AMEIA

Telling stories of Muslims and Christians in Syria

2012-01-21T11:44:00.000+08:00

by Stephanie Saldana

Jerusalem - Twelve years ago, I travelled to a monastery in the Syrian desert, where I met an Italian priest by the name of Father Paolo Dall'Oglio. For 20 years, he had been living in rural Syria, serving as the abbot of the ancient monastery of Deir Mar Musa. There, he led a community of Arabic-speaking monks and nuns dedicated to prayer, hospitality, manual work and dialogue with Muslims. As I settled in I was astonished to notice Muslims visiting all day, admiring the church frescoes, joining the local Syrian Christians for lunch, even excusing themselves so that they could perform their prayers in a quiet corner of the monastery grounds. I had never seen love between Muslims and Christians embodied so effortlessly, a communion of human beings sharing daily life.

Over the following years I came to know Father Paolo well, and grew accustomed to the Muslims who visited his monastery almost daily. Father Paolo told me stories. He spoke of Muslim sheikhs who came to discuss their faith, of Muslim visitors who arrived bearing gifts – one prominent Muslim artist even sculpted a cross for the monastery – of meals and songs and fears shared between faiths. He quoted the Qur’an as easily as the Bible. To Christians, he told stories of Muslims and their love of Jesus, Mary and the Prophet Mohammed. To Muslims, he told stories of the respect early Muslims had for Christian monks.

Last year, as the crisis in Syria escalated, Father Paolo publicly called for reconciliation in an attempt to avoid civil war. In late November the government issued an order for his expulsion.

For weeks I was haunted by what Father Paolo’s expulsion would mean for Syrian Christians. The conflict in Iraq had already led to the exodus of more than half of the country's Christian population. The threat of a mass exodus in Syria was equally real – for they had been placed in an impossible situation. As minorities protected by the government, local Christians were terrified of a civil war that would leave them vulnerable to Muslim extremists, just as they were frightened that if an Islamic party took control of the country, their rights would no longer be recognised. Yet now the government was demanding they silence themselves and abandon the Christian principle of confronting injustice and working towards peace.

Eventually, Father Paolo was allowed to stay in Syria after he promised that he would not speak about politics.

When I talked to him two weeks ago, the monastery, always crowded, was almost entirely empty.

First I was terrified of his expulsion. Now I am terrified of the conditions that have led to his silence.

It is not up to me to ask the Syrian Christians to stay, but I cannot be silent on the matter of what will be lost should they leave. Nor can I avoid the price of their silence. Much has been written about the destruction of antiquities in Baghdad. Yet as the conflict escalates and becomes sectarian in Syria, something even more precious might be lost there: centuries of stories of Muslims and Christians living together.

These stories were not only Father Paolo's to tell. They are deeply embedded in the culture: tales of the monk Buheira, who tradition says met the Prophet Mohammed in southern Syria; stories about Muslims and Christians visiting the monastery of Seidneyya together to honour Mary or seeking the remains of John the Baptist at the Umayyed Mosque; of meals shared and prayers offered in proximity to one another.

The death toll in Syria mounts. The likelihood of exodus increases. Daily, in our helplessness, we are faced with the question of what we might do.

We can tell stories. Tell a story of Muslims and Christians living together. It may be the smallest form of resistance – and yet resistance it is. It battles the dangerous narrative of Muslims and Christians destined to be at odds with one another. It gives Christians, the receptacles of these stories, a reason to stay in place. It creates and restores in a moment what so many forces seem bent on destroying. It gives voice to those storytellers who now feel compelled to stay silent.

Come, let me tell you a story.

###

* Stephanie Saldana is the author of The Bread of Angels: A Journey to Love and Faith, a memoir of her life in Syria. She teaches at Al-Quds Bard College in Jerusalem. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 17 January 2012, www.commongroundnews.org.

A Wish for Jewish-Catholic Dialogue in 2012

2012-01-21T10:42:00.000+08:00

Founder of Pave the Way Foundation Speaks on Steps for the Future

By Anita Bourdin

ROME, JAN. 17, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI's invitation to promote peace by working with the youth is right on target, according to the Jewish founder of a New York-based organization that aims to reconcile religions.

Gary Krupp, founder of the Pave the Way Foundation, spoke with ZENIT on the occasion of the annual day of Jewish-Catholic dialogue, celebrated in Italy today.

ZENIT: On the occasion of the annual day of dialogue with Judaism organized by the Catholic Church in Italy today, could you explain the aim of the Pave the Way Foundation, which you founded?

Krupp: The Pave the Way Foundation (PTWF) is a non-sectarian organization that seeks to remove obstacles between the world's religions. Jewish-Catholic dialogue has been an important part of understanding one another's faith traditions and that clears away prejudices and hatred. PTWF, however, concentrates our efforts on identifying concrete obstacles and seeks to remove them. First, through our historic gestures we establish a level of trust and then we can move to accomplish our core mission. Religion must be removed as a tool to justify private agendas. Removal of this abuse makes dialogue easier.

ZENIT: The message of Pope Benedict for the World Day of Peace 2012 is focussed on educating the youth in justice and peace: How can we put into practice this invitation for peace between religions?

Krupp: The message of Pope Benedict XVI is exactly right on. It is the youth who must learn the truth about the problems of today if we ever hope to solve them. The hidden problem in learning, however, is the international media and its abuse of its awesome power to control ideas and thinking. News reports today intentionally editorialize and push private agendas, which muddies the truth and in turn creates hostility, hatred and in some cases death. Along with the Pope's remarks, I would add a statement of caution to the youth of today. Take care to weigh what you learn from news reports and mass media. Question the report; go to original local sources in order to seek the true story. Then try to find solutions based on the facts, not unbalanced and biased reporting.

ZENIT: You have come several times to Rome and you have been received by John Paul II and Benedict XVI: Do you remember one of these meetings as especially important for you?

Krupp: Our fantastic meetings with both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have been life changing. One was July 29, 2000, I received a telephone call from then Archbishop Renato Martino, that the Pope invested me as a Papal Knight of St. Gregory the Great. It was this action that changed the course of my life's work, prompting my wife Meredith and I to form Pave the Way Foundation (Merry came up with the name).

Specifically, two of the most important recollections in meeting with both Holy Fathers are, first: Jan. 18, 2005, when PTWF organized the Jewish audience to simply thank Pope John Paul II for all he had done in religious reconciliation with Jewish people. Watching three rabbis bless the Pope in Hebrew in the Clementine Hall and seeing tears in the eyes of the Pope will forever be etched in my memory.

The second most memorable meeting was when we presented the Bodmer Papyrus to Pope Benedict XVI with our wonderful friend and donor, Mr. Frank Hanna III, on Jan. 22, 2007. After our presentation ceremony, I gave the Pope a little framed photo of the rainbow that appeared in the sky when he blessed the memorial at Auschwitz. I took this photo when we accompanied the Pope with Jerzy Kluger to Poland, May 27, 2006. Pope Benedict was emotionally moved with this seemingly insignificant gift. The Pope asked me, "Was this Auschwitz?" I said, "Yes, Holy Father, I took this picture myself." He seemed almost as excited about this little photo of the rainbow and God's sign of approval in Poland, as he was in accepting the most important Christian manuscript in existence today.

ZENIT: How important is the Yad Vashem research on the Righteous Among the Nations for the dialogue between Jews and Catholics?

Krupp: Yad Vashem's research is precise and exacting and I believe extremely important in Jewish-Catholic relations. PTWF submission of the evidence in the case for Eugenio Pacelli as "Righteous Among the Nations" should be given immediate attention so that the black legend regarding Pope Pius XII is corrected by truth and facts. This is Jewish responsibility since we have amassed a huge amount of evidence that Eugenio Pacelli was indeed one of the great heroes to the Jewish people during the Holocaust.

Ingratitude is one of the worst character flaws in Judaism; the acceptance of the truth of Pacelli's personal heroism, I believe, is essential to bring my Jewish brothers and sisters to redemption. Eugenio Pacelli's reputation must be restored to where it was before the KGB intentionally began the greatest character assassination of the 20th century. This KGB Operation called "Seat Twelve" successfully accomplished its mission to isolate the Jews from the Catholics at the very moment of religious reconciliation with "Nostra Aetate."

ZENIT: How can a media organization such as ZENIT participate in changing mentalities and promoting peace?

Krupp: ZENIT's work throughout the years has been exemplary in reporting the truth and always in a positive manner. I can only encourage that when reporting on issues as sensitive as the Holy Land that the news reports are fair and the story reflects both sides of the conflict. Often, too many reports of Palestinian suffering supersede any mention of Israeli suffering, with the constant rocket attacks against civilian populations. Since there are 1.1 million Israeli citizens who are Muslim Arabs, violence against Israelis is against all Israelis, Christians, and Muslims as well. It is these acts of violence that first prompted the necessity for sea blockades, security checkpoints and a security wall. If the violence ends, then these security measures, so often criticized, can be lifted. If one seeks peace, they must stand in everyone's shoes.

ZENIT: What is your wish for Jewish-Catholic dialogue in 2012?

Krupp: In 2012, my wish is that the intense work of posting 46,000 pages of documents and news articles and video recording of eyewitnesses of the actions of the Holy See during WWII, will be finally studied in a serious way, so that this 48-year-old obstacle between Jews and Catholics can be eradicated. Our wish is that God grants wisdom to the negotiators of the Fundamental Agreements between Israel and the Holy See. This diplomatic obstacle should be completely resolved soon after 17 years of negotiations. Pave the Way Foundation's goal recognizes that resolution of these two issues will "pave the way" to the wonderful positive relations between Jews and Catholics.

Cardinal Tauran Addresses Christian-Hindu Gathering in India

2011-11-10T16:45:00.000+08:00

Stresses That Religions Must Be Channels of Peace

PUNE, India, NOV. 9, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Though India has been the site of violent anti-Christian persecution, the leader of the Vatican's interreligious dialogue council is reminding Indians that religion must be a channel of peace and unity.

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran on Tuesday addressed a group of 40 Catholic and 30 Hindu religious leaders gathered in Pune for a four-day meeting on "Enhancing Hindu-Christian relations and collaboration for justice, peace and harmony."

UCANews reported on the cardinal's address, in which he noted that "unfortunately there has been a tendency among some with vested interests to create distrust … between communities in the name of religion."

The Vatican official urged people to turn their backs on those using religion to spread hate, and instead, to uphold unity and peace.

If the followers of religion collaborate, they can promote a culture of solidarity that will defeat divisive forces, he affirmed.

Cardinal Tauran also emphasized that Hinduism and Christianity share values and visions.

Genuine relationships, he added, respect differences "no matter what they are."

The cardinal hailed the meeting as a "sign of hope" to recognize what is "true, good and holy" in each other's religions.

Bishop Thomas Dabre of Poona, a member of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, noted that India is a multi-cultural and multi-religious society where interreligious dialogue should become a way of life.

Christians are a small minority in India (2.3%), where the vast majority of the population is Hindu (80.5%) and a larger minority is Muslim (13.4%).

The Demands of Ecumenism

2011-10-04T15:45:00.000+08:00

Interview With Secretary of the Vatican's Unity Council

ROME, OCT. 3, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Christ's prayer during the Last Supper makes it clear that he wants his Church to be united. But ecumenism is the exercise of discovering "how this will of Christ should be understood and be put into practice."

This is the reflection offered by Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

Bishop Farrell, 67, spoke with the television program "Where God Weeps" of the Catholic Radio and Television Network (CRTN) in cooperation with Aid to the Church in Need.

Q: Your Excellency, you are an Irish citizen. How is it that you find yourself here in Rome and working for this council?

Bishop Farrell: Well I started out wanting to be a missionary in Latin America and ended up spending 25 years of my life here in Rome. It has been a strange journey.

Q: You are working as the secretary at the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Was unity always a subject close to your heart?

Bishop Farrell: Well yes, I would say. I grew up with very dear Anglican and Methodist friends, and was always interested in the different reasons why they could not come into my church and why I could not go to theirs, and why we should have two different ones. But, that was a childish kind of interest. When I came back to Rome after a number of years as a young active priest, I had to choose a theme for a doctoral thesis, so I decided I would do something in this field. I did a thesis at the Gregorian University, which before I even finished became in a sense a dead book, because during that period I began to work in the Secretary of State -- in a whole different kind of world -- and stayed there until almost the end of the pontificate of Pope John Paul ll. The thesis was kind of forgotten. Then suddenly one day, precisely a year and a half before the Pope died, he sent me to be secretary of the Council of Christian Unity, and everything came back into the picture.

Q: What are the goals of this council?

Bishop Farrell: The council was set up just before the Second Vatican Council as an instrument through which Pope John XXIII wanted to bring into the discussions of the Second Vatican Council his concern for the unity of the Churches. And the Second Vatican Council, during the period when all of the bishops of the world were here, played a very active part in what I call educating the bishops about the true nature of the Church and our true relationship to all the baptized, who generally speaking before the Second Vatican Council were always considered to be just outside the Church. During the four years of the council, the bishops learned, through their discussions, through the presence of observers from the Orthodox Churches and the Protestant communities, a lot so that at the end of three years they were able to practically unanimously affirm a document in which we recognized that with all of the baptized, with all of the other Christian churches and communities we have a real, though incomplete, but real communion.

Q: Pope Benedict XVI has made this ecumenical dialogue - particularly with the Russian Orthodox Church - a priority of his pontificate. Why is this a priority for this Pope?

Bishop Farrell: Well, let me start by saying yes there is a certain priority [with the Russian Orthodox] because that is the biggest of all the Orthodox Churches. But, this interest and desire for greater communion with the Orthodox embraces the entire Orthodox world to the point where our theological dialogue with the Orthodox cannot be with individual Orthodox Churches. We have agreed from the very beginning that it has to be with all of them together because all of them together form a unity. They have the same principals, they have the same structures and they have the same tradition, the same liturgical values and beauty. So they work as one in the theological dialogue.

Now, in the meantime we also have bilateral or direct relationships with each one of these individual Orthodox Churches and since the Second Vatican Council, these relationships have developed enormously. With some Churches it has been faster than with others, with some it is deeper than with others, but we can say that with all of the Orthodox Churches, without exclusion, we have at this point very friendly, very open and very constant contact and collaboration in many ways. When Pope Benedict XVI says that yes, the dialogue with the Orthodox Churches is a priority, this is clear and if you ask me why I will simply say because they are so close to us. We have the same faith, we have the same sacraments, we have the same apostolic succession; therefore we absolutely consider that every one of their bishops and their priests are true bishops and true priests. In that we have a closeness that we do not have with any other Christian community.

Q: Where have we not made the bridge? Where is it that we have not been able to reach unity?

Bishop Farrell: This is a very difficult question to answer in a few words. It takes volumes, it takes whole libraries, it takes years of discussion to work out where we are with each other.

Q: It has been one thousand years of separation…

Bishop Farrell: It will take a long time to learn to live with one another, truly recognizing one another as brothers and sisters in the same Church. And this brings me to a very important element, which I think is absolutely necessary if one wants to understand what ecumenism is all about. Ecumenism is not like intergovernmental or international politics where you have a common goal and you can make compromises on how to get there -- where there are strategies and tactics and so on. Ecumenism is discovering what God wants and how he wants it.

Now, we know that Christ's will for the Church is unity; he prayed for this the night before he died. We know that this unity has been broken almost from the very beginning. Our ecumenical effort is to discover today how this will of Christ should be understood and be put into practice. It also has to deal with not just personal relationships. It has to do, above all, with what we call communion. Communion means participating, sharing in all of those gifts, all of those graces that Christ has transmitted to the Church through the Holy Spirit. Ecumenism is a matter of all of us being better recipients of all that Christ wants to come alive in his Church. As you can see it is a very profound and very difficult question. It involves not just thought, not just theology, it involves above all living the Christian life. It involves above all how deep our faith is.

The day we will be able to sit together with the Orthodox and say there is nothing further that divides us, we are together, and we will be actually making an act of faith. And if I try to imagine what that day will be like it will, I am sure, be some sort of great liturgical celebration in which we will profess our faith. Now this involves the whole person, this involves your life; you commit yourself. Ecumenism is very demanding in that sense. It is not just a question of agreements here and there between church people; it means that the whole body of the Church has to assimilate this greater fidelity to Christ and to the Gospel. There is an enormous amount of work to be done.

* * *

This interview was conducted by Mark Riedemann for "Where God Weeps," a weekly TV & radio show produced by Catholic Radio & Television Network in conjunction with the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need.

Vatican Scholar calls Muslims and Christians to unite in addressing Secularism

2011-09-29T16:44:00.004+08:00

Fr Michael Chua

September 28, Kuala Lumpur -- “In today’s globalised world, Muslims and Christians need to cooperate and unite in meeting the challenges posed by secularism through the personal witness of their faith in a Creator God.” a Vatican scholar made this call at a forum organized by the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) and officiated by the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi. Revd Fr Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ, the Rector of the Pontifical Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI) in Rome, spoke to both members of faculty and student body at an interreligious forum entitled “The Importance of Muslim Christian Dialogue.”

Fr Ayuso began his lecture by stating that interreligious dialogue and cooperation is necessitated by the demands of a globalised world desiring to overcome every kind of communal tension and which lives with the hope of peaceful coexistence. In face of the process of dialogue being threatened and derailed by ignorance, suspicion and prejudice, he spoke of the need of ‘critical dialogue’ that preserves and promotes human dignity. According to him, the current perspective of Muslim-Christian dialogue involves the necessity of strengthening certain key elements, such as educating persons and communities to dialogue, continuing the search of shared common values and finally, the reciprocal collaboration to create a harmonious and peaceful society.

"Educating people in how to dialogue presupposes a good knowledge of one's own religious tradition and openness towards the knowledge of the other," explained Fr Ayuso as he also gave a short description of the mission and nature of formation given at his institution. PISAI provides its students with training in the Arabic language and an objective presentation of Islam and its different sciences.

"The purpose of interreligious dialogue," he added, "is not some agreement on the beliefs of different religious traditions, a melting pot of sort, but rather the common search of shared values to encourage the encounter in a spirit of respect, trust and friendship." He emphasised that partners to the dialogue should remain faithful in their own religious and faith convictions and indeed will experience enrichment and deepening of their faith when they come to know the other.

Finally, he explains how both Muslims and Christians can collaborate to build a peaceful and harmonious society. "Following their own respective traditions, (they) draw attention to the truth of the sacred character and dignity of the person. This is the basis of our reciprocal respect and esteem and the conditions of service for collaboration for peace between nations and peoples, the strongest desire of every believer and every person of good will."

At the beginning of the forum, the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Abdullah Badawi in his opening address had also pointed out that there is great potential for both Christianity and Islam to benefit from mutual enrichment and cooperation. He also noted the need for religious leaders to teach the new generation the essential message that mutual respect is fundamental for the survival of humanity. He concluded by remunerating the ten key points of the civilisational renewal of Islam (Islam Hadhari) which he had advocated during his premiership which contained universal values common to all religious traditions.

Fr Ayuso, a Spaniard, had spent many years living and working among Muslims in the Nile Region of Egypt and Sudan. During this visit to Malaysia, Fr Ayuso preached a retreat for the clergy of Peninsular Malaysia at Stella Maris, Penang. He also paid a courtesy call on the Rector of IIUM, Prof Datuk Dr Zaleha Kamarrudin and later made another visit to the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS). He was feted in a dinner organized and hosted by Archbishop Tan Sri Datuk Murphy Pakiam, the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, which was attended by the Honourable Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and other religious leaders who had visited PISAI earlier this year and in the past year.

Religiously motivated violence is not religious

2011-09-29T15:42:00.000+08:00

Inayah Rohmaniyah

Yogyakarta, Indonesia - This Sunday, a suicide bomber attacked a church in Solo, Indonesia, killing at least one congregant and injuring many others. Indonesia, a secular nation, has had a long history of religious tolerance when it comes to minorities. But since the 2002 attacks in Bali, which were religiously motivated, questioning the relationship between religion and violence has become critical.

Is it possible that religion alone can inspire individuals to conduct violence? If so, are faith-based institutions guilty by association?

Some scholars suggest that religion is in fact a source of violence. A University of California, Santa Barbara scholar who teaches religious violence and conflict resolution, Mark Juergensmeyer, wrote in 2000 that religion gives some people the moral justification for killing others by providing the mores and symbols – some of which demonise the “other” – that make acts of bloodshed and terrorism possible. In this context, violence is regarded as a religious act. Also, Bruce Lawrence, Duke University Humanities Professor of Religion, wrote in 1989 that extremists are religiously motivated to promote a vision of divine restoration.

These theories appear to explain the increasing popularity of religious fundamentalist groups, the rise of radical religious leaders and the rise of violent religious groups in many parts of the world – and certainly in Indonesia. Already this year, unfortunately, violence motivated by religion has been rampant here.

In one tragic instance in Cikeusik, a city in the Java province of Banten, Muslims attacked the house of a member of the Ahmadi community in February, leaving three people dead. There were also attacks on a pesantren (Islamic boarding school) run by the Islamic Pesantren Foundation in Pasuruan, East Java, on 15 February by an extremist Muslim group. And there was another attack on the International Conference for Gay and Lesbian Rights hosted by the organisation GAYa Nusantara in Surabaya in March by another extremist Muslim group.

In the Muslim world this phenomenon of violence claiming to be in the name of religion has often been blamed on Salafi and Wahhabi teachings, which discount the various Islamic schools of thought as impure to the point of being sacrilegious, and therefore some argue that they consider the schools’ followers as legitimate targets of violence.

But in fact, to associate Salafi and Wahhabi teachings with violence is an overreaction and gross misperception of the large number of adherents in both camps who reject violence. Research by the International Crisis Group in 2004 in Indonesia shows that in certain cases Salafism may in fact be more of a barrier to violent extremism than a facilitator.

Fata Mukmin, leader of a large Wahhabi pesantren in Central Java, says that Wahhabi teachings, especially those concerning the Islamic concept which regards God as one and unique, lead students to develop a stronger faith, embrace forbearance, pray sincerely and partake in other positive, non-violent conduct. True Wahhabi teachings, Mukmin stresses, forbid the harassment or killing of other Muslims.

Ahmas Faiz, who runs the Imam Buchori Salafi pesantren in Solo, says that he disapproves of terrorism and religiously motivated violence, arguing that radicalism and violence are used by those who use Islamic norms to legitimise personal wrongdoing.

Teachings about tolerance, respect for non-Muslims and other peaceful aspects of Islam are integrated in the curriculum in both schools. Mukmin’s pesantren conducts seminars on religious dialogue, sends students to teach peaceful interfaith relations in surrounding communities and encourages students to continue their education in secular as well as in Islamic universities.

Several Qur’anic verses – such as those in the fifth and 49th chapters of the Qur’an – strongly prohibit Muslims from scorning, embarrassing and stereotyping others or perpetrating violence. The recent acts of violence in Indonesia contradict these verses and are perpetrated by people who are misguided. The Qur’an does not encourage violence, but instead encourages people to build peaceful, respectful communities.

Blaming Wahhabi and Salafi teachings for violent acts of terrorism is unfair and goes against these Qur’anic verses. Just like in the vast majority of religion-based institutions in Indonesia, students in many Wahhabi-oriented schools are taught these verses, which lead them to respect others, live together in harmony and resist extremist propaganda.

Like most of us, Wahhabis and Salafis believe that violence in the name of religion is simply not religious.

###

* Inayah Rohmaniyah is a tenured lecturer at the Faculty of Islamic Theology and Philosophy at Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. She is also a doctoral candidate at the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS) Yogyakarta. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 27 September 2011

Christians Reaching Out to Muslims in Tanzania

2011-09-29T14:40:00.000+08:00

Holy Ghost Fathers See Dialogue As a Part of Life

By John Newton

LONDON, SEPT. 28, 2011 (Zenit.org).- The Catholic Church is helping to transform life on an island off the west coast of Africa through its interreligious and educational work -- with the help of charities in Britain and Ireland.

The expansion of the Church's work, aided by the construction of a new church and pastoral center on Pemba -- the second largest island in Tanzania's Zanzibar archipelago -- will have a significant impact on society in the predominantly Muslim country.

This was the assessment that Holy Ghost Father Father Apolinarius Msaky gave Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need during his trip to Ireland to thank the organizations which have made the new buildings possible.

Aid to the Church in Need provided the funding for a church and parish center while volunteers Fatherom Pemba Support visited the island in June and July 2011 to decorate and help finish the buildings.

The Pastoral Centre in Chake-Chake, near the centre of the island, will help the whole society and encourage good inter-faith relations with the Church's Muslim neighbors according to the missionary priest.

Father Msaky said: "The construction of the center, which has been going on for three years now, is of really great value for the people of Pemba -- not only for Christians but Muslims as well.

"Given the small number of Christians on the island, for us to have such a center is a good symbol of stability and engagement with the society."

Father Masky described how his order, the Holy Ghost Fathers, has a long tradition of working in Muslim countries, starting their mission to Islamic lands in the 1860s.

The priest told ACN: "We see interreligious dialogue as part of our life, not only the question of religious affairs, but also social activities, like health, like education, like improving the social services at large.

"We call that a dialogue of life, whereby we come together, we share our joys, we share our sorrows, we cooperate too to work together for the improvement of our society.

He went on to say: "So this center apart Fatherom providing a place for prayer and worship, will be used as a kind of interreligious dialogue centre -- that was the original idea of the building."

The center will also run courses -- and Father Masky said that there is a tradition of the Catholic Church providing education and social services in the country.

The Church is providing short courses in IT and evening classes in English and Mathematics to "to widen [people's] chances of getting employment" because, as Father Msaky said, the level of education on Pemba is not as high as that on mainland Tanzania.

Education courses will also be run at the new Church in Vitongoji, which Father Masky hopes will be operational in January 2011.

During the recent visit by volunteers from Pemba Support, windows and doors were installed, the altar was built and the sanctuary was tiled.

In 2000 the population in Vitongoji, in the south of the island, increased after two new military camps were established on the island.

The old Church was little more than a wayside chapel, but it now has to cater for a large community.

At present, Christians in the area walk three miles to the outstation for Mass.

Again education courses run in Vitongoji will be open to the whole community.

Father Masky said: "The agenda is to build relationships, when we go out we don't go out to convert people it is to build relations -- although those who are willing convert of their own decision, they make up their mind.

"We see ourselves as people of God, created to serve God irrespective of the various Faiths."

Papal Message to Munich Interreligious Meeting

2011-09-16T08:38:00.001+08:00

"We Have to Learn Not to Live Next to One Another But With One Another"

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, SEPT. 14, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the message Benedict XVI addressed to Cardinal Reinhard Marx, archbishop of Munich and Freising, on the occasion of the "'Bound to Live Together': Religions and Culture in Dialogue" meeting, being held in this city.

* * *

To my honorable brother
Reinhard Cardinal Marx
Archbishop of Munich and Freising

In a few weeks it will be exactly 25 years since Blessed John Paul II invited representatives of the different world religions to Assisi for an international meeting of prayer for peace. Following on this, the Sant'Egidio community has organized this meeting for peace every year to deepen this spirit of peace and reconciliation and so that in prayer we let God make us into people of peace. I am happy that this year's meeting takes place in Munich, my former episcopal see, and shortly before my visit to Germany and in anticipation of the 25th anniversary of the Assisi world prayer meeting that will be celebrated in October. I would like to assure the organizers and participants of my spiritual nearness to them, and I offer them all my heartfelt best wishes.

The theme of the peace meeting, "Bound to live together," reminds us that we as human beings are bound to each other. This living together is in fact a precondition that derives from our being human. And it is our duty to give it a positive content. This living together can transform itself into living against one another, can become a hell if we do not learn to accept one another, if everyone only wants to be himself or herself. But it can also be a gift when we open up to one another, when we give ourselves to one another. So what matters is to understand the precondition of living together as a task and a gift, to find the true way to live together. This living together that in the past could be limited regionally today can only be lived universally. The subject of living together today is humanity as a whole. Meetings like the one in Assisi and also the one now in Munich are occasions for religions to investigate themselves and ask how they can become forces of living together.

When we gather as Christians we remind ourselves that according to the biblical faith God is the creator of all humanity; yes, he wants us to be one family in which we are brothers and sisters for one another. We remind ourselves that Christ announced peace for those far away and peace for those near to us (Ephesians 2:16). We have to learn this time and again. The deep sense of these meetings is that we meet those far away and those near to us in the same spirit of peace that Christ lived and taught us through his example. We have to learn not to live next to one another but with one another. That means opening our hearts to one another, letting our neighbors participate in our joys, hopes, and sorrows. The heart is the place where God touches us. That's why religion, which is about the meeting of people with the divine mystery, is essentially linked to the question of peace. When religion fails in this meeting with God, when it pulls Him down to us instead of raising us up to Him, when we, so to say, make him our possession, then it can contribute to the destruction of peace. But if it finds the way to the divine, to the creator and redeemer of all people, then it is a force for peace. We know that also in Christianity there have been errors of the image of God that have led to the destruction of peace. Even more, we are all called to let ourselves be purified by the divine God and thus become people of peace.

We may never diminish our efforts for peace. Therefore the numerous initiatives everywhere in the world, like the annually organized meetings for peace of Sant'Egidio and similar meetings are very valuable. The field on which the fruit of peace should grow, must be constantly tended. Often we cannot do more than prepare continuously, and in many small steps, the ground for peace in us and around us, also when coping with the large challenges, which not only concern the individual but the entire human family, like migration, globalization, economic crisis, protection of creation. In the end, we know that peace cannot simply be "made" but is always also "given." "Peace is a gift of God and at the same time a plan that has to be realized and that is never completely finished" (Message to World Peace Day 2011, 15). Especially here a common testimony is needed of all those who sincerely search for God to realize more and more the vision of a peaceful living together of all people. Since the first meeting in Assisi 25 years ago there have been, and there are, a lot of hopeful initiatives for reconciliation and peace, and unfortunately also a lot of lost opportunities and set backs.

Terrible acts of violence and terror often have suffocated the hope for peaceful living together of the human family at the dawn of the third millennium, old conflicts continue or are reawakened, new conflicts and problems arise alongside of these. All this shows us clearly that peace is a never-ending task for all of us and a gift which we should all invoke. May in this sense the peace meeting in Munich and the conferences and conversations that take place there promote reciprocal understanding and living together, and so prepare new paths for peace in our time. Therefore I will invoke the blessing of the Almighty God on all participants of the peace meeting in Munich.

Castel Gandolfo, 1 September 2011
Benedict XVI

Catholics, Orthodox Unite Around St. Timothy

2011-09-16T07:35:00.000+08:00

Relic Intended for Travel to Russia

TERMOLI, Italy, SEPT. 14, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Paul's beloved disciple was a source of unity for Catholics and Russian Orthodox last Friday, as representatives from both Churches gathered around St. Timothy's relics in Termoli, Italy.

The Orthodox delegation included Archbishop Zosimo of Elista and Bishop Aristarh of Kemerovo.

The papal nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Antonio Mennini, also attended the event, recalling his long tenure as the nuncio in Russia. The local bishop, Gianfranco De Luca, welcomed the group.

The delegations are developing a plan for Bishop De Luca to take the saint's skull to Russia for Orthodox Lent, while an Orthodox bishop will lead the delegation that will return the relic to Termoli. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow will finalize the plan.

Bishop De Luca gave the Orthodox bishops two small relics of St. Timothy, while his Orthodox guests presented him with an icon and a relic of St. Seraphim.

History

St. Timothy's relics were discovered in 1945 during restoration to the Basilica Cathedral of Termoli.

For many years, the relics had been concealed to keep them safe, so much so that awareness of the saint's resting place was forgotten, even by local residents.

The small niche was discovered with a marble tile, reading "Here rests Blessed Timothy disciple of the Apostle Paul."

His skull had always been kept in a private chapel apart.

A 1977 book on the Diocese of Termoli relates that Timothy's relics were taken to the city by a count returning from the crusades. This information is not corroborated in historical texts, but what is known is that the relics were hidden in 1239 about three feet from the cathedral floor.

There are no documents that attest explicitly to the translation of the relics from the East to the Adriatic city, but it has not been disputed. In 1947, this account was upheld by the Historical Commission of the Sacred Congregation of Rites.

Vatican, Lutherans Preparing Document on Reformation

2011-09-02T12:41:00.000+08:00

Pope's Trip to Homeland Will Have Ecumenical Focus

ROME, AUG. 30, 2011 (Zenit.org).- According to the Vatican official on ecumenism, the Church and the World Lutheran Federation are preparing a Joint Declaration on the Reformation, in view of the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's 95 Theses.

Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, announced this in an interview with the German Catholic agency KNA.

