A UNITING Church Christian, Mormon, Sikh and an indigenous elder were invited to Stockleigh Baitul Masroor Mosque to discuss religious fasting on the weekend.
Numerous people from various faith groups attended the Fasting in my Religion event which began with an Ifar dinner at 5pm.
The purpose of the event was to highlight common ground between most mainstream religions and Islam during the final ten days of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan.
Billions of Muslims fast for 30 days during Ramadan between sunrise and sunset.
The Gap Uniting Church elder Christine Jackson said fasting was followed by some but not all Christian denominations.
“The Uniting Church does not have specific teachings or traditions on fasting,” she said.
“This is in keeping with most of the older Christian denominations.
“Within more fundamental churches and many of the new churches around the world there is certainly a tradition and practice of fasting.”
Brisbane Sikh Temple presenter Bhai Sukhrajwinder Singh Sahib said fasting was only followed for medical reasons and followers were encouraged to eat and sleep moderately.
Mormon representative Iva Francis said the Mormon church dedicated to fasting for one Sunday each month.
“Fasting is a common belief we have with Muslim brothers and other faiths,” he said.
“Fasting is one way of worshiping god and expressing gratitude to him. Fasting may help you and the ones you love receive personal revelation.”
Stockleigh Mosque Imam Syed Wadood Janud said fasting for Muslims was about abstaining from food which nourishes the body and obtaining a different type of nourishment for the soul.
“We are even supposed to talk less. The prophet said that if you argue or if you curse or use foul language than your fast breaks,” he said.
Indigenous elder Uncle Bob Buttler spoke from a cultural point of view about how aboriginal people have always believed in a creator.
“Aboriginality is not a religion it is a culture but we still believe in the creator and we are a product of the creator,” he said.
“My ancestors before settlement lived here way before all the holy books told us how we should live our lives. We were in complete peace and harmony with each other….the way the creator intended for us to live.
“When settlement happened and the Europeans came...what they destroyed is what the creator created.
“We never called the creator Allah, Jesus or whatever. We never had a name for him. But we believed in him.”
The event ended with a Q&A where the audience was invited to ask questions of the panel members.