Minutes of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee, 11/6/2017

Present: Dan G, George M, Ka R, Roger C , Beth A

Beth spoke of a conference about US military bases across the world, to be held January 12-14 in Baltimore. The conference is detailed at noforeignbases.org and is put on by the Coalition Against U.S. Foreign Military Bases, a group of mostly well-known organizations. We agreed to endorse the conference as a committee. Beth will use this as a letter writing focus this month, with Roger’s help. Beth intends to attend the conference in January. Beth and Roger will collaborate in finding out how we can endorse the conference. Beth plans to attend it.

We read and approved the statement, written by Peter Blood, about the fundraiser for the mosque on November 19. We approved recommending that the meeting co-sponsor this event. The statement is copied at the end of these minutes.

Ka spoke of being our FCNL representative. She hopes to learn more about the FCNL conference from a friend who attended it. The FCNL advocacy groups which have formed in Northampton are quite active but their trainings and meetings happen on Wednesdays when Roger cannot attend.

We agreed to recommend that the $330 which was earlier allocated to the Western Mass AFSC be budgeted now for the new Resistance Center for Peace and Justice. As to the budget for the national AFSC we need more information about its activities, but severe concerns were aired about continuing support for this national office. It has a new director and we will be interested to see what effect that has on AFSC’s operations..

Andy reported that he has found four MtTobyites who have gone through the Habitat for Humanity training. He would like to have more but we continue to consider him to be in charge of the recruitment and publicity for Habitat.

We should talk over how to arrange a better relationship with the Race and Class group, the Immigrant Solidarity group, and other “splinter” groups in the future which have calved off of P&SC to carry out particular concerns.

We ended in silence, as we began.

------------- statement about the mosque fundraiser ------------------

Proposal: Mt Toby Friends Meeting sponsor an interfaith fund-raiser “Neighbors Together: Help Open Hampshire Mosque”

Hampshire Mosque was formed in 2004 and held services for the first 10 years in the Carriage Shops in Amherst. In 2014 the mosque purchased the Adventure Outfitters Building located at 451 Russell Street in Hadley. They have already spent nearly $1.5M to acquire and renovate the building. Renovation is complete. The main remaining task required to obtain an occupancy permit is to repave the parking lot, which was severely damaged during renovation. They are greatly looking forward to finally having their own building where they can offer the Muslim principle of hospitality to others of all faiths in the region.

The mosque is the second in the Pioneer Valley and serves Muslims over a wide area as there is no mosque in Franklin or Berkshire Counties and only one mosque in all of Vermont, which is located in the northern end of the state. The mosque currently holds Friday prayer services from 1-2pm in Jones Library. The room where services are held is filled with 60-75 men, women and children from all over the world.

Over 40 different faith congregations and peace & justice organizations are co-sponsoring an interfaith fund-raiser to help the Mosque raise the final $90,000 needed to open their new building. The fundraiser will be held on Sunday, Nov. 19, from 4-7pm at the Wesley United Methodist Church in Hadley (where the Levingers’ memorial service was held). It will consist of a silent auction, an interfaith program in the sanctuary (which will include brief personal sharing by five men and five women who are active in the mosque about what practicing Islam means in their lives), and an international feast prepared and served by members of the mosque community. 

Members of Mt Toby meeting have played a central role in organizing this event. The Mt Toby Immigrant Solidarity Group is already a sponsor. Peace & Social Concerns Committee requests that Mt Toby Friends Meeting as a whole be sponsor. 

Mt Toby’s sponsorship will demonstrate our support and solidarity with a faith community which is a significant target of hatred and fear in this country and abroad. Members of the mosque are deeply moved by the solidarity being shown by other faith congregations in this fundraiser. No money is being requested from general meeting funds. The treasurer is receiving earmarked contributions for fundraiser up until Nov. 19 only.