In this context, Vatican Radio reported Monday that Benedict XVI wants his Sept. 22-25 trip to Germany to have an ecumenical focus.

The Catholic-Lutheran document will "analyze the Reformation in the light of 2,000 years of Christianity," noted Vatican Radio.

"The joint commemoration of this anniversary could be the occasion for a mutual mea culpa," the report suggested. For Cardinal Koch, "a common purification of the memory" is necessary.

During his trip to Germany, Benedict XVI will visit Erfurt, where Luther carried out part of his studies. Cardinal Koch said that it was the Pope himself who wished to give this trip a notable ecumenical dimension.

Benedict XVI's third trip to his native land has as its motto "Where There Is God, There Is a Future." The trip will also include stops in Berlin, Etzelsbach and Freiburg im Breisgau.

For her part, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the daughter of a Protestant pastor, pointed out that Benedict XVI's trip encourages "convergence and solidarity between Christians and present-day society."

Intense preparation

In fact, to prepare his trip to Germany, the Pope held a meeting of more than three hours Aug. 13 with an official delegation of the German episcopate, made up of the archbishop of Munich and Freising, Cardinal Reinhard Marx; the president of the episcopal conference, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch; and the bishops of Osnabruck and Essen, Bishop Franz-Josef Hermann Bode and Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck, respectively.

The meeting took place "in a profound spirit of fraternity," according to Vatican Radio, and the Pope and prelates shared a meal together.

In a communiqué published on the meeting, the German bishops explained that they informed Benedict XVI about a process of national dialogue established by the Church in Germany. This program involves some 300 lay and religious Catholic leaders, who are reflecting on faith and the future of the Church. The initiative was proposed in the fall of 2010, and the first meeting took place last month.

The bishops said the Holy Father was very interested in this program, saying that it could be an important impulse for the future of the Church. Benedict XVI pointed out that this dialogue is a spiritual path of renewal and he encouraged the German bishops to continue. The Holy Father also stressed the link that should be established with the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council.

Program

The Pontiff will begin his trip on Sept. 22 in the German capital. That day he will meet with Merkel and President Christian Wulff. He will also have a meeting with the Jewish community, and celebrate a public Mass.

The next day he will meet with representatives of the Muslim community. Then he will go to Erfurt, in Thuringia, to the places where Luther lived.

After visiting St. Mary's Cathedral, he will meet with representatives of the German Evangelical Church Council and then take part in an ecumenical celebration in the church of the Augustinians' convent in Erfurt.

In the afternoon, the Pope will go to the shrine of the Virgin of Etzelsbach, where he will preside over vespers. That night he will return to Erfurt.

On Saturday, Sept. 24, he will preside over Mass at 9 A.M. in the Domplatz of Erfurt. In the afternoon, he will go to Freiburg: Here, after visiting the cathedral and greeting the citizens, he will meet with former Chancellor Helmut Kohl.

Later he will hold three meetings: with the representatives of the Orthodox Churches, with seminarians and with the Council of the Central Committee of German Catholics. That night he will take part in a vigil with young people.

On Sunday, Sept. 25, the Pontiff will celebrate Mass and pray the midday Angelus in Freiburg. After lunching with the members of the German Episcopal Conference, he will meet with the judges of the Federal Constitutional Court and with Catholics involved in the Church and in society.

The farewell ceremony will take place at 6:45 P.M. in the Lahr airport, before the return flight to Castel Gandolfo that night.

Norway attacks reinforce need for united stand against intolerance

2011-08-21T10:10:00.001+08:00

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu

Istanbul, Turkey - The horrific and tragic incident that happened in Norway reminds us again of the importance of combating religious intolerance and promoting cultural understanding.

Anti-Islam and anti-Muslim attitudes and activities, known as Islamophobia, are increasingly finding place in the agenda of ultra-right wing political parties and civil societies in the West in their anti-immigrant and anti-multiculturalism policies, as was evident in the manifesto of the Norway killer. Their views are being promoted under the banner of freedom of expression while claiming that Muslims do not respect that right.

A few days before the Norway attack, on 15 July in Istanbul, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United States agreed to a united stand on “[c]ombating intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatization of, and discrimination, incitement to violence, and violence against persons based on religion or belief” through the implementation of UN Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18.

The meeting – co-chaired by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and myself, with the attendance of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs together with the foreign ministers and officials of OIC member states and Western countries, as well as international organisations – reaffirmed the commitment of the participants to the effective implementation of the measures set in the resolution.

This was a major step towards strengthening the foundations of tolerance and respect for religious diversity as well as enhancing the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms around the world.

The OIC, which was the initiator of Resolution 16/18, worked in close cooperation in the drafting process with the United States and the European Union in bringing about a breakthrough on 21 March.

The 2011 HRC resolution is a genuine effort to usher in an era of understanding on the issue of religious intolerance. It gives the widest margin of freedom of expression, and reiterates the rejection of discrimination, incitement and stereotyping used by the other or against the symbols of the followers of religions.

The OIC has never sought to limit freedom of expression, give Islam preferential treatment, curtail creativity or allow discrimination against religious minorities in Muslim countries.

The Islamic faith is based on tolerance and acceptance of other religions. It does not condone discrimination of human beings on the basis of caste, creed, colour or faith. It falls on all the OIC member states as a sacred duty to protect the lives and property of their non-Muslim citizens and to treat them without discrimination of any form. Those elements who seek to harm or threaten minority citizens must be subjected to law. Our strong stand condemning violence perpetrated against non-Muslims whether in Iraq, Egypt or Pakistan has been consistent.

No one has the right to insult another for their beliefs or to incite hatred and prejudice. That kind of behaviour is irresponsible and uncivilised.

We also cannot overlook the fact that the world is diverse. The Western perception on certain issues would differ from those held by others. We need to be sensitive and appreciative of this reality, more so when it comes to criticising or expressing views on issues related to religion and culture.

The publication of offensive cartoons of the Prophet six years ago that sparked outrage across the Muslim world, the publicity around the film Fitna and the more recent Qur’an burnings represent incidents of incitement to hatred that fuel an atmosphere of dangerous mutual suspicion. Freedom of expression has to be exercised with responsibility. At the same time, violent reactions to provocations are also irresponsible and uncivilised and we condemn them unequivocally.

It is not enough to pass resolutions and laws against religious incitement. We should also be diligent in launching more initiatives and measures towards better intercultural dialogue and understanding at all levels – the political, social, business, media, academic and religious.

Resolution 16/18 includes an eight-point approach that calls for various measures to foster tolerance, including developing collaborative networks to build mutual understanding and constructive action, creating appropriate mechanisms within the government to identify and address potential areas of tension between members of religious communities, and raising awareness at the local, national and international levels on the effects of negative religious stereotyping and incitement to religious hatred.

The implementation of the 2011 HRC Resolution 16/18 would take us a long way in making our world a more peaceful and harmonious place to live in.

###

* Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu is the Secretary General of the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (formerly Organization of the Islamic Conference), an international organisation consisting of 57 member states. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 16 August 2011

Vatican Message to Muslims for Ramadan

2011-08-21T10:03:00.001+08:00

"Working Together for Mankind's Spiritual Dimension"

VATICAN CITY, AUG. 19, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a text published today by the Vatican of a message sent to Muslims by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. The message was sent on the occasion of the end of Ramadan, Aug. 29.

The message is titled "Working together for mankind’s spiritual dimension."

* * *

Dear Muslim friends,

1. The end of the month of Ramadan offers the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue a welcome occasion for sending you our most cordial wishes, hoping that the efforts you have so generously made during this month will bring all the desired spiritual fruits.

2. This year, we have thought to give priority to the theme of the spiritual dimension of the human person. This concerns a reality which Christians and Muslims consider to be of prime importance, faced as we are with the challenges of materialism and secularization. The relationship that every human person has with the transcendent is not a moment in history, but is part of human nature. We do not believe in fate; we are convinced – moreover it is our experience – that God guides us on our path!

3. Christians and Muslims, beyond their differences, recognize the dignity of the human person endowed with both rights and duties. They think that intelligence and freedom are indeed gifts which must impel believers to recognize these values which are shared because they rest on the same human nature.

4. This is why the transmission of such human and moral values to the younger generations constitutes a common concern. It is our duty to help them discover that there is both good and evil, that conscience is a sanctuary to be respected, and that cultivating the spiritual dimension makes us more responsible, more supportive, more available for the common good.

5. Christians and Muslims are too often witnesses to the violation of the sacred, of the mistrust of which those who call themselves believers are the target. We cannot but denounce all forms of fanaticism and intimidation, the prejudices and the polemics, as well as the discrimination of which, at times, believers are the object both in the social and political life as well as in the mass media.

6. We are spiritually very close to you, dear Friends, asking God to give you renewed spiritual energy and we send you our very best wishes for peace and happiness.

Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran
President

Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata
Secretary

Mercy is Key to Interreligious Dialogue

2011-07-29T11:46:00.001+08:00

Addresses Muslim and Christian Pilgrims at 7 Sleepers Church

VIEUX-MARCHE, France, JULY 28, 2011 (Zenit.org).- If mercy can be considered a name of God, its role should not be forgotten in interreligious dialogue, says Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, archbishop of Lyon.

On Sunday, the primate of Gaul suggested this as he presided over a Mass in the Church of the Seven Saints of Ephesus, in the small village of Vieux-Marche. He was speaking in the context of a Muslim-Christian pilgrimage that has been held for almost 60 years in this locality.

"Why has the word mercy deserted the lips of Catholics?" the Morocco-born cardinal wondered in his homily. "Why do we use it so little? Why are we afraid to use it? I'm surprised, because it appears everywhere in the Bible, and it would be a wonderful concept for interreligious dialogue."

The cardinal recalled that the Jewish people received the vocation to "be servants of God's mercy in all nations."

Moreover, he added, "this word appears in each of the Surahs of the Quran, which always begins by invoking the merciful God."

"It's also present everywhere in the Gospel," the 60-year-old prelate reminded. "I don't know why we have neglected it."

"Perhaps for some it seems out of fashion, but it came from the lips of Christ, from the lips of the Virgin Mary when she sang the Magnificat, and it is in the Canticle of Zachariah, which is our prayer every morning. So, why don't we use it?"

He noted that mercy is also the great legacy left by John Paul II.

Recalling Karol Wojtyła's thought, the cardinal said: "Merciful is not only an adjective we can attribute to God. Mercy is not only one of the qualities of God, who is also Creator, Almighty. Mercy -- said the Pope -- is really his name."

"This phrase could be very useful in profound dialogue, following the record of God's love, with our brother believers of other religions," the cardinal affirmed.

History

The Christian-Muslim pilgrimage to the Church of the Seven Saints of Ephesus is due to the tradition surrounding the "seven sleepers" to whom the church is dedicated. Tradition holds that seven Christians who were trying to escape the third-century persecution of Decius hid in a cave at the site where the church was built. When Decius found that they refused to recant their faith, he had the cave sealed as the young Christians slept. Some 150 years later the cave was opened and the young men awoke.

The story of the "sleepers" is more prominent in the Islam tradition because it is recounted in the Quran.

On seeing the correlation between the tradition and the Surah of the Quran, in 1954 Louis Massignon, one of the greatest Islam specialists of the 20th century, decided to invite Muslim representatives to an annual pilgrimage to the chapel, when the war was beginning between France and Algeria.

This year it has beaten all records of participation.

Ecumenical Body's Founder Statement on 1986 Assisi Meeting of Religious Leaders

2011-07-14T15:48:00.000+08:00

Sant'Egidio Founder on 1986 Assisi Meeting of Religious Leaders
"Twenty-five Years Have Passed ... and the World Is Much Changed"

ROME, JULY 13, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is the statement of Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community of Sant'Egidio, that was published Tuesday in the L'Osservatore Romano, on the meeting to be held this October in Assisi with representatives of the world's religions and non-believers titled "Pilgrims of Truth, Pilgrims of Peace."

The meeting is the third in a series of similar gatherings held in the Italian town, the first two were held in 1986 and 2002. The 1986 meeting was called by John Paul II on the occasion of the U.N. International Year of Peace, and the next meeting, on Jan. 24, 2002, was convoked by John Paul II following the Sept. 11 attacks, and it was geared especially to ward off the danger of a confrontation with Islam.

* * *

Twenty-five years have passed since the event in Assisi in 1986 and the world is much changed. Then, western culture considered religions a reality which modernity had done away with. Blessed John Paul II, on the contrary, intuited the public force of religions, despite secularization. He knew that religions could be attractive to war-like passions. Worried about the cold war, he invited leaders of Christian religions and other world religions to Assisi.

There was no shortage of encounters between religions: often dialogue that did not respect the substance of faith alternated with calls from religious leaders for this or that political cause. John Paul II stood apart from such models of encounter. He wanted Assisi to be a day of prayer and silence: different from interreligious conferences. It hinged on an invocation for peace: "More perhaps than ever before in history," he said, "the intrinsic link between an authentic religious attitude and the great good of peace has become evident to all."

The event surprised the world, struck by the image of the Pope amongst religious leaders. Some spoke of it as a television performance. Even peace needs to touch the hearts of people. The event of 1986 was, as Benedict XVI has written, "an accurate prophecy."

It is useful to look at the path marked out by Benedict XVI with his encounters from the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, to the Synagogue in Rome and which, in October 2011 will reach Assisi. Speaking in Naples in 2007 at the meeting of religious leaders promoted by the Community of Sant’Egidio, the Pope said, "we are all called to work for peace and to be effectively committed to furthering reconciliation among peoples.

This is the true "spirit of Assisi" which opposes every form of violence and the abuse of religion as a pretext for violence." The logic of fighting is not the future of humanity. We need to direct hearts and minds not towards a clash of civilizations, but towards the civility of living together.

The Pope concluded, "In the face of a world torn apart by conflicts, where violence in God's Name is at times justified, it is important to reaffirm that religions can never become vehicles of hatred…On the contrary, religions can and must offer precious resources to build a peaceful humanity because they speak of peace to the human heart."

This is the challenge of Assisi but it is also a challenge of living together in peace amongst people of different traditions and identities. In the difficult crossroads of history, the Catholic Church, while it witnesses its faith in Jesus Christ, serves the unity of nations hoping to encourage a sense of the holiness of peace and of human life in the hearts of followers of all religions.

Catholic Movement's message for upcoming Assisi Interreligious Meeting

2011-07-14T14:45:00.001+08:00

Focolare President on Interreligious Meeting in Assisi
"The Road Opened by Blessed John Paul II Has Made Great Progress"

ROME, JULY 13, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is the statement of Maria Voce, president of the Focolari Movement, that was published today in the L'Osservatore Romano, on the meeting to be held this October in Assisi with representatives of the world's religions and non-believers titled "Pilgrims of Truth, Pilgrims of Peace."

The meeting is the third in a series of similar gatherings held in the Italian town, the first two were held in 1986 and 2002. The 1986 meeting was called by John Paul II on the occasion of the U.N. International Year of Peace, and the next meeting, on Jan. 24, 2002, was convoked by John Paul II following the Sept. 11 attacks, and it was geared especially to ward off the danger of a confrontation with Islam.

* * *

In this time of great upheaval, "the walls in which the various civilizations live with their individual culture are crumbling," and, "a city-world without walls can be seen on the horizon, full of hope." This was the vision offered by Chiara Lubich in London in 2004, before an audience of representatives of numerous religions, on the topic of the future for a multicultural, multiethnic and multi-religious society of our time, faced with the risk of a clash of civilizations

In the 1970s, speaking at an international congress of young people, Chiara had asked them to, "not close their eyes at the sight of this torment of humanity but to conscientiously enter into the gestation of the new world." "You are here," she added, "to be formed in a "world mentality," to become "world-man."

In these twenty-five years, the road opened by Blessed John Paul II has made great progress thanks to the action of the Holy Spirit. It is he who guides history in this great design of unity, despite the many shadows, which fall across our planet. We are witnesses to it. For our Movement, almost as a surprise, the unexplored page of interreligious dialogue was opened. Chiara Lubich recognized a sign of the Holy Spirit in the interest shown in her spiritual experience by representatives of different religions present at Guildhall in London in 1979.

Since then, numerous developments have occurred in more than 30 years. In 1972, when Chiara invited young people to become protagonists in the gestation of a new world, she gave them what she called a "very powerful weapon of love," "the model capable of re-creating the unity of the world:" Jesus crucified who calls out to his Father in his abandonment. It is He, the Crucified and Resurrected Lord, who is the key, which opens dialogue even in the most difficult situations.

Today, dialogue between religions cannot be limited only to leaders, scholars and specialists. It must become a dialogue of the people, a dialogue of life. We meet Christians and Muslims everywhere who are testament to the fact that one can progress from fear of the other to the discovery of the other and contribute to a peaceful living together in their cities.

We begin now to pray for the great meeting in Assisi next October; in the hope and expectation of new surprises from the Holy Spirit.

Statement on Anglican-Catholic Dialogue

2011-05-30T15:22:00.000+08:00

"What Unites Us Is Greater Than What Divides Us"

VATICAN CITY, MAY 29, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a statement released Saturday from the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity regarding the May 17-27 meeting of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC III).

* * *

The Anglican - Roman Catholic International Commission has completed the first meeting of its new phase (ARCIC III) at the Monastery of Bose in northern Italy (May 17-27, 2011). The Commission, chaired by the Most Reverend David Moxon (Anglican Archbishop of the New Zealand Dioceses) and the Most Reverend Bernard Longley (Roman Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham) comprises eighteen theologians from a wide range of backgrounds across the world[1]. In response to the Programme set forth by Pope Benedict and Archbishop Rowan Williams in their 2006 Common Declaration, discussions have focussed on the interrelated issues: the Church as Communion, local and universal, and how in communion the local and universal Church come to discern right ethical teaching. The Programme also required the Commission to re-examine how the "commitment to the common goal of the restoration of complete communion in faith and sacramental life"[2] is to be understood and pursued today, and to present the work of ARCIC II in its entirety with appropriate commentaries to assist its reception.

In addressing these issues, the Commission has devoted time to introducing its new members to the history and achievements of ARCIC, and has benefited from the shared experience of those who were members of previous phases. Members have worked both in plenary sessions and in small groups, developing plans to address the tasks that derive from its mandate.

Over the coming years, the Commission will examine how the abiding goal of the dialogues is currently perceived and understood, and how that goal will inform the entire dialogue process.

In considering the method that ARCIC III will use, the Commission was particularly helped by the approach of ‘receptive ecumenism’[3], which seeks to make ecumenical progress by learning from our partner, rather than simply asking our partner to learn from us. Receptive ecumenism is more about self-examination and inner conversion than convincing the other; Anglicans and Roman Catholics can help each other grow in faith, life and witness to Christ if they are open to being transformed by God’s grace mediated through each other. ARCIC is committed to modelling the receptive ecumenism it advocates. It intends to find ways to consult with the members of its churches at many levels as its work matures.

ARCIC III will present all the documents of ARCIC II, together with elucidations based upon responses already received, for reception by the relevant authorities of both communions, and for study at all levels of the churches’ life.

ARCIC III has decided that it will address the two principal topics together in a single document. It has drawn up a plan for its work that views the Church above all in the light of its rootedness in Christ through the Paschal Mystery. This focus on Jesus Christ, human and divine, gives the Commission a creative way to view the relationship between the local and universal in communion. The Commission will seek to develop a theological understanding of the human person, human society, and the new life of grace in Christ. This will provide a basis from which to explore how right ethical teaching is determined at universal and local levels. ARCIC will base this study firmly in scripture, tradition and reason, and draw on the previous work of the Commission. It will analyze some particular questions to elucidate how our two Communions approach moral decision making, and how areas of tension for Anglicans and Roman Catholics might be resolved by learning from the other. ARCIC III does this conscious of the fact that what unites us is greater than what divides us.

The work of the Commission members has been enriched by sharing in the liturgical and spiritual life of the sisters and brothers of the Monastery of Bose, whose ecumenical mission and constant prayer have provided a supportive context for ARCIC. They were encouraged by visits from the bishop of the local diocese and by the bishop responsible for ecumenism for the northern Italian dioceses. The Commission will now organize papers and continue its work along the lines it has proposed, in preparation for its next meeting in 2012.

_____________________________________

1 For a list of members, see appendix.

2 1996 Common Declaration of Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey.

3 cf Receptive Ecumenism and the Call to Catholic learning: Exploring a way for Contemporary Ecumenism., ed. Paul D. Murray., OUP 2008

* * *

APPENDIX

MEMBERS OF ARCIC III

Co-Chairs

The Most Reverend Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, England

The Most Reverend David Moxon, Bishop of Waikato and Archbishop of the Dioceses of New Zealand

Roman Catholics

The Reverend Robert Christian OP, Angelicum University, Rome

The Most Reverend Arthur Kennedy, auxiliary bishop, Archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Professor Paul D. Murray, Durham University, England

Professor Janet E. Smith, Sacred Heart Major Seminary Detroit, Michigan, USA

The Reverend Vimal Tirimanna CSsR, Alphonsianum University, Rome

The Very Reverend Dom Henry Wansbrough OSB, Ampleforth Abbey, England

Sister Teresa Okure SHCJ,Catholic Institute of West Africa, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

The Reverend Adelbert Denaux, Dean; Tilburg School of Theology, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Anglicans

Dr Paula Gooder, Birmingham, England

The Right Reverend Christopher Hill, Bishop of Guildford, England

The Reverend Mark McIntosh, University of Durham, England.

The Right Reverend Nkosinathi Ndwandwe, Bishop Suffragan of Natal, Southern Area,

South Africa

The Right Reverend Linda Nicholls, Area Bishop for Trent-Durham, Diocese of Toronto,

Canada

The Reverend Michael Poon, Trinity Theological College, Singapore (unable to attend)

The Reverend Canon Nicholas Sagovsky, London, England

The Reverend Peter Sedgwick, St Michael’s College, Llandaff, Wales

The Reverend Charles Sherlock (consultant), Bendigo, Australia.

The work of the Commission is supported by the Co-Secretaries, Monsignor Mark Langham (Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity) and Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan (Anglican Communion Office) and by Canon Jonathan Goodall, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Secretary for Ecumenical Affairs.

Vatican Academy Looks at 4 Threats to Religious Liberty

2011-05-05T11:22:00.003+08:00

Meeting Has "Memorable Character" With Beatification of Founder

VATICAN CITY, MAY 4, 2011 (Zenit.org).- The president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences says the group's 17th plenary assembly had a "special and memorable character" since it coincided with the beatification of Pope John Paul II, who founded the group in 1994.

Harvard law professor Mary Ann Glendon offered a wrap-up of the April 29-May 3 session today, explaining how the scholars considered "Universal Rights in a World of Diversity – The Case of Religious Freedom."

She said there is a "critical challenge for religious liberty" today. "Even in countries where religious liberty has a long and apparently secure constitutional foundation, the suspicion of those religious believers who claim to know truths about the human person leads to marginalization and even outright discrimination."

The scholar noted how the pontifical academy members looked at the theme with "the conviction that religious freedom goes to the very heart of what it means to be human." They highlighted what she called "four broad areas of threats to religious liberty."

The first is the "standard threat": state coercion and persecution of religious believers. Then there is: state restrictions upon the religious liberties of religious minorities; societal pressure on religious minorities that may or may not be state sanctioned, but nonetheless curtails the liberties of those minorities; and the growth of secular fundamentalism in Western countries which considers religious believers a threat to secular, liberal democratic politics.

Glendon cited studies showing that religious liberty started to decline in 2005, after a high point in 1998.

"According to the most extensive cross-national study ever conducted, nearly 70% of the world’s people currently live in countries that impose 'high restrictions' on religious freedom, the brunt of which falls on religious minorities," she said.

Even in countries with few restrictions, Glendon added, "the academy and public life often portray religion as a source of social division, and treat religious freedom as a second-class right to be trumped by a range of other claims and interests."

Questioning

The lawyer observed, however, that social science "has begun to cast doubt on the common belief -- almost a dogma -- in secular circles that religion is per se a source of social division, and on the related claim by many authoritarian governments that religious freedom must be curtailed for the sake of social peace."

She said there is under way a re-examination of the "traditional bias against religion in elite circles," and a questioning of "the assumption that the liberal state can afford to be indifferent or hostile to religion."

"No serious thinker disputes that the preservation of a free society depends on citizens and statespersons with particular skills, knowledge, and qualities of mind and character," Glendon said. "But many have taken the position that the free society could get along just fine without religion, and that the more religion was confined to the private sphere, the freer everyone would be. [...] That faith in the ability of democracy to generate the virtues it needs in its citizens was shaken, however, in the wake of the social and cultural upheavals of the late 20th century."

Universal

While Glendon acknowledged that no model of religious freedom can work for every nation, this, she said, in no way implies that religious freedom is not a universal right.

"Rather," she said, "it is to recognize that there must be room for a degree of pluralism in modes of bringing religious freedom and other fundamental human rights to life under diverse cultural circumstances."

The pontifical academy members examined this degree of pluralism, acknowledging the "major difficulty" of determining "where does legitimate pluralism end and pure cultural relativism begin."

The speakers looked at questions on limits of tolerance, the freedom of religious institutions to govern themselves, the role of religiously grounded moral viewpoints in public discourse, and the role of natural law, among many other issues.

"Several dilemmas emerged from these discussions," Glendon admitted. "On the one hand, the more broadly religious freedom is conceived, the more tensions arise among individual religious freedom, the autonomy of religious bodies, other rights, and the interests of the state. Yet, one of the principal ways in which religious liberty is violated is by construing it so narrowly as to confine it to the private sphere. To abolish religion from the public sphere [...] does not resolve conflicts but merely papers them over."

Catholic, Jewish Leaders Stress Need for Prayer

2011-04-02T11:43:00.000+08:00

Highlight Religious Leadership in Modern World

JERUSALEM, APRIL 1, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Catholic and Jewish leaders are together underlining the importance of prayer so as to give witness to the presence of God in the world.
This was one of the conclusions of a three-day meeting in Jerusalem of the Bilateral Commission of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Holy See's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews.

The meeting was co-chaired by Chief Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen of the Jewish delegation and Cardinal Jorge Mejía of the Catholic delegation.

The concluding statement was publicized Thursday, the last day of the meeting, which centered on the theme "Challenges of Faith and Religious Leadership in Secular Society."

The commission noted that "our modern world is substantially bereft of a sense of belonging, meaning and purpose."

It affirmed, "Faith and religious leadership have a critical role in responding to these realities, in providing both hope and moral guidance derived from the awareness of the Divine presence and the Divine image in all human beings."

The religious leaders affirmed, "Our respective traditions declare the importance of prayer, both as the expression of awareness of the Divine presence, and as the way to affirm that awareness and its moral imperatives."

"In addition, the study of the Divine Word in Scripture offers the essential inspiration and direction for life," they noted.

Moses

The commission observed that "the Biblical description of Moses was presented as a paradigm of religious leadership."

It noted that Moses, "through his encounter with God, responds to the Divine call with total faith, loving his people, declaring the Word of God without fear, embodying freedom and courage, and an authority that comes from obeying God always and unconditionally, and listening to all, ready for dialogue."

"The responsibility of the faithful is accordingly to testify to the Divine presence in our world," the statement asserted, "while acknowledging our failures in the past to be true and full witnesses to this charge."

It continued: "Such testimony is also to be seen in education, focus on youth and effective engagement of the media.

"Similarly, in the establishment and operation of charitable institutions with special care for the vulnerable, sick and marginalized, in the spirit of 'tikkun olam' (healing the world)."

The commission added that "the religious commitment to justice and peace also requires an engagement between religious leadership and the institutions of civil law."

The statement noted, "Resulting from the discussion on the practical implications for religious leadership in relationship to current issues, the bilateral commission expressed the hope that the outstanding matters in the negotiations between the Holy See and the state of Israel would soon be resolved, and bilateral agreements speedily ratified for the benefit of both communities."

Vatican Note on Occasion of Buddhist Vesakha

2011-04-01T10:07:00.000+08:00

"Seeking Truth in Freedom: Christians and Buddhists Live in Peace"

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 31, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is the letter of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue addressed to Buddhists on the occasion of Vesakha, which commemorates the birth, enlightenment and passing away of Buddha.

The message is titled "Seeking Truth in Freedom: Christians and Buddhists Live in Peace," and is signed by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the dialogue council, and Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata, its secretary.

Vesakha is observed this year in on April 8 in Japan, May 10 in Korea, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore and those that follow the Mahayana traditions, and on May 17 in Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and those of the Theravada school.

* * *

Dear Buddhist Friends,

1. On behalf of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue I am happy once again to offer heartfelt good wishes to all of you on the occasion of Vesakh/Hanamatsuri. I pray that this annual feast may bring serenity and joy to Buddhists throughout the world.

2. In the light of an exchange of mutual friendship, as in the past, I would like to share with you some of our convictions in the hope of strengthening relations between our communities. My thoughts turn first to the relationship between peace, truth and freedom. In the pursuit of authentic peace, a commitment to seek truth is a necessary condition. All persons have a natural duty to seek truth, to follow it and freely to live their lives in accordance with it (Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Declaration on Religious Freedom Dignitatis Humanae, no. 1). This human striving for truth offers a fruitful opportunity for the followers of the different religions to encounter one another in depth and to grow in appreciation of the gifts of each.

3. In today’s world, marked by forms of secularism and fundamentalism that are often inimical to true freedom and spiritual values, interreligious dialogue can be the alternative choice by which we find the "golden way" to live in peace and work together for the good of all. As Pope Benedict XVI has said, "for the Church, dialogue between the followers of the different religions represents an important means of cooperating with all religious communities for the common good" (Message for the World Day of Peace 2011, no. 11). Such dialogue is also a powerful stimulus to respect for the fundamental human rights of freedom of conscience and freedom of worship. Wherever religious freedom is effectively acknowledged, the dignity of the human person is respected at its root; by the sincere search for what is true and good, moral conscience and civil institutions are strengthened; and justice and peace are firmly established (Cf. ibid., no. 5).

4. Dear Buddhist friends, we pray that your celebration of Vesakh will be a source of spiritual enrichment and an occasion to take up anew the quest of truth and goodness, to show compassion to all who suffer, and to strive to live together in harmony. Once again allow us to express our cordial greetings and to wish all of you a Happy Feast of Vesakh/Hanamatsuri.

Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran
President

Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata
Secretary

US Cardinal Defends Rights of Muslims

2011-03-30T09:47:00.000+08:00

Underlines Religious Liberty for All

WASHINGTON, D.C., MARCH 29, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is stressing the value of religious liberty for all faiths, defending in particular the rights of Muslims.
The former archbishop of Washington made this appeal today on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in a testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights hearing regarding "Protecting the Civil Rights of American Muslims."

The cardinal affirmed, "We see religious freedom as an essential foundation for our life together in our own nation and across the globe."

He noted that this freedom "is destroyed by attacks on people in some countries because of their religion and by the terrible misuse of religion to incite hatred and even justify violence."

"A justified concern for security and the appropriate pursuit of those who pervert religion to attack others cannot be allowed to turn into a new form of religious discrimination and intolerance," the prelate pointed out.

He continued, "This is why we stand with our Muslim brothers and sisters in defense of their dignity and rights, just as we welcome and expect their reciprocity and solidarity with us when the rights of Christians and other religious groups are violated around the world."

Expressions of faith

Cardinal McCarrick stated: "It is essential to point out that religious liberty begins with the right to worship according to one's conscience, but it does not end there.

"Religious freedom includes other vital activities which express our faith, among them are the freedom of conscience in providing health care and other human services, the right to establish and maintain schools that authentically reflect our own values, and the right to participate in and contribute to public and community affairs."

He observed that in this light, "acts of bias and discrimination towards Catholics and our beliefs are often expressed very publicly."

"For example," the prelate said, "we are charged with discrimination or called 'bigots' when we advocate for the traditional understanding of marriage between one man and one woman, which many religious and non religious traditions have supported throughout human history."

"We advocate for an authentic vision of marriage not to offend or to treat people unjustly," he explained, "but to offer a positive and healthy model of the human family, which has served as the foundation of society throughout the ages."

The cardinal affirmed, "We remain firmly committed to the defense of religious liberty for all -- not just for Catholics -- because our commitment is based on our concern for the dignity of each and every human person."

"At the same time, we recognize that not every charge of wrong-doing against people or groups within a religious community amounts to religious discrimination, bias or bigotry," he added. "Religious beliefs are no excuse for threatening others with or carrying out acts of violence."

Extremist ideology

Cardinal McCarrick acknowledged that "at this particular moment in our nation's history, we face a real threat to our national security from terrorism that has its origins in a particular form of extremist ideology that holds itself out as authentic Islam."

"These pervasive threats endanger all people both in this country and abroad," he affirmed. "We cannot pretend that these threats do not exist."

