Stamford resident Jules Naudet will bring his ongoing examination of faith to Ferguson Library for a forum Sunday, Feb. 27, with panelists representing a variety of religions.
"My Neighbor's Faith" will feature Kareem Adeeb, imam of the American Institute for Islamic & Arabic Studies; Harbans Arya, a leader of Fairfield County Hindu communities; Rabbi Daniel Cohen, senior rabbi of Congregation Agudath Sholom; the Rev. Arthur Mollenhauer, pastor of St. Mary Parish; and the Rev. Robert W. Perry, senior pastor of Union Baptist Church. Heidi Hadsell, president of Hartford Seminary, will moderate the event.
"One thing that unites all of us is the thirst for a higher meaning," said Naudet, a filmmaker who was working on a documentary in New York City the day of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. An agnostic, Naudet had many questions about faith after the terror attacks. His search for answers led him to trek around the world, talking to prominent religious leaders. He chronicled those visits in the 2007 documentary "In God's Name." The film was screened earlier this month in preparation for the forum.
The Stamford forum is an idea Naudet took to the Mayor's Multicultural Council for support. The event is intended to promote increased understanding of major faith traditions in Stamford and foster collaborative relationships. The multicultural council is sponsoring it, along with InterFaith Council of Southwestern Connecticut. The discussion will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. It is free and open to the public, and all are invited.
A similar event will take place in Norwalk on Monday, March 7.
Do you plan to attend the "My Neighbor's Faith" forum?