Arab-American magazine bridges East & West

by Elaine Klaassen

    I am reading an Arab-American literary publication called MIZNA. In an issue published at the beginning of the year 2000, Steven Salaita, born in West Virginia to a Jordanian father, writes about the day the government building in Oklahoma was bombed. “I recall with an almost unbearable guilt, for instance, that when hearing about the Oklahoma City bombing, my first thought was, ‘Please, for the grace of God, don’t let an Arab be responsible for this.’”
    (And it wasn’t. It was a white guy from Kansas. Did everybody get scared after that every time they stepped into an elevator full of white people? Did they think, “Maybe there’s a Timothy McVeigh in here?”)
    To be Arab American is not the same as being Arab or being American. The stories of the unique Arab-American experience are spun out and set down in the pages of MIZNA, which has been published in Minneapolis three times a year since 1999. Poetry, short stories and essays are by writers of Arab descent born in the United States, writers born in Arab countries who now have U.S. citizenship, writers born in Arab countries who come to live here for extended stays, and writers who have consciously decided to join the Arab world such as converts to Islam or activists for justice in Palestine and Iraq. Not all of them know the Arabic language, some are Christian, some are Muslim. Countries of origin or influence represented are Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, India, Syria, Palestine, Pakistan, Jordan and Morocco. They reflect an enormous variety of knowledge.
    For Americans of all kinds who want to get closer to the complexity of the Arab world, MIZNA is a good place to start. For Arab Americans who struggle to balance the East and the West within themselves, MIZNA is an ideal forum. One of the salient themes presented is identity—the question of how and where an Arab American will belong. Susan Bassam Muaddi describes her solo visit to Palestine, the land of her parents, in 1998: “So my story is neither that of a ‘lost Arab American’ discovering her roots nor of an uncaring Arab embracing her history and the legacy of her people. That would be a far too simple tale. Mine is one of a Palestinian American finally understanding what ‘exile’ means and discovering whether or not Palestine would ever accept her.”
    Stories about being accepted in the United States are by far more frequent in MIZNA entries. In “The First Memory: A Bluefield Boyhood,” Steven Salaita describes the prejudice he experienced because he looked different and he brought grape leaves for lunch instead of bologna sandwiches. Alia Yunis’ desire to fit in is recreated in a very funny story, “A Minnesota Christmas,” in which she longs for processed packaged foods and tries to convince her parents to buy into a commercial Christmas. While her mother doesn’t approve, she also defends her daughter’s desires. “It’s this overindulged, materialistic society we live in. I don’t want her to feel like she’s not a part of it.” The most scathing indictments of prejudice in its most subtle forms—what it feels like to be on the receiving end—are by Nahid Khan, “I Speak English, Therefore I Am,” and “To Be a Muslim in Minnesota.”
    Since Sept. 11, to be Arab American—or an Arab in America—is unsettling, to say the least. Kathryn Haddad, executive director of MIZNA, who teaches nonwestern literature at John F. Kennedy high school in Bloomington, said an Arab friend of hers wondered why he had to preface everything he said with a comment about the travesty and tragedy of the World Trade Center. It should go without saying that every decent human being considers it a travesty and a tragedy.
    Haddad said there is fear among Arab Americans. Not only are Arab Americans vulnerable, but anyone who even looks Arab is vulnerable. She has noticed that an Asian Muslim woman whom she has seen walking to and from the bus for several years has removed the scarf that identifies her as a Muslim. There is fear all around. Haddad knew of two instances where the widespread fear of Arab terrorists was translated into violence. An Arab friend of hers said a longtime co-worker told him, “Shut up you dirty Arab,” when he offered a suggestion in a problem-solving session at work.
    More seriously violent was the shooting death in Arizona of an Indian Sikh who was wearing a turban and taken to be an Arab. There have been reports throughout the country of attacks against Indian Sikhs who stand out because of their traditional turbans and beards.
    Although Haddad is an American born U.S. citizen, she said she feels like the flag-flying means “they want to go to war and we are the number one target here.”
