Hawzah News Agency (Alabama, US)-A Muslim preacher, a rabbi and a Catholic priest will gather on Thursday night, at 7 p.m. at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Hoover for a discussion of the past 50 years of interfaith relations between Christians, Jews and Muslims.
They will talk about Nostra Aetate, Latin for "In Our Times," is a document approved by the Second Vatican Council and promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1965.
The document opened up relations between Catholicism and non-Christian religions.
"It set the stage for better interfaith relations across the board for every denomination of Christianity and with Judaism and Islam," said Temple Emanu-El Rabbi Jonathan Miller. "All of us came to a place where we need to appreciate and respect each other."
More than 350 people have pre-registered for the event, which is open to the public.
"It speaks of a hunger for people to understand each other," Miller said.
Joining Miller and Dunmyer for the discussion will be Sameh Asal, imam of the Hoover Crescent Islamic Center.
Asal's experience in interfaith relations includes spending a month working in residence with Anglican priests in 2006 in Cambridge, England.
"We're honoring a historical document aimed at bringing together and recognizing Islam and Judaism after centuries of fights," Asal said. "These days we're trying to build on these positive initiatives."
Asal said. "Hopefully it is a start of interfaith efforts to bring people together. It's important that we understand each other and show mutual respect to our faiths."