"Our government has a duty to understand the threat and confront it effectively," the cardinal said, "in order to keep our citizens safe and to promote and defend the common good of all."

He added, "The legitimate concern for the public order, however, must be pursued with effective skill and respect for religious liberty and with particular concern to avoid generalizing about Islam based solely on the extreme views and conduct of a small group of radical extremists."

"As a religious community, our Catholic faith and our respect for the religious beliefs and freedoms of others commit us to defend and promote the right to religious freedom for all as a moral priority and human responsibility," the prelate stated.

"We do not do this alone," he said, "but walk alongside our neighbors of diverse creeds and religious traditions."

Cardinal McCarrick urged: "As predominantly Muslim societies wrestle with how to treat religious minorities, let them look to our nation where we work to ensure that their Muslim sisters and brothers are treated with dignity and their religious identity and beliefs are treated with respect.

"Let them see a people blessed with hard won religious freedom living out our commitment to the rights of all by demonstrating full respect for the identity, integrity and freedom of all religions and their institutions."

--- --- ---

Christians, Muslims in India urged to interact

2011-03-07T11:19:00.001+08:00

A meeting of Christians and Muslims in central India has stressed the need for the two minority communities to work together to create a just society.

“The more we interact and exchange ideas the more we stand to gain as a society and as a nation,” Archbishop Leo Cornelio of Bhopal, who heads the Catholic Church in Madhya Pradesh, told the biennial convention of the Islamic Studies Association (ISA).

Around 300 Christian and Muslim delegates attended a convention organized by the association in Bhopal, capital of Madhya Pradesh state.

“This kind of initiatives would help us know each other better and lead to greater understanding and co-operation,” Archbishop Cornelio said.

ISA secretary Father Pushpa Anbu wants more people to attend such programs to dispel misunderstanding between Christians and Muslims.

“We stand divided merely because we are ignorant of each other,” the Divine Word priest said after the convention.

Father Anbu objected to branding some people as terrorists just because they follow a particular religion. “No religion engages its members for terror,” asserted the priest, who is a specialist on Islam.

Father Anand Muttungal, general secretary of the Madhya Pradesh bishops’ Commission for Ecumenism and Dialogue, said the convention has boosted relations between Christians and Muslims in the state.

Sajid Ali, a Muslim lawyer who attended the program, sought Christians’ help to educate members of his community and bring them to the mainstream. He blamed ignorance for the backwardness in his community.

Anwar Saffi, a Muslim scholar, told the convention that his religion had taught him to treat everyone equally and live for others. He also called for closer ties with other religions to foster peace and harmony.

(First Published in UCAN News, February 28)

Malaysia: Reviving The Stillborn Inter-Faith Committee

2011-03-04T11:30:00.002+08:00

By Choong Pui Yee
(First Published in Eurasia Review)

THE MALAYSIAN government has revived an interfaith committee which, according to Prime Minister Najib Razak, could serve as a mechanism to resolve problems and issues (related to religion) through “honest and frank discussions”. The committee was actually formed almost a year ago, in April 2010, after the brouhaha over the issue of Christians using the word ‘Allah’ to refer to God, which saw protest demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur and even some attacks on churches in different parts of the country.

Malaysia
However, the committee was stillborn since it was roundly attacked even before it could sit down to meet. Non-Muslim members of the committee decided to boycott it after a comment by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin that the committee only consisted of ‘small-fry’ and it would not have any influence. Then, the Perak Fatwa Committee objected to the panel, citing that all other religions could not be placed on equal footing with Islam. Not to be outdone, the Malay right wing NGO, Perkasa, opposed the appointment of Koh Tsu Koon, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, as the minister in charge of the committee. Perkasa insisted that it had to come under the guidance of Jamil Khir Baharom, the Islamic Affairs Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

Finally, the council of muftis disagreed to the name of the committee ‘Special Committee to Promote Inter-Religious Harmony and Understanding (SCPIRHU)’ citing the term ‘Inter-Religious’ would cause confusion among Malaysian Muslims. Though the April 2010 inter-faith committee did not take off, efforts were made to revive it later in the year. Thirty-five new members were appointed and made public on 14 February 2011 by Najib when Malaysia joined other countries to celebrate World Interfaith Harmony Week for the first time.

Recent Developments

Najib showed perseverance in reviving the inter-faith committee. He has clearly expressed support for the committee and promised allocations to it so that it could perform its tasks. The process, if sustained, will mark a milestone in Malaysian efforts to advance inter-religious dialogue at the national level. It is worthwhile highlighting that the idea of an inter-faith panel was mooted as far back as the early 1980s only to be shot down by Muslim groups, including the government’s Islamic Development Department (JAKIM). Another initiative in 2005 by the Malaysian Bar Council to set up an Inter-Faith Commission suffered a similar fate with the then PM Abdullah Badawi quickly sweeping the proposal under the carpet.

The fact that so little publicity has been given to the new committee only shows how carefully Najib is approaching the issue of inter-faith dialogue. When talking about the new committee on 14 February, he made it clear that its discussions would be held closed-door as religious matters were “very sensitive” and if discussed in public would “lead to criticisms and opinions which may hurt others”. To address criticisms from Islamic clerics, the name of the inter-faith committee has been changed to the ‘Committee for the Understanding and Harmony among Religious Adherents’.

Najib also sought to downplay expectations by asking the public to be more patient with the interfaith committee and not to expect it to resolve all issues within a short span of time. Later in the week, Najib told a gathering of 800 Islamic religious teachers in Kuala Lumpur that Islam could not be put on equal footing with other religions, obviously to deflect any possible criticism that he was promoting religious pluralism.

The Challenges

The reactions in Malaysia arising from the controversy over the usage of the word ‘Allah’ by Christians in 2010 showed that the need for some mechanism to resolve religious disputes in the country was long overdue. However, while the creating of the inter-faith committee is a big step forward, the challenges it faces are so daunting that only the excessively optimistic will believe that it can succeed. The first challenge it faces is convincing key individuals and religious organisations within the government establishment, let alone Muslim groups outside the government community, that inter-faith dialogue is a good idea. This is important as the Muslim community in Malaysia is the key player in any inter-faith dialogue.

However, the history of inter-faith dialogue shows that the concept has never been well-received by the Muslim community. Thus, the willingness of all participants in the committee to be genuinely engaged in constructive dialogue and to find a common ground in resolving issues on such contentious matters as religious conversion and custodial rights will be a significant challenge they will face.

The second major challenge facing both the committee and the government is to prevent any serious politicisation of the interfaith dialogue. This will be difficult to achieve even if there are no politicians in the current committee. The reality is that religion, especially the official religion of Malaysia, Islam, is deeply embedded in politics in Malaysia. Moreover, religious and political discourse in Malaysia is often intertwined. Hence, while the discussions can be well controlled at the closed door sessions of the committee, its findings and conclusions will have to be disclosed eventually and become subject to public debate. Managing the issue then will be a major challenge for the government as things could easily get intractable.

As a country that often takes pride in its multiracial and multi religious richness, Malaysia in recent years finds itself confronted with the darker side of religious diversity. The revival of the inter-faith committee shows that religious plurality in Malaysia can no longer be taken for granted. And it has to be managed delicately with much perseverance and sensitivity if the process is ever to succeed.

-----------------------------

Choong Pui Yee is a Research Analyst with the Malaysia Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University.

Malaysian PM warns Muslims against religious pluralism

2011-02-19T17:06:00.001+08:00

By Adib Zalkapli
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak warned Muslims against religious pluralism, saying today putting Islam on an equal footing with other faiths is unIslamic.
The prime minister also asked government Islamic agencies and religious teachers to explain the issue to the Muslim community.

“To say all religions are equal before Allah is against the Islamic belief,” said Najib when addressing some 800 religious teachers at a gathering here.

“We respect other religions, we must not insult other religions, but they cannot be said to be as similar to Islam,” he added.

Religious pluralism is sometimes used as a synonym for interfaith dialogue or promotes understanding of different faiths with the objective of reducing conflicts.

Critics of religious pluralism however see the concept as a threat to the supremacy of Islam and claim that it would result in the religion to be equated with other beliefs.

Najib has initiated an interfaith council and told the members at a luncheon last week that some discussions must be held behind closed doors due to sensitivities in the multi-racial and multi-religious country.

Najib said today that religious leaders must come forward to explain the issue of religious pluralism to Muslims.

“It is the responsibility of preachers, religious teachers, muftis and imams to explain the truth,” Najib told reporters after the gathering.

“Do not misunderstand my statement, I am not insulting other religions but this has to do with the Islamic akidah (theology),” he said.

Najib, however, admitted that the influence of religious pluralism is still limited, but said it has to be controlled.

“If we don’t do something, it will be promoted to more people, but currently it is only limited to certain groups,” said Najib when asked about how serious is the threat of religious pluralism to Muslims.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was previously accused of equating Islam with other religions for political mileage by Umno-linked religious scholars at a forum last November.

The forum on religious pluralism was supported by several government agencies — the Selangor Religious Department, Federal Territory Mufti Department, federal Islamic Missionary Foundation (Yadim) and Information Ministry’s Special Affairs Department (Jasa).

Northern Malaysian State (Penang) forms State Panel on Non-Muslim Affairs

2011-02-19T15:42:00.001+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 — Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng will head a new executive council (exco) portfolio to handle non-Muslim religious issues in the state, the first such portfolio in the country.

He said today the new exco was formed in conjunction with the United Nations’ Interfaith Harmony Week last week.

“Unlike the federal government’s Committee for the Promotion of Inter-religious Understanding and Harmony, this is not a committee but a full exco portfolio and reflects the state government’s genuine concerns on all religious matters,” Lim said in a statement today.

The Cabinet had set up a national interfaith panel in April last year to deal with religious disputes following a series of attacks against places of worship nationwide.

Religious tensions among Malaysia’s multicultural population erupted after a High Court ruled in favour of the Catholic Church in a dispute over the word “Allah”.

Churches were firebombed, and mosques, suraus and a gurdwara were desecrated.

The portfolio was presented by Deputy Chief Minister II Professor Dr P. Ramasamy at the state exco’s meeting last week and approved then.

Ramasamy will also be act as deputy chairman for the state interfaith council.

Lim said Penang is willing to work with the the Najib administration to stamp out religious extremism.

He said the state “has been under siege” by extremist groups and labelled “anti-Malay even if it only involves only 10 per cent Malays or one Malay out of 10 affected parties”.

Religion and race are tightly linked in Malaysia where Muslims are constitutionally categorised as being also Malay.

Lim said that despite differences, Malaysians are “united by our common aspirations for good practices and universal moral values of peace,justice, moderation and harmony”.

“Co-operation not confrontation, mutual respect not tolerance, and understanding not ignorance will be the governing creed of this new Penang exco portfolio,” he added.

Muslims and Christians together in a new Egypt

2011-02-16T20:21:00.000+08:00

Yasser Khalil

Cairo - The recent protests in Egypt that led to the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, and their political ramifications, have been covered extensively in the media. But stories of Christian-Muslim solidarity have not been broadcast as widely, and they deserve to be.

During the protests, Christians stood in a circle around Muslims during their Friday prayers to protect them from police. And last Monday, Muslims stood around Christians in Tahrir Square as they conducted mass, and joined them in prayer for those who were injured or died in the protests.

Prior to the demonstrations, there was a growing fear in Egypt that tensions between Muslims and Christians would escalate and culminate in violence, especially in light of recent attacks that targeted Christians in the region, the latest of which was the bombing of a church in Alexandria on New Year’s Eve that killed 23 people.

To prevent such violence from reoccurring, Egyptians began to mobilise through a new online initiative called “An Internet Free of Sectarian Strife”, launched by Amr Khaled, who is described by The New York Times as “the world's most famous and influential Muslim television preacher.” He began the initiative in January after he saw how the Internet was being used to disseminate rumors and agitate tensions between Muslims and Christians in the country.

Word of the initiative spread quickly, and it has proven very popular among Egyptian youth primarily because of Khaled’s huge following in the country. The roots of this initiative began with his lectures in 1998, after years of terrorist incidents claimed the lives of innocent people and religious bigotry began spreading among groups that were adopting extremist interpretations of Islam.

Many have found messages of balance and harmony in the young, dynamic preacher’s rhetoric, which are all too rare in other speakers’ lectures. Between 2000 and 2002, his lectures – mainly about tolerance in Islam – were being attended by audiences of 35,000. Today, his Facebook page has around two million friends and his lectures are watched by millions across the Muslim world.

It is clear that youth are playing a key role in the initiative’s implementation and development.

The “Internet Free of Sectarian Strife” initiative features prominently on Khaled’s website (amrkhaled.net), which receives around two million visitors every month. Many Egyptian youth have replaced their Facebook profile photo with the initiative’s logo, a cross within a crescent. Other websites and forums from around the region have also included the logo on their websites to promote the campaign.

The initiative’s main partners are influential media outlets in Egypt and the Arab world, including the Egyptian OTV television station and the news outlet Seventh Day, both owned by a leading Copt businessman, Naguib Sawiris; the United Copts website, which is managed by a group of Copts living in the United States and has an influential presence in Egypt; and the OnIslam.net website, which is managed by IslamOnline.net, a well-known Islam-focused outlet; as well as many youth-oriented Egyptian websites.

These partners identified ten basic items that they hope will become “rules for internet users and a code of honour for Internet media outlets to abide by.” The rules are to not use the following: blanket generalisations, foul language; rumours without credible sources, sarcasm, videos that could enflame tensions and violent or hateful fatwas (non-binding legal opinions). The rules also encourage words of peace and compassion, respect for others’ faith and disagreement with ideas, but respect for individuals. Finally, partners have agreed that users should never post their opinions while angry.

This initiative is promising and could lead to improved Muslim-Christian relations in Egypt. However, the core solution lies in addressing the problems that create such tension in the first place.

Some solutions that can be enacted on the national level include: allowing all citizens the right to build houses of worship, amending school curricula to promote religious freedom, ensuring that authorities handle conflicts between members of different religions according to the law as opposed to bias based on political alliances and ensuring equal opportunity in the workplace regardless of a person’s religious beliefs.

Khaled’s positive initiative is an important first step to address the core causes of extremism that lead to sectarian tension. The solidarity amongst Muslims and Christians during the recent protests shows that both groups can overcome divisions, and offers new hope that coexistence and religious equality can be the foundation of a new Egypt.

###

* Yasser Khalil is an Egyptian researcher and journalist. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 15 February 2011

Anglicans, Catholics Dialogue About Mary

2011-02-11T10:30:00.001+08:00

Bishop Affirms Need to Explore Doctrine Further

LONDON, FEB. 10, 2011 (Zenit.org).- As Anglican and Catholic leaders advance in dialogue about religious differences, they are attempting to understand more deeply the role of Mary, the Mother of God.
On Wednesday, Auxiliary Bishop George Stack of Westminster addressed the Church of England general synod on this topic. He referenced in particular the 2005 report titled "Mary, Grace and Hope in Jesus Christ," presented by the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC).

The prelate underlined the importance of this topic in the process of dialogue, noting that Pope John Paul II wrote in "Ut Unum Sint" that "the Virgin Mary, as Mother of God and Icon of the Church [...] is one of the areas in need of fuller study before a true consensus of faith can be achieved."

The bishop also recalled that the subject was addressed in the ARCIC statement on authority in the Church in 1981.

He observed, "The fact that Mary found a place in the theological and historical minefields of the document on authority, and not just in devotional literature, is an indication of her important role in understanding how the salvation achieved by Jesus Christ is communicated to each individual believer and also to the community of the Church as a whole."

Bishop Stack underlined the need to use "the tools of biblical language, theological methods and even devotional life to seek to understand how the living faith of the Church is molded by our understanding of the place of Mary in the mystery of faith, the saving action of Jesus her Son."

He acknowledged: "The doctrines of the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Mary may sometimes seem to distort or misunderstand the role of Jesus as the unique mediator between God and the human race.

"An example of such a distortion would be the development of a theology which places her as an intercessor by the side of her Son."

The prelate added that "the degree to which these dogmas and their teaching on virginity, sinlessness and obedience in the life of Mary have affected an understanding and role of women in the life of the church mentioned in the Faith and Order Group Response need to be explored in the historical context in which the dogmas were proclaimed."

"These questions raised by a study of Mary, Grace and Hope in Christ are equally legitimate for Catholics as they are for Anglicans in an exploration and explanation of the two doctrines on Our Lady and the light they shine on her life and the whole drama of salvation as lived out in and through the Church," he affirmed.

The bishop added that this debate "is even more significant in the light of last week's announcement that the third phase of the ARCIC dialogue will begin in May on the subject of 'The Church as Communion -- Local and Universal.'"

Christians and Muslims Seen More United Than Divided

2011-02-09T10:15:00.000+08:00

Patriarch Notes Promise in Damascus Event

DAMASCUS, Syria, FEB. 8, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Last December, Christians and Muslims gathered in Damascus for the 1st International Congress of Muslim-Christian Brotherhood.

The Dec. 15 conference was sponsored by Syrian President Bashar al-Asad and Patriarch Gregorios III Laham, patriarch of the Greek Catholic Melkite Church. The conference was a follow-up to the synod on the Middle East held last October at the Vatican, and view as one of the first "visible fruits" of it.

Some 1,000 people participated -- Christians and Muslims, representatives from Eastern Churches, and participants from Lebanon, Jordan and other Arab nations.

Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan of Antioch explained that the conference was a "positive realization of what the holy synod in Rome called for, especially for Islam and Christianity and the issues of sharing land and country, and some ethics related to daily life."

The patriarch emphasized that participants wanted to show the world that Syria's president "asks that Muslims and Christians should live in peace together and should witness to their common life in Syria in peace to all humanity."

"We are full of hope to cooperate with the grace of God more closely with our Muslim brothers and sisters in the future," he added.

He said that the gathering in Damascus allowed Christians and Muslims to speak of common issues.

"The first and most important issue," Patriarch Ignace Joseph III asserted, "is to condemn all terrorism, particularly terrorism in the name of a religion. And, secondly, I think that there is a need to review the religious speeches given by clerics -- that they abide by spreading peace not hatred, to accept those different from us and to found dialogue and religious relations upon the common values of humanity we share."

Patriarch Younan affirmed hopes that the future will bring further collaboration, "because there are more things that are uniting us than are separating us."

The Syriac Catholic Church is one of the seven Eastern Churches "sui iuris" belonging to the Catholic Church, and hence in full communion with the Holy See in Rome. The liturgical tradition of the Syriac Catholic Church uses the language Christ spoke, which is Aramaic. The Syriac Catholic Church exists particularly in the Holy Land, in Iraq and Lebanon.

Citizenship, not religion, must be the basis for inclusion in the Middle East

2011-02-09T08:45:00.000+08:00

Saliba Sarsar

Tinton Falls, New Jersey – With political change in Iraq and the ongoing transformations in Tunisia and Egypt, news of attacks on religious minorities in the Middle East, from only a month ago, has been forgotten. But with democratic processes taking hold in parts of the Middle East, there is a new opportunity for the kind of changes necessary to address the religious discrimination seen as recently as January.

The bomb attacks against Christian communities in Egypt and Iraq were severely condemned by most political and religious leaders, as well as by the public in the Arab world. However unfortunate, these attacks must serve as a wake-up call to change the culture of exclusion and fear that has become pervasive in the Middle East.

The Iraqi prime minister's condemnation of the 31 October 2010 siege on a Catholic church in Baghdad, which killed more than 50 parishioners, was the right thing to do, as was increasing security at Christian places of worship and creating an investigative committee to look into the incident.

In Egypt, where a suicide attack outside the Coptic al-Qiddisin church in Alexandria killed at least 25 people and injured 70 during a New Year’s Eve service, Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak’s fervent call to Egypt's Muslims and Christians to stand united against terrorism was certainly constructive, whatever one might think of him as a leader.

It remains a fact in both countries that perpetrators are rarely brought to trial, a reality that often leads to a climate of impunity on one hand and continued religious discrimination and social tension on the other.

In Egypt, thousands of Muslims attended Coptic Christmas mass in early January alongside their Christian compatriots, showing their solidarity and acting as human shields. And Mubarak responded to the attack, saying, “This act of terrorism shook the country's conscience, shocked our feelings and hurt the hearts of Muslim and Coptic Egyptians.” However, as in Iraq’s case, no one has been charged.

It is no surprise that Christians from the central provinces of Iraq are fleeing to the semi-autonomous Kurdish enclaves and to neighbouring countries. The number of Iraqi Christians declined sharply at the start of the American invasion in 2003 and is far less today. Similarly, it is no surprise that many Copts in Egypt feel marginalised and some wish to leave.

And sadly it is not only in Egypt and Iraq that such discrimination occurs. Saudi Arabia does not recognise or protect the freedom of religion for religious minorities. Lebanon’s confessional system, which apportions political offices on the basis of religion, is also considered by some to be discriminatory.

Middle Eastern states trying to remedy this situation should pursue a pluralistic mode of existence where citizenship is the only basis for inclusion in the national community. Religious privilege and discrimination have no place in such a setting.

To counter religiously motivated extremism, Middle Eastern societies must create educational curricula for public schools that promote dialogue and social coexistence between people of different religious backgrounds. These teaching plans will equip teachers and students alike with an appreciation for existing laws and help them become advocates for news laws that would provide religious equality to all.

The curricula should also focus on non-violent methods for working through disagreements with others over ideological differences.

Moreover, students can be taught about shared beliefs, in order to highlight the commonalities between faiths. These values not only enable a culture of peace, but also contribute to a positive national image and identity.

While everyone has an important role to play, religious leaders must take an active role in promoting coexistence between different faith communities and coming down strongly against religiously motivated violence. Religious leaders in the Middle East must become more engaged in eradicating injustice and facilitate the healing process. A good example is the recent statement issued by Cairo’s Al-Azhar University that denounced the violence against Coptic Christians in Egypt, stating: “This is a criminal act that can never be justified in any religion.”

The vicious cycle of discrimination and violence must end. The way forward must be enshrined in laws and due process and anchored in civility, inclusivity, and respect for the other.

###

*Saliba Sarsar is Professor of Political Science and Associate Vice President for Global Initiatives at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 8 February 2011

Chinese Religious Leaders promote Interfaith Harmony

2011-02-08T11:42:00.000+08:00

China's five national religious associations gathered in Beijing on January 28 to issue a Joint Declaration on Promoting Religious Harmony. Representatives from the Buddhist Association of China, the Taoist Association of China, the Islamic Association of China, the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and the China Christian Council spoke in support of the declaration.

The declaration follows a UN General Assembly decision last year to declare the first week of February every year as World Interfaith Harmony Week. Representatives from China's religious groups all expressed their belief in harmony and peace at the meeting.

They also called for patriotism, religious freedom and promoting harmony; opposed the distortion and manipulation of religion and emphasized its positive role in the development of a harmonious society.

"Today's world is experiencing profound change. A religious revival is taking place. The influence of harmony in international affairs is growing. Chinese society is also changing in an unprecedented way as its economy booms. It's important to correctly handle the relationship between religion and harmonious society," Wang Zuo'an, director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, said.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the embassies of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

(Source: China.org.cn, 30th January 2011)

UN launches first Interfaith Harmony Week

2011-02-08T10:40:00.000+08:00

1 February 2011 – The United Nations launched the first World Interfaith Harmony Week today with a broad range of activities around the world, including interfaith breakfasts, film screenings and talks featuring the active participation of civil society, UN entities and other intergovernmental organizations.

The UN General Assembly in November resolved that the first week of February be devoted to spreading “the message of interfaith harmony and goodwill in the world’s churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and other places of worship... based on love of God and love of one’s neighbour or on love of the good and love of one’s neighbour, each according to their own religious traditions or convictions.”

“The first World Interfaith Harmony Week is an opportunity to focus global attention on the efforts of religious leaders, interfaith movements and individuals around the world to promote mutual respect and understanding between followers of different faiths and beliefs,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message. “These partners play an indispensable role in supporting United Nations efforts for peace.

“Respect for diversity and peaceful dialogue are essential if the human family is to cooperate globally to face shared threats and seize common opportunities,” said Mr. Ban.

“That is why efforts by States, civil society and other actors to build trust among communities and individuals lie at the heart of so many United Nations initiatives, from the Alliance of Civilizations to our wide-ranging work to protect human rights, promote social cohesion and build a culture of peace.”

The Alliance of Civilizations is an initiative launched in 2005 by Spain and Turkey under UN auspices to promote better cross-cultural relations worldwide.

From Jerusalem to Malappuram in India, from Amman in Jordan to Pietermaritzburg in South Africa, from Sedona in the United States to Newcastle in Australia, and a myriad of other places special events are being held to shine the spotlight on the need for interfaith understanding.

(UN News Centre)

Church Isn't Dissuaded in Dialogue, Cardinal Affirms

2011-01-31T21:27:00.000+08:00

Says Benedict XVI Has No Contempt for Islam

VATICAN CITY, JAN. 31, 2011 (Zenit.org).- The Catholic Church is committed to dialogue with Islam, despite the latest violence against Christians, and even if the Egypt-based Sunni Islam authority has announced a dialogue-freeze.

This is the affirmation made by the Vatican's leader in dialogue with non-Christian religions: Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

The cardinal spoke today with L'Osservatore Romano about the Church's unwavering commitment to building relationships with believers of other faiths.

"If we wish to progress in dialogue, we must first of all find time to sit down to talk from person to person, not through the newspapers," the cardinal said.

Misunderstandings

Cardinal Tauran called on parties in Egypt to "read carefully" Benedict XVI's words, to "dissipate misunderstandings."

Relations with Egypt grew tense after the Jan. 1 attack on a Coptic church in Alexandria as the faithful were leaving the Divine Liturgy. More than 20 died and dozens were wounded.

In the following days, the Holy Father referenced the attack in the context of statements about religious violence.

Cairo took offense at the Pontiff's words and recalled its ambassador. Later, the Islamic Research Council of the University of al-Azhar, the highest authority of Sunni Islam, announced a dialogue-freeze.

The Permanent Committee of al-Azhar for Dialogue among the Monotheistic Religions has teamed with the Joint Committee for Dialogue of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue since 1998. They meet annually, alternatively in Cairo and Rome, and their next meeting was scheduled for February.

Cardinal Tauran said the Vatican is trying to "understand well" the motives behind the al-Azhar decision.

He reiterated that "a careful reading" of the Holy Father's words, both in the Message for the World Day of Peace as well as his address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, "could help to dissipate misunderstandings."

Speaking Jan. 10 to the Diplomatic Corps, the Pontiff noted the persecution of Christians in Iraq, after which he added: "In Egypt too, in Alexandria, terrorism brutally struck Christians as they prayed in church. This succession of attacks is yet another sign of the urgent need for the governments of the region to adopt, in spite of difficulties and dangers, effective measures for the protection of religious minorities."

The great imam at al-Azhar, Ahmad al-Tayyeb, took the Holy Father's references as an "unacceptable intervention in Egypt's affairs." 
But Cardinal Tauran says the Pope's statements refer "to universal values."

"[O]n speaking of effective respect for the rights and liberties of the human person, he does not commit any transgression on questions that are not of his competence," he stated.

"There is nothing more false" than to say that this Pope dislikes Islam, Cardinal Tauran added. "I have never found in Benedict XVI's words the least contempt for Islam."

"I hope that those who read Pope Benedict XVI's addresses will be helped to understand that communities of believers are called to become schools of prayer and fraternity," he added.

Going forward

Despite the new developments, Cardinal Tauran affirmed that his dicastery "will continue to receive with friendship whoever wishes to engage in conversation with the Catholic Church, and we say to our friends that we appreciate what they have done and do with courage and constancy to maintain the ancient customs of good neighborliness with followers of other religions."

"For now," the cardinal added, "all our planned meetings are still on track, including that of February with our interlocutors of Cairo."

"More than ever," he said, "incumbent upon us believers is the duty to make our contemporaries rediscover the existence of a Love that is greater than they are, and that this Love cannot but push us to take to all, in our disarmed hands, the light of a friendship that nothing can discourage."

In otherwise tolerant Malaysia, Shiites are banned

2011-01-31T12:50:00.000+08:00

(AP) – Jan 14, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — In this Muslim-majority country, it's OK to be Christian, Buddhist or Hindu. But not Shiite.

Malaysian religious police raided a three-story shop-house last month and detained more than 100 Shiites who had gathered to mark the death of one of their most beloved saints, Prophet Muhammad's grandson, who was killed in the year 680.

It was one of the largest such sweeps in years, sparking outrage and fear in the country's small but growing Shiite community. Some religious scholars see it as a worrying sign that Islamic authorities are becoming more hard-line.

"Malaysia is trying to become a country a la Taliban that only allows one school of thought," said prominent scholar Asri Zainul Abidin.

Despite its reputation for religious tolerance, Malaysia has been quietly discriminating against its own for years. The government recognizes only the Sunni branch of Islam and prohibits all others including Shiites, the world's second largest Islamic group.

Shiites face discrimination elsewhere, but Malaysia appears to be the only place that actually outlaws them.

"We are the oppressed people," said Kamil Zuhairi Abdul Aziz, the Iranian-trained religious leader for the Lovers of the Prophet's Household, the Shiite group raided by the religious police on Dec. 15.

The event they were commemorating, the death of Prophet Muhammad's grandson in the seventh century, helped seal the split between the majority Sunnis and the Shiites, whose strongest base today is in Iran.

Kamil estimates there are at least 40,000 Shiites among Malaysia's 16 million Muslims, though the number could be higher as many conceal their faith to avoid trouble. A few have been detained in the past, and some sent to faith rehabilitation centers, but there is no official data on the number of arrests.

Malaysia's ban was issued in 1996 by the National Fatwa Council of top Islamic clerics and seen as unusual in the Muslim world. The council comes under the government's Islamic Advancement Department, so its decrees are de facto law.

The 3 million Shiites in neighboring Indonesia are able to practice freely, though they are often harassed on hard-line Sunni websites. In Bahrain, the government cracks down on Shiite activists, fearing they could be a backdoor for Iranian influence.

Sunni extremists have bombed Shiite gatherings in Pakistan, and much of the violence in Iraq has been between Sunni and Shiite militias as the two sides vie for power.

It's not clear what prompted the recent raid in Malaysia, but Islamic officials defend the ban as crucial to prevent unrest among Muslims.

"Shia is an Iranian sect," said leading cleric Harussani Zakaria, a member of the National Fatwa Council. "It has expanded secretly and now has many supporters who are starting to practice their faith in public. We don't want any religious differences. They are a threat to Muslim unity in Malaysia."

In defense of the raid, several Islamic officials said Shiism could give rise to fanatics as it permits the killing of Muslims from other sects, a claim denied by the Iranian embassy and Shiites here. Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, responding to reporters, said that Shiites don't pose a threat to national security.

The Iranian embassy issued a statement urging the government to prevent the spread of such false information. "Currently, there are about 400 million followers of the radiant path ... in the world and such baseless statements are utter disrespect to all of them," the statement read in part.

Some Malaysian Shiite families have practiced for generations while many others were exposed and subsequently converted to Shiism after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.

Many meet in one of 40 "hauzars," or "houses of knowledge." The one that Kamil leads, the most prominent and largest with 500 members, is on the top floor of a shop-house in a suburb of the city of Kuala Lumpur.

On Dec. 15, religious police arrived in trucks and detained about 125 people, including some 30 foreigners, mostly from Pakistan. Most were released on bail and given hearing dates at the Shariah court, which adjudicates religious cases.

Officials have said the foreigners are expected to be let off, but the Malaysians could be charged with following the teachings of a deviant movement, which carries a penalty of up to two years in prison.

Kamil has been charged with insulting Islamic officials, with his hearing set for Feb. 17.

His group has turned to the government-backed Human Rights Commission of Malaysia to demand the right to worship freely .

Mastura Ahmad, a 46-year-old homemaker among those detained, said she became a follower after marrying her Shiite husband, whose ancestors are from Indonesia.

"I feel comfortable with Shia. There is more guidance given and I feel safer. But I don't declare my faith openly because people don't understand. My neighbors will gossip about it and label us as deviants and we may be ostracized," she said.

Followers still gather at Kamil's hauzar, but iron grills have been installed at the entrance, in part because of concerns that drugs or explosives could be planted in the center to undermine the group.

Some 100 followers filed in for prayers on the first Tuesday of the new year. A wall mural depicting Noah's Ark greeted them as they entered a long carpeted hall draped with banners in Arabic and separated into sections for men and women.

During the one-hour session, Kamil led prayers over a loudspeaker. Then, poems were read to continue the mourning for the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.