    Haddad has been to Palestine twice (where she studied Arabic), to Egypt once and, finally, just this past summer, to her father’s homeland, Lebanon, where he lived through the civil war as he was growing up. She was surprised by how emotional the trip was.     She maintains strong ties to family in Lebanon and to friends in Palestine. Occasional phone calls from Palestine give her cause for thankfulness. “Oh good, that person’s still alive.”
    Haddad is a playwright and essayist who has won numerous grants and awards. Her short story published in MIZNA, “Kathreen Beiruti,” portrays an Arab American teenage girl imagining what her life would be like as a Lebanese girl.
    Besides identity, suffering and familial tenderness are strong themes in the MIZNA writings. For example, a poem, “Coming to the city,” by Mohja Kahf is quietly tragic. Sidi Cherkawi Benzahra, a doctoral candidate in nuclear physics from Morocco who writes for fun, presents two stories, peculiar, funny tributes to an amazing mother, “Death of a Witch” and “Of Turkey and Chicken.”
    MIZNA was incorporated in 1998. Before that, Haddad was president of the Minnesota American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee. One of her jobs was to put out a newsletter of events. People started writing literary pieces for it and the newsletter got longer and longer. The national office always wanted to review it before it went to press but the Minnesota ADC didn’t want the intrusion. So they started a literary magazine. It is the only magazine of its kind in the United States. Its supporters are political activists, scholars, literature lovers, people of color and religious people such as priests and unitarians.
    Lisa Adwan, editor of MIZNA, is an Italian American who adopted the Arab world as her own a long time ago. As a college French major in the early ‘90s, she spent a year in Paris where there is a huge Arab population. She is now head over heels in love with the Arab world and, as editor of MIZNA, wants other people to feel the same way. She wants people to know about the things she values in Arab culture: hospitality, sincerity, frankness and passion. Her essays in MIZNA have been about her two trips to Iraq: “Iraq’s Agony, My Shame” and “Abu Hassan.”
    I first met Lisa at the beginning of the year 2000 when I wrote in Southside Pride about the weekly vigil for Iraq held on the Lake Street Bridge. The striking part of the story that stays with me is the message she brought back from the Iraqi people. They expressed faith that once the American people knew what was happening to them (because of U.S. and U.K. sanctions), things would change. People begged her, “Please tell my story to the American people.”
    Lisa would like to see the events of Sept. 11 “seized as an opportunity to discuss America’s foreign policy in the Middle East,” a discussion she has pushed the U.S. to have for years.
    Her husband Jehad Adwan, a Palestinian Ph.D. nursing student with a Fulbright scholarship to the U of M ., said, “With this wave of patriotism, will anyone listen? The Congress and population say they’ll stand behind whatever the president does.”
    Jehad and Lisa have personally experienced no backlash since Sept. 11. They attribute it to the fact that they both move within an academic setting which, in general, is more open-minded.
    Jehad obviously loves his culture very much. He displays a Palestinian flag in the living room and recalls the Palestine of yesteryear “when Palestine was the home of all nations, religions and races—when no one claimed ownership.”
    He also loves the Arabic language and has learned to write five beautiful, distinct styles of Arabic calligraphy. The thought struck me, as he graciously explained the meaning of his name, “for the one hundred thousandth time,” that the intricacies of the letters in the alphabet match the intricacies of thought and feeling in the language.
    Jehad said he chose to spell his name in English with an e instead of an i. Most Westerners are familiar with the word “jihad” which we translate as “holy war.” It’s not that simple.
    “The root of the word means to strive or to do a sincere effort. It can refer to many things such as to win a game, pass an exam, be away from your family improving yourself, fight the enemy, defend your country, prepare to serve people, look after and provide for your children, be closer to God or fight the evil in yourself. Mohammed said the major jihad after coming home from battle was the battle against evil in oneself. It’s not a crusade. Muslims abhor the word ‘crusade.’ They still remember the 70,000 Muslims massacred in a mosque in Jerusalem during the Middle Ages.”
    Jehad, who created and maintains MIZNA’s Web site, also elaborated on the word “mizna,” translated as “cloud of the desert.”      “When desert caravans went out for a month at a time, a cloud provided a kind of refuge, shade, and once in awhile, rain. Any little bit of cloud was a big blessing. The magazine is a refuge for Arabs—to get some of that special bounty.”

