Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Cohousing-L digest, Vol 1 #228 - 2 msgs

[Claire Dune (imagineinstitute]

on 9/18/01 10:01 AM, cohousing-l-request [at] cohousing.org at
cohousing-l-request [at] cohousing.org wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
> 
> 1. Healing the community after terrorism (Elizabeth Stevenson)
> 2. <no subject> (Elizabeth Stevenson)
> 
> --__--__--
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 13:47:09 -0700
> From: Elizabeth Stevenson <tamgoddess [at] home.com>
> To: "cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org" <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>,
> Ben & Laura Russell <benlorussell [at] home.com>
> Subject: [C-L]_Healing the community after terrorism
> Reply-To: cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org
> 
> I wanted to share with you our experience this week, in the hope that it
> will not only help you deal with the atrocities in NY and Washington, but
> inspire you to continue to develop your cohousing community in the face of
> sometimes difficult obstacles. Cohousing is, by its very existence as a
> community whose members share only a desire for community, a rebuke to those
> who would divide our communities along ethnic or religious lines.
> 
> A member suggested to our internal listserve that we have some sort of
> ceremony or service on Sunday to help us deal with our grief. In true coho
> fashion, the originator of the idea couldn't be there at the time we had
> agreed to, so she handed over the reigns to another. Meg did a great job
> with creating a meeting that was more like a service. We all spoke about
> those we know who are affected by this, and we had several people whose
> presence was meaningful and illuminating.
> 
> Our newest member family has the Dad working to finish his degree in New
> York, while the rest of the family is here. He flew in yesterday to be with
> his family and is very shaken. He says we just can't understand the
> magnitude of the devastation that is in NY. His first reaction was to fear
> for his son, who used to be in day-care near the site of the attack, but who
> now is safe in Sacramento. He was relieved to remember that.
> 
> We are fortunate to have as our neighbors the country's oldest mosque. Many
> of the mosque's members live nearby. We were all concerned that they know we
> value them as neighbors, so Meg suggested to our little group that we bring
> flowers to the mosque. At the time she suggested it, we weren't sure of our
> close neighbor, Mohammed, would be coming to our meeting, but he did, and
> brought a wonderful rice dish as well. He sat next to one of our teenagers,
> who sang a Jewish prayer in Hebrew and English for the families of the
> victims. We also sang a Christian hymn and recited two main precepts of
> Buddhism together. He spoke at length and his comments are at the end of
> this letter.
> 
> I wish you could have seen our little group in the common house sitting
> room. Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and a Muslim all sitting together praying
> for peace! There were, of course, atheists there too, sending their positive
> thoughts to those in need as well.
> 
> I felt that it was important to speak of specific people who were hurt by
> this attack. The closest person to me, that I know about so far, was Joe
> Sisolak. He worked on the 97th floor of the North Tower, and had no chance
> to get out. He was married. I remember him as the very smart, cute, serious
> younger brother of my brother's friend in high school.
> 
> I was unable to attend the walk down the street to the mosque, because my
> husband was at work and I needed to get the kids home and ready for bed. But
> I will paste in what my community member, Laura wrote about the experience
> to the Southside Park Cohousing list:
> 
>> Hi All,
>> Just letting those of you who weren't able to join the gathering tonight, or
>> who chose not to participate, that it went very well. Thank you Meg for
>> doing a great job facilitating. Mohammed, our neighbor on 4th Street came,
>> as did Katie's husband Cesar (who just flew in from Manhattan and gave us an
>> eyewitness description of the situation there as of today). There was
>> sharing; I'm not attempting to represent everything that was said, but I
>> found it personally very healing and inspiring too. Afterwards, we brought
>> flowers over to the mosque on V Street. We were given flowers by the
>> gardener there and ended up coming home with handfuls of flowers from their
>> grounds; more flowers than we came with! We also met Qasmi, who is the Imam,
>> or priest of the mosque. (Qasmi is his name, and Imam is his title.) He told
>> us that this mosque is the oldest in the Western U.S., and perhaps in the
>> U.S. (a friendly dispute is going on with a mosque in Detroit which claims
>> to be older). He and everyone who gathered were very friendly and
>> appreciated our visit. He even offered to have us stay for their evening
>> prayer tonight, but many of us felt we were inappropriately dressed. He
>> offered to find clothing for us to put on! We didn't want to impose to that
>> extent, so we declined.
>> 
>> He has extended an invitation to any or all of us, to come to a service next
>> Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m. Dress code: cover your legs and arms. Pants,
>> jeans are okay. Women can wear pants if they like but are requested to cover
>> their heads if possible. Wear close-toed shoes. (If someone has better info
>> on this, please correct me.)
>> 
>> Action items: a) Consider whether you would like to attend next Saturday. b)
>> Consider calling our councilperson to ask them to extend the police sentry
>> of the mosque beyond next Saturday. There has been a police officer
>> stationed at 4th and U all week, all hours. It is the largest mosque, I
>> believe Qasmi said, in California, and so could be vulnerable to possible
>> hate crimes. A police officer is scheduled to be there through the end of
>> the week. Laurisa talked to him to let him know what we were doing, why we
>> approached the mosque, and he told her this. He also said that he personally
>> felt that police sentry should be extended beyond next week, and the best
>> way to make this happen would be to call our councilperson.
>> 
>> This was a wonderful learning experience for me and I won't forget it. Eight
>> years we've been here and now I can say that I have set foot within the
>> gates of the mosque.
>> 
>> Good night,
>> Laura
>> 
>> Hi Again,
>> Just a quick p.s. to add that both Mohammed and Qasmi emphasized that the
>> Koran forbids the taking of innocent life, and that those who are doing it
>> in the name of the Muslim faith are doing so to promote their own ends, that
>> they are not really supported by the teachings of the faith.
>> 
>> (Mohammed even paraphrased from the Koran that one should not walk with
>> chest out in a "macho" fashion, but rather with eyes down to be respectful
>> of all life, even insect life on the sidewalk.)
>> 
>> Laura
> 
> 
> --__--__--
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 13:48:25 -0700
> From: Elizabeth Stevenson <tamgoddess [at] home.com>
> To: "cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org" <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
> Subject: [C-L]_<no subject>
> Reply-To: cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org
> 
> I forgot to put my signature on my email.
> 
Dear Friends,

Beautiful 10 ocean view acres, 11,000 sq ft retreat/house, 3 homesites on 2
acre parcels.  For co-housing, intentional community.  Cultural creatives.
Spirit, service, eco-energy, arts, safe haven,more. Meeting and Retreat for
all interested. 

Visit:  http://home.earthlink.net/~imagineinstitute
(note:  no www in this address)

503-392-4569-Ranch or 503-789-2883-cell

 Keep the faith, peace, Claire Dune 

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