From Deseret News archives:
Salt Lake American Muslim Fest is Sunday at Gallivan Center
"We just began talking, and I asked him if he'd tell me a little bit about his religious beliefs," recalled Kathryn Schramm, a member of the Highland 19th Ward.
She was seated on a plane next to Ghulam Hasnain, who would become the organizer of the first Salt Lake American Muslim Festival. The free cultural fair will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Gallivan Utah Center.
None of that was on Schramm's mind, however, as she flew back to Utah on June 14, 2001. She was returning home early from a trip to the Midwest, because her daughter-in-law had just died of a heart attack at 25.
The two Utahns discussed life and religion throughout the nearly three-hour flight. It wasn't debating or arguing, and certainly not proselyting. They were just talking — and listening.
"He was surprised to find we had similar beliefs," Schramm said. "He would say something, and I would concur and say, 'I look at it from this point of view.' "
Schramm told Hasnain that her congregation was inclined toward interfaith projects, and had recently helped landscape the grounds of the Calvary Baptist chapel in Salt Lake City. "Just meeting and working together is a good thing," she said. Maybe Schramm's church and Hasnain's mosque could try a similar get-together.
"There was a lot of buffeting, a lot of bad weather on the flight," Schramm said. She remembers turning to her seatmate to make another point.
"I talked about how this land of America was set aside for the practice of religion; everyone should be able to practice their own religion without interference from other people . . . I would stand by your side and defend your right to practice your religion, and I would expect that you would do the same thing for me."
Upon landing, Schramm and Hasnain said the usual things new friends say: Let's get our families together soon. Just as typically, they were both too busy for visits, and months passed. Then came Sept. 11, 2001.
"I called Ghulam and his family on Sept. 14. I was worried about them," Schramm recalled. She'd heard of hate crimes targeting Muslims, such as the arson at Salt Lake City's Curry in a Hurry restaurant. Schramm and another couple from her Highland neighborhood drove up to see the Hasnains, "and just had a really nice visit with them."