The next issue of MIZNA is scheduled to come out at the end of October. To reach MIZNA call 612-706-6125 or e-mail Mizna@mizna.org. The Web site address is http://www.mizna.org .

What to do with tragedy?    
As a person living in the United States of America, I now have a taste of what I felt temporarily when I wrote a story about Chiapas, the southern Mexican state where a low grade war is being waged upon indigenous people and where a group of peaceful worshipers was massacred in 1997. After imagining and realizing what daily life was like for the indigenous population of Chiapas, I wondered how they could bear to be there day after day, week after week with truly no escape. It seemed unbearable. And I know there are many places in the world like that. (When someone loses a family member in those places, everyone is half-prepared for it and somewhat expecting it. People live in fear. Until Sept. 11, we didn't know first hand what that kind of fear might be like. )
    In the days following Sept. 11, prayer services were held throughout the country. Everywhere the spiritual community is looking for ways to build, not destroy. A beautiful prayer, "I choose to anchor the peace of God in my heart," was used in one South Minneapolis service followed by the baptism of a young man, a new beginning. In another congregation, the priest invited an imam, a Muslim spiritual leader, to speak and share coffee and doughnuts on Nov. 25. When the imam said no to the coffee hour because he would be fasting during Ramadan, the priest said the parish would join him in the fast.
    The well-known Vietnamese Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh fasted from Sept. 21 - 30 and invited his friends and disciples to join him. He traveled to New York City to deliver a peace message on Sept. 27.
    Part of his initial message following the tragedy read as follows:
" ...By understanding the nature and the causes of the suffering, we will then know the right path to follow.
    The violence and hatred we presently face has been created by misunderstanding, injustice, discrimination, and despair. We are all co-responsible for the making of violence and despair in the world by our way of living, of consuming and of handling the problems of the world. Understanding why this violence has been created, we will then know what to do and what not to do in order to decrease the level of violence in ourselves and in the world, to create and foster understanding, reconciliation and forgiveness . . ."

by Elaine Klaassen

PHILLIPS
POWDERHORN

Urban Arts Academy Opens Oct. 9
A community center for the arts with an unmistakably urban style will open for the 2001-2002 school year on Tue., Oct. 9, at Calvary Lutheran Church, 39th and Chicago. The Urban Arts Academy was born two years ago when jazz musician Dick Pendleton died and left $2 million of his estate to his church. After much prayer and deliberation, taking into consideration Pendleton's love for music, youth and his community, it was decided to put the money into the Crossroads Foundation, an endowment fund that will support, among other things, the Urban Arts Academy. The Academy is a separately incorporated organization dedicated to serving all persons of all faiths interested in the arts. Although eventually the dream is to make the Academy open to all ages, the program this year will be open to youth in grades 1 – 12.
    The newly hired director is Dee Henry Williams whose credentials are in the arts, public relations and grantmaking.
    Numerous artists and arts educators have agreed to work with the Academy during its first year. This fall, middle and senior high age youth are offered the following classes: Breakdance and Modern Dance with Kaori Kenmotsu and Damian Day; Mixed Media with Usry Alleyne; Theater with Emiliano Silva; Spoken Word with Mankwe Ndosi. The elementary age program will include Choir with Bea Speed Hasselman; Global Percussion and Hand Drums with Kari Kjome; and a visual arts group with an artist yet to be named. Programming will be offered as an Area Learning Center in collaboration with the Minneapolis Public Schools, with tutoring/mentoring assistance.
Over the past year, the Urban Arts Academy has become a strongly grounded community collaborative working together with Bancroft Elementary, Folwell Middle and El Colegio Charter High School and arts partners SASE: the Write Place and the Metropolitan Boys and Girls Choirs.
    The Academy program will run three days a week: Tue. through Thu., from 1:30 – 5 p.m. Space is limited. Anyone interested in enrolling or becoming involved as an artist or volunteer tutor or in any other supportive way, call Stacy at 612-827-2504.

Active Parenting Classes
Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church, 4120 17th Ave. S., has scheduled six video-based parent classes beginning Sat, Oct. 6, 9:30-11 a.m. Parents of children ages 4-12 will find these classes helpful. Free child care is provided. Call 612-724-3693 to register.

Fall Festival and Raffle
Church of the Holy Name, 3637 11th Ave. S., is planning a fall festival for Sun., Oct. 14. There will a Gospel Mass at 11 a.m. From 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. booths will be open featuring crafts, white elephant, haunted house, pumpkin patch, food, beer garden, kiddie activities. A roast beef dinner will be served from 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Bingo is from noon until 4 p.m. and the silent auction closes at 3:30 p.m. A drawing for the $1000 grand prize will be held at 4:30. Raffle tickets are $2.

Free Community Meal
Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, 3701 14th Ave. S., is starting a free community meal to be held at 5:30 p.m. the fourth Thursday of the month. Everyone is welcome. For more information call 612-824-9768.