"Here in Malaysia, they cannot accept the differences," Rashid Ahmad, a 46-year-old follower, said before the service. "There has been a campaign of demonizing us by the religious authorities. They are jealous of our influence. In the whole world, Shia is awakening."

He requested not to be photographed to protect his identity as his child is receiving a government scholarship, and he fears it could be withdrawn.

Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press.

Sri Lankan religious leaders form peace body

2011-01-31T11:43:00.001+08:00

The prime minister and religious leaders in Sri Lanka have jointly formed a peace body to promote communal harmony within the country.

Prime Minister Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Jayaratne and Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Muslim religious leaders inaugurated the National Assembly of Sri Lanka Council of Religions for Peace (SLCRP).

“Our aim is to play a dynamic role at the national level (and) to build peace, harmony and justice in Sri Lankan society,” said Venerable Bellanwila Wimalaratana Thero, president of the council during the inauguration on Jan. 22 in Colombo.

Confidence-building measures will take years to be effective as Tamils and Sinhalese live with suspicions after decades of civil war. Almost two years after the end of the country’s ethnic war, peace, harmony and amity are still in question, participants pointed out.

They said district councils are to be formed in 11 districts including Jaffna and Batticaloa in the Tamil dominated north to engage in peace-building activities.

“I do not doubt that Sri Lankan religious leaders can build up strong interreligious harmony in the country,” said Anglican Bishop Gunnar Stalsett, president of the European Council of Religious Leaders who was present at the inauguration.

The National Assembly of Sri Lanka Council of Religions for Peace will undertake projects in poverty alleviation, development, humanitarian assistance, human rights violations and unethical conversion.

The newly formed body is affiliated to the World Conference of Religions for Peace and the Asian Conference of Religions for Peace.

(Published in UCAN News, January 24)

More to religious (in)tolerance in Indonesia than meets the eye

2011-01-28T16:47:00.001+08:00

Testriono

Jakarta - At the end of 2010, two Indonesian civil society organisations that work to promote tolerance and understanding in Indonesia, the Moderate Muslim Society (MMS) and the Wahid Institute (WI), separately released the results of research they had conducted on religious life in Indonesia. Both showed significant increases in the number of religiously motivated attacks and discrimination against minority religious groups.

Over the last year, MMS recorded 81 cases of religious intolerance, up 30 per cent from 2009, while WI recorded 193 instances of religious discrimination and 133 cases of non-violent religious intolerance, up approximately 50 per cent from the previous year. Among these instances, forced church closures and disruptions of worship services were the most commonly reported complaints, which also included the firebombing of an Ahmadi mosque and violent attacks on congregants.

At first glance, this paints a frightening portrait of religious life in Indonesia, especially as these are the most common stories to be reported in Western media.

Articles that focus solely on violence against religious minorities depict Indonesian Muslims as angry and destructive individuals who restrict the religious freedom of others, even though the Indonesian Constitution formally guarantees the right to believe and practice one’s religion.

While highlighting real problems in Indonesia, the picture painted of Indonesians is misleading: most Indonesians are accepting of other faiths, and most parts of Indonesia are currently experiencing peace.

For example, in Jakarta, the Istiqlal Mosque and Cathedral Church stand across from one another, facing each other in harmony. In Yogyakarta, Muslims and Christians worked together to help the victims of the recent Merapi volcano eruption which forced many Indonesians to flee their homes. And in many parts of Indonesia with large minority religious groups, such as North Sumatra, North Sulawesi and Bali, inter-religious harmony is the norm.

We cannot close our eyes to acts of religious intolerance. Instead, with the vast majority of Indonesians supporting peaceful coexistence, these acts have provided impetus for Indonesians working in this space to continue to develop programmes and initiatives for peacebuilding.

For example, the Paramadina Foundation – founded by a Muslim reformer, the late Nurcholish Madjid – recently published an Indonesian translation of Mohammad Abu Nimer’s 2003 book, Non-violence and Peace Building in Islam: Theory and Practice. The author is a professor-cum-peacebuilding activist at American University in Washington, DC.

Abu Nimer counters the stereotype in Western media that the Muslim world is intolerant and warlike, and that Islam as a religion and culture is contrary to the principles of peace. According to him, the main problem is that many analysts are obsessed with acts of violence and terrorism committed in the name of Islam, and thus Islamic values and practices of peacebuilding go unnoticed.

By translating this book into Indonesian, Paramadina aims to promote Islamic perspectives and principles of peacebuilding for Indonesian readers, sharing a model of non-violence, like the ones successfully employed in Poso, Aceh and other places in Indonesia, to resolve the violence that had been occurring along religious lines.

True, Indonesia today is in a state of democratic transition. Nevertheless, it is recognised as the third-largest democratic country in the world, after the United States and India, and the most democratic Muslim-majority country.

In the authoritarian New Order period (1966-1998), Indonesia was rated by Freedom House as a “half-free” state, free from violence only because people were afraid to voice their opinions. But since 2005 Indonesia has entered the ranks of “fully free” states in which people feel free to express their opinions. Unfortunately, this sometimes means that individuals violate others’ freedoms – for example, by expressing an opinion that goes against the right of others to build a house of worship.

The critical issue now is to help foster a healthy debate on religion and how Indonesians can best promote pluralism and respect for others’ beliefs, without infringing on others’ freedoms.

The democratic transition that has been taking place since 1998 still leaves a large amount of work to be done yet in law enforcement, including protecting the right to freely practice one’s religion. This is a responsibility that must be tackled by government, religious leaders, civil society activists, as well as all lovers of peace and freedom.

History shows that Indonesians are up for the challenge. Hopefully, as greater numbers of individuals and groups join the ranks of those already working to promote pluralism and religious tolerance, we will see a marked improvement in religious tolerance reports in 2011.

###

* Testriono is a researcher at the Center for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) at the State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 25 January 2011

Address of Melkite Greek Patriarch at Christian-Muslim Congress

2011-01-23T14:23:00.001+08:00

"It Is Up to Us to Safeguard Righteous Religious, Spiritual and Humane Values"

JERUSALEM, JAN. 22, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is the address Patriarch Gregorios III Laham of Antioch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church delivered Dec. 15 at the 1st International Congress of the Christian-Muslim Brotherhood, held in Damascus, Syria, as a follow-up meeting to the October Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops.

* * *

Dear brothers and sisters,

Greetings to you all! I particularly want to thank Muslim brothers, especially the muftis, ulemas, imams and preachers who have come from all Syrian regions, for being here. Special greetings to the university students here present!

Greetings and thanks also go to their Excellencies the Ministers of the Awqaf, the muftis and imams who have come from different Arab countries, as well as different countries’ ambassadors to Syria. To them I dedicate this talk about the Synod for the Middle East, which was an Eastern Christian event, an historic event being the first of its kind.

I thank Their Holinesses and Their Beatitudes the Patriarchs and their representatives, as well as His Excellency the representative of the Holy Father, His Excellency the Apostolic Nuncio in Damascus, Their Excellencies the Metropolitans and Bishops who have come from Arab countries and Europe, especially Eastern Europe (Russia, Romania, Cyprus, Greece and Turkey). I greet them all, together with the priests, monks and nuns and all the faithful from our Churches who have come from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Egypt.

A beautiful saying of His Holiness John Paul II, who so loved our Arab countries and visited them, comes to mind, a phrase from his last Message for the World Day of Peace, 1 January 2005, and I quote: "Can an individual find complete fulfilment without taking account of his social nature, that is, his being ‘with’ and ‘for’ others?"

Our Lord is described thus in the Gospel: "Lo, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel; which being interpreted is, God with us." (Matthew 1: 23) God is with and for us, for as Saint Irenaeus says, "the glory of God is living man 2." This is the faith of all Christians. They repeat it every time they say the Creed: "I believe in one God, Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, only-begotten Son of God… who, for us and for our salvation, came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man… " On the basis of this spiritual conviction, I named this congress, "The Synod for the Middle East and Arab countries." That was with the aim of highlighting the relationship between the Synod and Arab countries as well as between the Synod and the Muslim world.

A simple calculation shows us the following state of affairs: the Middle East is made up of Arab countries, together with Turkey and Iran. The majority of its population is Muslim; 350 million inhabitants, of whom there are 15 million Arab Christians. So, the Synod for the Middle East is a Synod for Arab countries, for Arabs, a Synod for Arab Christians in symbiosis with their Arab society. It is a Synod for the "Church of the Arabs" and "Church of Islam," that is, the Church existing in a Muslim setting. Lastly it is a Synod for Christians and Muslims living together in the Arab East!

This was an important event, of a unique kind. Thanks are due to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI who called for this Synod to be held as the most important synodal event since the Second Vatican Council brought the Eastern Churches to prominence!

In this Synod, the platform was given to Eastern Churches: there were patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, priests, monks and nuns, and lay faithful too.

It is evident that in this Synod, the causes of the Middle East and the Christian presence in the Muslim Arab East took first place. That is why I addressed to Their Majesties, Their Highnesses and Excellencies, the Kings, Emirs and Presidents of Arab countries, a letter explaining to them the topic and goal of the Synod – the situation of Christians in Arab countries. And I ended by telling them that the only guarantee of the Christian presence in the Arab East is that of their Muslim brothers.

Indeed, the Arab world, the presence of Christians in the Arab world, Christian Arab identity and the challenges that face the Christian presence in this Arab world were the subject of different speeches, discussions and recommendations.

After this, I addressed a second letter to Arab leaders in which I set out the most important issues discussed by the Synod that concerned our Arab world.

Extracts from the Letter addressed to Kings and Presidents of Arab countries after the Synod in Rome:

I had the honour of addressing a letter to you (dated 18/06/2010) on the subject of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops entitled The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness.

At the end of this Synod, it is my pleasure to communicate the following reflections to you in this letter:

The Arabic language was an official language of the Synod alongside other languages. A resolution requested that it be adopted again in the Vatican’s Roman Dicasteries. It is a gift due to the concern of the Arab Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops for the Arab world! Indeed it is the language of our culture, faith and societies. It is the great common denominator among Arab countries. This represents a great achievement!

The Arab Middle East, together with Turkey and Iran, was the most important topic before the Synod.

To speak more precisely, the following themes were the special subject of the Synod: living together, life together, citizenship, modernity, faithful laity, human rights, including those of women, religious freedom of worship and conscience, the construction of churches and places of worship, especially in Saudi Arabia, respect for others and their beliefs, plurality, diversity, rejection of fanaticism, violence, negative fundamentalism, extremism, terrorism, exploitation of others, especially weaker folk and minorities…

Featuring in all the discussions of all members of Synod (about 200 persons), was especially Islamic-Christian dialogue in all its dimensions and modalities, significance and urgent necessity, and the support to be brought to its development and animation by all Christians and Muslims.

The Synod members or Fathers dealt with the challenges that Christians have to cope with, which include: emigration, insecurity, economic, social and political crises, and the consecutive wars in the region. These challenges have increased, especially because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They are the cause of many misfortunes and calamities in our societies. They have sown hatred and enmity among Christian and Muslim citizens locally, regionally and globally. Also resulting from them are fundamentalism and terrorism, represented in the media as though Muslim and Christian Arabs were born terrorists and fundamentalists! This might make people think that religion is the cause of terrorism, violence and fundamentalism, though religion is not to blame for all that. As a result of this state of affairs our whole society has become "abused," with these disasters mainly striking our young generations!

The Fathers and members of Synod sought remedies for these calamities: they found that the most efficacious remedy is principally Islamic-Christian dialogue. In the Arab world, it must be our daily bread. In any case that dialogue was the experience of our living together throughout our shared history of the last 1432 [Islamic] years, despite dark centuries, when problems, tensions and even massacres whose victims can be counted in thousands, caused loss of trust in living together, in others and their values… And in its place crept in hatred and enmity and the traditional virtues of pity, compassion, love and fellowship became stunted…

The Fathers and members of Synod stressed the need to overcome crises! We must continue the journey together. Furthermore they considered that the success of our singular and difficult experiment in living together is the guarantee of the success of dialogue between followers of different faiths. What is more, it became clear to all, as was remarked on and reported often in the press, that any failure and lack of success of our experience of living as Christians and Muslims together in the East will have a destructive effect on all possibilities for dialogue, and will be a bad harbinger of the fact that all dialogue among people, civilisations and religions in East and West, will be doomed to failure.

So we shall have the following result: the East, symbol of plurality and dialogue becomes void of Christians. So the Arab East becomes Muslim without Christians. On the other hand, the West is considered Christian (even if only through baptism). This Christian West supports Israel, in its turn considered the enemy of Islam and Muslims. So the final, terrifying equation is this: the Christian West supports Israel and Jews, the enemies of Islam and Muslims! So Christian Europe is the enemy of Islam and Muslims! And that is precisely the great misfortune, the dark and terrifying future that awaits us! God grant it may not happen!

Peace was a basic topic of the Synod’s deliberations, speeches and proposals. For peace is both the greatest good and a lost possession! Peace is the great challenge! Peace is most desired by all sides! That is also why bringing it about is the responsibility of all: East and West, Arabs, Europeans and Americans. The Synod members strongly emphasised the role of the Vatican and the Pope or Popes, because of the global influence they exercise. The members of Synod, Patriarchs, Cardinals, and Bishops, emphasised their own responsibility to work for peace. Yet we think that peace is an Arab responsibility! We think that if Arab countries were united in fellowship and concord, and nobly, boldly and firmly decisive, they could impose on the Israelis, with the United States of America, and Europeans, a complete just and lasting peace. For this bold peace is the great jihad (struggle) and the great challenge, which can give an answer to all other challenges, issues, fears, apprehensions that afflict our Middle East. [End of the letter.]

Having said this, I am speaking with unshakeable faith and conviction to my Christian brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, to my Muslim brothers and sisters, and remembering words that our dear President Dr. Bashar al-Assad said, explaining the relational dimensions between people, "In Syria, we are united. We are a natural model for society, for humanity, and for interreligious relations. We ought not only to provide a model for relations between religions and citizenry, but also do this for a more noble and universal reality - humanity!"

God has created us in this holy land of the East. It was a Holy Land for Jews, before us, and subsequently for us and for Muslims. It is an important common spiritual heritage, which we do not value enough. This comprises the holiness of the land, of the Scriptures and many common religious values. This was described by the Second Vatican Council in its declaration, Nostra Aetate, dedicated to the Catholic Church’s relations with Jews and Muslims.

The existence of these three religions in the region is unique, important and vital. This state of affairs has significance in the life of Christians, on the spiritual, national and cultural level… Christians must acknowledge this fact despite the circumstances; the multiplicity of nationalities and the different intellectual and religious trends.

We have to look for common Islamic-Christian values and make them the subject of studies, conferences, congresses and Muslim-Christian meetings. There should result from that a programme of joint academic and spiritual work for Christians and Muslims.

The Synod for the Middle East inspired in me the idea of an important project: holding a Synod for the Middle East in the Middle East, gathering Churches together: Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant.

Another idea came to my mind of organising a Muslim-Christian assembly in the Middle East, which would study all the topics touched on by the Roman Synod’s documents: the Instruction, the Instrumentum Laboris, the Lineamenta, then the discussions and speeches during the Synod; the recommendations and finally the Message to the People of God.

All these documents speak of the Christian presence in correlation with Muslim society.

Here are some paragraphs from the final Nuntius directly to do with the subject of this congress:

I. The Church in the Middle East: communion and witness through history

3.2. The second challenge comes from the outside, namely, political conditions, security in our countries and religious pluralism.

We have evaluated the social situation and the public security in all our countries in the Middle East. We have taken account of the impact of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the whole region, especially on the Palestinians who are suffering the consequences of the Israeli occupation: the lack of freedom of movement, the wall of separation and the military checkpoints, the political prisoners, the demolition of homes, the disturbance of socio-economic life and the thousands of refugees. We have reflected on the suffering and insecurity in which Israelis live. We have meditated on the situation of the holy city of Jerusalem. We are anxious about the unilateral initiatives that threaten its composition and risk to change its demographic balance. With all this in mind, we see that a just and lasting peace is the only salvation for everyone and for the good of the region and its peoples.
3.4. We have extensively treated relations between Christians and Muslims. All of us share a common citizenship in our countries. Here we want to affirm, according to our Christian vision, a fundamental principle which ought to govern our relations, namely, God wants us to be Christians in and for our Middle Eastern societies. This is God’s plan for us. This is our mission and vocation - to live as Christians and Muslims together. Our actions in this area will be guided by the commandment of love and by the power of the Spirit within us.

The second principle which governs our relations is the fact that we are an integral part of our societies. Our mission, based on our faith and our duty to our home countries, obliges us to contribute to the construction of our countries as fellow-citizens, Muslims, Jews and Christians alike.

V. Co-operation and dialogue with our fellow-citizens, the Muslims

9. We are united by the faith in one God and by the commandment that says: do good and avoid evil. The words of the Second Vatican Council on the relations with other religions offer the basis for the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Muslims, "The Church regards with esteem also the Muslims. They adore the one God, living…; merciful and all-powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has spoken to men." (Nostra Aetate 3)

We say to our Muslim fellow-citizens: we are brothers and sisters; God wishes us to be together, united by one faith in God and by the dual commandment of love of God and neighbour. Together we will construct our civil societies on the basis of citizenship, religious freedom and freedom of conscience. Together we will work for the promotion of justice, peace, the rights of persons and the values of life and of the family. The construction of our countries is our common responsibility. We wish to offer to the East and to the West a model of coexistence between different religions and of positive collaboration between different civilisations for the good of our countries and that of all humanity.

Since the appearance of Islam in the seventh century and to the present, we have lived together and we have collaborated in the creation of our common civilisation. As in the past and still existent today, some imbalances are present in our relations. Through dialogue we must avoid all imbalances and misunderstandings. Pope Benedict XVI tells us that our dialogue must not be a passing reality. It is rather a vital necessity on which our future depends (Pope Benedict XVI, Meeting with Representatives from the Muslim Communities, Cologne, 20 August 2005). Our duty then is to educate believers concerning interreligious dialogue, the acceptance of pluralism and mutual esteem.

VI. Our Participation in Public Life: An Appeal to the Governments and to the Political Leadership in Our Countries

10. We appreciate the efforts which have been expended for the common good and the service to our societies. You are in our prayers and we ask God to guide your steps. We address you regarding the importance of equality among all citizens. Christians are original and authentic citizens who are loyal to their fatherland and assume their duties towards their country. It is natural that they should enjoy all the rights of citizenship, freedom of conscience, freedom of worship and freedom in education, teaching and the use of the mass media.
We appeal to you to redouble your efforts to establish a just and lasting peace throughout the region and to stop the arms race, which will lead to security and economic prosperity and stop the haemorrhage of emigration which empties our countries of its vital forces. Peace is a precious gift entrusted by God to human family, whose members are to be "peacemakers who will be called children of God." (Mt 5:9)

VII. Appeal to the International Community

11. The citizens of the countries of the Middle East call upon the international community, particularly the United Nations conscientiously to work to find a peaceful, just and definitive solution in the region, through the application of the Security Council’s resolutions and taking the necessary legal steps to put an end to the occupation of the different Arab territories.

The Palestinian people will thus have an independent and sovereign homeland where they can live with dignity and security. The State of Israel will be able to enjoy peace and security within their internationally recognized borders. The Holy City of Jerusalem will be able to acquire its proper status, which respects its particular character, its holiness and the religious patrimony of the three religions: Jewish, Christian and Muslim. We hope that the two-State-solution might become a reality and not a dream only.

Iraq will be able to put an end to the consequences of its deadly war and re-establish a secure way of life which will protect all its citizens with all their social structures, both religious and national.

Lebanon will be able to enjoy sovereignty over its entire territory, strengthen its national unity and carry on in its vocation to be the model of coexistence between Christians and Muslims, of dialogue between different cultures and religions, and of the promotion of basic public freedoms.

We condemn violence and terrorism from wherever it may proceed as well as all religious extremism. We condemn all forms of racism, anti-Semitism, anti-Christianism and Islamophobia and we call upon the religions to assume their responsibility to promote dialogue between cultures and civilisations in our region and in the entire world.

Dear brothers and sisters, friends,

We are called to academic and prophetic advances, in all sincerity, friendship and mutual respect: for the uninterrupted growth of fundamentalism and extremist movements are geared up and capable of leading the Eastern Arab world into disasters, of which young Christians and Muslims – who form 60% of the Arab population - will be the chief victims.

That underlines the vital and capital importance for the future of opening ourselves to each other, Christians to Muslims and Muslims to Christians. This openness will define the dynamics of our Arab world’s evolution in respect of:

*The concept of state and of religion and their interaction

*Modernity

*Rights of man and woman

*Freedom of worship and of conscience

*The idea of "better religion"

We, Christians and Muslims, must reach joint positions about the danger of the growth of various fundamentalist concepts, whether Christian, Muslim (or Jewish). It is up to us to safeguard righteous religious, spiritual and humane values, and especially the values of human dignity and freedom.

That is what will guarantee a better future for our societies and for all our Arab countries together. I dare say that the evolution of our Arab Christian and Muslim society conditions the success of all the efforts that the Churches are making in the pastoral, cultural, social and economic fields; for young people; and for halting emigration. This evolution, linked to the promotion of values mentioned above, is a joint responsibility for Christians and Muslims.

The realisation of our objectives will be proportionate to our efforts, carried out together, for adopting these values and putting them into practice.

On all that our future, our existence, our presence, our communion, our witness and the future of our Arab society depend.

I will also venture to say that, internally, the success of all our pastoral, apostolic, catechetical, academic, pedagogical, clerical and monastic activity depends on the evolution of the common Muslim-Christian journey.

In other words, the religious development of our society depends on the religious evolution of our Christian society which is dependent upon the religious evolution of Muslim society. And the preservation of our Christian values depends largely on the evolution of Muslim society.

That was all highlighted throughout the course of the Synod, whose recommendations must be applied in our Churches, in collaboration with our Muslim fellow-citizens. Since people are the product of their social environment, the different components of that environment were invited to take part in this Synod, including Muslims and a rabbi.

There should not be forgotten the existence of a major obstacle lying in the way of this journey and evolution: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Peace must be made in the Arab region: peace that will have a great influence of the evolution of the above-mentioned values and will halt Arab Christian emigration.

Allow me to add an intuition which, over days, has become a certainty for me:

*I believe that it is most important to examine in depth the ideology behind the religious fundamentalism, terrorism and increasing violence perpetrated here and there against Christians.

*Genuine Islam is foreign to that ideology.

*That ideology is the biggest danger to Islam. It can destroy that religion showing a hideous image of it.

*There is a big danger to the Arab world with its Muslim majority, tending to show Arabs in general and Muslims in particular as fundamentalist terrorists and assassins. This makes it permissible to refuse any legitimate claim, especially coming from Palestinians. That explains the refusal of the international community to find a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and recognize an independent Palestinian State.

*Another component of this danger is the increasing harassment of Christians; the prohibition which is made, in some countries, against their building churches; the denial of freedom of conscience, most recently in Egypt and Iraq.

*All those things are so many aces in the hands of Israel for establishing a State exclusively for Jews. The argument put forward by Israel in that regard is as follows, "See how Muslims treat Christians and other minorities! How could we live with them in this country? And if we allowed the creation of a Palestinian State, it too would become an Islamic, fundamentalist, terrorist State."

*It is in the aim and intention of Israel, as an exclusively Jewish State, of creating in the Middle East a dust of confessional statelets: Sunni, Shi’a, Druze, Kurd.

That is the dreadful danger menacing the Arab world and Islam and even Christianity.

I conclude with the closing section of my letter to Arab Kings, Emirs and Presidents:

In our preceding letter (18 June 2010), we spoke to you as follows: "You are the guarantee of the Christian presence in the Middle East!" You are indeed our warranty! We said it again in the Synod, a prominent platform for the Arab cause, as we faced the media from all over the world! ...

Today at the Synod’s end, we say to you, dear, most esteemed friends: you are the guarantee of the success of the Synod held in Rome. You are the warranty of the decisions, proposals and hopes of this Synod being followed up and put into action in our Arab countries!
The sessions of the Synod were preceded by prayers according to the different liturgical rites and languages of our Eastern Churches, whose main language is Arabic.
We shall continue our prayers, in our churches and monasteries for peace, for all our fellow-citizens and for you personally! You have care for the sons and daughters of our parishes! Care for our many churches, monasteries, institutions, which are at the service of our Arab countries that we love and for which we have laboured and will continue to give our all in the service of their prosperity and development, with the Blessing of God and through your vigilance!

We are praying to Almighty and Merciful God, for our Arab homelands, and for Christians and Muslims to remain together and together be salt, light and the leaven of faith, hope and love!

We put our hope in God, for the Synod to be the beginning of a Arab national way of faith and dialogue, common to Christians and Muslims, for a better future for all of us, in Syria, our dear country, and in all our dear Arab countries.

Gregorios III
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
of Alexandria and of Jerusalem

Egypt Islam Center Freezes Dialogue With Vatican

2011-01-22T14:12:00.000+08:00

Protests Benedict XVI's Defense of Christians

By Mirko Testa

ROME, JAN. 21, 2011 (Zenit.org).- The Islamic Research Council of the University of al-Azhar, the highest authority of Sunni Islam, is freezing dialogue with the Vatican in protest of Benedict XVI's defense of Christians in Egypt.

This is the latest development in relations between Egypt and the Vatican that have become strained in the wake of a Jan. 1 attack on a Coptic Christian church in Alexandria, which caused the death of more than 20 people leaving the Divine Liturgy.

Last week, Egypt recalled its ambassador to the Holy See, Lamia Aly Hamada Mekhemar. This came after the Pope on Jan. 9 and 10 referred to the Alexandria attack.

His first comment came in the context of his greeting to a group of Italian Parliamentarians who had attended the midday Angelus address as a show of solidarity with the Egyptian Copts. His statement the following day noted the persecution of Christians in Iraq, after which he added: "In Egypt too, in Alexandria, terrorism brutally struck Christians as they prayed in church. This succession of attacks is yet another sign of the urgent need for the governments of the region to adopt, in spite of difficulties and dangers, effective measures for the protection of religious minorities."

Thursday's announcement of a dialogue-freeze from Al-Azhar follows a protest from the great imam there, Ahmad al-Tayyeb, who took the Holy Father's references as an "unacceptable intervention in Egypt's affairs."

The Permanent Committee of al-Azhar for Dialogue among the Monotheistic Religions has teamed with the Joint Committee for Dialogue of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue since 1998. They meet annually, alternatively in Cairo and Rome, and their next meeting was scheduled for February.

Vatican spokesman Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi said in response to the Al-Azhar announcement that the Vatican's dialogue council is "gathering the necessary information for an adequate understanding of the situation." He added that "the line of openness and desire for dialogue of the pontifical council remains unchanged."

Translation issue

Meanwhile, Father Rafiq Greich, director of the press office of the Catholic Coptic Church in Egypt, told Arabia.net that the Al-Azhar decision was "surprising."

He said the Catholic Church in Egypt has clarified more than once the truth about the Pope's words, and that last week, together with the Orthodox patriarch, representatives had taken the Pope's text in English with an Arabic translation to Mahmoud Zaqzouq, minister of religious affairs.

Father Greich said the meeting "shed light on Al-Jazeera's attempt to create problems between the Catholic Church and Egypt, and especially with Al-Azhar." Al-Jazeera is a news network.

"The Pope did not refer at all to the internal affairs of the Middle East, limiting himself to say: I ask the governments to protect the Christians and citizens of the Middle East. Al-Jazeera interpreted this passage as if the Pope had requested other governments to protect Christians, whereas he addressed his request to the local governments," the priest explained.

Father Greich added that a delegation, of which he was a part, headed by Auxiliary Bishop Kamal Fahim Awad (Boutros) Hanna of Alexandria, an aid to Cardinal Antonios Naguib, patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts, went to visit al-Tayyeb last Sunday, and that "the truth of the Pope's interventions" had been clarified.

The sheikh of Al-Azhar invited the Vatican "to pay more attention in its interventions," but added that he was willing to issue a communiqué to explain what emerged during the meeting.

However, said Father Greich, "the communiqué never happened, and we were surprised when reading the communiqué of the Islamic Research Council manifesting the desire to interrupt dialogue with the Vatican, whereas we are convinced that everything can be resolved with dialogue."

"We are sorry that this is the position of the Islamic Research Council, especially because we see in its members prudence and wisdom, and we hope that dialogue will be taken up again as soon as possible at the local and Vatican level, especially because Catholics are an essential part of Egyptian society," he added.

Spirit of Assisi

Additionally, an Egyptian daily reported that al-Tayyeb will not be attending the Assisi interreligious meeting convoked by Benedict XVI for October. The Pope announced Jan. 1 that he would personally participate in the Assisi gathering, which marks the 25th anniversary of the first interreligious prayer for peace event held there by Pope John Paul II.

"These meetings, ultimately, are not bringing any good to Muslims, and they don't do good to the East but only to the West," declared al-Tayyeb. "And in all the conferences in which we took part in the past, we said clearly that the West is not serious in its way of approaching the nature of Islamic civilization and the civilization of the Middle East and of Easterners."

"We hold ourselves to our relationship with the Vatican, but we also have the right not to be in agreement with the Vatican," he added, "and we hope that Benedict XVI, as a religious who appeals for peace, will address a word to Muslims apologizing for the Crusades and acknowledging the richness that the Islamic civilization has contributed to European civilization."

The Pope on On Praying for Christian Unity

2011-01-20T18:00:00.000+08:00

"Prayer Has Always Been the Constant Attitude of the Disciples of Christ"

VATICAN CITY, JAN. 19, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in Paul VI Hall. In his address, the Pope centered his meditation on the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which is being held these days with the theme "They devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42).
* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, in which all believers in Christ are invited to join in prayer to witness the profound bond that exists among them and to invoke the gift of full communion. Providential is the fact that prayer is placed at the center of the path to build unity: this reminds us, once again, that unity cannot be a simple product of human action; it is above all a gift of God, which entails growth in communion with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Vatican Council II states "[t]hese prayers in communion are, without a doubt, a very effective means to implore the grace of unity and constitute a genuine manifestation of the bonds with which Catholics remain united with the separated brethren: 'For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them' (Matthew18:20)" ("Decree Unitatis Redintegratio," No. 8). The path to visible unity among all Christians resides in prayer, because fundamentally we do not "build" unity, but it is "built" by God, it comes from Him, from the Trinitarian Mystery, from the unity of the Father with the Son in the dialogue of love which is the Holy Spirit and our ecumenical effort should be open to divine action, it must be a daily invocation of God's help. The Church is His and not ours.

The theme chosen this year for the Week of Prayer makes reference to the experience of the early Christian community of Jerusalem, just as it is described in the Acts of the Apostles (we have heard the text): "And they devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42). We must consider that already at the moment of Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended on persons of different language and culture: this means that the Church embraces from the beginning people of different origins and, yet, precisely from these differences the Spirit creates one body. Pentecost, as the beginning of the Church, marks the enlargement of God's Covenant with all creatures, with all peoples at all times, so that the whole of creation will walk towards its true objective: to be a place of unity and love.

In the passage quoted from the Acts of the Apostles, four characteristics define the early Christian community of Jerusalem as a place of unity and love, and St. Luke does not wish to describe only an event of the past. He offers it to us as model, as norm for the present Church, because these four characteristics must always constitute the life of the Church. The first characteristic is to be united in listening to the teachings of the Apostles, in fraternal communion, in the breaking of the bread and in prayer. As I already mentioned, these four elements are still today the pillars of the life of every Christian community and constitute just one solid foundation on which to base our search for the visible unity of the Church.

First of all we have listening to the teaching of the Apostles, that is, listening to the testimony that they give of the mission, life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. It is what Paul calls simply the "Gospel." The first Christians received the Gospel from the mouth of the Apostles, they were united to hear it and to proclaim it, since the Gospel, as Saint Paul affirms, "is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith" (Romans 1:16). Still today, the community of believers recognizes, in the reference to the teaching of the Apostles, their own norm of faith: every effort made for the building of unity between Christians passes through the deepening of fidelity to the depositum fidei which the Apostles transmit to us. Firmness in the faith is the basis of our communion, it is the basis of Christian unity.

The second element is fraternal communion. In the times of the early Christian community, as also in our days, this is the most tangible expression, above all for the outside world, of the unity among the disciples of the Lord. We read in the Acts of the Apostles -- we have heard it -- that the first Christians held everything in common and that those who had properties and goods sold them to distribute to the needy (cf. Acts 2:44-45). This communion of their goods has found, in the history of the Church, new forms of expression. One of these, in particular, is that of the fraternal relationship and friendship built between Christians of different confessions. The history of the ecumenical movement is marked by difficulties and uncertainties, but it is also a history of fraternity, of cooperation and of human and spiritual communion, which has changed in a significant way the relations between believers in the Lord Jesus: we are all committed to continue on this path. Hence, the second element is communion which is, first of all, communion with God through faith, but communion with God creates communion among ourselves and is translated necessarily into the concrete communion of which the Acts of the Apostles speak, that is, full communion. No one should be hungry in the Christian community, no one should be poor: it is a fundamental obligation. Communion with God, made flesh in fraternal communion, is translated, concretely, in social effort, in Christian charity, in justice.

