More News

Chowdhury came to the Catholic school at the invitation of Interfaith, a student group that promotes a similar sense of open-mindedness when it comes to cultural and religious differences.

‘‘We try to promote religious awareness and tolerance in the school community,” said senior Preanka Hai, a co-leader of Interfaith and a distant relative of Chowdhury. ‘‘This is a Catholic institution so I think it’s important to promote interfaith.”

And whereas Stone Ridge is 75 percent Catholic, one of the main goals of all Sacred Heart schools around the world is to help students acquire a deep respect and understanding of other religions, according to Head of School Richard Barbieri.

‘‘We’re very open to religious understanding and tolerance,” he said. ‘‘That only deepens the faith of all of our students.”

Chowdhury wanted to convey the importance of religious tolerance when he spoke to students about the history of Bangladesh, its role as a moderate Muslim country and how rare its religious tolerance and acceptance are in today’s world.

‘‘I think that it is very important to give this message of Bangladesh during this time,” Chowdhury said. ‘‘All this suffering that is going on in this world is because of a lack of understanding.”

Interfaith wanted Chowdhury to speak so students could understand the role of a moderate Muslim country in today’s world that shows the atrocities of radical countries on the news every day.

While serving as Ambassador of Bangladesh to the United States since March of 2005, Chowdhury has spoken to several colleges and universities around the country but only to one other k-12 school, Woodward Academy in Atlanta.

‘‘I find it very rewarding to talk to school students because their mind is forming right now,” said Chowdhury, who is Muslim but attended a Catholic school in Bangladesh. ‘‘You should plant the seed of trust between different faiths and religions.”

Although the school is mostly Catholic, it still has students from other cultural and religious backgrounds, said Barbieri. Hai, who planned the event, is Muslim, which is an example of the school’s diversity.

To recognize those students and to work toward the Sacred Heart schools’ goal of religious respect, Stone Ridge holds other religious activities, such as a sedar, the traditional Jewish meal held during Passover. It also hosts a world religions class and will hold a Multicultural Family Festival on Saturday with booths, entertainment and food that illustrates various cultures of Stone Ridge students.

Interfaith’s 15 members also host events and discussions throughout the school year. Recently, they screened a Hindi film.

Chowdhury pointed out religious beliefs and core values that all faiths, including Islam and Catholicism, share, such as don’t lie or steal and be good to your neighbor and family. He added that everyone is ultimately a product of one creator.

After his speech, the ambassador answered questions from the audience about Bangladesh’s war for independence and how the country’s history made it tolerant of other religions.

One audience member the effect of the 2004 tsunami on Bangladesh.

Although the country is often affected by natural disasters, it wasn’t hit by that tsunami, so it sent aid to Sri Lanka and the Republic of Maldives, Chowdhury said. Bangladesh also gave $1 million to the United States after Hurricane Katrina because the country provided Bangladesh with help after several of its natural disasters, he added.

‘‘I think that the Catholic school reaching out to me is a very wonderful thing,” Chowdhury said. ‘‘I’m very happy that I was here and could talk to a future generation and future leaders of the world.”