Meet the Presenters and Peace Award Recipients of the Ninth Annual World Sabbath of Religious Reconciliation

Amarinder Kaur: Presenter, Call to Prayer in the Sikh Tradition (Sikh Gurdwara)

She is 21-year-old senior at Wayne State University and will complete her B.A. in Journalism in May 2008. In Fall 2008 she will begin medical school at Wayne State University's School of Medicine in pursuit of becoming a pediatric oncologist. She is the MedStart-HealthPro Start student coordinator, Honors Student Association president, and is also an active member of the Sikh Student Organization. She is writer for a newsleter on palliative medicine and contributing writer for her school newspaper. Originally from Rochester Hills, she currrently lives in Detroit. She has been involved with the Sikh Gurdwaras and camps and has studied classical Indian music and always enjoys singing Shabads (holy hymns).

Amarinder will recite the following prayer:

b i l aa val ||
gr i h u thaj ban kha(n)dd j aaeeai ch u n kh aaeeai ka(n)dh aa ||
ajah u b i k aa r n shh o dd ee p aa p ee man ma(n)dh aa ||1||
k i o shh oo tto k ai s ae tharo bhavajal n i dhh bh aa r ee ||
r aa kh r aa kh m ae r ae b ee t(h) u l aa jan saran th u mh aa r ee ||1|| reh aa o ||
b i kh ai b i kh ai k ee b aa san aa thaj ee a neh j aaee ||
an i k jathan kar r aa kh eeai f i r f i r lapatt aaee ||2||
jar aa j ee van j o ban gae iaa k i shh k eeaa n n ee k aa ||
e i h u j ee ar aa n i ram o lak o ko u dd ee lag m ee k aa ||3||
kah u kab ee r m ae r ae m aa dhhav aa th oo sarab b iaa p ee ||
th u m samasar n aa h ee dhae iaa l m o h i samasar p aa p ee ||4||3||

Abandoning my household, I may go to the forest, and live by eating roots;
but even so, my sinful, evil mind does not renounce corruption. ||1||
How can anyone be saved? How can anyone cross over the terrifying world-ocean?
Save me, save me, O my Lord! Your humble servant seeks Your Sanctuary. ||1||Pause||
I cannot escape my desire for sin and corruption.
I make all sorts of efforts to hold back from this desire, but it clings to me, again and again. ||2||
Youth and old age - my entire life has passed, but I haven't done any good.
This priceless soul has been treated as if if were worth no more than a shell. ||3||
Says Kabeer, O my Lord, You are contained in all.
There is none as merciful as You are, and none as sinful as I am. ||4||3||

Nicole Valdivieso: Presenter, Call to Prayer in the Baha'i Tradition

Nicole C. Valdivieso

Age: 12 years old

School: East Hills Middle School

Religion: Baha’i Faith

Nicole is currently a seventh grader at East Hills Middle School in Bloomfield Hills. She plays soccer on a travel team, and is on the East Hills swim team.

For the Baha’i call for prayer she will be chanting “Strive” from the Baha'i writings.

“…Strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful prayers. Turn towards God, and seek always to do that which is right and noble. Enrich the poor, raise the fallen, comfort the sorrowful, bring healing to the sick, reassure the fearful, rescue the oppressed, bring hope to the hopeless, shelter the destitute!...”

Beshar Kashlan: Presenter, Call to Prayer in the Muslim Tradition

Besher Kashlan, 12, is a seventh grader at Detroit Country Day Middle School. He has always wanted to be an "amazing" Quran reciter and mu'azzen (caller for prayer). He has loved making azaan (call to prayer) since he was five.