Third element. Essential also in the life of the early community of Jerusalem was the moment of the breaking of the bread, in which the Lord himself makes himself present with the only sacrifice of the Cross in his giving himself completely for the life of his friends: "This is my Body given in sacrifice for you ... this is the chalice of my Blood ... shed for you." "The Church lives from the Eucharist. This truth does not express only a daily experience of faith, but encloses in synthesis the nucleus of the mystery of the Church" (Encyclical "Ecclesia de Eucharistia," No. 1). Communion in Christ's sacrifice is the culmination of our union with God and therefore also represents the plenitude of the unity of the disciples of Christ, full communion. During this Week of Prayer for Unity the lament is particularly alive due to the impossibility of sharing the same Eucharistic table, sign that we are still far from the realization of that unity for which Christ prayed. This painful experience, which confers a penitential dimension to our prayer, must become the motive for a still more generous effort, on the part of all, in order that, eliminating all the obstacles for full communion, the day will come in which it will be possible to gather around the table of the Lord, to break the Eucharistic bread together and all drink from the same chalice.

Finally, prayer, or as St. Luke says, "the prayers," is the fourth characteristic of the early Church of Jerusalem described in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. Prayer has always been the constant attitude of the disciples of Christ, what supports their daily lives in obedience to the will of God, as attested to us also by the words of the Apostle Paul, who writes to the Thessalonians in his first letter "[r]ejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Ephesians 6:18). Christian prayer, participation in Jesus' prayer is par excellence a filial experience, as attested to us in the words of the Our Father, prayer of the family -- the "we" of the children of God, of the brothers and sisters -- that speaks to a common Father. To be in an attitude of prayer, hence, implies being open to fraternity. Only in the "we" can we say the Our Father. Let us open ourselves to fraternity which stems from being children of the one heavenly Father and hence disposed to forgiveness and reconciliation.

Dear brothers and sisters, as disciples of the Lord we have a common responsibility to the world, we must carry out a common service: as the first Christian community of Jerusalem, beginning from what we already share, we must give a strong witness, founded spiritually and supported by reason, of the only God who has revealed Himself and who speaks to us in Christ, to be bearers of a message that directs and illumines the path of the man of our time, often deprived of clear and valid points of reference. Hence, it is important to grow each day in mutual love, committing ourselves to overcome those barriers that still exist among Christians; to feel that a true interior unity exists among all those who follow the Lord; to collaborate as much as possible, working together on the questions that are still open; and above all, to be conscious that in this itinerary the Lord must assist us, he still has to help us much because, without Him, alone, without "abiding in Him," we can do nothing (cf. John 15:5).

Dear friends, once again it is in prayer where we find ourselves gathered -- particularly during this week -- together with all those who confess their faith in Jesus Christ, Son of God: let us persevere in it, let us be people of prayer, imploring from God the gift of unity, so that his plan of salvation and reconciliation will be fulfilled in the whole world. Thank you!

[Translation by ZENIT]

[The Holy Father then greeted pilgrims in several languages. In English, he said:]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

During the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, all the Lord's followers are asked to implore the gift of full communion. This year's theme -- "They devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42) -- invites us to reflect on four pillars of unity found in the life of the early Church. The first is fidelity to the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed by the Apostles. The second is fraternal communion, a contemporary expression of which is seen in the growing ecumenical friendship among Christians. The third is the breaking of the bread; although the inability of separated Christians to share the same Eucharistic table is a reminder that we are still far from the unity which Christ wills for his disciples, it is also an incentive to greater efforts to remove every obstacle to that unity. Finally, prayer itself helps us realize that we are children of the one heavenly Father, called to forgiveness and reconciliation. During this Week, let us pray that all Christians will grow in fidelity to the Gospel, in fraternal unity and in missionary zeal, in order to draw all men and women into the saving unity of Christ's Church.

I offer a warm welcome to the students and staff of the Bossey Graduate School of Ecumenical Studies. I thank the choir from Finland for their praise of God in song. To all the English-speaking pilgrims present at today's Audience, including those from Australia, Canada and the United States, I invoke an abundance of joy and peace in the Lord.

Copyright 2011 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

[In Italian, he greeted the youth, sick and newlyweds present:]

I now greet young people, the sick and newlyweds. Dear friends, I invite you to pray for Christian unity. All of you who, with youthful freshness, or with endured self-giving, or with happy spousal love are committed to love the Lord in the daily fulfillment of your duty, contribute to the building of the Church and her evangelizing work. Pray, therefore, so that all Christians will accept the Lord's call to the unity of the faith in his one Church.

Jerusalem’s potential to bring Jews and Muslims together

2011-01-19T11:50:00.000+08:00

Aziz Abu Sarah and Mairav Zonszein

Jerusalem - Jerusalem, home to Christianity, Judaism and Islam – and highly significant to Palestinians and Israelis alike – continues to be a crucial focal point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Holy Basin in Jerusalem is home to some of the most sacred sites to all three religions, including the Western Wall, a remnant from the Second Temple and the holiest place in Judaism, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam. Sovereignty, freedom of movement and the symbolism of the city are therefore very important to Palestinians and Israelis, both of whom see Jerusalem as their nation’s capital.

There have always been religious motives for the conflict over Jerusalem, but in recent years the religious-historical justifications are trumping political ones, and Jewish and Muslim extremists are using Jerusalem as a rallying point.

Since Israel annexed East Jerusalem following the Six-Day War in 1967, it has been building and expanding Jewish neighbourhoods beyond the Green Line and as of the 1990s it has been settling Jews in the middle of densely populated Palestinian neighbourhoods.

Organisations such as Ateret Cohanim and Elad promote the Jewish purchase of property in Palestinian neighborhoods, portraying it as redemption of Israel’s land. Ateret Cohanim is a religious seminary that acquires property in the Old City’s Muslim quarter. They use the religious significance of this area for political gains, presenting it as a mitzvah (religious deed) to displace Palestinians from their homes.

Elad, founded in 1987, runs the City of David archaeological tourist site in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan. Tourists who visit there are excited about seeing where King David supposedly once roamed, but are unaware of the fact that not only are the region’s archaeological findings questionable, but Palestinian homes were expropriated inside the City of David to “resettle” Jews.

The Jewish religious settlement project has generated similarly one-sided responses by Muslims. To some Muslims these groups represent a new “crusade” against Islam itself. One of the leading groups countering the "Judaisation of Jerusalem" is the Islamic Movement in the North of Israel, which has been making strong inroads in Jerusalem. Like Hamas, the Islamic Movement fills the vacuum created by the absence of Israeli government services in East Jerusalem and the prohibition on the Palestinian Authority to take action. It has gained strong support from the Arab community by launching the “Al-Aqsa in Danger” campaign, which highlights the importance of the mosque as a unifying symbol.

Such groups capitalise on the fear of the local residents confronted with growing settlement and security activities in the city and the municipality’s neglect of Palestinian residents. They have positioned themselves as the defenders of Islam and Jerusalem and have quickly won local support by providing charity and infrastructure.

Both Muslim and Jewish groups have been denying each other religious and historical heritage in Jerusalem. A recent study by the Palestinian Authority (PA) claimed that Jews have no historical or religious heritage in Jerusalem. However, the PA leadership was quick to dismiss the study and its findings, a move which constitutes a shift away from previous trends of claiming exclusive rights to Jerusalem.

The change in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a political conflict over identity, nationality and land to a conflict being led by extreme religious groups for political gains is a dangerous shift that should be worrying, especially for mainstream religious leaders. The more people see this conflict in starkly religious terms, the less likely they will be to accept compromise.

Jerusalem has the potential to be a city of peace and coexistence as mentioned in the holy books. This has been exemplified by efforts of non-violent protest and education, such as the Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan, comprised of residents of Wadi Hilweh who seek to effectively communicate information about their struggle to retain their land, and the Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity movement, which has been bringing Palestinians and Israelis together to protest the settlements in East Jerusalem every week for the last year.

Such groups must be strengthened so that Jerusalem’s potential to bring Christians, Jews and Muslims together in peace can be realised.

###

* Mairav Zonszein (972mag.com) is an American Israeli journalist, blogger and activist based in Jerusalem. Aziz Abu Sarah (azizabusarah.wordpress.com), a Palestinian from Jerusalem, is Director of Middle East projects at the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University, and winner of the Eliav-Sartawi Award for Common Ground journalism. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 18 January 2011

German Interreligious Leaders Decry Coptic Church Attack

2011-01-13T10:01:00.000+08:00

Orthodox Bishop Welcomes Papal Message

FRANKFURT, Germany, JAN. 12, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Religious leaders representing Catholic, Muslim, Orthodox and Protestant communities in Frankfurt gathered to condemn the Jan. 1 attack on the Orthodox Coptic Church of the Saints in Alexandria, Egypt.

The attack killed 23 and wounded more than 100 people. In Frankfurt on Saturday, religious and political leaders gathered for a memorial service for the victims in the Coptic Orthodox church of St. Mark.

They gathered also to pray for peace and religious freedom, and to express the commitment against anti-Christian discrimination.

Bishop Anba Damian, head of the Orthodox Copts in Germany, told Aid to the Church in Need, "Even the little children among us have to learn to live with the Cross."

"We are a church of martyrs," he said. "No one can make us fear. Our faithful will continue to pray, even if it should be their last act of worship, for the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church."

The bishop welcomed the message of Benedict XVI which, he said, had "eased much pain."
In his homily on Saturday, the prelate described the anti-Christian discrimination in Egypt, stating, "To wish to be a Christian is not a criminal act!"

"We merely wish to live as equal citizens, sharing all the same rights and duties," he said.

The prelate called on the Egyptian authorities to punish the attackers, lest they give "a green light to the terrorists."

He appealed for "preventative measures, so that such a thing does not happen again," urging the Muslim leaders in the mosques to preach in a way that would cause people to go home with peace in their hearts and not with anger.

Solidarity

The bishop noted that the solidarity of the interreligious leaders in Germany and other countries, and the presence of the chairman of the Central Muslim Council in Germany at Saturday's service, was for his church members "balm on their open wounds."

Catholic Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst of Limburg gave an address at the service underlining the Church's respect "for the ancient traditions of the Church in Egypt and in a special way for the venerable Patriarchate of Alexandria" which, he said, was dignified "by the witness of numerous saints, martyrs and doctors of the Church."

He urged the Egyptian authorities to establish "a legal system that consistently tackles injustice against Christians also, and prosecutes and punishes it."

Bishop Athanagoras Ziliaskopoulos, the representative of the Orthodox bishops' conference and chairman of the Interfaith Council in Germany, asserted that this "cowardly attack has revealed the high price that Christians have to pay for their faith, precisely in those places that are closely associated with the origin of Christianity."

Aiman Mayzek, chairman of the Muslim Central Council in Germany, condemned the attack, noting that "acts of terror and atrocities will not erase what Copts have given to Muslims in the way of peace and shelter."

He stated, "The attackers will not succeed in driving a wedge between Christians and Muslims."

Egypt’s Copts channelling anger into civic engagement

2011-01-06T11:40:00.001+08:00

Lina Attalah

Cairo - In April 2006, hundreds of Egypt’s Alexandrian Christians gathered to mourn the death of 78-year-old Nushi Girgis, a Christian who was stabbed at St. Mark and St. Peter’s Church during one of a series of attacks on churches in the city that year. As the crowd walked down the street, chanting religious hymns, people began throwing stones from their balconies. The scene quickly turned violent, pitting Muslims against Christians.

Four years later, although largely invisible, the tension still looms. We saw a resurgence of violence last week with the bombing of the same St. Mark and St. Peter’s Church, which took 23 lives and injured many more people. Egypt’s Coptic Christian families worry about their lives in a nation that has become a contested home. The current wave of violence could mark a crossroads for this community with regard to its sense of political engagement which, for a long time now, has been dormant.

The government is currently trying to wipe out the mounting tension by deploying a discourse of national unity and describing the aggression against the Christian minority as coming from outside the nation. Al Qaeda’s recent threats against the Christians of Egypt have given some resonance to this claim.

But this state-engineered discourse is not resonating among the country’s Christian community, whose increasing bitterness is fast becoming politicised. In the past two days, protesters denouncing the attacks have taken to the streets, vehemently speaking out against Mubarak’s regime and its security apparatus for their consistent failure to protect the nation’s Christian community.

Their mounting anger also stems from a feeling that the regime is actually responsible for fuelling sectarianism. In Alexandria, for example, there have been many indications of the state supporting certain extremist Salafi groups that have spoken with hostility toward Copts on their television programmes and in mosque sermons. The state has allowed them to informally organise in some of the city’s mosques, perhaps as a way to counter growing secular opposition to the regime in the coastal city.

While Coptic anger should not be misinterpreted as a sign of overall political dissent, the act of taking to the streets frames the tension along clear political parameters. This is particularly interesting given the decades-long state-engineered process of trivialising politics amongst citizens by co-opting religious institutions, such as the Church, by giving it full authority over the religious and social aspects of Egyptian Christians’ lives in exchange for preaching de-politicisation. This has consequently led to the Church playing a large role in Egypt’s Coptic community, encouraging its members to congregate, to become isolated and to direct concerns to religious authorities as opposed to civil leadership, resulting in a decreased interest in politics over time.

The anger generated by recent events has the potential to reverse this political apathy amongst Egypt’s Copts and could result positively in renewed civil engagement. The fact that their anger is directed towards the regime, as opposed to their fellow citizens, is healthy and could lead to greater solidarity between fellow Egyptians of all faiths.

Already these tragic deaths have moved thousands of Egyptians – regardless of faith – to change their Facebook profile pictures to an image of the crescent surrounding the cross, symbolic of the fraternity between the two religions. Various initiatives are calling for Muslims to accompany Christians to Christmas mass on 6 January, preceding Coptic Christmas which is celebrated on 7 January, and to shield them against any possible aggression.

Yet, the most crucial way that Muslims can show their solidarity with Christians is to take a political stance against the regime’s divide-and-rule tactics. While it is difficult to imagine that the current tensions – which are right now taking place along religious lines – will soon be secularised, recent events can at least showcase how the state’s constant stifling of freedoms is only breeding dissent. The state must forgo old tactics in order to make space for concessions. This is a moment that should be seized by Christians and Muslims alike.

###

* Lina Attalah is Managing Editor of the Al-Masry Al-Youm English edition in Egypt and covers issues of migration, refugees, border conflicts and minorities. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 4 January 2011

Christians break down barriers with Hindus in India

2011-01-04T11:23:00.000+08:00

Residents of a home for the aged managed by a Hindu radical group in Bhopal, central India, yesterday thanked a Christian group for sharing a Christmas lunch with them.

“I am grateful to you for the sumptuous lunch,” A. Banerjee, a 78-year-old resident of Anand Dham (abode of happiness), told a delegation of the Madhya Pradesh Isai Mahasangh (confederation of Christians).

Banerjee said she has six children but none wanted to look after her and “dumped” her in the aged persons’ home 15 years ago.

Archbishop Leo Cornelio of Bhopal led the 15-member group that had lunch with the residents on Dec. 30.

The prelate, who heads the Catholic Church in Madhya Pradesh state, told the residents, all Hindus, that Christ loves everyone regardless of their religion, caste or color.

Harendra Verma, another resident, said he was delighted to be in the company of Christians. The 83-year-old man said he came to the center after his children abandoned him.

Sheela Santiago, who heads the women’s wing of the ecumenical forum, said they organized the lunch to share “our love and concern for abandoned old people.”

Such gestures will convince others that Christian love has no boundary, she told ucanews.com.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS, national volunteers’ corps), the umbrella body of Hindu radical groups, manages the home.

R. P. Mishra, its president, welcomed the Christian gesture, which he said would help dispel misunderstanding between Christians and RSS.

RSS-affiliated groups are blamed for attacks on Christians and Muslims in India.

Mishra denied his organization harbors ill feeling toward Christians. “On the contrary, (RSS) believes that the whole universe is a home that has no room for hatred but where everyone lives in harmony,” he told ucanews.com.

(Published in UCAN News, December 31, 2010)

Korean Catholic deacons start inter-religious fact-finding trip

2010-12-17T15:26:00.000+08:00

Catholic seminarians from the western central region of the Korean Peninsula have embarked on a trip to deepen their understanding of other religions.

Nineteen deacons from the Suwon major seminary in Gyeonggi-do province are taking an excursion yesterday and today prepared by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea (CBCK) to observe other Christian denominations and religions.

The trip on the first day took the group to the Orthodox Church in Korea and the Anglican Church of Korea for the ecumenical unity. Here the deacons learned about the doctrine, liturgy and catechism of the Orthodox Church.

For the second day, they will visit the Buddhist Jogye Order and Islam community in Korea and engage in interreligious dialogue.

“They will understand other denominations serving same God and work together for the evangelization of the Korean society. Also, they will learn how to live with people of different religions,” Father Paul Choi In-gak, professor of Suwon Catholic University, told ucanews.com.

He said the trip will give the deacons a wider view to prepare for pastoral works as they are “future leaders of the Korean Catholic Church.”

Deacon Simon Peter Lee Beom-seok said the trip makes him realize that a small difference can cause a division. The reason we seek for ecumenical unity is because we serve the same God, he added.

Orthodox Father Antonios Woo Jong-hyun thanked the Catholic Church’s effort for promoting peace among different religions.

“In recent situation that a certain religion slanders other religions, this visit will foster mutual respect among the religions,” he said.

Since 2008, CBCK has been organizing such excursion trip for the different major seminaries.

(Published in UCAN News, December 17, 2010)

Papal Message for 2011 Peace Day

2010-12-17T13:27:00.000+08:00

"Religious Freedom Expresses What Is Unique About the Human Person"

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 16, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is the the text of Benedict XVI's message for the 44th World Day of Peace, which will be observed Jan. 1. The theme for the day will be: "Religious Freedom, the Path to Peace." The Vatican press office released the message today.

* * *

1. at the beginning of the new year I offer good wishes to each and all for serenity and prosperity, but especially for peace. Sadly, the year now ending has again been marked by persecution, discrimination, terrible acts of violence and religious intolerance.

My thoughts turn in a special way to the beloved country of Iraq, which continues to be a theatre of violence and strife as it makes its way towards a future of stability and reconciliation. I think of the recent sufferings of the Christian community, and in particular the reprehensible attack on the Syro-Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Baghdad, where on 31 October two priests and over fifty faithful were killed as they gathered for the celebration of Holy Mass. In the days that followed, other attacks ensued, even on private homes, spreading fear within the Christian community and a desire on the part of many to emigrate in search of a better life. I assure them of my own closeness and that of the entire Church, a closeness which found concrete expression in the recent Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops. The Synod encouraged the Catholic communities in Iraq and throughout the Middle East to live in communion and to continue to offer a courageous witness of faith in those lands.

I offer heartfelt thanks to those Governments which are working to alleviate the sufferings of these, our brothers and sisters in the human family, and I ask all Catholics for their prayers and support for their brethren in the faith who are victims of violence and intolerance. In this context, I have felt it particularly appropriate to share some reflections on religious freedom as the path to peace. It is painful to think that in some areas of the world it is impossible to profess one’s religion freely except at the risk of life and personal liberty. In other areas we see more subtle and sophisticated forms of prejudice and hostility towards believers and religious symbols. At present, Christians are the religious group which suffers most from persecution on account of its faith. Many Christians experience daily affronts and often live in fear because of their pursuit of truth, their faith in Jesus Christ and their heartfelt plea for respect for religious freedom. This situation is unacceptable, since it represents an insult to God and to human dignity; furthermore, it is a threat to security and peace, and an obstacle to the achievement of authentic and integral human development.[1]

Religious freedom expresses what is unique about the human person, for it allows us to direct our personal and social life to God, in whose light the identity, meaning and purpose of the person are fully understood. To deny or arbitrarily restrict this freedom is to foster a reductive vision of the human person; to eclipse the public role of religion is to create a society which is unjust, inasmuch as it fails to take account of the true nature of the human person; it is to stifle the growth of the authentic and lasting peace of the whole human family.

For this reason, I implore all men and women of good will to renew their commitment to building a world where all are free to profess their religion or faith, and to express their love of God with all their heart, with all their soul and with all their mind (cf. Mt 22:37). This is the sentiment which inspires and directs this Message for the XLIV World Day of Peace, devoted to the theme: Religious Freedom, the Path to Peace.

A sacred right to life and to a spiritual life

2. The right to religious freedom is rooted in the very dignity of the human person,[2] whose transcendent nature must not be ignored or overlooked. God created man and woman in his own image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:27). For this reason each person is endowed with the sacred right to a full life, also from a spiritual standpoint. Without the acknowledgement of his spiritual being, without openness to the transcendent, the human person withdraws within himself, fails to find answers to the heart’s deepest questions about life’s meaning, fails to appropriate lasting ethical values and principles, and fails even to experience authentic freedom and to build a just society.[3]

Sacred Scripture, in harmony with our own experience, reveals the profound value of human dignity: "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have established, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man, that you care for him? Yet you have made him little less than God, and crowned him with glory and honour. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet" (Ps 8:3-6).

Contemplating the sublime reality of human nature, we can experience the same amazement felt by the Psalmist. Our nature appears as openness to the Mystery, a capacity to ask deep questions about ourselves and the origin of the universe, and a profound echo of the supreme Love of God, the beginning and end of all things, of every person and people.[4] The transcendent dignity of the person is an essential value of Judeo-Christian wisdom, yet thanks to the use of reason, it can be recognized by all. This dignity, understood as a capacity to transcend one’s own materiality and to seek truth, must be acknowledged as a universal good, indispensable for the building of a society directed to human fulfilment. Respect for essential elements of human dignity, such as the right to life and the right to religious freedom, is a condition for the moral legitimacy of every social and legal norm.

Religious freedom and mutual respect

3. Religious freedom is at the origin of moral freedom. Openness to truth and perfect goodness, openness to God, is rooted in human nature; it confers full dignity on each individual and is the guarantee of full mutual respect between persons. Religious freedom should be understood, then, not merely as immunity from coercion, but even more fundamentally as an ability to order one’s own choices in accordance with truth.

Freedom and respect are inseparable; indeed, "in exercising their rights, individuals and social groups are bound by the moral law to have regard for the rights of others, their own duties to others and the common good of all".[5]

A freedom which is hostile or indifferent to God becomes self-negating and does not guarantee full respect for others. A will which believes itself radically incapable of seeking truth and goodness has no objective reasons or motives for acting save those imposed by its fleeting and contingent interests; it does not have an "identity" to safeguard and build up through truly free and conscious decisions. As a result, it cannot demand respect from other "wills", which are themselves detached from their own deepest being and thus capable of imposing other "reasons" or, for that matter, no "reason" at all. The illusion that moral relativism provides the key for peaceful coexistence is actually the origin of divisions and the denial of the dignity of human beings. Hence we can see the need for recognition of a twofold dimension within the unity of the human person: a religious dimension and a social dimension. In this regard, "it is inconceivable that believers should have to suppress a part of themselves – their faith – in order to be active citizens. It should never be necessary to deny God in order to enjoy one’s rights".[6]

The family, the school of freedom and peace

4. If religious freedom is the path to peace, religious education is the highway which leads new generations to see others as their brothers and sisters, with whom they are called to journey and work together so that all will feel that they are living members of the one human family, from which no one is to be excluded.

The family founded on marriage, as the expression of the close union and complementarity between a man and a woman, finds its place here as the first school for the social, cultural, moral and spiritual formation and growth of children, who should always be able to see in their father and mother the first witnesses of a life directed to the pursuit of truth and the love of God. Parents must be always free to transmit to their children, responsibly and without constraints, their heritage of faith, values and culture. The family, the first cell of human society, remains the primary training ground for harmonious relations at every level of coexistence, human, national and international. Wisdom suggests that this is the road to building a strong and fraternal social fabric, in which young people can be prepared to assume their proper responsibilities in life, in a free society, and in a spirit of understanding and peace.

A common patrimony

5. It could be said that among the fundamental rights and freedoms rooted in the dignity of the person, religious freedom enjoys a special status. When religious freedom is acknowledged, the dignity of the human person is respected at its root, and the ethos and institutions of peoples are strengthened. On the other hand, whenever religious freedom is denied, and attempts are made to hinder people from professing their religion or faith and living accordingly, human dignity is offended, with a resulting threat to justice and peace, which are grounded in that right social order established in the light of Supreme Truth and Supreme Goodness.

Religious freedom is, in this sense, also an achievement of a sound political and juridical culture. It is an essential good: each person must be able freely to exercise the right to profess and manifest, individually or in community, his or her own religion or faith, in public and in private, in teaching, in practice, in publications, in worship and in ritual observances. There should be no obstacles should he or she eventually wish to belong to another religion or profess none at all. In this context, international law is a model and an essential point of reference for states, insofar as it allows no derogation from religious freedom, as long as the just requirements of public order are observed.[7] The international order thus recognizes that rights of a religious nature have the same status as the right to life and to personal freedom, as proof of the fact that they belong to the essential core of human rights, to those universal and natural rights which human law can never deny.

Religious freedom is not the exclusive patrimony of believers, but of the whole family of the earth’s peoples. It is an essential element of a constitutional state; it cannot be denied without at the same time encroaching on all fundamental rights and freedoms, since it is their synthesis and keystone. It is "the litmus test for the respect of all the other human rights".[8] While it favours the exercise of our most specifically human faculties, it creates the necessary premises for the attainment of an integral development which concerns the whole of the person in every single dimension.[9]

The public dimension of religion

6. Religious freedom, like every freedom, proceeds from the personal sphere and is achieved in relationship with others. Freedom without relationship is not full freedom. Religious freedom is not limited to the individual dimension alone, but is attained within one’s community and in society, in a way consistent with the relational being of the person and the public nature of religion.

Relationship is a decisive component in religious freedom, which impels the community of believers to practise solidarity for the common good. In this communitarian dimension, each person remains unique and unrepeatable, while at the same time finding completion and full realization.

The contribution of religious communities to society is undeniable. Numerous charitable and cultural institutions testify to the constructive role played by believers in the life of society. More important still is religion’s ethical contribution in the political sphere. Religion should not be marginalized or prohibited, but seen as making an effective contribution to the promotion of the common good. In this context mention should be made of the religious dimension of culture, built up over centuries thanks to the social and especially ethical contributions of religion. This dimension is in no way discriminatory towards those who do not share its beliefs, but instead reinforces social cohesion, integration and solidarity.

Religious freedom, a force for freedom and civilization:
dangers arising from its exploitation

7. The exploitation of religious freedom to disguise hidden interests, such as the subversion of the established order, the hoarding of resources or the grip on power of a single group, can cause enormous harm to societies. Fanaticism, fundamentalism and practices contrary to human dignity can never be justified, even less so in the name of religion. The profession of a religion cannot be exploited or imposed by force. States and the various human communities must never forget that religious freedom is the condition for the pursuit of truth, and truth does not impose itself by violence but "by the force of its own truth".[10] In this sense, religion is a positive driving force for the building of civil and political society.

How can anyone deny the contribution of the world’s great religions to the development of civilization? The sincere search for God has led to greater respect for human dignity. Christian communities, with their patrimony of values and principles, have contributed much to making individuals and peoples aware of their identity and their dignity, the establishment of democratic institutions and the recognition of human rights and their corresponding duties.

Today too, in an increasingly globalized society, Christians are called, not only through their responsible involvement in civic, economic and political life but also through the witness of their charity and faith, to offer a valuable contribution to the laborious and stimulating pursuit of justice, integral human development and the right ordering of human affairs. The exclusion of religion from public life deprives the latter of a dimension open to transcendence. Without this fundamental experience it becomes difficult to guide societies towards universal ethical principles and to establish at the national and international level a legal order which fully recognizes and respects fundamental rights and freedoms as these are set forth in the goals – sadly still disregarded or contradicted – of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

An issue of justice and civility:
fundamentalism and hostility to believers
compromise the positive secularity of states

8. The same determination that condemns every form of fanaticism and religious fundamentalism must also oppose every form of hostility to religion that would restrict the public role of believers in civil and political life.

It should be clear that religious fundamentalism and secularism are alike in that both represent extreme forms of a rejection of legitimate pluralism and the principle of secularity. Both absolutize a reductive and partial vision of the human person, favouring in the one case forms of religious integralism and, in the other, of rationalism. A society that would violently impose or, on the contrary, reject religion is not only unjust to individuals and to God, but also to itself. God beckons humanity with a loving plan that, while engaging the whole person in his or her natural and spiritual dimensions, calls for a free and responsible answer which engages the whole heart and being, individual and communitarian. Society too, as an expression of the person and of all his or her constitutive dimensions, must live and organize itself in a way that favours openness to transcendence. Precisely for this reason, the laws and institutions of a society cannot be shaped in such a way as to ignore the religious dimension of its citizens or to prescind completely from it. Through the democratic activity of citizens conscious of their lofty calling, those laws and institutions must adequately reflect the authentic nature of the person and support its religious dimension. Since the latter is not a creation of the state, it cannot be manipulated by the state, but must rather be acknowledged and respected by it.

Whenever the legal system at any level, national or international, allows or tolerates religious or antireligious fanaticism, it fails in its mission, which is to protect and promote justice and the rights of all. These matters cannot be left to the discretion of the legislator or the majority since, as Cicero once pointed out, justice is something more than a mere act which produces and applies law. It entails acknowledging the dignity of each person[11] which, unless religious freedom is guaranteed and lived in its essence, ends up being curtailed and offended, exposed to the risk of falling under the sway of idols, of relative goods which then become absolute. All this exposes society to the risk of forms of political and ideological totalitarianism which emphasize public power while demeaning and restricting freedom of conscience, thought and religion as potential competitors.

Dialogue between civil and religious institutions

9. The patrimony of principles and values expressed by an authentic religiosity is a source of enrichment for peoples and their ethos. It speaks directly to the conscience and mind of men and women, it recalls the need for moral conversion, and it encourages the practice of the virtues and a loving approach to others as brothers and sisters, as members of the larger human family.[12]

With due respect for the positive secularity of state institutions, the public dimension of religion must always be acknowledged. A healthy dialogue between civil and religious institutions is fundamental for the integral development of the human person and social harmony.

Living in love and in truth

10. In a globalized world marked by increasingly multi-ethnic and multi-religious societies, the great religions can serve as an important factor of unity and peace for the human family. On the basis of their religious convictions and their reasoned pursuit of the common good, their followers are called to give responsible expression to their commitment within a context of religious freedom. Amid the variety of religious cultures, there is a need to value those elements which foster civil coexistence, while rejecting whatever is contrary to the dignity of men and women.

The public space which the international community makes available for the religions and their proposal of what constitutes a "good life" helps to create a measure of agreement about truth and goodness, and a moral consensus; both of these are fundamental to a just and peaceful coexistence. The leaders of the great religions, thanks to their position, their influence and their authority in their respective communities, are the first ones called to mutual respect and dialogue.

Christians, for their part, are spurred by their faith in God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, to live as brothers and sisters who encounter one another in the Church and work together in building a world where individuals and peoples "shall not hurt or destroy … for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" (Is 11:9).

Dialogue as a shared pursuit

11. For the Church, dialogue between the followers of the different religions represents an important means of cooperating with all religious communities for the common good. The Church herself rejects nothing of what is true and holy in the various religions. "She has a high regard for those ways of life and conduct, precepts and doctrines which, although differing in many ways from her own teaching, nevertheless often reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men and women".[13]

The path to take is not the way of relativism or religious syncretism. The Church, in fact, "proclaims, and is in duty bound to proclaim without fail, Christ who is the way, the truth and the life (Jn 14:6); in Christ, in whom God reconciled all things to himself, people find the fullness of the religious life".[14] Yet this in no way excludes dialogue and the common pursuit of truth in different areas of life, since, as Saint Thomas Aquinas would say, "every truth, whoever utters it, comes from the Holy Spirit".[15]

The year 2011 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace convened in Assisi in 1986 by Pope John Paul II. On that occasion the leaders of the great world religions testified to the fact that religion is a factor of union and peace, and not of division and conflict. The memory of that experience gives reason to hope for a future in which all believers will see themselves, and will actually be, agents of justice and peace.

