On Wednesday March 8th (), the 91社区 Women鈥檚 Alumnae Association will host an听听on the topic of 鈥淲omen, Religion and Peace-making.鈥� The event will be led by Dr. Azza Karam, Secretary General of Religions for Peace, 鈥渢he world's largest and most representative multi-religious coalition鈥� dedicated to addressing 鈥渢he world鈥檚 most pressing issues鈥� via interfaith cooperation. Dr. Karam鈥檚 presentation tackles women鈥檚 role in the peace-making process and international affairs at large. This upcoming discussion sheds light on the critical intersection between faith and gender worldwide.
Women鈥攂oth mythical and historical鈥攑lay a decisive role in the world鈥檚 religious and spiritual traditions. One such figure is Esther, a Jewish heroine whose courage is celebrated during the festival of Purim. In 2023, Purim takes place on March 6-7th and commemorates the Jewish people鈥檚 emancipation from the Persian Empire, as recorded in the Book of Esther*. Esther is a fascinating figure in theological and feminist discourses because of her decisive role in achieving liberation from oppressive forces. During the Achaemenid Empire, a Persian king was searching for a wife. 鈥淓sther, a young Jewish woman from Shushan, was chosen. However, following the advice of her cousin, Mordechai (who raised her after her parents died), Esther did not reveal her Jewish origins to the king.鈥� Meanwhile, the king鈥檚 minister, Haman, continued to persecute the empire鈥檚 Jewish inhabitants. Yet, Mordechai refused to submit himself to Haman鈥檚 tyrannies. 鈥淯pon learning that Mordechai was Jewish, Haman decided to kill all the Jews in the Persian Empire. He plotted to kill them鈥攃onvincing [the king] to go along with the plan鈥攁nd cast purim ("lots," plural of pur), a kind of lottery, to determine the day on which he would carry out his evil deed.鈥� At this critical moment, 鈥淢ordechai alerted Esther to Haman's evil plot, and Esther, in turn, revealed her Jewish identity to the king, convincing him to save the Jews and foiling Haman's plot. The Jews were allowed to fight back against the king鈥檚 soldiers, and triumphed after a fierce battle.鈥�
Esther鈥檚 bravery teaches us about surviving within unjust systems that diminish the role of women and girls. By speaking truth to power, Esther achieved a greater measure of justice for her community. Her example provides women听and听men with an ancient blueprint for opposing oppression and pursuing peace.
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