By Kate Reardon

Herald Writer

LYNNWOOD — The image of black paint splattered on a local mosque’s sign shortly after Sept. 11 attacks still lingers in the minds of community members here.

Immediate negative behavior directed at people of Arab or Indian descent in this country following the terrorist attacks shattered a sense of trust and acceptance for many, said Fred Wong, cultural arts supervisor for Lynnwood.

Now, leaders here hope a forum educating the public on the similarities and differences among the Islamic, Jewish and Christian faiths will help point the community in a new direction.

A forum set for April 23 focusing on "Faith Communities: Appreciating the Differences" will give community members an opportunity to talk to people of various faiths.

The forum, co-hosted by the city of Lynnwood and Edmonds Community College, will last two hours beginning at 7 p.m. at the Triton Union Building at EdCC.

"The purpose is to demystify different faiths for people," said Jeff Siddiqui, a Muslim living in Lynnwood who helped come up with the idea for the forum. "We’re going to be talking about what we feel are our common positions and our differences and what we might appreciate in each other’s faiths."

Panelists will speak about Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Community members can ask questions and share ideas about how to make changes toward a more accepting society, Wong said.

The forum will include the Rev. Don McKenzie of University Congregational United Church of Christ, the Rev. Angela Ying of Bethany Church Beacon Hill and Rabbi James Louis Mirel of Temple B’nai Torah. Independent diversity trainer Laurel Winston will moderate.

The community forum is made possible in part by a $2,150 grant from the Washington Commission for the Humanities, a statewide non-profit organization.

The city’s cultural arts department will also use some of the grant money to offer two free comparative religion classes in the summer. For more information, contact the Lynnwood Cultural Arts office at 425-744-6459 or email Wong at fwong@ci.lynnwood.wa.us. Each class has room for about 30 people.

You can call Herald Writer Kate Reardon at 425-339-3455

or send e-mail to reardon@heraldnet.com.