Moral truth in politics and diplomacy

12. Politics and diplomacy should look to the moral and spiritual patrimony offered by the great religions of the world in order to acknowledge and affirm universal truths, principles and values which cannot be denied without denying the dignity of the human person. But what does it mean, in practical terms, to promote moral truth in the world of politics and diplomacy? It means acting in a responsible way on the basis of an objective and integral knowledge of the facts; it means deconstructing political ideologies which end up supplanting truth and human dignity in order to promote pseudo-values under the pretext of peace, development and human rights; it means fostering an unswerving commitment to base positive law on the principles of the natural law.[16] All this is necessary and consistent with the respect for the dignity and worth of the human person enshrined by the world’s peoples in the 1945 Charter of the United Nations, which presents universal values and moral principles as a point of reference for the norms, institutions and systems governing coexistence on the national and international levels.

Beyond hatred and prejudice

13. Despite the lessons of history and the efforts of states, international and regional organizations, non-governmental organizations and the many men and women of good will who daily work to protect fundamental rights and freedoms, today’s world also witnesses cases of persecution, discrimination, acts of violence and intolerance based on religion. In a particular way, in Asia and in Africa, the chief victims are the members of religious minorities, who are prevented from freely professing or changing their religion by forms of intimidation and the violation of their rights, basic freedoms and essential goods, including the loss of personal freedom and life itself.

There also exist – as I have said – more sophisticated forms of hostility to religion which, in Western countries, occasionally find expression in a denial of history and the rejection of religious symbols which reflect the identity and the culture of the majority of citizens. Often these forms of hostility also foster hatred and prejudice; they are inconsistent with a serene and balanced vision of pluralism and the secularity of institutions, to say nothing of the fact that coming generations risk losing contact with the priceless spiritual heritage of their countries.

Religion is defended by defending the rights and freedoms of religious communities. The leaders of the great world religions and the leaders of nations should therefore renew their commitment to promoting and protecting religious freedom, and in particular to defending religious minorities; these do not represent a threat to the identity of the majority but rather an opportunity for dialogue and mutual cultural enrichment. Defending them is the ideal way to consolidate the spirit of good will, openness and reciprocity which can ensure the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms in all areas and regions of the world.

Religious freedom in the world

14. Finally I wish to say a word to the Christian communities suffering from persecution, discrimination, violence and intolerance, particularly in Asia, in Africa, in the Middle East and especially in the Holy Land, a place chosen and blessed by God. I assure them once more of my paternal affection and prayers, and I ask all those in authority to act promptly to end every injustice against the Christians living in those lands. In the face of present difficulties, may Christ’s followers not lose heart, for witnessing to the Gospel is, and always will be, a sign of contradiction.

Let us take to heart the words of the Lord Jesus: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted … Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied … Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven" (Mt 5:4-12). Then let us renew "the pledge we give to be forgiving and to pardon when we invoke God’s forgiveness in the Our Father. We ourselves lay down the condition and the extent of the mercy we ask for when we say: ‘And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us’ (Mt 6:12)".[17] Violence is not overcome by violence. May our cries of pain always be accompanied by faith, by hope and by the witness of our love of God. I also express my hope that in the West, and especially in Europe, there will be an end to hostility and prejudice against Christians because they are resolved to orient their lives in a way consistent with the values and principles expressed in the Gospel. May Europe rather be reconciled to its own Christian roots, which are fundamental for understanding its past, present and future role in history; in this way it will come to experience justice, concord and peace by cultivating a sincere dialogue with all peoples.

Religious freedom, the path to peace

15. The world needs God. It needs universal, shared ethical and spiritual values, and religion can offer a precious contribution to their pursuit, for the building of a just and peaceful social order at the national and international levels.

Peace is a gift of God and at the same time a task which is never fully completed. A society reconciled with God is closer to peace, which is not the mere absence of war or the result of military or economic supremacy, much less deceptive ploys or clever manipulation. Rather, peace is the result of a process of purification and of cultural, moral and spiritual elevation involving each individual and people, a process in which human dignity is fully respected. I invite all those who wish to be peacemakers, especially the young, to heed the voice speaking within their hearts and thus to find in God the stable point of reference for attaining authentic freedom, the inexhaustible force which can give the world a new direction and spirit, and overcome the mistakes of the past. In the words of Pope Paul VI, to whose wisdom and farsightedness we owe the institution of the World Day of Peace: "It is necessary before all else to provide peace with other weapons – different from those destined to kill and exterminate mankind. What are needed above all are moral weapons, those which give strength and prestige to international law – the weapon, in the first place, of the observance of pacts".[18] Religious freedom is an authentic weapon of peace, with an historical and prophetic mission. Peace brings to full fruition the deepest qualities and potentials of the human person, the qualities which can change the world and make it better. It gives hope for a future of justice and peace, even in the face of grave injustice and material and moral poverty. May all men and women, and societies at every level and in every part of the earth, soon be able to experience religious freedom, the path to peace!

From the Vatican, 8 December 2010

BENEDICTUS PP XVI

NOTES

[1] Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 29, 55-57.

[2] Cf. SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Declaration on Religious Freedom Dignitatis Humanae, 2.

[3] Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 78.

[4] Cf. SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions Nostra Aetate, 1.

[5] ID., Declaration on Religious Freedom Dignitatis Humanae, 7.

[6] BENEDICT XVI, Address to the General Assembly of the United Nations (18 April 2008): AAS 100 (2008), 337.

[7] Cf. SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Declaration on Religious Freedom Dignitatis Humanae, 2.

[8] JOHN PAUL II, Address to Participants in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) (10 October 2003), 1: AAS 96 (2004), 111.

[9] Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 11.

[10] Cf. SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Declaration on Religious Freedom Dignitatis Humanae, 1.

[11] Cf. CICERO, De Inventione, II, 160.

[12] Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Address to Representatives of Other Religions in the United Kingdom (17 September 2010): L’Osservatore Romano (18 September 2010), p. 12.

[13] Cf. SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions Nostra Aetate, 2.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Super Evangelium Joannis, I, 3.

[16] Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Address to Civil Authorities and the Diplomatic Corps in Cyprus (4 June 2010): L’Osservatore Romano (6 June 2010), p. 8; INTERNATIONAL THEOLOGICAL COMMISSION, The Search for Universal Ethics: A New Look at Natural Law, Vatican City, 2009.

[17] PAUL VI, Message for the 1976 World Day of Peace: AAS 67 (1975), 671.

[18] Ibid., p. 668.

Pontiff Looks for More Fruits in Unity Dialogue with Lutherans

2010-12-17T12:03:00.000+08:00

Catholics, Lutherans Mark a 10th Anniversary, Look to a 500th

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 16, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is expressing thankfulness for progress made in ecumenical dialogue between Catholics and Lutherans, which he says has borne fruit particularly at the level of local communities.

The Pope said this today when he greeted representatives of the Lutheran World Federation on the occasion of their official visit to Rome. The delegation was led by the new president of the federation, Reverend Munib Younan.

"With gratitude we can take stock of the many significant fruits produced by these decades of bilateral discussions," the Holy Father told them. "With God’s help it has been possible slowly and patiently to remove barriers and to foster visible bonds of unity by means of theological dialogue and practical cooperation, especially at the level of local communities."

Benedict XVI noted that last year was the 10th anniversary of the signing of the landmark Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.

He said this accord "has proved a significant step along the difficult path towards re-establishing full unity among Christians and a stimulus to further ecumenical discussion."

Regarding that further discussion, the Holy Father spoke of the next seven years leading up to the 500th anniversary of the 1517 "events," when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of All Saints Church, and thus sparked the Protestant Reformation.

"Catholics and Lutherans are called to reflect anew on where our journey towards unity has led us and to implore the Lord’s guidance and help for the future," the Pontiff said.

He noted that for the occasion of the anniversary, the International Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity is preparing a joint text which will "document what Lutherans and Catholics are able to say together at this point regarding our closer relations after almost five centuries of separation."

The Commission is currently studying the theme "Baptism and Growing Church Communion."

The Pope concluded by expressing his hope that "these ecumenical activities will provide fresh opportunities for Catholics and Lutherans to grow closer in their lives, their witness to the Gospel, and their efforts to bring the light of Christ to all dimensions of society."

Developments

For his part, Bishop Younan, who was elected as president of the federation in July, noted the "remarkable developments between our churches during recent years," and said that it was "a sign of our hope for what lies ahead."

"Within our own lifetimes, the climate of relations between Lutherans and Catholics has warmed dramatically -- and this climate change has been for the good!" the bishop affirmed. "Around the world our churches live in a new ecology of relationship. We too celebrated last month, when the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity observed its 15th anniversary. Today we want to assure you of the strength of our commitment to continue deepening our life together."

The bishop aknowledged the importance of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, calling it a "landmark ecumenical accomplishment," and added two more areas in which the Catholic Church and the Lutheran Federation could work together: addressing the moral issues involved with the financial crisis, and working toward a solution for peace in the Holy Land.

Finally, Bishop Younan recalled that in 2017, the 500th anniversary of the Reformation movement will be observed.

He said the federation recognizes that "this will be a test case for ecumenical relations," but added: "We intend our anniversary to be ecumenically accountable: to recognize both damaging aspects of the Reformation and ecumenical progress since the last major Reformation anniversary."

"We cannot achieve this ecumenical accountability on our own, without your help," the bishop continued. "We are called, both Lutherans and Catholics, to our common vocation of witnessing to the world for the sake of Christ’s kingdom.

"Thus we invite you to work together with us in preparing this anniversary, so that in 2017 we are closer to sharing in the Bread of Life than we are today."

Religious Freedom Is Under Threat, Says Vatican Official

2010-12-17T10:58:00.001+08:00

Warns Against Secularism, Fundamentalism

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 16, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Cardinal Peter Turkson is warning that religious freedom is currently under particular threat from secularism, fundamentalism and pluralism.

The president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace affirmed this today in a press conference for the presentation of Benedict XVI's message for the 44th World Day of Peace, which will be celebrated Jan. 1.

The theme of this day is "Religious Freedom, the Path to Peace."

The cardinal explained that the Pope chose this theme "because the living of religious freedom -- a basic vocation of man and a fundamental, inalienable and universal human right, and key to peace -- has come under great stress and threat."

He noted the threat of "raging secularism, which is intolerant of God and of any form of expression of religion" as well as "religious fundamentalism, the politicization of religion and the establishment of state religions."

The prelate pointed to another threat "from the growing cultural and religious pluralism that is being made ever more present and pressing in our day by globalization (which heightens interdependence and fashions new forms of relations) and the increased mobility of people (who run into new cultures and religions)."

"Thus, differences which should enrich human culture are increasingly being exploited, especially in the area of religion, to achieve the opposite effect of impoverishing human culture through intolerance, denial and negation of the right of religious freedom," he stated.

Safeguard

The cardinal affirmed that "the Holy Father, in his message, sees the safeguarding of religious freedom in our multicultural, multi-religious and secularized world as one of the ways to safeguard its peace."

He pointed out the "increasing instances of the denial of the universality" of human rights "in the name of different cultural, political, social and even religious outlooks."

Cardinal Turkson made particular mention of "the Lautsi case here in Italy and the crucifix case in the European Court of Human Rights, the case of Asia Bibi in Pakistan, the case of Southern Sudan, Christians in the Middle East, doctors who are denied license because they will not terminate pregnancies, denial of aid-packages to developing countries who object to aid-conditions on religious-moral grounds, and so on."

It is in this context, he explained, that Benedict XVI wrote the message of peace, addressing "incidents of the denial of the universal right of religious freedom in the name of culture, religion, politics and state policies."

The prelate stated, "These denials obscure the truth about the human person, disregard people's dignity, badly compromise the respect for the other rights, and ultimately threaten the peace of the world."

Perlis Mufti raps Umno-linked scholars for promoting ‘Taliban’ culture

2010-12-16T15:20:00.000+08:00

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
The Malaysian Insider
December 15, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 - Perlis mufti Dr Juanda Jaya took a contrarian view and has lashed out against remarks made by Umno-linked scholars accusing political leaders of promoting pluralism, calling their behaviour excessive, compulsive and like the Taliban”.

The mufti likened their scathing comments on Opposition leaders like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Kelantan Mentri besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat as reminiscent of the Talibans in Afghanistan, which he claimed posed a “danger” to Malaysia’s multi-racial and multi-religious harmony.

“I am disappointed with online media reports which have quoted statements made by several individuals who were presenting a paper in a seminar concerning the issue of pluralism. Yes, pluralism is a threat to Islam, but making exaggerated and excessive comments labelling several political leaders as followers of pluralism is very dangerous to the harmony of a multi-religious Malaysia.

“This ala-Taliban culture is against the practice of Malaysians who have long lived in harmony and mutual respect,” said Juanda (picture) in a statement today.

Juanda said that the allegations made by several scholars during the seminar against Nik Aziz was “evil”, at the same time stressing that he did not support PAS or any other political party.

“I was very disappointed when a well-known religious figure like Tok Guru Nik Aziz had been connected as practicing pluralism just because he attended a Buddhist function. This is an evil allegation. Tok Guru’s record shows that he has always been consistent in Islamic issues,” the top religious scholar said.

Juanda said that he was worried that there was a growing trend among academics and religious scholars in using the issues of faith to create “tension and rivalry” among politicians, as well as to “confuse” politicians who did not see eye-to-eye with these individuals.

“Their formula will also create a misunderstanding on the Federal Government’s “harmonious” stand on the many religions in Malaysia.

Will they also forsake the government’s policy, and confuse leaders?” he warned.

Scholars at the forum yesterday had accused Anwar of equating Islam with other religions for political mileage, saying that religious pluralism was a threat to Islam and claiming that Anwar was pushing for other religions to be placed on an equal footing with Islam.

The forum was heavily-promoted by Umno’s Utusan Malaysia today in what appears to be a move to suggest that Anwar’s rejection of Umno’s “ketuanan Melayu” concept is unIslamic.

Anwar and other PKR leaders recently spoke up against Umno’s concept of “ketuanan Melayu” as a fraudulent ideology meant to prop up the ruling Malay party.

Ikim, the federal government’s think tank also issued a statement on the issue today, saying that under Islam, “not all religions were equal.”

Today, Ikim said that while Islam acknowledges the existence of good values in other religions, no faith should be subjected to ridicule.

“Outstanding issues between believers of different faiths should be resolved in a fair manner and in the spirit of mutual respect to universal religious values,” said Ikim.

Besides that, the forum yesterday also issued reminders to other Muslim leaders, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, to refrain from attending other religious celebrations, claiming that it would threaten the position of Islam as a supreme religion.

“We have to differentiate between respecting other people’s religions which is supported by Islam and the meaning of pluralism. Scholars should be able to understand this,” said Juana in response today, quoting Quranic verses which stressed on Islam giving importance towards practitioners of other religions to carry out their beliefs freely.

“Please refer to the al-Quran and al-Sunnah in coming out with views on Islam, not with emotions and political inclinations. Islam does not need those who are extremist, conservative and narrow-minded to defend this sacred religion,” said the Perlis mufti.

Non-Muslims opt for harmony, not debate with Islamic scholars

2010-12-16T14:07:00.001+08:00

By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
December 16, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — Malaysia’s inter-faith umbrella group today baulked at recent remarks by Muslim scholars that their religion is superior but refused to be drawn into a public debate, saying they preferred dialogue to keep the peace.

Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) president Reverend Thomas Phillips reaffirmed the group was committed to promoting harmony and understanding in multireligious Malaysia, pointing to warming ties between Muslims and non-Muslims in the past two months.

“It’s just a theological stand and everybody, every religion has its own,” he told The Malaysian Insider today.

“It’s no problem to us,” Phillips said, saying that both the Muslim and non-Muslim sides had been reaching out to each other to hold joint activities at the grassroots and were beginning to build up on trust.

Scholars at a forum hosted by the International Institute of Islamic Understanding (Ikim) had said that accepting religious pluralism meant other religions were equal to Islam, which they claimed was superior.

Ikim, the federal government’s think-tank, also issued a statement on the issue yesterday, saying that under Islam “not all religions were equal”.

Phillips noted the remarks were provocative and could nip the budding relationship between the Muslim community and others.

“It will create a kind of suspicion,” he admitted.

MCCBCHST and Ikim are both members of the Cabinet’s special committee set up this year in the aftermath of a series of attacks on houses of worship nationwide following last year’s court decision over the use of the word “Allah”.

The inter-religious panel had a shaky start but appear to be settling down after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak stepped in and gave it his personal attention.

But Phillips noted too that the remarks did not represent the view of all Muslims, pointing to Perlis mufti Dr Juanda Jaya’s rebuttal yesterday.

“It’s something for them to deal with. We won’t be dragged into it. We shouldn’t be dragged into it,” he stressed, choosing to steer clear of the theological debate.

Phillips, who is also head of the Mar Thoma church here, said religious leaders from the non-Muslim communities were unlikely to pull out from the interfaith panel’s ongoing talks for a peaceful resolution to religious disputes based on the provocative attitude of a few individuals.

“In the last couple of months, the atmosphere has improved. It’s no problem for us to continue to see and engage with everybody.

“We’re trying to understand each other and are living in harmony. We are co-existing harmoniously,” he stressed.

Season for Jews, Christians and Muslims to look back at 2010

2010-12-15T09:25:00.001+08:00

Prince El Hassan bin Talal

Amman - At the time of Eid ul-Adha, which marks the end of the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca; Hanukkah, when Jews commemorate the dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem; and Christmas, when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, we look back, yet again, on a year “that could have been”.

Muslims, Jews and Christians are bound by a common heritage under one God. The coincidence surrounding the timing of our religious celebrations reminds us that we share similar mechanisms for spiritual renewal. It reminds us that we share the sin of departure from true fundamentals as well.

It is ironic that in attempting to preserve the traditions and customs of our shared civilisation many individuals are undermining the very foundations upon which it was built.

For many in the Middle East, 2010 was a year that began with much promise – even hope. The implications of a renewed and sincere US rapprochement with the region and the Muslim world, as outlined in June 2009 by US President Barack Obama in Cairo, was to begin in earnest during this time, healing old wounds and rebuilding fractured relationships. A change in tone and attitude seemed to augur something deeper: that after more than a decade of war, strife and misery in the Middle East, the international community agreed that enough was enough.

The Israeli-Palestinian issue was the major testing ground for this newfound emphasis, especially for those in the region. But there were other indicators of change. US troops began their withdrawal from Iraq and a new Iraqi government was formed.

This was to be the year in which renewed efforts would keep Al Qaeda in Iraq at bay, and the global economy would finally reassert itself after the shockwaves of the greatest economic collapse in almost a century.

The story which has instead unfolded is one permeated with the strange logic of failure. The vast majority of US troops have now left Iraq, but the coalition government which remains has taken months to form after inconclusive elections in March. Even before the outrageous murder of Iraqi Christians at a church service in Baghdad on 31 October, dozens were losing their lives every single day in Iraq. One of the region’s oldest religious minorities is now fleeing en masse.

Al Qaeda remains embedded in Afghanistan and areas of Pakistan, while Yemen has become the latest theatre of terrorism. Dubai was wracked by financial havoc, while Iran continues a delicate diplomatic dance regarding its nuclear intentions – and Israeli impatience deepens.

As for the Middle East peace process, there is little that has not been said. Many assume that there can be no two-state solution if settlement building continues.

Ten years into the new millennium, we enjoy the benefits of staggeringly advanced technology. We can communicate across time and space effortlessly. We have travelled to the moon, explored the deepest depths, and rendered the earth a village. Yet we seem to lack the ability to shape the world as we see fit, as the post-WWII generation once did with the development of new international institutions and hope. Like them, we must once again transform thought and conviction into action.

Looking back at 2010, the Middle East appears as a place of extremism. Nothing could be further from the truth. However, it does face extreme challenges. Arab nations continue to fiercely guard their own interests, despite the lessons learnt from our historical legacy. Fifty-five million young people are unemployed in the Middle East and, since 1990, wars have created more displaced persons than in any other period.

Eid ul-Adha, Christmas and Hanukkah are occasions to give thanks, occasions that offer an opportunity to look back. The year of 2010 has seemingly not brought significant change or peace. However, we remain thankful that it has not brought more war.

What it has brought instead is perhaps a keener understanding of the gravity of our problems, the costs which will have to be incurred to solve them, and a greater understanding of the wider repercussions should we fail. In 2010 we, the international community, stand humbled, aware like seldom before of the almost impossible challenge we must face.

In order to emerge from this stalemate, we must appeal to our common ethics and values – to our common humanity. These values lie at the heart of our respective faiths and offer us the guidance to put “anthropolitics” into action. Recognising these commonalities can inspire those of diverse faiths to collectively promote human welfare.

Most importantly, we need hope, which can only be brought about by statesmen with a vision for a better and humane future, rather than politicians concerned with popularity and mere political survival. Ultimately, we need to close the seemingly widening gap between rapidly developing technology and our traditional values and morals.

###

* His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan is President Emeritus of the World Conference of Religions for Peace and President of the West-Asia North Africa Forum. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 14 December 2010

Vatican, World Council of Churches to Meet Yearly

2010-12-14T13:25:00.001+08:00

Annual Event a Fruit of Pastor's Meeting With Pope, Curia Officials

ROME, DEC. 13, 2010 (Zenit.org).- When the new secretary-general of the World Council of Churches met with Benedict XVI earlier this month, among the gifts the Norwegian Lutheran pastor offered the Pope was a pair of gloves.

Linked to this symbol of cold weather, Olav Fykse Tveit spoke later with Vatican Radio about winter.

"One says that we may now have an ecumenical winter," he reflected. "And as a Norwegian I ask back: What's so terrible in the winter? We know that winter can be beautiful. [...] In the winter we have a time to think, to reflect on what we have been through and what we can expect from the future and prepare well."

Part of this future is a newly established annual meeting with the Vatican, set up as a fruit of Tveit's visit to the Pope and members of the Curia.

The objective of the annual event is to "define a methodology of common witness and proclamation of the Gospel, to speak to the world with one voice, above all on ethical and theological topics," L'Osservatore Romano explained in a report Wednesday.

The annual meetings will be more intimate than the current workings on relations between the Church and the council. The current commission was created in 1965 and has 36 members, 18 from each side.

But when Tveit visited the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, and its president, Cardinal Kurt Koch, the new meeting plan was established.

Father Gosbert Byamungu, an official of the unity council who accompanied Tveit during all the stages of his stay in Rome, attributes this to "positive relations."

According to the priest, those relations "help every movement" and when, "as in our case, there is friendship and trust, we can begin to discuss the most burning and difficult problems, which up to now have been avoided."

Common issues

Tveit and the Pope met privately on Dec. 4 for about 15 minutes, and the pastor reported that the Holy Father offered his support and encouragement.

The Pope expressed interest in "the way we are developing and planning our future work," explained Tveit in a statement at the World Council of Churches Web site.

Moreover, Benedict XVI urged putting "the Bible at the center of the theological talks and reflections, to reinforce the visible unity of Christians."

The Pontiff and the pastor also discussed the situation of Christians in the Middle East, and the situation of the upcoming secession referendum in Sudan.

Regarding this latter issue, Tveit affirmed that the "Roman Catholic Church is a very important actor, and in Khartoum the Church has a very visible and strong presence."

During his stay in Rome, the World Council of Churches official also gave a sermon at a Methodist church, visited St. Peter's, stopped by a soup kitchen run by the Catholic lay Community of Sant'Egidio, and met with Maria Voce, the president of a Catholic group dedicated to unity, the Focolare Movement.

Religious Leaders Unite to Defend Marriage

2010-12-07T14:49:00.003+08:00

Protection Act Goes on Trial

WASHINGTON, D.C., DEC. 6, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Religious leader from Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Evangelical, Jewish, Lutheran, Mormon, Orthodox, Pentecostal and Sikh communities in the United States united to publicize a letter affirming their commitment to protect marriage.

In the open letter released today, they underlined marriage as "the permanent and faithful union of one man and one woman."

The publication of this letter on "The Protection of Marriage: A Shared Commitment" is timely as today a federal court of appeals in San Francisco began hearing arguments on the Proposition 8 case.

Proposition 8, known as the California Marriage Protection Act, was approved by a majority of voters in that state in 2008. Thus it was added as a constitutional amendment that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized in California."

However, last August, Judge Vaughn Walker ruled that the provision was unconstitutional, and thus the case passed to the federal court of appeals. The hearing began today.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, newly elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and a signer of the open letter, stated, "Today is the moment to stand for marriage and its unchangeable meaning."

"We hope this letter will encourage just that," he added.

The prelate affirmed that "the broad consensus reflected in this letter -- across great religious divides -- is clear: The law of marriage is not about imposing the religion of anyone, but about protecting the common good of everyone."

"People of any faith or no faith at all can recognize that when the law defines marriage as between one man and one woman, it legally binds a mother and a father to each other and their children, reinforcing the foundational cell of human society," he said.

In fact, the religious leaders emphasized this point in the letter, noting that "marriage is an institution fundamental to the well-being of all of society, not just religious communities."

They continued: "The preservation of the unique meaning of marriage is not a special or limited interest but serves the good of all.

"Therefore, we invite and encourage all people, both within and beyond our faith communities, to stand with us in promoting and protecting marriage as the union of one man and one woman."

Youth of all races can work together in promoting nation building, says Malaysian Minister

2010-12-04T15:33:00.001+08:00

Bernama
Saturday, December 4th, 2010 14:42:00

SHAH ALAM: Youth of all races can work together in many issues especially in promoting nation building through national unity in Malaysia, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

He said as such, Intercultural youth programmes could provide the understanding to the younger generation about why it is important that they become team players to achieve the nation's objectives of unity and growth.

"These programmes will give them the opportunity to express themselves and talk about what they can do for other people. As the Prime Minister highlighted in the 1Malaysia concept, we must accept that we are different but we are also the same because we are human and we share the same blood.

"There are so many things we can fight together for the benefit of ourselves and others," he said when opening the Intercultural Youth Leadership Workshop here today.

Koh said unity among Malaysians could be strengthened if the younger generation could communicate with each other, know each other and help one another.

The three-day-program is jointly organised by The Friendship Group for Inter-religious Service (FGIS) and National Unity and Integration Department.

As tensions rise, a roadmap on building interfaith relations in Malaysia

2010-12-03T17:47:00.001+08:00

Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — The Cabinet’s special committee to promote inter-religious harmony and understanding has drawn up a national roadmap to build up flagging relations within multicultural Malaysia for the next two years.

Set up in February, the committee finally buckled down to brass tacks at a two-day brainstorming workshop at the Swiss Garden Hotel here yesterday, amid rising tensions underscored by several recent high-profile court cases over religious conversions and the “Allah” dispute that has pitted the majority Muslim community against the non-Muslim minorities against each other.

“The committee aims to strengthen the relations among the followers of various religions; encourage all religious organisations to respect and abide by the Federal Constitution; be the mediation body in disputes among religious adherents; and to ensure the government pays attention to the voice of religious bodies and organizations,” said committee coordinator Datuk Ilani Isahak in a media statement.

A Justice of Peace, Ilani had helmed the two-day talks involving some 35 religious representatives from the Muslim community namely the Allied Coordinating Committee of Islamic NGOs (ACCIN), the Institute of Islamic Understanding (Ikim) and the five main non-Muslim creeds (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism) and government officials.

“This workshop was successful in drafting a common vision, mission, objective and modus operandi for the committee based on the terms of reference and authority decided by the Cabinet at its set-up in February 2010.

“The JKMPKA’s vision is ‘Towards A Harmonious And Muhibah Malaysia’ while its mission ‘To Be The Mechanism For Dialogue And Mediation In Promoting Mutual Understanding And Harmony Amongst Adherents Of Various Religions For Building Malaysia As A Nation Inspired By The Spirit Of Muhibah’,” she added in a media statement, calling the committee by its initials in Malay.

To accomplish this, the committee has decided to set up four sub- groups, Ilani said. They are:

1. The working committee on understanding towards issues among adherents;

2. The working committee to carry out joint activities;

3. The working committee on mediation among religious adherents; and

4. The joint-action working committee between the government and community leaders.

Each working committee would be jointly-chaired by a representative from both the Muslim side and non-Muslim.

They would be responsible to flesh out the activities and their respective budgets for 2011 and 2012.

At the top of the list of plans for next year is a celebration to mark next year’s World Interfaith Harmony Week.

Ilani had also intimated to The Malaysian Insider an idea to include two of Nigeria’s celebrated co-directors of the Muslim-Christian Interfaith Mediation Centre in their city, Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa, who are leading task-forces to resolve conflicts across the African nation torn apart by civil war.

She was inspired after meeting the duo last week and had screened a DVD of their documentary: ‘The Imam and The Pastor’ at the workshop to depict their efforts in healing conflict in Nigeria.

Orthodox Leader Stresses Unity in Truth

2010-12-03T14:24:00.001+08:00

Encourages Dialogue on the Dividing Issues

ISTANBUL, Turkey, DEC. 2, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople is underlining the value of unity with the Catholic Church, but is pointing out that truth must be its foundation.

"Unity in love is of no benefit if it is not as the same time unity in faith and truth," the patriarch said Tuesday during the celebrations for the feast of St. Andrew, patron of that patriarchate.

The Orthodox leader gave an address to the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch, who took part, in representation of Benedict XVI at the head of a Holy See delegation, in the divine liturgy and other celebrations in Istanbul.

Quoting St. Paul, the patriarch pointed out that "'being sincere in love,' according to the Apostle's exhortation, we maintain this theological dialogue by the unanimous decision of all the autocephalous Orthodox Churches to examine, in love and sincerity, both the theological questions that unite as well as those that divide, 'until we all arrive at the unity of faith.'"

Bartholomew I explained that the ecumenical patriarchate follows "with growing interest the development of this theological dialogue."

"We pray for its success," he said, "especially during this present phase in which controversial topics are being debated that in the past were the cause of acute conflict between our Churches."

In this regard, the patriarch referred to the recent plenary session of the International Mixed Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church held in Vienna in September under the joint presidency of Cardinal Koch and Metropolitan Ioannis Zizioulas of Pergamum. The meeting participants discussed the role of the Bishop of Rome in the communion of the Church in the first millennium.

Bartholomew I pointed out that this meeting "revealed the existence of difficulties but also the willingness and decision of the members of the commission to overcome those difficulties with love as well as with fidelity to the doctrine and to the life of the Church transmitted to us since the first millennium to advance in its resolution."

The Lord's prayer

The patriarch told Cardinal Koch, "We yearn for your cooperation with our ecumenical patriarchate for the future improvement of the fraternal relations between our Churches for the benefit of promoting unity, for which our Lord prayed to his Father immediately before his passion."

Bartholomew I noted the 50th anniversary that the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity is celebrating this year.

In this regard, he affirmed, "Our thought goes to the deceased Pope John XXIII, who founded this council in 1960 originally in the form of a secretariat."

The patriarch also expressed appreciation for the convocation of the Second Vatican Council and asserted that the "audacious historic decisions" of this Pontiff "prepared the way for the participation of the Roman Catholic Church in the effort for the reconciliation of Christian unity."

"Among the fruits of this historic initiative of the deceased Pope, the development of fraternal relations between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches occupies a preeminent place," he said.

The patriarch expressed his gratitude to the ecclesiastical leaders who worked in that task, concretely Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II, the ecumenical patriarchs Athenagoras and Dimitrios, the presidents of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Augustine Bea, Cardinal Johannes Willebrands, Cardinal Edward Cassidy and Cardinal Walter Kasper, and their collaborators, among them Bishop Pierre Duprey and Monsignor Eleuterio Fortino.

Through their work, the patriarch affirmed, "relations between our Churches were cultivated even more through mutual respect and fraternal love."

Brothers

Bartholomew I affirmed that the patron saints of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, the brothers Peter and Andrew "not only were related by blood but especially by the infinitely more significant bond with Christ and communion in Christ."

"They kept this bond of communion in Christ irreproachable during a whole millennium, so that the Churches that derived from the preaching and martyrdom of those Apostles, called the Churches of Rome and Constantinople, are obliged once again to recover this bond of communion to show themselves worthy successors of its deposit," he said.

Quoting Saint John's Gospel, the patriarch added that "the Church of Christ shows herself 'apostolic' transmitting Christ from generation to generation and from place to place 'so that the world may believe' in him as Redeemer and Savior."

In this connection he said that "also today, faced with many dead ends, the world seeks redemption and salvation."

Bartholomew I warned that "those who preach Christ separated from one another cannot convince the world that 'we have found the Messiah' -- which means Christ."

He stressed that "faithful to the authentic and authoritative message of the Apostles, we are called to transmit this message to the contemporary world 'with one voice and one heart,' aware of the concerns and embracing the problems of the world."

Cardinal Koch delivered in return a message from Benedict XVI to Bartholomew I, in which the Pope also affirmed the need to continue progressing toward full communion between Catholics and Orthodox.

