The Weston/Wayland Interfaith Action Group held its annual Kerwin Lecture at the Josiah Smith Tavern on March 12 with Dr. Mohamed Lazzouni speaking on "The Reality of Islamophobia in American Today: Challenges and Opportunities."

Lazzouni described Islamophobia "as a dread or hatred of Islam or Muslims which has existed for seven centuries in the Western world, but in the past 20 years has become more prevalent in all sections of society." He said that education is a critical component, because when perpetrators become educated they "move mountains" to correct their errors, and when victims become educated, they find the power to forgive.

Excerpts from WESTON TOWN CRIER, (March 20, 2008).

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"Several alumni of Camp IF gathered at the Congregational Church of Weston to talk about this summer camp for Muslims, Jewish and Christian teens. The talk was sponsored by the Weston-Wayland Interfaith Action Group......"One of the things you do is confront your own biases," said one of the teens. "We all recognize that we're friends," said another. "We learn how our faiths connect to each other." Excerpts from BOSTON GLOBE, West edition (April 6, 2006)

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"The Weston-Wayland Interfaith Action group is .... about the sharing of customs and life cycles, and how one lives as a Jew, how one lives as a Muslim, how one lives as a Christian," said Rabbi Neal Gold of Temple Shir Tikva, Wayland, who is looking forward to expanding the temple's interfaith activities." BOSTON SUNDAY GLOBE (Jan. 22, 2006)

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"Weddings are not just procedures and rituals that are faith-based; they are sometimes cultural and intercultural. We thought that sharing these traditions could be a metaphor for interfaith and intercultural appreciation," said a WWIAG co-chair, in announcing presentations about weddings in the group's families." WAYLAND TOWN CRIER (Nov. 3, 2005)

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"The Weston School Committee voted to keep graduation at Weston High School on Friday night .... The question of moving to another day of the week was instigated by the Weston-Wayland Interfaith Action Group (WWIAG) which sent a letter to the committee noting that Friday night graduation conflicts with Jewish Shabbat family observances. The matter was first discussed with WWIAG members at a School Committee meeting. The School Committee Chairwoman said the majority of responses she received on the topic were for keeping the graduation ceremony on Friday night." WESTON TOWN CRIER (Dec. 23, 2004)