Campus interfaith religious group holds commemoration

Saturday was not one of the days that fade quietly into memory. It was the third anniversary of Sept. 11, a day that brought a frightening moment of national clarity that few can forget.\nTo mark the occasion, a local Baha'i group planned an interfaith commemoration. Baha'i's place importance on uniting religions. Dan Enslow, a member of this group, wanted to place reflections of 9-11 into a larger context.\n"We wanted people to share their frustrations, reveal what they have learned in the last three years, and talk about how to build a better future," Enslow said. "We are all facing a great spiritual and mental challenge, so all faiths must band together."\nThe event, scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m., in Dunn Meadow, started 30 minutes late to allow time for more people to come. About 10 people showed up, mostly from the Baha'i group. They talked in a small group while three women played Frisbee in the grass. In spite of the low turnout, the people were dedicated to making the commemoration work. Jane Jensen, a member of the Baha'i group had attended the commemoration last year.\n"I came this year because I wanted to support this activity," she said. "We want to bring peace to the world and that no harm will come to others."\nAt 7:05 p.m., the group gathered around two blankets in the grass. One woman played guitar, and participants sang a Baha'i song while IU grad student Gregory Maytan and Bloomington High School South student Natasha Komoda spoke into microphones, beckoning others walking by to join in. Bruce Bundy, a Baha'i member observed the scene.\n"It is funny how Baha'i's are a small minority in Bloomington, but they have the largest representation here," Bundy said.\nPeople at the commemoration had different theories as to why attendance was drastically lower than previous 9-11 commemorations. Some thought that because it fell on a Saturday this year, people either had weekend plans or that it conflicted with other religious observances. Jensen mentioned that the group began planning the event last Wednesday, which did not leave a lot of time for publicity. Dean of Students Richard McKaig, who attended the event with wife Maribeth, felt the amount of time since the tragedy in New York and Washington, D.C., was a factor in the low turnout.\n"As the years pass, the intensity of the day is not the same," McKaig said. "People eventually find other ways to remember."\nAt 7:20 p.m., the presentation began. The first speech stressed this was a spiritual coming together and that while time might march on, the topics related to 9-11 will never go away. Komoda sang a heartfelt Baha'i prayer for unity. The group sang along with her as they swatted the mosquitoes that were present in great numbers.\n"We didn't just want this to be a memorial performance," Komoda said. "We wanted it to be more interactive so that each person would feel more involved and really remember what happened."\nAs the group huddled around a camping lantern, individuals got up to give prayers and readings from holy writings. Though Baha'i was the only religious group in attendance, the readings came from most major world religions. The passages addressed universal issues of peace and unity. By then, a few others walked over to the group. The sincerity of the participants shone through, even when speeches had to pause for a fire engine siren.\nBy 7:45 p.m., a woman played guitar and sang as the air chilled. She sang a veritable greatest hits list of peace songs, concluding with "This Land is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie. A toddler did somersaults in front of her and loudly announced which songs he liked.\nIn spite of low turnout, the group was satisfied with the event.\n"Anytime something like this is done, it's a success," Maytan said. "Numbers don't matter."\n-- Contact staff writer Jorie Slodki at jslodki@indiana.edu.