A recording of excerpts from a live SAND Community Gathering hosted by Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo.
In these times of unbearable anguish, as the already beleaguered Palestinian community is being massacred and starved before our astonished eyes, our own grieving flows into the sea of human suffering and we remember that we belong to each other.
Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author of creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature. She taught Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialog. A certified bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the transformational power of loss. Her latest book, WILD MERCY: Living the Fierce & Tender Wisdom of the Women Mystics, was named one of the “Best Books of 2019”. She lives with her extended family in the mountains of northern New Mexico.
Mona Haydar is a young Muslim Syrian-American poet, musician, workshop leader and speaker who gained global recognition through her “Ask A Muslim” project and the viral hip-hop music video “Hijabi (Wrap My Hijab).” Her debut EP “Barbarican” addresses global patriarchy, orientalism, immigration policy, white supremacy, and suicide. A Master’s graduate in Theology from Union Theological Seminary, Mona speaks at churches, synagogues, universities and international forums, engaging audiences on art, Islam, feminism, hip hop, theology, and interfaith dialogue.
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00:00 — Introduction
06:52 — Mirabai’s Introduction
16:42 — Mona’s Introduction
21:06 — Interfaith Teachings on Grief
32:40 — Islamic Teachings on Grief
41:58 — The Grief of Loss
50:11 — Closing Prayer
55:58 — Song from Desiree Dawson & Mona Hayder

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Also mentioned in this episode is SAND’s Fundraiser to help relocate a family from the Genocide in Gaza.