Interfaith event to commemorate 10-year anniversary of September 11

Whitman College invites the public to join students, faculty and staff to gather on September 11 for a two-part event that commemorates 9/11 through explorations of religious tolerance.

An interfaith worship service will be held at 10 a.m. at First Congregational Church, 73 South Palouse Street, followed by a talk on campus in Maxey Auditorium at 3 p.m.

The events aim to bring people of different religious backgrounds together for a day of mutual reflection and discussion, commemorating the past while looking forward to a more peaceful and tolerant future.

“Awareness of our differences is not the sole issue,” says Adam Kirtley, the Whitman staff member coordinating the event. “How we live with those differences is important to consider, and I think especially appropriate on the 10-year anniversary of 9/11.”

As part of the commemoration, Whitman will host a group called The Interfaith Amigos, which consists of an imam, a pastor and a rabbi who have been touring together for the past decade and coauthored a book on the importance of interfaith dialogue.

“The Interfaith Amigos have moved beyond a hypothetical, intellectual exercise of interfaith dialogue,” says Kirtley. “They have lived it out in a significant way for a decade. They have formed real friendships, had real struggles, and come out on the other side. And they have done so without compromising their faith. I see having this particular group on this particular occasion as a real opportunity, both spiritually and intellectually.”

The campus event, titled “What Have We Learned Since September 11?” will feature a lecture-style presentation and an audience Q&A. A book signing will follow.

Contact:
Adam Kirtley, Stuart Coordinator of Religious and Spiritual Life
Reid Campus Center, Room 216
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Phone: 509-522-4449
E-mail: kirtleam@whitman.edu

Gillian Frew, Interim Media Relations Officer
Memorial Building, Room 321
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Phone: 509-527-4917
E-mail: frewga@whitman.edu