic Association. This discussion will take place at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, May 7, at Central Christian Church.
- Warren Copeland, Springfield mayor and professor of religion, will be interviewed. Earlier this year Mayor Copeland signed a proclamation sponsored by Springfield’s Human Relations Board that condemned Islamophobia and discrimination against Sikhs and Muslims, and saluted the contributions both groups have made to Springfield.
- Rick Incorvati, professor of English at Wittenberg, has also been organizing an interfaith youth group in Springfield.
Members of local faith communities who have questions for the panel, who want to express their respect for persons of other religious traditions, and who support freedom of religion, are encouraged to attend the following three events, which will be filmed as part of the documentary:
- Friday, May 5, 1:15 p.m. - Al Madina Mosque and Muslim prayers, at 1800 S. Burnett Road, Springfield. Open to the public. Iman Yunus Lasania will provide an educational presentation on Islam at 1:15 p.m., followed by traditional Muslim prayers at 2 p.m.
- Sunday, May 7, 10:30 a.m. - Worship Service at Central Christian Church focusing on “loving our neighbors when our faiths differ.” Open to the public. Location is 1504 Villa Road, Springfield. Pastor Carl Ruby will be officiating.
- Sunday, May 7, 6:30 p.m. - "Beyond Tolerance: Honoring the Call to Love our Neighbors" is a panel discussion moderated by Iman Yunus Lasania and Pastor Carl Ruby at Central Christian Church, 1504 Villa Road, Springfield.
