AMESBURY — Early American Quakers were once persecuted for their faith, with a history in their new North American home that included public executions on Boston Common and being accused of witchcraft by New England's 17th century Puritan populace.
But for over three centuries, from the day the first Quakers arrived in Boston fleeing religious persecution in their English homeland, the largely misunderstood group known officially as the Religious Society of Friends has enjoyed a healthy, faithful congregation.
In Amesbury, a group of approximately 60 of those Friends still hold meetings at the Amesbury Friends Meetinghouse on Friend Street, a simple structure that looks exactly as it did when the town's most famous Quaker, John Greenleaf Whittier, helped build it.
And just like their predecessors, who felt compelled by their religion to speak truth to injustice, the Quakers are today engaged in an effort to promote peace.
Tomorrow at 2 p.m., they are inviting into their midst a female Afghani exile named Zoya, who on her tour of America was invited to stop and tell her tragic story to the people of Greater Newburyport. It's the first of a series of events sponsored by the Quaker's newly organized Peace Center, which is being established to support the age old Quaker commitment of promoting a nonviolent way of life.
Expected to speak about the corruption that reins in the newly installed Afghani government and expose the perceived freedoms of women in the new Afghani democracy, Zoya comes to Amesbury with the stipulation she not be photographed for fear of recrimination by the Taliban. She hopes to try to explain to the American people how a flawed U.S. government policy is seeking to usher other fundamentalist groups like the Taliban into power.
"It's a wonderful fit with the Peace Center," said longtime Friend Barbara Hildt of the event. "She may be a little more controversial — some people may not totally like her message. But I think it's going to be very interesting to hear what this very educated woman, who's been an activist all her life, has to say."
On Nov. 1 at 2:30 p.m., the Peace Center will officially open its doors with a dramatic reading of "The Human Cost of War," taken from a series of interviews with veterans and their families on how their lives were affected through recruitment to post-deployment. It's a 35-minute program the friends hope everyone in Amesbury and throughout Greater Newburyport comes to hear. The message will advocate for peace, as well as for the men and women who have offered the ultimate sacrifice to our country.
"We're concerned about the treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder," Friend Sam Baily said. "Many of our vets are homeless. These people are serving our country, and in some respects they're dumped. These are human beings."
Baily is what Quakers would call a birthright Quaker, who can trace his roots in the religion all the way back to the ship that carried famous Quaker William Penn to the colonies.
"There was a Baily on the Friendship," said Baily, who moved from Pennsylvania to Amesbury in 2004 to be closer to his children and grandchildren.
Before he moved, he searched around to find a thriving meeting house, and settled on Amesbury when he learned of its active membership in the Quaker church. Their meeting house, he said, is one of the most special of its kind.
"The building, unlike other churches, tells you the story of Quakers," Baily said. "It's just a very simple building in accordance with Quaker belief — that you needn't have to have a fancy church to worship God."
Touring the simple building, which houses no cross or stained glass windows, the work of Whittier is present throughout.
"One of the things Whittier wanted were these large windows," said Baily, who adds the light coming in through the windows was meant to symbolize the inner light Quakers feel emanates in all human beings.
It's this principle, he said, that made Quakers the originators of the idea that all are created equal.
"The idea of inner light in every person is central to Quakerism," he said. "If someone has that of God in them, how can they not be equal?"
According to literature hung on the walls of the meeting house, the Quaker religion began in 1637 with small groups of men and women, gathering in homes to sit together in silence and wait upon the Lord.
Back in the 17th century, the religion was more stringent than it is today.
"It was stricter then," Baily said. "You couldn't marry outside the Quaker faith. You had to dress in simple clothes — no wigs. There was no dancing, drinking, swearing or bearing arms.
"Now, Quakers do dance, and they do have a glass of wine occasionally. They're much more integrated than they were then. We try to lead a moderate life, which is the best indicator of our faith."
IF YOU GO
What: "Afghan Women: Resisting Occupation and Fundamentalism," sponsored by the Greater Newburyport Women's Action for New Directions and Merrimack Valley People for Peace
Where: The Amesbury Peace Center, 120 Friend St.
When: Tomorrow, 2 to 4 p.m.
