Religion

With the atrocities of ISIS in Paris and elsewhere fresh in their memories, Muslims who gathered at a township mosque Nov. 14 were told that they must “build bridges” in their communities. The event was the annual interfaith program at Masjid-e-Ali Mosque to honor the life of Imam Husain Ibn Ali, a 7th Century figure who, with about 70 of his …

A national campaign by black churches against the payday loan industry will kick off Oct. 30 at the 4th annual dFree Financial Freedom Conference at First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens on Route 27. Led by FBCLG senior pastor, the Rev. DeForest Soaries, the campaign will call for a boycott of payday lenders. Payday lenders offer short-term loans at high interest …

The killing of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed’s grandson in the 7th Century was commemorated Oct. 24 at Masjid-e-Ali Mosque on Cedar Grove Lane. Husain Ibn Ai and about 70 of his followers were killed in Karbala, in present-day Iraq, after refusing to pledge allegiance to Yazid I, head of the caliphate at the time. Husain objected to what he considered injustices perpetrated …

Dozens of members from five township churches walked to help fight hunger Oct. 17 in the 42nd annual CROP Walk. Hosted by Somerset Presbyterian Church on John F Kennedy Boulevard, the walk was done by their congregants as well as members of St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church, First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens, Middlebush Reformed Church and Holy Trinity Lutheran …

Muslims from around the region gathered at the Masjid-e-Ali mosque on Cedar Grove Lane Sept. 24 to celebrate their annual Feast of Sacrifice. Known as Eid Al-Adha, the holiday is the second feast holiday in the Islamic calendar, and considered by some to be the most important of all Islamic holidays. The celebration commemorates the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his …

A longtime Somerset resident has been chosen to attend the quadrennial World Zionist Congress in Israel in October. Gary Rosenthal, a resident of the Renaissance at Raritan Valley active adult development, will attend the meeting as one of 25 delegates representing MERCAZ USA, which is the “voice of Conservative Jewry within the World Zionist Organization,” according to its Web site. …

One of the founders of the township’s Masjid-e-Ali mosque will be an invited guest at the Sept. 25 multireligious gathering hosted by Pope Francis at the Sept. 11 Memorial in New York City. Dr. Mansoor Rizvi received an invitation to the event last month from Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, the Archbishop of New York. The event, which is expected to last …

About 1,500 people gathered Sept.13 at the Jain Center of New Jersey to celebrate the most important festival of the year for the religion, and the birthday of one of its most important gods. The festival, Paryushan, is celebrated over eight days, and includes fasting, said Paurav Vora, the president of the center located on Cedar Grove Lane. The celebration …

Several hundred people attended the annual “Interfaith Dialoge and Iftar” July 12 at the Masjid-e-Ali mosque on Cedar Grove Lane. The event is held near the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which is marked by a period of fasting during the day. Iftar is the ending of that fasting with a community meal. Guests who spoke at this …

Several hundred parishioners of St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Forane Catholic Church gathered at their new church on Elizabeth Avenue July 11 to celebrate the building’s consecration. The church has been about 5 1/2 years in the making, said Cyriac Antony, an ex-Trustee. The church is set on about 10 acres and can seat several hundred people. Antony said the parish has …