SWIFT forum focuses on women’s key role in religion

Originally Published:  March 30, 2014

The SouthWest InterFaith Team hosted a speaker’s forum on March 23 at The Prayer Center of Orland Park, 16550 104th Ave., entitled “Women Who Shaped Our Faith,” with an all-female panel providing Christian, Muslim and Jewish perspectives.

The SWIFT forums are held twice a year and are well-attended by people of multiple religious denominations. Admission is free, however donations are organized for charity. At this conference, 165 attendees provided 30 boxes of gently used clothing for Respond Now, a Chicago Heights-based charity that provides food, shelter and other assistance to needy families.

After welcoming remarks, n opening prayer and introductions, Professor Rachel Havrelock presented the Jewish perspective. An associate professor of Jewish Studies and English at the University of Illinois at Chicago, she trained in Hebrew Bible, Rabbinic Folklore and Middle East Studies at the University of California at Berkeley. Her work on gender and the Bible led to an introduction of the idea of a female hero, based on the Hebrew Bible.

Havrelock spoke about Women and the Covenant, detailing a covenant that binds Jews to God and cannot be broken, and explaining that the women’s part of the covenant is that it must be passed on, and man cannot produce his own descendants.

Next, she explained Prophecy — usually male, however the oldest piece of prophecy was in the form of a poem, The Song of Deborah — and also of Miriam, who is often associated with Moses, her brother.

Lastly, she discussed the Book of Ruth and told the story of this amazing woman, who, after losing her husband, united with her mother-in-law, Naomi, married again, bore a son and reclaimed the land.

I’m only touching on the points covered by the speakers, but they were such inspirational women and told stories of other inspirational women.

The Rev. Shana Johnson, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, provided the Christian perspective. A pastor for almost 20 years, she is senior pastor of Peace Memorial Church in Palos Park.

Johnson completed her undergraduate work at Greenville College, a Christian college in downstate Greenville, as the first woman in their pastoral ministry program. She also was the first woman at the college to receive the Wilson King Award, which is given to the student who best typifies the traits of Christian concern, intellectual curiosity and outstanding achievement.

Johnson explained that Jesus accepted women to be disciples and often had them in his ministry. She dovetailed The Book of Ruth and said Jesus had many strong, bold women in his lineage.

She shared the story of Mary and Martha, two sisters who also help fund his ministry. Martha was busy preparing food, while Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet. Johnson explained that “sitting at Jesus’ feet” actually meant she was learning from him. She also reminded the audience of the many women who were present at the Resurrection.

Chaplain Tahera Ahmad shared the Muslim perspective. From Morton Grove, she attended Niles West High School and studied classical and traditional Islamic Sciences in the Alimiyah/Shariah program at the Institute of Islamic Education. She also pursued graduate studies in Arabic at Al-Diwan and Al-Azhar in Cairo, Egypt.

Ahmad told of how after attending a private Muslim school, she persuaded her parents to allow her to attend a public high school. She joked about being called “Ninja girl” while wearing her hijab, which wasn’t a big deal, until 9/11.

At that time, a Niles West teacher, seeming to want to help, told her that she could count on him for any support she may need and asked if she was being mistreated at home (she wasn’t). During that same time, after having played basketball for more than three years in high school, a referee cited her for a uniform violation, even though the high school had obtained permission for her to wear her head covering.

Ahmad decided to research social justice and bring to light some of the common misconceptions that many Americans, and the media, have about Islam. Quickly listing the most common — arranged marriages, denying education or equality to women — Ahmad provided citations from the Quran in debunking these inaccuracies.

Ahmad’s work on social justice and her various leadership roles in the Muslim and interfaith communities were recognized recently when she was honored at the White House by President Obama as a leading Muslim woman during Women’s History Month.

For more information on SWIFT and its upcoming activities, please visit and “like” its page on Facebook (search for SWIFT South West Interfaith Team) or visit its website at www.swiftinterfaith.org. For more information on Respond Now, visit its website at www.respondnow.org.