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The horrific shooting at the mosque in Montreal earlier this year touched many people around the world, including Queen’s University professor Ted Christou (Education).

“The day of the shootings, the event made me think about people practicing their own religion and what an incident like that means to society,” Dr. Christou says. “I wanted to do something impactful, something that made it okay to talk about religion without any fear.”

With a heavy heart, Dr. Christou decided to organize a panel discussion featuring a variety of faiths. In the wake of the tragedy, Dr. Christou approached University Chaplain Kate Johnson about putting together a multi-faith panel and hosting a discussion on religion. The event is being hosted by Dean Rebecca Luce-Kapler and the Faculty of Education.

“We live in a precarious world in which the ideas of hope and faith are not often discussed within our communities, especially with recent global events,” Dr. Christou says. “This evening is important for the public at large and will help us think about our responsibilities as a faculty.”

Included on the panel are:

• Dr. Mohamed M. Bayoumi, a professor emeritus of Electrical Engineering at Queen’s. He is a founding member of the Islamic Society of Kingston and has volunteered as its president. He has been working to build bridges between the Muslim and Kingston communities.
• Rev. Lisa Chisholm-Smith, an ordained Deacon in the Anglican Church of Canada. Ms. Chisholm-Smith recently returned to Kingston and currently serves as campus minister and children and youth minister at St James Anglican Church.
• Laurel Klaus-Johnson, a Mohawk of the Bear clan. As a grandmother on the Katarokwi Grandmothers Council, she assists with the spiritual lives of Indigenous peoples in this territory.
• Gregory Nacu, a professional software developer. He has been practicing Wicca for 20 yearsand helped organize and lead the Pagan community in Kingston from 2001-2010, during which time he led rituals and taught many classes on Wicca.
• Rabbi Karen Soria graduated from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1981. Since then, she has served as a rabbi in the United States, Australia, Canada, and in the Canadian Armed Forces, and has worked as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy.

The discussion will be held in the auditorium at Duncan McArthur Hall on Wednesday, April 19 starting at 5 pm. The evening will begin with opening remarks made by Ms. Johnson, followed by the multi-faith panel, question period, and a reception with light refreshments.

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