Samir Selmanovic, pastor of Church of the Advent Hope in New York City, was among those honored at a special recognition dinner held on September 9th by the group Muslims Against Terrorism (MAT). MAT co-founder and director of Interfaith Outreach, Yasemin Saib, praised Selmanovic for his role in supporting the group's efforts to fight terrorism. "Pastor Selmanovic's kindness, his genuine love and care for all humankind has made him a role model for what a spiritual leader should be," said Saib. "He has been a true blessing to our organization."

MAT was founded after the September 11th terrorist attacks, by a group of young Muslim-American professionals who wanted to take action to prevent future terrorism. According to MAT's website (matusa.org), the group's mission is "to stand against those who preach violence and hatred in the name of Islam and to promote peace and understanding through interfaith and intercultural coalition building." MAT reasons that much of the violence between Muslims and non-Muslims is predicated on a fundamental misunderstanding of Islam. MAT works to defuse violence by educating both Muslims and non-Muslims about Islam's message.

The relationship between MAT and Church of the Advent Hope evolved in the turmoil of the post-9/11 environment in New York City. Like the young people who began Muslims Against Terrorism, the members of Advent Hope actively sought ways to repair an emotionally battered community. Pastor Selmanovic held grief counseling sessions every evening at the church. Church members organized a benefit concert, with all proceeds going to the families of nine firefighters from the local fire station that had been killed on September 11th. Several of the community members who came for counseling even performed in the concert. But Advent Hope's most daring response to September 11th was the idea to host an interfaith discussion between Christians and Muslims at the peak of anxieties and hostilities between the groups in the city.

"The purpose was to learn and experience the best of the other," Selmanovic said. "Misunderstanding and violence are less likely to occur in an atmosphere that fosters respect. We needed to hear one another's point of view, try hard to understand the other side."

To that end, Selmanovic and volunteer church members organized a weekend of activities in November, 2001, that focused on building an understanding of Islam. Dr. Jerald Whitehouse, founder and director of the Global Center for Adventist-Muslim Relations, based in California, spoke at Advent Hope's Friday evening vespers and Sabbath worship service. On Monday evening there was a panel discussion, open to the community, featuring Whitehouse, the imams of two local mosques, and Saib from MAT.

The decision to invite Islamic leaders to speak at Advent Hope was not without controversy. In the climate of fear bordering on hysteria that pervaded America after September 11th, Arabs and Muslims were viewed with an attitude of distrust and suspicion. Several members of Advent Hope and local community approached Selmanovic and strongly advised him not to hold the event.

"That made me quite nervous," Selmanovic recalled. "But I also felt that if church needs to take a countercultural role, it will probably feel nervous about it. The fear was palpable. I knew that opening a respectful dialogue could calm anxieties and ultimately help the city. I also thought, 'How can we even start to cope with our own prejudices unless we listen to voices besides our own?'"

The interfaith discussion was conceived and organized by two people. Hordosch had read about MAT in the New York Times, and he contacted the group to invite a spokesperson to Advent Hope. Saib agreed to come and recommended they also invite Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf from a mosque near the site of the World Trade Center. The other imam invited was Omar Abu Namous, representing the 96th street mosque near Advent Hope, the largest mosque in the State. Approximately 100 people attended the event; about 80 were not from Advent Hope.

Barber served as moderator at the event, posing a series of questions for the three guests to discuss. Afterwards, audience members were invited to ask questions of the panel. Lastly, Dr. Whitehouse made some comments about how to bridge the gap between the Christian and Muslim faiths.

"People wanted to try to understand a faith they had been exposed to via the media," said Barber. "But they were skeptical of the media and looking for clarity. They came to the discussion hoping to hear moderate Muslim voices speaking out."

Hordosch encourages other Christians to build interfaith bridges as well. "The religious community has so much potential for doing good," she said. "But it also has the potential to hurt and incite people. That's how faith and religion get a bad name. We have a responsibility to learn about what others believe and why, because ours is not the only way of seeing."

Robert Darken is a reporter for The New York Times.