Pope Reiterates Need for Communion With Orthodox

2010-12-01T13:16:00.000+08:00

Sends Message to Bartholomew I for St. Andrew's Feast

ISTANBUL, Turkey, NOV. 30, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is underlining the need to progress toward full communion with the Orthodox Church, so as to give a greater Christian witness to the world.

The Pope stated this in a message sent to the Orthodox ecumenical patriarch, Bartholomew I, on the occasion of today's feast of St. Andrew, patron of that patriarchate.

The message was delivered by Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, who led a delegation from the Holy See to participate in the celebrations in Istanbul.

The delegation also included Bishop Brian Farrell, the pontifical council's secretary, and Archbishop Antonio Lucibello, apostolic nuncio to Turkey.

In his message, the Pontiff affirmed, "In a world marked by growing interdependence and solidarity, we are called to proclaim with renewed conviction the truth of the Gospel and to present the Risen Lord as the answer to the deepest questions and spiritual aspirations of the men and women of our day."

"If we are to succeed in this great task," he stated, "we need to continue our progress along the path towards full communion, demonstrating that we have already united our efforts for a common witness to the Gospel before the people of our day."

In this light, the Holy Father expressed "sincere gratitude" to Bartholomew I and the ecumenical patriarchate "for the generous hospitality offered last October on the island of Rhodes to the delegates of the Catholic episcopal conferences of Europe who came together with representatives of the Orthodox Churches in Europe for the 2nd Catholic-Orthodox Forum on the theme 'Church-State Relations: Theological and Historical Perspectives.'"

The feast of St. Andrew, Benedict XVI noted, "issues a strong summons to all those who by God's grace and through the gift of baptism have accepted that message of salvation to renew their fidelity to the Apostolic teaching and to become tireless heralds of faith in Christ through their words and the witness of their lives."

The Pope said to the patriarch, "I am following attentively your wise efforts for the good of Orthodoxy and for the promotion of Christian values in many international contexts."

He concluded, "With sentiments of esteem and spiritual closeness, I gladly extend to you a fraternal embrace in the name of our one Lord Jesus Christ."

Muslims integral to American seminaries

2010-12-01T12:08:00.000+08:00

Joshua M. Z. Stanton

New York, New York - Seminaries, higher education institutions where professors of religion and religious leaders train students to become clergy, have been present in the United States for centuries. Because seminary students are generally being trained as religious leaders who will oversee congregations, their seminary education has a powerful impact on these students’ future congregations.

For decades, religious diversity in American seminaries meant the admission of students from different Christian denominations. Then Jews began to attend and even found prominent seminaries, notably Hebrew Union College, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Yet with the notable exception of the MacDonald Center for the Study of Islam at Hartford Seminary, few American seminaries have historically developed programmes focusing on the study of Islam. The Muslim population had been dramatically underrepresented. Only in the past decade have these trends begun to change – with a greater emphasis on both teaching Islamic studies in Christian and Jewish institutions and giving credence to the increasingly prominent idea that it is time for Muslim Americans to found a seminary of their own.

Regarding the latter, the last two years have shown a particular flurry of growth and institution-building within the Muslim American community. First was the founding of Zaytuna College (as an outgrowth of the Zaytuna Institute) in 2009, designed to become a full-scale university for Muslim undergraduate and graduate students in America.

Then just this past October, a landmark interfaith workshop, “Judaism and Islam in America”, co-sponsored by the Jewish Theological Seminary, Hartford Seminary and the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), brought to the fore discussions about building an American seminary solely for the training of imams and Muslim religious scholars. While such a project may still be years away, excitement surrounding the idea for a Muslim American seminary reflects a growing need to train Muslim clergy well-versed in traditional texts and with an understanding of the American context in which they would work.

Yet even as an institution that trains Muslim American clergy remains in discussion, Muslim students are now becoming valued as essential participants in divinity and graduate programmes across the United States. In fact, a number of new partnerships have emerged in recognition of the growing presence of Muslims and Islamic studies in seminaries.

Since 2008, for example, the Hebrew Union College and University of Southern California have partnered with the Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Foundation – a Los Angeles-based philanthropic organisation that works to support other Muslim organisations – to establish the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement. All three institutions feel that the centre holds significant potential, noting the success of its interfaith text-study programmes and existing efforts to bolster Jewish studies programmes in majority-Muslim countries while also strengthening Islamic studies programmes in North America and Europe.

Other centres, such as the Center for Muslim-Christian Engagement for Peace and Justice (MCEPJ) at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, have been in existence even longer. MCEPJ has focused largely on urging Christian graduates of the seminary to be knowledgeable about Islam so they may collaborate with Muslim organisations and clergy throughout their future careers.

Most remarkable, however, was the announcement earlier this year that southern California’s Claremont School of Theology, an institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church, is poised to add full-scale ordination programmes for Muslim and Jewish students seeking to become members of the clergy in their respective communities. This is one of the only avenues for Muslim Americans to become certified imams and is the only institution in the world that also offers parallel ordination programmes for Jewish and Christian clergy.

While these profound institutional shifts may be more visible, cultural shifts in seminaries are also rapidly taking place. When I first spoke with colleagues about the potential to found State of Formation (stateofformation.org), a blog for top emerging religious and ethics leaders from across America, the first question many asked was whether I would be recruiting Muslim students. This would never have happened five years ago and is an indication that Muslim students are not simply tolerated in American seminaries but actively welcomed.

Seminaries have historically been at the leading edge of social change in America. It would seem that one of their current causes is the fuller integration of Muslims into American society – beginning in their very own classrooms.

###

* Joshua Stanton is Co-Editor of the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue (www.irdialogue.org) at Auburn Theological Seminary, a Schusterman Rabbinical Fellow at Hebrew Union College and a founder of State of Formation (www.stateofformation.org). This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 30 November 2010

Cardinal Turkson: Today's Wars Won't Bring Future Peace

2010-11-30T09:30:00.000+08:00

Justice, Peace Council President Stresses Role of Religions in Reconciliation

BERLIN, Germany, NOV. 29, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The wars of today will not lead to the peace of tomorrow, says the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

This was affirmed by Cardinal Peter Turkson in an address at a congress of the German Bishops' Conference Commission for Justice and Peace.

The congress, which began Thursday and ended Saturday in Berlin, focused on the theme, "Wars of Today, Peace of Tomorrow."

"It is becoming increasingly clear, especially in today's world, how a seemingly 'small' and 'local' conflict can trigger 'global' consequences," the prelate observed.

He noted that "war and peace originate in the heart of man, and it's impossible to have a divided heart."

"So, war, to some extent, affects everyone, and peace concerns everyone," the cardinal stated.

Sometimes, he acknowledged, "it seems that we have to accept conflict as a dimension at every level, the personal and interpersonal as well as on the local and global."

"But we know that this is not true," Cardinal Turkson added. "Certainly, man may experience an inner battle, but conflict cannot be a philosophy of life, or the hermeneutical key of reality."

God's grace

He continued: "Jesus brought a change, he renewed everything; he made God's grace visible in order to bring peace into the history of every human being and of all humanity.

"Man is not called to hate himself and his neighbor but to love his neighbor as himself."

The prelate affirmed that "religion in general and the great religions represent an extraordinary factor of unity and peace for peoples."

"It's no accident that religious actors are gaining increasing importance in building peace not only as a feeling or state of mind, but as a concrete commitment in the mediation of conflicts," he noted.

The cardinal highlighted "the role of religious leaders and faith-based organizations that contribute significantly in conflict resolution by consolidating peace, through the restoration of order after the chaos of war."

"This becomes possible," he added, "when in truth and reconciliation warring and hostile groups look toward the future with a reconciled heart."

"We know how difficult and painful this is, but it is possible and necessary," Cardinal Turkson stated.

He noted that "throughout the world, different attempts have been made to create Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, through which the power of religion to heal and to repair is invoked to redress past wrongs and the effects of war."

Personal warfare

The prelate added that it is the "potent tool of religion" that "makes the equation."

He underlined the "capacity of religions to prescribe, to stimulate and to encourage a warfare within their adherents which leads to peace within and without."

"The form that this warfare takes in the religious traditions is abstinence/fasting and various forms of continence and self-control," the cardinal explained, "and it is a war waged on one's instincts, inordinate desires, egoism, etc."

He added, "The real warfare for peace should be waged within our hearts: within the hearts of men."

Cardinal Turkson urged, "We need to recognize that the wars and conflicts in our day, whatever their nature and character: be they interior or exterior, spiritual or material, even in their extreme and tragic forms of degenerating into armed (nuclear) conflict, may never impose limits on our desire and reaching out towards the ideal state of peace."

"This desire and aspiration are not mere wishes," he said. "They must be the duty of all towards all: to desire and to seek after peace."

"Starting today, in a world not yet at peace, all men of good will, especially Christians, are called to be peacemakers, to cultivate dialogue and the meeting of civilizations, to witness the love of God's children precisely by yearning for peace for the future generations," the prelate said.

"In this way," he concluded, "the love of God, who renews everything, can become incarnate and transform the present and the future of mankind, while waiting for the coming of Jesus Christ, true love and true peace."

Keeping the Faith and Peace: Interview with the Imam and the Pastor

2010-11-29T14:26:00.003+08:00

By SHAILA KOSHY
koshy@thestar.com.my

Vengeance killing was just another day in the life of Imam Dr Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa and Pastor Dr James Movel Wuye. But since 1995, the two Nigerians known worldwide as ‘The Imam and the Pastor’ have been spreading the message of forgiveness, healing and peace through their interfaith initiatives.

THEY used to be arch-enemies but today, Imam Dr Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa and Pastor Dr James Movel Wuye make a good team.

Their life experiences are lessons anyone from any part of the world can learn from if one wants peace in one’s home, neighbourhood, state, country and the world at large and is committed for the long term.

The former militiamen are very serious about their work at the Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC) in the state of Kaduna in northern Nigeria, and they are very serious about their own religion.

A documentary on their lives and work titled The Imam and the Pastor by the Initiatives of Change’s FLT Films in Britain won the Jacques Chirac Foundation prize for Conflict Resolution in November last year.

Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye are learned, wise men and this interview could have ended up a little too “educational” but the two are like an old married couple. The almost three hour-long interview in which both gave honest and open answers was interspersed with jibes as they thrust and parried insults.

Both men were in Malaysia for a series of meetings and workshops courtesy of Moral Re-Armament Initiatives of Change here and had a brief meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in his office on Wednesday.

Although Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye were married when they were in the militia, their wives did not know of their status.

“Militant work is secret work. When you go out to kill, you take on a different identity to the kind and gentle one you show at home,” explains Pastor Wuye.

Both men cite historical antecedents as one of the reasons for the deep-seated hatred between the Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. Instead of blaming their colonial masters, they found it easier to turn on each other, proving the saying “the friend of my enemy is my enemy”.

Although both men had strong religious convictions, it didn’t stop them from becoming militants. The hatred was so deep, they justified their violent actions by quoting from scripture.

Pastor Wuye says he now loves Muslims “with no limit” but in the past, his hatred, too, had no limit, making him and Imam Ashafa ripe pickings for certain religious leaders.

Pastor Wuye puts Christian leaders into three categories – the mischievous, who manipulate theology for their own purpose; scholars who know very little; and the moderate majority who know the right thing and do so but are not conspicuous. And it was the first two who mentored him and other hate-filled young Christians like him.

Imam Ashafa has a more Hollywood description for the three approaches of the Muslim leaders – “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”.

He says the Good are the ideal leaders, who follow the principles of their traditions and go beyond greed and fear, but says the Bad are “incapable religious leaders”.

“They went to madrasahs but never made it or have no experience or the wisdom to contextualise scriptural text in the reality of our environment,” he adds.

“They find it easy to demonise the other with scriptural texts and they have been able to mislead hundreds and thousands of followers who see them as the embodiment and custodian of their traditions.”

The Ugly, he says, are mischievous religious leaders who are a font of knowledge but are so possessed by greed, poverty and ego that they can quote and misquote scripture to glorify violence and hate of the other.

He speaks about how he “fell into the hands of the incapable and the mischievous religious leaders”.

In 1995, a meeting involving religious leaders at the Government House in Kaduna brought the two together. They began a journey together but it was far from the perfect civil society alliance as there was mutual mistrust.

Pastor Wuye, who had had his right hand hacked off and was left for dead in a fight, had been harbouring vengeance against Imam Ashafa for years.

Then, Idris Musa, a mutual journalist friend, introduced the two during a coffee break, saying, “I know the two of you. I know you can keep Kaduna state peaceful. That was the beginning of the journey”.

It took them one year to convince those from the Christian and Muslim sides to meet.

“We tried to set up a dialogue to explain the concept of salvation from the two faiths but even then, it was difficult to get people to go,” says Pastor Wuye.

When they finally did, the young men came with daggers in their pockets but found no reason to use them.

Pastor Wuye admits the notion of killing Imam Ashafa was often in his thoughts then. He pretended to work with him for three years, even when they went to school in Birmingham in Britain to learn how to respond to conflict.

But after they went home and travelled from state to state trying to share their newfound values, they had to share a hotel room at times.

“I had from time to time this flashback and I was tempted to use the pillows in the room to suffocate and kill him. But a contrary voice said to me ‘thou shall not kill’.

“I was also intimidated by the fact that if I did, I would be arrested.”

Imam Ashafa also admits to playing a cat and mouse game with Pastor Wuye then, as he, too, “still had thoughts of vengeance”.

Awakenings

After being led astray by “mischievous leaders” and “scholars who know little” as well as “the Bad and the Ugly”, Pastor Wuye and Imam Ashafa had similar life-changing moments.

During a sermon in a mosque one day, Imam Ashafa learnt the simple lesson of how to destroy your enemy – turn him into your friend.

The speaker said: “The power of Islam will bring it. The powerful weapon used by Prophet Muhammad was the power of forgiveness. You give him what he can’t give himself and others. You rehumanise your enemy and give him a second chance. If you do that, then you are the true embodiment of the Islamic tradition.”

Imam Ashafa broke down in tears as the words broke his misconceptions about Islam. After that, his intentions changed and with that came courage, although his militant group was against Pastor Wuye.

Pastor Wuye had his turning point during an encounter with a senior pastor who was trying to get him into a project.

The man said: “James, you cannot preach Jesus Christ with hate. You have to use love to reach out.”

After that, he was “genuinely and sincerely willing to work with Imam”.

While the two had religious awakenings, their former militia members responded to their interfaith initiatives in different ways.

At one point, a fatwa was issued against Imam Ashafa but the Majlis Syura of the Syariah Committee in Kaduna state sat down and discussed the issue and agreed that what he and his team were doing – negotiating and collaborating with the other in order to bring peace and improve human dignity – was in line with the dictates of the Syariah.

“There is a loneliness in putting your vision to test,” he shares. “There is no more talk of eliminating me but I’m still doing my best to get them to join me.”

Today, more than 70% of Muslims support the cause.

Middle path

“There is always another way. It’s not always white and black. As your Prime Minister said at the United Nations recently, we need to re-awaken the people of the middle-course. The middle way I call the highway to heaven. If you can awaken the middle majority, you can check the extreme minorities of the Left and Right.”

Pastor Wuye also faced opposition but his then boss supported his work with Imam Ashafa and told him not to turn back if it could bring peace.

“It’s reasonable that people who are hurting from the violence will find it difficult to accept the middle path. But when I went to training workshops with my arm still bandaged and said we were not giving up this fight, some people saw credibility in what we were doing. I said let’s take the part of Christ which was love and pursue that.”

The Church in Nigeria and the national body of the Christian associations support them today. They have gained ground but both admit there is still much work to do.

One of the first changes they made was to drop “Muslim-Christian” from the name of their civil society organisation and replaced it with “Interfaith” so their work could include other religions.

The IMC intervenes in disputes involving ethnic conflicts, religious conflicts, trauma counselling for young and old women, politicians and governments.

One crisis followed from the death of a woman who had married a Muslim. Her parents lived in another part of Nigeria and they were Christians. According to tradition, the burial takes place in the deceased’s hometown but the husband also wanted to bury his wife.

“The issue was very strong and the country could have ended in war. But we were invited to mediate. It ended successfully after the husband was requested to follow his wife’s corpse to her hometown and have the Imam there bury her,” says Pastor Wuye.

“The husband was satisfied his wife was buried the Muslim way and the parents were satisfied that she was buried at home.”

He added that in cases involving underage children who wanted to change their religion, they had said no.

“They are still under their parents’ custody. They can come back when they turn 18.”

In the matter of conversions, he says they tell those involved in an agreement between the Christians and Muslims in Kaduna that there is no need to celebrate when somebody converts. In cases of apostasy, Pastor Wuye says there are legal procedures to follow to bring the person back to the order and they have to exhaust all of them.

He adds, however, there is an unwritten document, by mutual respect and understanding to prevent violence, that if someone says they love something and then later changes their mind, they say “go”.

“We don’t need to keep two or 40 people. In cases like that, the two groups will meet quickly and see what is the best way out. As a result, there has been no violence.”

The IMC stresses on Christian and Islamic scriptures to promote peace and collaboration. But common sense and respect for human dignity also makes it wrong to kill.

As such, the IMC has 16 different models for use, says Imam Ashafa. Some are hybrid – having secular and religious perspectives; some are purely religious; some are African – from African traditions and culture; others on the core values that band humanity together.

“We are looking for an African answer. What are the cultural values that promote inclusiveness?

“There was once this negotiation that went on for four to five months. When they finally signed the document, we used a cultural dance at the end. Some cultures don’t have forgiveness but have a notion of peace. They don’t say I’m sorry. So we use their traditional dances to glorify peace.”

The IMC has used various models for conflict resolution in Kenya, Burundi, Sierra Leone, northern Ghana and among the Native Americans in Montana.

When they worked with young offenders in prison in Britain, they did not talk religion but used role models to help them discover their sense of being and their humanity.

Both men stress that interfaith is different to attempts to synchronise all religions into one, which they are against.

They stress that intra-religious re-orientation on both sides is crucial when working with the grassroots, that is, to de-programme them and then re-programme them.

“The issue is not about compromising (our faiths) but collaboration in areas that are allowable within our faith,” says Pastor Wuye.

“We also ask how we can be more Muslim or Christian in our context today.”

Both Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye say Malaysians are fortunate because they are “still talking”.

“You should concentrate on your peace because war is expensive and peace is cheap,” says Pastor Wuye, who has a son and two daughters.

“Consolidate your peace. This is my message for Malaysia and its young people. Be careful what you are told. If the elders who are now leading you die and leave you a segregated country, you have a challenge. Negative solidarity can destroy, so engage constructively.”

Imam Ashafa, who has two girls and 14 boys, also describes Malaysia as “a gift for the world”.

“Don’t mess it up. Create a system that is very inclusive of minorities. Be a role model for diversity and produce peace ambassadors instead of military peacekeepers.”

Extracts of interview with Imam Dr Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa and Pastor Dr James Movel Wuye.

Q: Even though you had religious convictions, both of you were involved in the militia and in acts of violence. At that time, you used words of scripture to support the killing. Today, you use scripture to promote peace. At which point did you turn from hate to the opposite? It’s easy to talk about love but how do you put it into practice?

Pastor Wuye: My history comes from the fact I was born to a soldier man, who is now late. Secondly, I come from an ethnic group, the aborigines in Kaduna. We feel the ownership of Kaduna. The town is our town. Then we have the intruders, sad to say, the Hausas who are predominantly Muslim. My community - the Gbagyi - were traditionalists before we became Christians.

The British used indirect rule, through the sultanates and emirs to lord over us although we had different cultures, traditions and values. They made us subservient to Islamic culture. They did that for ease of operation to collect taxes. Sometimes we had to pay more than the required amount and our women were forced to carry grain to feed their horses. This was told to us by our parents.

Q: You mean the British or the Muslims?

Pastor Wuye: We didn’t see the British but the Muslims rather because they were the ones lording over us. I grew up with that. At the slightest provocation or even the eclipse of the moon or sun was worrisome for us because the Muslims may attack us...it is one of signs of the end times and they should clean the society.

By cleaning, they attack Christians, our places of worship, brothels and places selling beer in preparation for the end of time. I realised later that that was not what it meant but it exacerbated the hate between me and the Muslims.

It became necessary to checkmate them. I became a militiaman in order to train others because the violence that was meted on us was too much. To checkmate that I had to raise a group of young people like myself and train them in military warfare. It was a change in approach but there is a thin line and you don’t know when defence becomes an offence. My hatred for the Muslims had no limit but I love them now with no limit as well.

I understand more now what these young men were doing with their teachers who could be classified into three different types.

One is the mischievous - they manipulate theology for their own purpose. The second are scholars who know very little. Then there are the moderate majority who know the right thing and are doing it but they are not conspicuous. The first two were the kind of groups that were mentoring us. And in one of the fights I lost my right hand.

That was my background. How I became militia, how Imam and I did not see eye to eye and how we used the papers to fight our war initially. I was on the editorial board of a Christian newspaper (of the Youth Christian Association) and he was on the editorial board of a Muslim newspaper of the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations. We attacked the faith and wrote what we wanted just to demonise and dehumanise the other.

Iman Ashafa: The preaching of hatred and the hate in me has historical antecedents. We have been an established Islamic civilisation from the 10th century when Islam came to the coast of Africa, to the sub-Saharan desert referred to in Arabic as bilad as-sudan literally meaning the “land of the blacks.”

When they came into our area, of course there was the good, the bad and the ugly with the migration. Islam gave us a new direction, a new system of civility - education system, economic system, judicial and legal system and of course the administrative system. Transparency and accountability was the order of the day.

The British came in the later part of the 19th century in search of treasury. They came to what is called Nigeria today. They conquered the people they called pagans and animists, subdued them and in 1860 made them a British protectorate. They advanced to the north and fought with the Caliphate for 40 years and subdued it in around 1903.

The sultanate was uprooted and the system of governance was changed from an Islamic system where Arabic was the language of communication and literacy to English. My family was known as literate members of the community but (with the switch over) automatically they became illiterate.

The people divided into three main camps. One migrated up north to western Sudan to the Darfur region - 25% of Sudanese are Nigerians who migrated because of bad colonial impositions. The second chose to remain and became passive. They withdrew from the public scene and no longer participated in the system of governance, the education system or socio-political system. They became agrarian farmers and artisans in the native traditions.

The third accepted the British saying it was the accident of history. They worked within the system to see whether they could influence it to bring back the glory of the old days. My family was in the second group, they withdrew from public life.

They became migrants and moved from place to place spreading the message of Islam in the Arabic language. They taught the Quran so we have a lot of madrasahs and produced a lot of talib (one who is seeking religious knowledge). Because of that marginalisation and imposition of western culture and value system, instead of appreciating the modern facilities, we developed a hatred for anything to do with West.

In 1955, they introduced three legal systems when they were leaving - an Islamic court that would deal with family law only; customary court that would also limit itself to family law; and the English common law court which they insisted was superior to all others. All criminal cases like murder and would be handled by the common law court. We were not comfortable but we forced to accept what was presented. They were some of the inner wounds of history which we carry within us.

The economic recession in the late 1970s and 1980s widened the gap between the poor and others. Because of economic factors and the failure of the state system to meet the basic need of our community, we wanted a scapegoat and the friend of our enemy became our enemy, that is our Christian neighbours - who to us adopted the Western culture, Western religion and civilisation.

After the revolution in Iran in 1978, there was an Islamisation drive. A revolution began in our university the next year. The ‘Islam is the Solution’ and ‘We have found Jesus’ campaigns led to a tense situation.

There was bloodshed and over 1,000 people lost their lives as Muslims and Christians attacked each other. Also, the divide and rule policy of the colonial authority, had imposed the rules of one tribe over another. An Islamisation drive moved into a militant drive.

We ended up with an ethno-political conflict when the reality was really about resources. Places of worship were attacked and I felt I had to move into militant training to protect our mosques. We needed to justify our hate.

I would divide our religious leaders into three in terms of their approach - the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The Good are the ideal leaders, follow the principles of their traditions, they go beyond greed and fear. They don’t want acknowledgment or political glorification or gratuity from political leaders. They are harmless as doves but very protective of the dignity and honour of their order. They see divinity is everyone.

The Bad ones are incapable religious leaders. They went to madrasahs but never made it or have no experience or the wisdom to contexualise our scriptural text in the reality of our environment. It is the context that determines the rule of engagement. But these people have no wisdom or experience to be able to differentiate in which context what scripture applies.

Hence they find it easy to demonise the other with scriptural text and they have been able to mislead hundreds and thousands of followers who see them as the embodiment and custodian of their traditions. They are doing this sincerely, but they are sincerely ignorant in misleading.

Islam has experts in many branches but this incapable scholar when you push a question to him, he doesn’t have an answer. So they quote the scripture out to context to find a basis for war and aggression. We have that in our history.

The Ugly are mischievous religious leaders. They are moving encyclopaedia of knowledge but they are possessed by greed, poverty, ego and fight for glorification so they eat and dine with mischievous political leaders who have no vision or passion or virtues. Hence they can quote and misquote scripture and glorify violence and hate of the other.

In my early stage I fell into the hands of the incapable leaders and the mischievous religious leaders.

After I had used violence as a means of addressing the wrongs of history I met a religious leader who spoke about how to destroy your enemy during a Friday sermon. He said, ‘Turn him into your friend. The power of Islam will bring it.

The powerful weapon used by Prophet Muhammad was the power of forgiveness. You give him what he can’t give himself and others. You re-humanise your enemy and give him a second chance. If you do that then you are the true embodiment of the Islamic tradition.’ I cried at his words.

Q: When did the two of you start working together? It has been reported Pastor Wuye that after your right hand had been hacked off and you were left for dead, you hated Imam Ashafa for three years.

Pastor Wuye: Yes, that is true. We met in 1995 at the Government House in Kaduna when the wife of the Governor of our state invited us. In our country the Muslims, particularly, have a challenge with immunisation of their children for polio.

They thought that it was a deliberate ploy by the West to sterilise their children so that when they grow up they cannot procreate. They needed religious leaders to educate the people and I was invited to represent the Christian body. He was invited to represent the Muslim body. That’s how we met. A journalist - Idris Musa - who knew me and him brought him to me during the coffee break. He said, ‘James, this is Imam Ashafa. I know the two of you. I know you can keep Kaduna state peaceful. That was the beginning of the journey.

But I was suspicious of him and he of me. He was more pushy and trying to find a way to eliminate me. Where we met, we could not fight. If we had met anywhere else I don’t know what I would have done. My training was high and I had the ability to disarm, hit and kill.

And he was a student of Comparative Religion. He studied the Bible in order to find fault with it and I knew he wanted to humiliate me in a debate. But I had never read the Quran. I had been told by my Muslim friends when I was a child not to touch it or I would go ‘psychiatric.’

I had only read about the behaviour of Muslims in my state and it was more cultural behaviour of the Hausa. In my state, the name Hausa is synonymous with Muslim. Every Hausa man in northern Nigeria is perceived to be Muslim and you cannot change your faith except by divine intervention or you are convinced by the Almighty to change. Even if my people the Gbagyi become Muslim, we say they are now Hausa, like I hear in Malaysia about Malays and Muslims.

It took us one year to convince the officers from the Christian and Muslims sides to meet. He kept pushing me and he used the occasion of my late mother’s illness to visit me. It was easier for me to yield to anybody who showed me love in my time of distress.

We tried to set up a dialogue to explain the concept of salvation from two faiths but even then it was difficult to get people to go. When they did come, the young men came with daggers in their pockets to be ready just in case. But there was no trouble. The British Council in Kaduna had given us the space for the meeting because no one else would give a place for two militant groups to meet. They were interested in what we were doing and so we said why don’t we do it.

The name of the organisation then was Consortium of the Muslim-Christian Youth Dialogue Forum which was later changed to Muslim-Christian Dialogue which grew later to Interfaith Mediation Centre. We felt we should open doors to other faiths to understand the models that we have.

How did I work with him and still tempted to kill him? That question is very important. I pretended to work with him for three years. We went to school in Birmingham, UK, together to learn how to respond to conflict. Then we came home and went from state to state trying to share our new found values. Sometimes the hotel in a town won’t have two rooms and we had to share twin-beds.

At that point, I had from time to time this flashback and I was tempted to use the pillows in the room to suffocate and kill him. But a contrary voice said to me “thou shall not kill”.

I was also intimidated by the fact that if I did do it I would be arrested. I left that ambition for two years until I had an encounter with a senior pastor who trying to get me into a project for the evangelisation of Muslims. He said, "James, you cannot preach Jesus Christ with hate. You have to use love to reach out.” I came back transformed, genuinely and sincerely willing to work with Imam. That was my turning point.

Imam Ashafa: When I met James in 1995 I played a cat and mouse game with him as I still had thoughts of vengeance. But after my transformation my intentions changed and with that came courage although my militant group was against James. When I heard his mother was ill I visited her in hospital with some friends. And when she died a few days later, we mourned with him. From then on I did everything possible to show him the ideal principle of Islam.

Q: Even after both of you came together in 1995 you still had your suspicions of each other and thoughts of vengeance. Why would your friends, who had the same beliefs you had earlier but hadn’t had their own moment of transformation follow you? How do you reach out to them because they are part of the circle of violence?

Imam Ashafa: My militant friends were divided into three groups - those who thought I had compromised, those who saw me as a traitor to be stopped by all means, and those who said okay but had no will power to follow me. All of us had lost family and property in this circle of violence. There has to be another way.

I knew I was not compromising the values and traditions of Islam and thought we can be better if we can connect by our shared values. I was threatened, a fatwa was issued against me but the Majlis Syura of the Syariah Committee in Kaduna state sat down and discussed the issue and agreed that what I and my team of 12 were doing was in line with the dictates of the Syariah; to negotiate and collaborate with the other in order to bring peace and improve human dignity is acceptable.

There is a loneliness in putting your vision to test. Are yours really true?

There is no more talk of eliminating me. I’m still doing my best to get to them. Today, more than 70% of Muslims in Nigeria support our cause. There is always another way. It’s not always white and black. As your Prime Minister said at the UN, we need to re-awaken the people of the middle-course. The middle-way I call the high-way to heaven. If you can awaken the middle majority you can check the extreme minorities of the Left and Right.

Pastor Wuye: There were those who saw Imam as mischievous and decided to break the (interfaith) relationship. A number of them left the consortium. There was a rift in the Muslim side as well. But two of my former milita said they saw the reality of Christianity in these negotiations and would go with me. We started meeting Christian groups. My boss then told me he believed in what I was doing and if what I was doing with Imam Ashafa would bring peace to go ahead and don’t turn back.

A few elders in my church wanted to investigate whether I was still a Christian and wondered whether they should take Holy Communion with me because they did not see me representing Christianity. That was the main challenge.

It’s reasonable that people who are hurting from the violence will find it difficult to accept the middle path. But when I went to training workshops with my arm still bandaged and said we are not giving up this fight some people saw credibility in what we are doing.

I said let’s take the part of Christ which is love and pursue that. There are many grounds to conquer and more people to convert to the path of peace. Those who are hurting will find it hard to let go. In April, the wife of a man - who was in milita with me and had been killed in 1992 - said she could only come see me now because she had held me responsible for his death and had only just learnt to let go.

The Church in Nigeria supports this movement today and the national body of the Christian associations support us. Because of the example that we showed with Imam Ashafa, the Nigerian National Religious Council that was constituted originally as a political group to solve religious problems have taken the path of Imam and myself. We are gaining ground but we still have much work to do with those who are grieving.

Q: You changed your name to Interfaith to include other religions. What are some of the disputes that come to the IMC?

Pastor Wuye: Other than Islam (50.4% followers) and Christianity (48.2%), there are minute pockets who follow the African traditional faith, a hybrid between Christianity and African traditional faith or Islam and African traditional faith, Judaism - Nigerians not from Ethiopia, Hare Krishna, Baha’i, Jehovah’s Witness and Chrislam - a hybrid of Christianity and Islam.

We changed the name to Interfaith because there are challenges of the African tradition in the Niger Delta and we need to bring them on board. We give them a place to meet, to cry if they want to and to mediate.

The disputes that we intervene in involve ethnic conflicts, religious conflicts, trauma counselling for young and old women, politicians and government.

One crisis involved followed from the death of a woman, who had married a Muslim. She died in a car accident. Her parents lived in another part of Nigeria and they were Christians. The tradition is that when a person dies they are taken back to the home town for burial but here the husband also wanted to bury his wife.

The issue was very strong and the country could have ended in war. But we were invited to mediate. It ended successfully after the husband was requested to followed his wife’s corpse to her home town and have the Imam there bury her. Both had their desires met - husband was satisfied his wife was buried the Muslim way and the parents were satisfied that she was buried at home.

