Circle 4: Abraham's Daughters
- 1000 Abrahamic Circles
- Apr 18, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 16
18/04/2022 - 14/05/2022
Members
Rabbi Rachel Safman
Congregational Rabbi at Temple Beth-El New York, USA
Reverend Kristi
Minister at the Christian Church of Java Gondokusuman,
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Ustadzah Khoirun Nisa
Lecturer at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta,
Indonesia
Project Report
Conclusion of the Journey
The fourth circle of the 1000 Abrahamic Circles, the “Abraham’s Daughters” emphasizes on the role and significance of women in religion and society. Each circle member is able to demonstrate great participation and cooperation with the 1000 Abrahamic Circle program. As the circle members are faced with the difference from being a majority to becoming a minority religious group. Meeting people with differing worldviews, they were able to build ties with each other as shown through their friendship and sisterhood by the end of the journey. During the journey, circle members were able to witness the prayer service and everyday life of the other two Abrahamic religions, creating a safe space for an open dialogue and thus establishing mutual respect.
As can be seen from their public discourse how circle members have acquired various reflective understandings from the historical standpoints to the day-to-day religious values and practices that are adhered to by the adherents of other Abrahamic religions. Their perspectives were enlightened as they confronted each of their prejudice, curiosity, and ignorance through challenging questions posed to each other during the program. Especially as the women found strength, bond, and empowerment from one another as they found a commonality of religious teaching and struggle from society’s disapproval or dislike of women religious leaders. The members agree to condemn views or principles like radicalism in the name of faith, oppression of minorities or gender and that they uphold human values above everything, they were able to establish positive ties with their respective religions.
The result of the Circle Interview shows how, for the most part, circle members came to more than an understanding of the other two religious identities other than their own, but also found strength and empowerment in their commonality and struggle as a woman, wife, mother, and daughter. Presumably, the close age gap between the circle members made it easy for them to communicate and to be more empathetic towards each other, their educational and scholarly careers also allowed them to systematically complement each other in their discussion. Consequently, as part of their profession and struggle as a woman in the male-dominated “identity”, they have grown to be more empathetic to share their new understandings to each’s congregants to demystify age-old stereotypes including their concerns on the age-old misogynist views of women in religions, the growing presence of Islamophobia, Christianophobia, and Anti-Semitism as per the Interview answer of the Women Circle.
Outside of doing interfaith activities such as engaging in dialogue, visiting religious sites and initiating public discussion, the fourth circle, the women circle members were also involved in various team bonding activities such as sightseeing, touring, cooking, and more. Compared to the first and second circles, participants in the first circles had spent more time engaging in those team bonding activities while the second and third circles spent less time. The fourth circle members spent the three weeks of the program engaging in interfaith dialogues and discussions while taking account of their sons and daughters so a sufficient amount of bonding activities was achieved enough for their children to be friends with one another.
Unlike what many may think of the inability of women religious leaders to be inspiring figures many can look up to in the world or that the role of women as religious leaders itself is doubtful, the Women Circle participants garner positive attention from many local communities, international communities, and National Media.
It is apparent that despite the less time spent on bonding activities such as sightseeing compared to previous circles a shared identity, challenge, and interest as a women religious leaders has impacted the circle members to deem one another as sisters more often than not even in public forums and discussions yet their shared interest in deepening their understanding of each religion and culture through one another compels them into numerous discussions both in public and internal discussions.
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