Faith, Conversation and Coffee At Islamic Society of Central Jersey

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ - The South Brunswick Human Relations Commission presented their second of a series of events titled, “Faith, Conversation and Coffee” this past Tuesday, April 25 at the Islamic Society of Central Jersey in Monmouth Junction. Despite the dreary weather, several dozen people of diverse faiths from South Brunswick, surrounding towns of Princeton, Franklin, North Brunswick, East Brunswick and from towns as far away as Asbury Park all came together to gain some insight into the Islamic faith. The following was submitted by Azra Baig, Chairwoman of the South Brunswick Human Relations Commission:

Baig started the evening’s program by stating the goals of the South Brunswick Human Relations Commission and the purpose of the “Faith, Conversation and Coffee” event.

"These series of events provide community members the opportunity to learn, explore, interact and build bridges of peace and understanding among our diverse community," Baig said. Dr. Heba Elkhateeb, a professor at Rutgers University and a member at the mosque, presented an insightful and engaging presentation on the basics of Islam and what Muslims believe in.

“Islam, which means the attainment of peace through loving submission to the will of God, is a religion of nature and works with the human nature," said Dr. Elkhateeb. She covered numerous topics such as the oneness of God, who is a Muslim, the prophets, the scriptures, fasting and charity and pointed out the many similarities on these topics among the various faith traditions.

She said, "Muslims believe, by historical evidence, the Quran is the last testament, an affirmation and restoration of God’s eternal message to humanity and previous revelations, including the Old and New Testament.”

The attendees were able to listen to the call to prayer or “Adhan” in Arabic, and were provided with it’s translation and explanation. The attendees were then lead into the main prayer area and were able to observe the Muslim congregates perform the evening prayer. The prayer service was lead by ISCJ’s religious leader, Imam Hamad Chebli, who also addressed the event’s attendees and thanked everyone for coming. During the event, the attendees were given the opportunity to converse with one another, to ask questions and were able to enjoy coffee and a variety of desserts.

The next South Brunswick Human Relations Commission “Faith, Conversation and Coffee” event will be held at Congregation B’nai Tikvah on Wednesday, May 10, 2017 located at 1001 Finnegans Lane in North Brunswick from 7-8 p.m. Members of the South Brunswick Human Relations Commission include, Azra Baig, Chairwoman, Jodi Marcou, Vice Chairwoman, Bharat Patel, Angelo Zecca, Mitch Frumkin, Richard Britton, Anil Patel, Reverend Valerie Balling and Councilman Ken Bierman.