Free Senior Lunch
The third Tuesday of each month senior citizens are invited to a luncheon at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, Cedar Ave. and 41st St. The luncheons begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall (lower level). Following the meal there will be a short program of music and/or topics of interest and help to seniors. The parish nurse is available for blood pressure checks and consultation. A donation is optional, but first time attenders are always guests. For more information or for a ride, call the church office at 612-72200157.The next luncheon is Oct. 16.

Food and Clothing
Salem Evangelical Free Church, 3101 14th Ave. S., invites the neighbors to EAT (Eating All Together) on Wednesday evenings at 5:30 p.m. An optional Bible study follows at 7 p.m.
    Beginning Sept. 4, the Clothes Closet will be open every Tuesday, 10 a.m. until noon. Low-cost clothing and bedding will be available.

Free Legal Clinic and Free Lunch
On the first Saturday of every month, Mount Olive Lutheran Church, 3045 Chicago Ave. S., hosts the Chicago Lake Legal Clinic at 10 a.m. followed by a free community meal. The free clinic offers assistance with landlord/tenant, domestic, immigration and other problems.

Donate Vehicles to New Hope Center
New Hope Center, 2739 Cedar Ave. S., a successful ministry for people suffering from chemical addiction, is looking for used cars or trucks in order to help a recent graduate get a good job or to help New Hope residents get to medical and other appointments. A generous tax deduction may be gained by donating a used vehicle. Contact Will or Lyn at 612-721-9415.
    Call Vickie at the same number for information about New Hope's 75th Anniversary Celebration and banquet to be held Fri., Oct. 26, 6:30 p.m. at North Heights Lutheran Church in Arden Hills.

Rummage Sale
    Lebanon Lutheran Church, 2014 E. 36th St., is having a rummage sale Thu., Oct. 4, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Fri., Oct. 5 (bag day), 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Call 612-729-7356 for more information.

CoAM Life Enrichment Series
The Cooperative Adult Ministry's (CoAM) fall Life Enrichment series opens Oct. 1 and runs for eight consecutive Mondays. Programs, covering a wide variety of subjects such as national issues, health topics and world faiths, start at 9:30 and 10:45 a.m. at Bethel Lutheran Church, 4120 17th Ave. S. The cost for all programs is $30 at the door. Single day fee is $5. Call 612-721-5786 for more information.


NOKOMIS

Spiritual Discovery at St. Joan of Arc
St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 4537 3rd Ave. S., hosts a series of eco-spirituality meetings, a four-session spiritual journaling workshop and weekly hatha (restorative) yoga classes. A discussion on Matthew Fox's book, "Original Blessing," will be held 7 – 9 p.m., Wednesdays, Oct. 3 – Nov. 28 (skipping Halloween night). FFI/registration call Katie at 651-639-6209, x 3565.
    Leonard Lang will facilitate a 4-session workshop, "Exploring Your Path: Journaling for Spiritual Insight," Wednesdays, Oct. 3, 10, 17 & 24. The cost is $40.
Hatha yoga classes are held Tuesday evenings from 7 – 8 p.m. in the church. All abilities are welcomed. Each class is $10 or 6 classes for $50. FFI/registration call Chris at 612-866-4731.

MOPS Brunch (Mothers of PreSchoolers)
Mothers looking for encouragement, fun and friendship are invited to get together at MOPS meetings held at Crosstown Covenant Church, 5540 30th Ave. S., 9:15 – 11:30 a.m., the first and third Fridays of each month during the school year. Participants will take part in small group discussion, creative activities and instruction relating to womanhood, marriage, children and the home from a Biblical perspective. The cost per meeting is $3. Childcare is provided for children ages 5 and under. For more information, call the church office at 612-724-3601.

Mount Zion Youth
Mount Zion Lutheran Church, 5645 Chicago Ave. S., has organized Jesus Company, formerly called Good News Bearers, for children in grades 3 through 6, 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. For more information about the exciting things to do after homework, call Terry and staff at 612-824-1882.

Wednesday Suppers
Asbury United Methodist Church, 4501 Bloomington Ave. S., serves free community suppers on Wednesdays at 5:45 p.m. right before evening activities at 6:30. FFI call the church at 612-721-5025.

Self-Help/12-Step Groups
Minnehaha United Methodist Church, 3701 E. 50th St., hosts Alcoholics Anonymous meetings Fridays at 7 p.m.; Overeaters Anonymous meetings Mondays at 10 a.m.; Adult Children of Sexually Dysfunctional Families meetings Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.; Al-Anon, Mondays at 5:30 p.m.; Women's Cocaine Anonymous, Tuesdays at 7 p.m.; and Recovering Couples Anonymous (childcare provided), Mondays at 6:30 p.m. FFI call 721-6231.

Asbury United Methodist Church, 4501 Bloomington Ave. S., holds Cocaine Anonymous meetings in the church parlor on Wednesdays from 7:30 – 9 p.m.

MinneHarvest
Minnehaha United Methodist Church, 3701 E. 50th St., offers a MinneHarvest of free groceries—surplus perishables such as produce and breads—the fourth Sat. of each month, 9 – 10:30 a.m.


RIVERSIDE

Twin Cities Religion and Labor Network
The Twin Cities Religion and Labor Network is committed to promoting dialogue and encouraging cooperative action between religious communities and organized labor for the promotion of social and economic justice. A dialogue will be held Wed., Oct. 17, 10 - 11:30 a.m. at Minnehaha United Church of Christ, 4001 38th Ave. S. Call 612-729-7556 for more information.

First Century Judaism and Christianity
A three-part seminar, open to the public, will be offered from 10:30 a.m. – 12 noon on Sundays, Oct. 28, Nov. 4 and Nov. 11 at Temple of Aaron, 616 S. Mississippi River Blvd., St. Paul.
    Dr. Steven Derfler, director of Educational Resources, Inc., will discuss Judaism of the first centuries and the ministry of Jesus on Oct. 28. The discussion on Nov. 4 will focus on the revolt of 66 CE and the destruction of the second temple in 70 CE. The final session will discuss Constantine and the 4th century. The total cost for nonmembers is $25. FFI call 651-698-8874.

Health Education
Ebenezer Fellowship Seventh Day Adventist Church, 3418 E. Lake St., invites the neighborhood to its annual health and career week. On Sat., Oct. 6, 3 – 5:30 p.m., a representative from the Minnesota Health Department will give a presentation on STD/HIV/AIDS and its impact upon the community. On Sat., Oct. 13, 3 – 5:30 p.m. a "health career day" will be presented. Call 612-722-1890 for more information.

A World According to God
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 2730 E. 31st St., will hold its fall symposium on Thu. & Fri., Oct. 11 – 12. Dr. Martha Ellen Stortz, professor of historical theology and ethics at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkley, will be the speaker. On Thu. evening, dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. followed by a presentation, "Discerning the Spirits: Christian Practices and the Moral Life." Friday's presentations are: "The Disciplines of Discipleship: Meeting Peter Again for the First Time" at 9 a.m. and "The Gifts of God for the People of God: Giving as a Mark of Discipleship" at 10:30 a.m. Call the church office at 612-729-8358 for registration materials.

Special Worship Services
Minnehaha United Church of Christ, 4001 38th Ave. S., will join with Christian congregations throughout the world in celebrating World Wide Communion Sunday, Oct. 7, 10:30 a.m. Global music will be highlighted along with remarks from the refugee family from Sierra Leone that Minnehaha UCC has sponsored.
    On Sun., Oct. 21 at 10:30 a.m., the congregation will join the 9th annual National Observance of Children's Sabbath. Thousands of Jewish, Christian and Muslim congregations across the nation will unite in a common witness for children and their families.
On Sun., Oct. 28 at 10:30 a.m., All Saint's Day will be celebrated. The service will include an opportunity to light a candle and celebrate the life of anyone who has died.

Sunday Gatherings at St. Albert's
St. Albert The Great Catholic Church, E. 29th St. and 33rd Ave. S., invites the community to "Weave the Magic, Spin the Tale: The Art and Joy of Storytelling" by storyteller Julie Goldstein after 9 a.m. mass on Sundays Oct. 7 and Nov. 4.
    On Sun., Oct. 21, after 9 a.m. mass, former Jesuit Stephen L. Daniel, M. Div., Ph.D., will discuss men's spirituality.

Children at Temple of Aaron
Temple of Aaron Synagogue, 616 S. Mississippi River Blvd., St. Paul, will hold "Kids in Shul," a fun, monthly Sabbath program for children in pre-kindergarten through 4th grade, from 9 – 11:30 a.m., Sat., Oct. 13. An informal special Young Family Sabbath service will take place from 7 – 7:30 p.m., Fri., Oct. 26. Families are invited to bring children from infancy to age seven for Torah stories, songs, dancing, cookies and birthday celebrations for October. The Sabbath service follows at 8 p.m. Babysitting is available at no charge.

October Sale & November Dinner
Minnehaha Communion Lutheran Church, 4101 37th Ave. S., is planning a rummage sale for Sat., Oct. 6, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Bag time is from noon until 1. Sloppy joes will be served.
    On Sat., Nov. 3, the church will hold a lutefisk and meatball dinner. Seatings will be at 4, 5:15 and 6:30 p.m. and reservations are needed. The cost is $12. Call 612-722-9527.
Halloween Party
The community is invited to an intergenerational Halloween Party at Minnehaha United Church of Christ, 4001 38th Ave. S., from 6 – 9 p.m., Fri., Oct. 26. Everyone is encouraged to wear a costume and bring a food staple for the Minnehaha Food Pantry.

Senior Cards and Aerobics
St. Albert the Great Catholic Church, E. 29th St. and 33rd Ave. S., offers aerobics and conditioning for seniors ($2.50 per session) at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays in the Social Hall.
    Senior card parties (the game is usually 500) are held the first and third Tuesdays of the month from noon to 3 p.m.

Tutoring and Youth Activities
Ebenezer Fellowship Seventh Day Adventist Church, 3418 E. Lake St., offers tutoring by trained teachers every Wed. from 6 – 7 p.m. for students in elementary and middle schools.
    On Saturdays, the youth ministry offers a place for youth to participate and feel good about themselves. Call 612-722-1890 for more information.

Simple Living
Minnehaha United Church of Christ, 4001 38th Ave. S., hosts a simple-living group to celebrate and support one another in living more simply, frugally and in harmony with creation. Meetings are the first Wed. of the month at 7 p.m. Call the church at 612-729-7556 for more details.

METRO AREA

Jewish Mind and Body Series
"Rashi and Racquetball" is the second program of the St. Paul JCC's new Jewish mind and body series and takes place from 10 a.m. – 12 noon, Sun., Oct. 21 at the JCC, 1375 St. Paul Ave. Participants will learn about the commentator Rashi and why his teachings are still a force in Talmudic studies today. The class will be followed by racquetball on the JCC courts. The cost is $8 for nonmembers.

The Great Sukkah Fair
The St. Paul JCC, 1375 St. Paul Ave., together with Merkos Chabad Lubavitch will once again sponsor an afternoon of fun and food at "The Great Sukkah Fair," 1 - 6 p.m., Sun., Oct. 7. Admission is free and open to the public. Call 651-698-0751 for more details.

Humanistic Jews of Minnesota
Congregation Or Emet is a member-led congregation of secular Jews and interfaith families which meets two Fridays a month at the Minneapolis Jewish Community Center, 4330 S. Cedar Lake Road, and one Sunday morning a month at Hillel House, 1521 University Ave. SE. It offers classes in Jewish history, culture and social justice issues. The congregation is affiliated with the National Society for Humanistic Judaism. FFI call Jane at 763-546-4225 or Evelyn at 952-377-3736.

Taize Gatherings
The University Episcopal Center, 317 17th Ave. SE, meets the third Thursday each month at 7:30 p.m. for Taize singing and prayers. Regular Friday night Taize services are held the first Friday of the month, 8 p.m., in the chapel of St. Stephen's Church, 50th and Wooddale, Edina. Mayflower Congregational Church, 35W and Diamond Lake Road, meets the third Sunday each month at 7 p.m.
    Special Taize prayer services will be held at 10 a.m., Thu., Oct. 18, at Luther Seminary, the Chapel of the Incarnation and at 7:30 p.m., Fri., Oct. 19, "Taize Prayer Around the Cross," Basilica of St. Mary, Mother Teresa Hall.
    For more information about the Taize Pilgrimage in Minnesota, consult www.gustavus.edu and click on Taize 2001 in the Upcoming Events box.

Peace Vigil
Every Wednesday, a nonviolent silent witness for peace in Iraq meets at the St. Paul side of the Lake Street & Marshall Avenue Bridge in St. Paul from 5 – 6 p.m. FFI call Friends for a Non-violent World at 651-917-0383.

Women-in-Black
A peace vigil, part of a larger movement throughout the United States, Europe and elsewhere, calling for the end of Israel's occupation of Palestinian land, is held every Friday at Summit & Snelling Avenues in St. Paul from 5 – 6 p.m.

Compiled by Elaine Klaassen