Q: The parents did not insist she be buried according to Christian rites?

Pastor Wuye: No, they acknowledged that she was a Muslim and died a Muslim. That could have been devastating. The priest also openly acknowledged that she was no longer a member but was a Muslim.

We also have underage children who want to change their religion, we say no. They are still under their parents’ custody. They can come back when they turn 18.

In the matter of conversion we are careful to let people know - it is not legally written but there is an agreement between the Christians and Muslims in Kaduna, Nigeria - that once somebody converts, there is no need to celebrate. Because celebration brings about anger and feeling of defeat and that can escalate into a crisis.

Q: Does the syariah system in Nigeria require a person of another faith to convert if he or she wants to marry a Muslim?

Imam Ashafa: In the Islamic tradition, a Christian or Jewish woman is free to marry a Muslim and keep her faith. This is the practice in Nigeria. But a woman outside the Abrahamic tradition will have to convert before she can marry me. That is the price she will have to pay to marry me. This is Islamic tradition.

Pastor Wuye: She may choose to convert if she wants to but that is not the law in Nigeria. There are Christian women in Nigeria who have married Muslim men and have kept their faith.

Q: What happens with their children?

Pastor Wuye: They follow the father’s religion.

Q: And if the father is Christian and the wife is Muslim?

Pastor Wuye: There very few such marriages and usually they would have gone against their parents’ wishes.

Where there is riddah (apostasy) there are certain legal procedures to follow to bring the person back to order and they have to exhaust all of them.

In Nigeria we have worked on an unwritten document, by mutual respect and understanding so we don’t have violence; if someone says they love something and then later does not love it, we say ‘go’. We don’t need to keep two or 40 people. When we have cases like that the two groups will meet quickly and see what is the best way out. As a result, there has been no violence.

Q: Your website says that your initiative stresses on Christian and Islamic scriptures to promote peace and collaboration. But common sense and respect for human dignity will also tell you it is wrong to kill. What model would you use in countries where religion is not the primary foundation of the people?

Imam Ashafa: In Kenya, the conflict in 2008 was ethno-political rather than ethno-religious. It was Christians killing Christians and destroying each others’ place of worship. There we used a model based on connectors and disconnectors to help them find the middle ground and what are their shared cultural values to help them re-engage with each other. We never quoted the scriptures, except when Pastor had a session on trauma healing.

We have 15 different models. Some are hybrid - secular and religious perspectives; some are purely religious models; some are African - from African traditions and culture; some on the core values that band humanity together.

Christianity and Islam are eastern religions but they are not African religions even though they breathe and are sustained in Africa.

We are looking for an African answer. What are the cultural values that promote inclusiveness? There was once this negotiation that went on for four to five months. When they finally signed the document, we used cultural dance to end. Some cultures don’t have forgiveness but have a notion of peace. They don’t say I’m sorry. So we use their traditional dances to glorify peace.

When we went to Burundi, we searched for common ground and looked for heroes of peace among the Hutus and Tutsis.

In Sierra Leone we collaborated to identify religious instruments. In our interventions in the northern part of Ghana in the late 1990s between the Kokombas and Nanumbas we also used religious instruments. In a very religious country like Nigeria the religious approach becomes the paramount paradigm here to enter negotiations and break the circle of violence.

When we worked with the native Americans in Montana, spirituality is very deep among them and we used that to help them.

When we worked with the young offenders in prison in the UK, we did not talk religion but used role-models to help them discover their sense of being and their humanity.

Q: Are there those who fear that interfaith initiatives will meld all religions into one?

Imam Ashafa: There is a misconception in some parts of the world as to what is interfaith. Especially since there is a different movement to synchronise all religions into one, a melting pot rather than a rojak. I am against that.

Interfaith is not a melting-pot of religions but is about building bridges on shared values to work together for the collective protection of our human dignity, our environment and our space. Only collectively can we fight hatred and promote love and peace. Those who believe in this process should support interfaith initiatives.

Q: Many interfaith dialogues are held behind closed doors in Malaysia among among academics or the elite in society in a ‘civilised’ fashion. But when conflicts involving religion conversion are discussed in a public forum, people get emotional and angry. They seem unable to rise above that. How would you reach the people on the street who live ordinary lives that may result in conflict with those of other ethnicity or faith.

Pastor Wuye: What we did was to go with the grassroot champions, moving spirits, who are orators. We got them to come to out meetings. On both sides you have to do what we call intra-religious re-orientation, that is, de-programme them and then re-programme them. Then you have to compare notes and Imam and I do. As we’ve said, the issue is not about comprising (our faiths) but collaboration in areas that are allowable within our faith.

We also ask how we can be more Muslim or Christian in our context today. Our centre does not even permit people who are not seriously motivated by their religion. We want those who are deep in their faith to engage with the other.

Malaysians are very fortunate that they are still talking. When people feel greatly marginalised there is a killing spirit. You should concentrate on your peace because war is expensive and peace is cheap. Ask the US how much they have spent in Afghanistan and Iraq? What is the reason for their economic recession?

There is a rock that has been set by your Prime Minister. You are a test case. The world is watching Malaysia. You are inviting people to come here. What plans do you have if you are overwhelmed by such visitors and feel a threat to the status quo? If the status quo does not create policies to deal with those who are coming into their terrain there will be a struggle for resources. That struggle can be triumph and can get sympathy under religion.

So religious leaders must stand up now and collaborate. Don’t end up like Nigeria. Consolidate your peace. This is my message for Malaysia and its young people. Be careful what you are told. If the elders who are now leading you die and leave you a segregated country, you have a challenge. Negative solidarity can destroy so engage constructively. It’s better to shed a drop of sweat in dialogue than a pint of blood in war.

Imam Ashafa: The Initiatives of Change (in Britain) has a programme to create role models. We need role models and heroes of peace at the grassroots to engage with them. You can have dialogues in a safe room at a hotel or university but you need to move it to under the palm tree and coconut tree as well and engage with the incapable and mischievous scholars.

Here, the Muslims are the majority so they don’t see the cracks from the minority order. It is time for the other committed minority within the faith tradition to team together for a powerful network to engage with the dominant majority at the grassroots level.

Q: Were you single or married when you were in the militia? How did it affect your family life? Have your children followed you in your interfaith journey?

Imam Ashafa: Militant work is secret work. Your wife will not know. When you go out to kill you take on a different identity to the kind and gentle one you show at home. I was married in 1983. I have 16 children, of whom two are girls.

Q: How many wives do you have?

Imam Ashafa: I’m a true conservative Muslim. I have two, for now.

Pastor Wuye: I have three children, also two girls. My son, he’s now 25, was born when I was in the militia. I left the militia before my third child, now 14, was born. My wife didn’t know I was in the militia until I lost my hand. In fact she didn’t really know how it happened until I told her a few years after. My son is interested in the work. He is a Sociology graduate and is looking to do further studies in relation to dispute resolution. My elder daughter is studying mass communications and the other is still in school.

Imam Ashafa: Malaysia, is a gift for the world. You have the ability to manage your diversity and the visionary leadership you have, who are able to move your country from an agrarian society in the 1960s to a technologically developing nation. Don’t mess it up. Create a system that is very inclusive of minorities. Be a role model for diversity and produce peace ambassadors instead of military.

Press Statement by Malaysian Interfaith Council on Unilateral Conversion of Children

2010-11-29T11:02:00.002+08:00

MCCBCHST: Our family lives are no longer secure

Tan Cheow Hong. Indira Gandhi. Nedunchelian. Shamala. Genga Devi.

These 5 names should be seared in all our memories as symbols of the deep sense of insecurity Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Taoist now feel in Malaysia.

All these 5 people have had their family lives totally disrupted when their children were converted to Islam without their knowledge or consent by a disgruntled spouse.

All 5 have had to battle the government servants who act as the Islamic religious authorities in Malaysia and with lawyers from the Attorney General’s Chambers who argue that they must go to the Syariah court (despite being non Muslim) in order to exercise their constitutional rights to raise their children in their own religion.

All 5 have had to battle with Judges within the civil court system who constantly abdicate their constitutional oath to protect and preserve the Federal Constitution, and their role in a democracy such as ours to protect the rights of minorities.

The recent decision of the Federal Court is just another example of this.

The MCCBCHST has since 2004 made numerous calls to numerous governments. We have presented memoranda, made press statements and written letters to the editor.

Together with other members of civil society, we have had candle light vigils and held roadshows. The police stopped the roadshows because of the violent actions of extremists from the other side who sought to prevent us from speaking.

We have had meetings with Prime Ministers, Cabinet Ministers, Parliamentarians, State Governments (from both sides of the political divide), politicians and civil servants.

The Cabinet boldly announced its decision on 21/4/2009 that the religion of a child under 18 years would continue to be the religion of that child at the time of his/her birth, and that children cannot be converted without the joint consent of both parents. But sadly to this date we have not seen the implementation of that decision.

We have read of calls by many Islamic scholars that children cannot be converted to Islam. The Director General of IKIM said in the (Star of 12/6/2009 that “ ...the call to Islam is a willing and conscious submission, hence it cannot be forced upon anybody including the conversion of a child or minor to Islam”. Despite this, we are inundated with cases of children – some as young as a 11 month old baby still being breastfed by her mother, and 3 to 6 years old children - being converted by one parent and then taken away from the other parent.

The decision of the judges of the Federal Court led by Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi to dismiss Shamala’s case on a mere technicality rather than determine the five constitutional questions she had raised is of much concern. If not the Federal Court who else should the non converting spouse turn to in order to protect and uphold their basic rights enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

The above events have led to most Malaysian losing their faith in government, the civil service and the Judiciary.

We will turn to Prayer and seek recourse through all lawful means to right these wrongs so glaringly being committed with impunity.

The MCCBCHST urges all its component members, and all Malaysians, to include in their prayers each week a prayer that

• our lawmakers, civil servants and judges to recall and administer their duties in accordance with their oaths of office to defend the Constitution

• that our fellow Malaysians - Tan Cheow Hong, Indira Gandhi. Nedunchelian, Shamala and Genga Devi - get to bring up their children and to educate their children in their own respective religions, and exercise their freedom of religion

Rev Dr Thomas Philips
President
MCCBCHST

Vatican Interreligious Dialogue Leader in Pakistan

2010-11-27T14:27:00.002+08:00

Cardinal Tauran Meets With Zardari Amid Turmoil Over Blasphemy Case

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, NOV. 26, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue is in Pakistan for a visit that is seen as an encouragement for Christians, precisely as turmoil continues over the case of a Christian woman who was sentenced to hang for allegedly blaspheming Mohammed.

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran's visit to Pakistan was planned some time ago, but it has taken on greater weight as international attention continues focused on the case of Asia Bibi.

Bibi, 45, was charged a year ago for blaspheming Mohammed in a conflict with fellow farm workers. She was sentenced to death earlier this month. But on Monday, it was reported that she had received a pardon from Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and had fled to an unknown location for her protection.

Now it seems those announcements were premature.

A report Thursday from the Fides agency stressed the timing of Cardinal Tauran's visit given the difficult civil and political situation resulting from the sentence and the subsequent announcement of Bibi's pardon.

"The visit of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran is a great encouragement to Christians in Pakistan. It comes at a critical moment, in which there are increasing social and religious tensions, for the matter of Asia Bibi and for other reasons," Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore, president of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops Conference, told Fides.

"Right now we are concerned about the growing climate of intolerance," the archbishop added. "The tension has risen, following the manifestations and appeals of radical Islamic groups who wish to exacerbate the social and religious polarization."

Calming tempers

Archbishop Saldanha expressed his hopes that Cardinal Tauran's visit "may serve to calm tempers and contribute to a solution for the case of Asia Bibi."

According to the 74-year-old archbishop, the Church sees a re-trial as the best solution to the Bibi case. A pardon, the prelate suggested, implies her guilt, whereas a trial could demonstrate her innocence.

"It's the only way to stop the protests," explained the prelate.

Cardinal Tauran was to meet Thursday with the Minister for Religious Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti, and President Zardari.

Today and Saturday he was scheduled to convene with the nations bishops and Catholic communities of Pakistan, and to participate in an interreligious meeting.

Both Benedict XVI and his secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, have made public appeals for Bibi's release.

Mindanao week of peace unites all religions

2010-11-26T20:29:00.001+08:00

By Rey-Luis Banagudos, Zamboanga City

About 20,000 Muslims, Christians and tribes people joined a two-hour parade in the southern Philippine city of Zamboanga to mark the start of “Mindanao Peace Week“ on Nov. 25.

Representatives of civil and military organizations, business and labor groups and urban poor communities also joined the event to express “concern for peace and commitment to peace-building” in Mindanao.

Claretian missioner Father Angel Calvo said the annual celebration was a time for residents to renew their commitment to peace and peace-building.

Father Calvo heads the Inter-Religious Solidarity Movement for Peace that has spearheaded the “Week of Peace” celebration since 1998.

“We have come out together to the streets to show our common concern for peace and to celebrate our diversity,” he said.

Professor Ali Yacub, who spoke on behalf of the Islamic community said Muslims in the city invite everybody “to come together with us on the basis of what is common to us, which is also what is most essential to our faith and practice – the two commandments of love of God and neighbor.”

Italian missioner Father Giulio Mariani said “the demand of our mission is for a deepened understanding of other religious communities, their religiosity and their theologies, attitudes of genuine respect and reverence for other beliefs and spiritualities.”

A statement by Protestant Churches said they were “united to manifest the same promise to pursue our common aspirations to see peace not simply an abstract idea but rather a real fruit of hard work and unity.”

Indigenous peoples said in a joint statement that they renew their commitment “to work to uplift not only our own tribes but for the greatness of all.”

“Our initiatives will ultimately bring about a harmonious relationship among the indigenous people through regeneration of culture and other peoples to achieve peace,” they said.

(Published in UCAN News, November 26)

Are We Getting Anywhere With Ecumenism?

2010-11-24T16:41:00.001+08:00

Council President Gives a Report of the "Harvest"

ROME, NOV. 23, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity just marked its 50th birthday. The council's president saw this as an opportune moment to look at what progress has been made in five decades of dialogue and prayer.

Cardinal Kurt Koch presented a report last week at the council's plenary assembly called "Harvesting the Fruits."

The first fruit, he said, is within the Church itself.

Ecumenism "is no longer a foreign reality" in the life of parishes and dioceses, the cardinal affirmed. "This 'ecumenism of life' is of fundamental importance, as without it, all the theological efforts directed to reaching a lasting agreement on basic issues of faith between the different churches would be in vain."

Cardinal Koch admitted, however, that although the Catholic Church is irreversibly committed to the search for unity, in some respects the problem is still the same as it was at "the point of departure," at the Second Vatican Council.

In this regard, he spoke of the crux of the issue being ecclesiology -- the concept of the nature of the Church.

Intimately linked

Cardinal Koch noted how ecumenism and ecclesiology are intimately connected: "Ecumenism was an important theme of the renewal of the Catholic Church herself and of her self-understanding," he said.

He pointed to one of the key issues of the council: the relationship between the universal Church and the local Churches.

But in the realm of ecumenism, the prelate explained, the plural "churches" refers not to local Churches, but to the ecclesial communities not in communion with the Catholic Church.

The ecumenical problem "consists in pointing out how the Catholic Church can and must conduct herself in face of this plural 'churches,' which exist outside of her," he said. This issue arises both in the dialogue with the Orthodox Churches as well as, though in a different way, in the dialogue with the communities of the Reformation.

Orthodox

In regard to the Orthodox, Cardinal Koch explained: "The definition that is most adapted to Orthodox ecclesiology is 'Eucharistic ecclesiology,' a concept developed above all by exiled Russian theologians in Paris after World War I, in clear opposition to the centralism of the papacy of the Roman Catholic Church."

This concept "stresses that the Church of Jesus Christ is present and realized in each particular Church gathered around her bishop, in which the Eucharist is celebrated," he said.

Hence, the cardinal continued, for the Orthodox, with the exception of an ecumenical council "there can be no other visible principle of unity of the universal Church, to which are attributed juridical powers, such as those the Catholic Church recognizes in the Petrine ministry."

According to Catholic ecclesiology, however, the Church is fully present in the concrete Eucharistic communities, but one Eucharistic community alone "is not the Church in her fullness," he explained. "Because of this, the unity between each Eucharistic community united in turn with her own bishop and with the Bishop of Rome is not an external ingredient to Eucharistic ecclesiology, but its essential condition."

The heart of the ecumenical problem between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church lies in the fact that "an ecclesiology linked to the national culture and a Catholic ecclesiology oriented to the concept of universality find themselves one before the other, up to now, in disagreement," Cardinal Koch stated.

Obstacle or opportunity?

Cardinal Koch noted that Pope Paul VI saw this issue as the "greatest obstacle" for reaching full communion with the Orthodox. However, the prelate said, Benedict XVI has also detected in this issue an opportunity for union.

According to the thought of the present Pope, he said, "without primacy, the Catholic Church would also have disintegrated a long time ago in national and sui iuris Churches, which would have confused and complicated the ecumenical landscape."

The council president affirmed that ecumenical dialogue between Catholic and Orthodox has given "encouraging steps," even if more work remains to be done.

Reformation

Cardinal Koch also observed that progress with the Orthodox can have a positive influence in ecumenical relations with the communities of the Reformation.

In fact, "the ecclesiology of the Reformation also pivots around the local concrete community, as appears clearly in Luther himself," he stressed.

Because of this, Protestant ecclesiology "also finds its gravitational point in the concrete local community: The Church of Jesus Christ is fully present in the concrete communities that gather in the liturgical celebration."

Each community is in a relationship of reciprocal exchange with the others, he continued. "The trans-community dimension of the Church exists implicitly, but is secondary, as is the universal dimension of the Church."

Hence, the cardinal said, the greatest difficulty on this point is "how to relate, on one hand, Catholic ecclesiology, with its dialectic between plurality of local Churches and unity of the universal Church, and on the other, Protestant ecclesiology, which sees in the concrete community the most authentic realization of the Church."

The situation is even more complicated in the case of Protestants because of the controversy over the sacramental dimension of the Church, a topic that marks a profound difference between the Catholic Church and the communities of the Reformation, the cardinal clarified.

Finally, in regard to ecclesiology, another issue to be clarified by Protestants regards the way in which these ecclesial communities conceive themselves: as a break with the 1,500 years of Christianity prior to the Reformation, or as a development in fundamental continuity with it.

In this internal Protestant debate, Cardinal Koch expressed the hope that the second understanding would take root, "and that with it, a satisfactory answer is found, also in view of the anniversary of the Reformation, which will be observed in 2017."

Bridging sectarian divides in Pakistan

2010-11-24T12:01:00.000+08:00

Qurat ul ain Siddiqui

Karachi, Pakistan - A blast at a mosque in Darra Adam Khel in northwest Pakistan earlier this month killed more than 60 people. Recent attacks like this one have created a considerable challenge for Pakistan in tackling sectarian and other violence in the country. Though this attack on a Sunni mosque was possibly targeted at anti-Taliban activists, it also reflects terrorists’ disregard for religious and sacred places, further inflaming the growing civil unrest and sectarian divides in the country.

According to one alarming estimate, more than 4,000 Pakistanis have died in incidents of sectarian violence in the country in the past two decades. However, there is hope that the violent attacks can still subside if the government becomes more involved in establishing a culture of pluralism and tolerance amongst Pakistanis, encouraging them to bridge sectarian divides.

Sectarian violence in Pakistan has traditionally been linked to Shiites and Sunnis in the country. Shiites account for around 20 per cent of Pakistan’s mostly Sunni Muslim population of 180 million. Tensions between the two sects began to surface in the 1980s, partly as a consequence of the grievances held by Sunni peasants against Shiite landowners in the Punjab province.

This primarily economic divide assumed sectarian dimensions when the supporters of local Sunni cleric Haq Nawaz Jhangvi – who later founded the militant organisation Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (Army of the Friends of the Prophet) – emphasised the cultural and ideological differences between the Sunni peasants and the Shiite landowners. Their differences were further accentuated with the formation of both Sunni and Shiite militant groups claiming to defend their respective brands of Islam by waging an armed struggle against the other group, especially during the reign of Pakistani President Zia ul-Haq, who ushered in a strict and conservative interpretation of Islamic law into the country’s political system.

Furthermore, flaws in the education system also factored in the overall milieu. Unregulated madrasas, or religious schools, preaching sometimes extreme interpretations of Islam, sprouted across the country, with the government doing little to address the situation. The violent conflict in 2007 that developed with the Jamia Hafsa seminary, adjacent to the Lal Masjid in Islamabad, and their demand for the imposition of a particular interpretation of Islamic law is a case in point.

But sectarian violence in Pakistan is not confined to the Shiite-Sunni split. Ahmadi Muslims, who believe the second advent of Jesus came in the person of the 19th century Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, have also endured persecution and violence, the worst of which claimed 95 lives in a coordinated attack on two Ahmadi mosques in Lahore on 28 May.

What is peculiar, however, is that the evolving face of sectarian terrorism in the country has not spared the majority of Pakistani Sunni Muslims who follow the Barelvi school of Muslim thought – a sub-sect within Sunni Islam, which defends long-established cultural practices associated with Sufism.

Blamed mostly on the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (Student Movement of Pakistan), the 2010 attacks on Sufi shrines, including Lahore’s Data Darbar shrine, Karachi’s Abdullah Shah Ghazi shrine and later the Baba Farid Shakar Ganj shrine in the city of Pakpattan in Punjab – which combined killed at least 59 people – clearly indicate that the issue of sectarian violence has assumed even more complicated dimensions and requires effective and immediate countermeasures.

While there are various measures that the government can take to tackle the issue of sectarian aggression, a clear education policy with a special focus on schools’ curriculum is very important in diverting focus from sectarian to inclusive teachings. Any public or religious schools’ textbooks promoting biases or hatred on the basis of religious identity should be reviewed by an independent commission to evaluate its suitability for promoting tolerance amongst children.

Moreover, given the fact that religious leaders and clerics enjoy considerable influence over people, the government should encourage them to play a constructive role in preaching religious tolerance. Religious political parties should also be urged to promote religious tolerance and, given Pakistan’s particular scenario of religious diversity, promoting harmony between Islam’s sects in particular.

At the same time, the state should recognise the diverse religious communities and ensure their fundamental constitutional rights of equality in all spheres of life. Discriminatory laws such as the blasphemy laws and the law declaring Ahmadis as non-Muslims have fomented hatred and violence against certain religious communities and should therefore be revisited.

These measures, if adopted, can create a change in the way people view one another, provided the state also offers effective governance. Reforming the country’s education system, employing the services of religious leaders to spread the message of tolerance and, finally, restoring equal rights for all Pakistani citizens by repealing discriminatory statutes are some basic steps that can help the government establish a culture of pluralism and tolerance, while also fostering empathy among people with different religious beliefs.

###

* Qurat ul ain Siddiqui is a journalist based in Karachi, Pakistan. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 23 November 2010

Religions take aim at Malaysian security law

2010-11-23T09:15:00.000+08:00

By C.Y. Lai, Penang

Representatives of Malaysia’s main religions have spoken against a law allowing indefinite detention without trial at an event marking the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Chrisanne Chin, youth moderator of the Council of Churches Malaysia, argues that although Christians support the government in its efforts to instill peace in the country, “the ISA has been abused.”

Chin represented Christians at a forum entitled How Do Religions View ISA? held on Nov. 21, one of several activities organized by a coalition of NGOs in Penang. Other speakers at the interreligious forum represented Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Taoism.

Chin added that the ISA should be abolished and replaced with an Anti-Terrorism Act, which Christians can support.

Saari Sungib, an assemblyman and a founding member of an Islamic NGO, asserted that the ISA is a gross violation of human dignity.

Speaking from his own experience of being detained under ISA twice, he said he endured being stripped naked, spat and urinated at during detention.

“Islam forbids a person to be humiliated,” Saari insisted. “And Islam cannot accept a person to be punished without fair trial. Therefore, it is obvious that Islam opposes ISA.”

“ISA is harmful, selfish and does not follow the law of dharma at all,” added Bala Tharmalingam, national deputy president of the Malaysia Hindu Sangam.

Meanwhile, Chong Hung Wang, adviser of the Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia, described the ISA as “cruel” and “a violation of human rights.”

“We Buddhists support fighting crime but you can’t fight crime through cruel means. The government must go through the proper channel, where justice prevails on both sides,” he said.

Among other events that day included another forum entitled ISA – Political Tool for Oppression, a book launch and concert. However, a group of so-called pro-ISA citizens disrupted the event’s opening.

The ISA was enacted in 1960 to counter the communist threat to the then newly-independent country of Malaya. Since then, various sectors have accused the government of abusing the law to suppress political opposition.

(Published in UCAN News, November 23)

US Releases Report on State of Religious Freedom

2010-11-19T13:55:00.000+08:00

Singles Out Holy See as Promoter of Relations With Islam

WASHINGTON, D.C., NOV. 18, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Religious freedom is under threat in many places around the globe, according to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who presented Wednesday the annual International Religious Freedom Report.

The report's first section details the status of religious freedom in 27 nations, many in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, but also including Cuba and Venezuela.

Clinton presented the report with reference to the attack on the Syriac Catholic church in Baghdad just a few weeks ago.

The report itself considers international initiatives to promote religious freedom. It notes various efforts from the Vatican, stating: "The Holy See has taken a leading role in recent engagement with Islam, accompanied by growing interest from diverse religious groups and regions."

The overview of religious freedom in select countries includes both abuses and signs of improvement.

So, for example, regarding Cuba, it notes, "[I]n law and in practice, the government placed restrictions on freedom of religion." But the report adds, "Many religious groups reported improvements in religious freedom, although significant restrictions remained in place." It went on to mention the Church's mediation with the "Ladies in White," a group of wives and family members of political prisoners.

Regarding North Korea, the report notes: "Foreign media and a South Korean NGO reported 23 Christians were arrested in May 2010 for belonging to an underground church in Kuwol-dong, Pyongsong City, South Pyongan Province. Reportedly three were executed, and the others were sent to Yoduk political prison camp.

"An estimated 150,000 to 200,000 persons were believed to be held in the 'kwan li so' (re-education) political prison camps, some for religious reasons. Prison conditions are harsh; torture and starvation are common. Refugees and defectors who had been in prison stated that prisoners held on the basis of their religious beliefs generally were treated worse than other inmates."

The report noted an advance in Turkmenistan, where the constitution "provides for freedom of religion and does not establish a state religion; however, in practice the government continued to restrict the free practice of religion."

"There were small positive changes in the government's respect for religious freedom during the reporting period, including the registration of the Catholic Church," it noted.

Both Christians and Jews are suffering in Venezuela, the report explained.

"[T]hose religious groups that criticized the government, like others who criticized the government, were subject to harassment and intimidation," it stated. "During the reporting period, Catholic Church leaders noted criticism from government-sponsored media intended to discredit their leadership. [...]

"Like other private sector and nongovernmental entities, the Catholic Church and evangelical communities were subjected to property expropriations. In February 2010 vandals spray-painted anti-Semitic graffiti on downtown Caracas commercial buildings erroneously rumored to be Jewish-owned during the week after their expropriation by President Chávez.

"In August 2009 the national assembly passed an education law that could prohibit religious education during normal school hours, including in private schools."

Though the report does not evaluate assaults against religious freedom suffered by particular creeds around the world, in the 27 countries mentioned in the first section, inhibitions to the religious freedom of Christians is specifically mentioned in as many as 16 of them.

Dialogue More Than Political Action, Says Pope

2010-11-19T12:48:00.001+08:00

Notes That Christian Unity "Resides in Prayer"

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 18, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Ecumenical dialogue isn't about arriving at political agreements and making compromises, but rather seeking the unity founded in the truth of Christ, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope said this today upon receiving in audience the participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, which ends Friday in Rome.

The plenary, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the institution of the dicastery, is considering the theme: "Toward a New Stage of Ecumenical Dialogue."

Acknowledging the advances of the last 50 years, the Pontiff urged those present to "continue your efforts" and to promote the "path to unity."

The Holy Father added that it is urgent "to revive ecumenical interest and to give new incisiveness to the dialogues," even in the face of new challenges, such as "new anthropological and ethical interpretations, the ecumenical formation of the new generations, the further fragmentation of the ecumenical scene."

"The Catholic Church continues the dialogue with passion," he continued, "seeking to deepen, in a serious and rigorous way, the common theological, liturgical and spiritual patrimony, and to address with serenity and commitment the elements that still divide us."

Benedict XVI then affirmed that the "aim of the ecumenical path remains unchanged, as does the firm commitment in pursuing it."

He noted that, however, dialogue is not the same as the art of politics, "in which the ability to negotiate or the greater capacity to find compromises come into play, from which could be expected, as good mediators, that, after a certain time, one will arrive at agreements acceptable to all."

"Ecumenical action has a twofold movement," the Popeth explained. "On one hand there is the convinced, passionate and tenacious search to find full unity in truth, to excogitate models of unity, to illumine oppositions and dark points in order to reach unity.

"And this in the necessary theological dialogue, but above all in prayer and in penance, in that spiritual ecumenism which constitutes the throbbing heart of the whole path: The unity of Christians is and remains prayer, it resides in prayer."

On the other hand, the Holy Father continued, is "another operative movement, which arises from the firm awareness that we do not know the hour of the realization of the unity among all the disciples of Christ and we cannot know it, because unity is not 'made by us,' God 'makes' it: It comes from above, from the unity of the Father with the Son in the dialogue of love which is the Holy Spirit; it is a taking part in the divine unity."

The Pontiff said that this knowledge shouldn't take away from the Church's efforts to work toward unity, but rather "it should make us ever more attentive to receive the signs of the times of the Lord, knowing how to recognize with gratitude that which already unites us and working to consolidate it and make it grow."

"In the end," he added, "it is about leaving to God what is only his and of exploring, with seriousness, constancy and dedication, what is our task, being aware that to our commitment belongs the binomial of acting and suffering, of activity and patience, of effort and joy."

In America, youth bring people together

2010-11-17T20:22:00.000+08:00

Eboo Patel and Samantha Kirby

Chicago, Illinois - Last month, Zach Jordan, a senior at Elon University in North Carolina, found himself aghast at what he was hearing in the media about Muslims. But instead of just turning off the television or even yelling at it, Zach took what sociologists Bob Putnam and David Campbell tell us is amongst the most effective steps at increasing religious tolerance: he created a space for people from different religious backgrounds to have a positive, meaningful encounter with each other.

Zach organised an event on his campus, attended by 150 students and staff from different faith backgrounds, on religious diversity in America. The event was so thought-provoking – and there was such a high demand for this type of discourse – that most of the students stayed for hours after it ended, working through the ideas presented with each other. They engaged in a civil discussion through a common activity.

In their recent landmark book American Grace, Putnam and Campbell refer to this casually as the "your Pal Al syndrome". They explain that if you come together with somebody else in a common activity – even if you enter into that relationship with negative attitudes or even suspicion about their religion –your attitude improves throughout the course of participating in that common activity.

If we prize religious tolerance and interfaith cooperation, and if we know those things are increased by meaningful, positive encounters from people with different religions, we ought to expand the opportunities for these encounters.

At Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), we think the Zach Jordans of this world are our best hope at expanding such opportunities. We believe that college students can – first on their campuses and then in their civic, professional and personal lives – create common activities for people from different religions to come to know one another.

Zach was trained as what we call an "interfaith leader", somebody with the framework, knowledge-base and skill set to create such meaningful positive encounters. Last week, we trained 200 more Zach Jordans, as well as 100 campus staff who can support them, from 136 different campuses in Washington, DC at our inaugural Interfaith Leadership Institute.

When we first organised the Institute, hosted by Georgetown University with a kick-off session at the White House, even we had no idea how much demand there would be. In just two weeks, we received over 500 applications for 150 spots from students and campus staff across the country, and had to add a second session to accommodate this demand.

In the two intensive sessions, we trained these campus leaders to speak out about the importance of interfaith cooperation in the world and on campus, mobilise their peers to participate in interfaith action on a chosen social issue and sustain these efforts on campuses across the country through IFYC's "Better Together" interfaith action campaign.

The bottom line here is that we've learned from sociology that positive, meaningful encounters can change people's attitudes about people from different religious backgrounds. And we know that we don't have to wait for it to randomly happen. There are tens of thousands of Zach Jordans out there, hungry to create these opportunities and eager to learn how. We just have train and mobilise them to do it.

###

* Eboo Patel is Founder and President of the Interfaith Youth Core. Samantha Kirby is IFYC’s Communications and Policy Specialist. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) with permission from the authors.

Source: On Faith, 1 November 2010, newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith