Christians and Muslims make up more than a half of humanity, since the first are 55% and the second 18% of the world population. And these two religions are the most widespread worldwide. It matters, therefore, very much to humanity how Muslims and Christians relate to one another.
I am happy to propose to you this afternoon some reflections on "Christian-Muslim Dialogue at the Threshold of the Third Millennium". After a brief review of the varying situation around the world, some details of the desirable type of relations will be mentioned. obstacles and challenges will be listed. We shall conclude by examining some of the steps that could be taken to overcome the obstacles and meet the challenges.
1. Variations in Muslim-Christian Relations.
As we look across the map of the world, we find that relations between Muslims and Christians are riot the same in all countries.
There are countries where such relations have been reasonably friendly. Aware of the differences even between such countries,.let us mention some. In India, Sierra Leone, and we may add in past decades in Indonesia, Christian?Muslim relations have been good. A country near to us here, Lebanon, is a case on its own. Lebanon has a tradition of "conviviality" between Muslims and Christians, a formula for collaboration also guaranteed by political arrangements. "Conviviality" was sorely tried during the Lebanese civil war; nevertheless it is being revived. Lebanon respects its various religious communities and does not adopt a State religion. A different example of good relations is offered by European and American countries which are traditionally Christian and have generally welcomed Muslim immigrants and allowed them freedom to practice their religion and also to spread it.
There are countries where tension between people of the two religions breaks out from time to time. Examples are Nigeria and now Indonesia, with due allowance be made for their different settings.
Three countries where the majority of the population is Muslim but where nevertheless Christians are present need special mention: Pakistan, Malaysia and Turkey. Pakistan applies the Sharia and is called "The Islamic Republic of Pakistan". Malaysia adopts Islam as the State religion but does not apply the Sharia. Turkey is an officially secular state even though de facto Islam is favoured. In all three countries, things can be difficult for Christians.
Morocco and Libya are different because all their citizens are Muslims, Islam is the State religion, but foreigners are free to practice Christianity among themselves.
Sudan stands out as a country where the Khartoum Government is waning a seventeen?vear old war against the neonles of the southern nart who are largely Christians and followers of African Traditional Religion. The war has taken a toll of about two million dead and near 4 or 5 million refugees. Although the Government says that religion is not a consideration in the war, ?the perception of the Sudanese Christians is different. The Sudanese tragedy is still going on. In the world mass media it can be called a forgotten war.
Saudi Arabia is exceptional because it allows only Islam and rules out the practice of any other religion within its frontiers.
When, therefore, we discuss Christian?Muslim relations around the world, it should appreciated that the situation is very varied indeed. And in some cases it can look somewhat fragile.
2. Better Knowledge of the other.
Knowledge of the other is the first requirement if one is to hope to build up relationships that will be respectful and fruitful. Goodwill is necessary, but it is not enough. A planned study of the other religion is required if interreligious relationships are not to stagnate at the superficial level of generalizations, cliches and prejudices. Those who are in positions of responsibility or leadership in each religion have a greater obligation than their co?religionists to undertake a deeper study of the other religion.
There are occasions or celebrations which favour mutual knowledge between Christians and Muslims. Examples are friendly visits and participation at celebrations that mark major events in one's life such as marriage, the birth of a child, religious initiation and death. It is instructive to listen to friends of the other religion explain the rites and cultural manifestations on these occasions. Christians and Muslims can inform one another how they approach their period of fasting and how they celebrate their major religious feasts.
The type of knowledge outlined in the preceding paragraph can be obtained simply through open?minded conversations. There is need also for more specialized study in the domains of the religious sciences, history, sociology and politics. Such studies are not new. They have formed part of university curricula for decades. What is new is a greater spirit of openness, respect and collaboration between Christians and Muslims.
3. Acceptance of the other and Respect for Differences.
Correct information about the other will show Christians and Muslims that their two religions do share many beliefs. Examples are belief in one God, mighty and merciful; acceptance of the role of prophets; belief in the eschatological realities of judgement, reward and punishment. There are nevertheless fundamental differences. For Christians belief in the Trinity and the Incarnation completely transform the relationships between God and humankind. For Muslims the place given to the Qur'an as final revelation and the role given to Muhammad as the seal of the prophets puts a special stamp upon Islam.
Also in the moral sphere there are points of convergence and divergence. There is common concern that religion occupy an adequate place in society, that materialism be overcome, that the institution of the family be upheld, that sexual permissiveness be opposed. Yet the concepts of law and society, of marriage and the family do not fully coincide. When therefore we speak of respect and acceptance, we do not mean necessarily total approval of what the other believes.
Authentic dialogue demands that Muslims and Christians accept one another with all their similarities and differences in matters theological, moral and cultural. And respect for the other should follow. "only in mutual acceptance of the other and in the resulting mutual respect, made more profound by love, resides the secret of a humanity finally reconciled", said Pope John Paul II at a Prayer Vigil for Peace in Europe especially in the Balkans at Assisi on 9 January, 1993 (Address, 4, in L'osservatore Romano, weekly Eng. ed. is Jan. 1993, p.2). The Catholic Bishops of the world, gathered at the Second Vatican Council in 1965, had earlier stressed the need to respect and love those who think differently from us, if we want to enter into dialogue with them. "Respect and love", they said, "ought to be extended also to those who think or act differently than we do in social, political, and religious matters, too. In fact, the more deeply we come to understand their ways of thinking through such courtesy and love, the more easily will we be able to enter into dialogue with them" (Gaudium et Spes, 28).
4. Actual Engagement in Dialogue.
When Muslims and Christians come to know one another and learn to respect and accept one another, they are well poised to engage in one form of Christian?Muslim dialogue or the other. Four forms of interreligious relations are generally identified. There is first the whole area of relations across religious frontiers at the level of daily life in the family, in the workplace or in other social activities. Here there is opportunity for interaction without religion necessarily being discussed at all. Secondly, there is interreligious co-operation such as assistance for refugees or victims of disasters. Dialogue of theological discourse is a third form. Finally, there is the exchange of religious experience together with the meeting of spiritualities. If Christian?Muslim relations are not to remain an academic exercise, openness to others and readiness to engage in one or other form of cooperation are expected of a sincere Muslim or Christian.
5. Joint Witness to shared values.
There are some people who accuse the religions of being at the root of rivalries and conflicts all along the corridors of history. often such people regard themselves as non?committed from the religious point of view, adopting what they would call a humanist position.
They are sceptical about any overall positive contributions which the religions may have made. They think that the more the religions are excluded from private or at least public life, the greater hope there will be for cohesion and harmony.
No serious Christians or Muslims will accept such a view. But it is not enough to reject the accusation. It is also necessary for Muslims and Christians, and indeed other believers, to live and interact in such a way that every person of good will see the falsity of such a deformation of the religions.
Christians and Muslims are called upon to develop such harmonious relations in the 21st century that while maintaining their differing religious identities, they can show the world that they share respect for God and that they believe that human conduct should follow God's will. Christianity and Islam both consider that they have a universal message, to be conveyed through Christian mission or Islamic da'wah. This right to spread one's religion should be upheld, as long as it is carried out with due respect for human dignity. No harm should be done to others in the name of religion. The Golden Rule which both religions teach instructs one to treat others as one would like to be treated.
Genuine religion is not the cause of hatred, tension or violence. Every religion worthy of the name teaches love of others. Christians and Muslims should not just co?exist. They should also co?operate to build up society. Their leaders should motivate them to get to know, respect and love one another and to cooperate.
6. loins promotion of Peace.
Among the values shared between Christianity and Islam, peace deserves special mention. Both religions stress the preeminence of peace. "Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you" (Jn 14:27), said Jesus to his apostles the night before he suffered and died. And after his resurrection when he appeared to them he generally began with the greeting: "Peace be with you" (cf. Jn 20 19,2 1,26). St Paul calls Christ "our peace" (cf. Eph 2 14). For Muslims, Peace is one of the Beautiful Names of God. Does this fact not give added significance to the customary greeting among Muslims: al?salamu 'alaykum?
Peace is necessary for individuals, within the same religious community,between two or more religions, between peoples and between states. Christians and Muslims have a duty to promote this tranquillity of order. No right?thinking Christian or Muslim today should support crusades or holy wars. Nor should they allow their conduct to be tainted by racist considerations or give way to discrimination on the basis of race, colour, condition of life or religion (cf. Nostra acetate, 5).
The Second Vatican Council exhorts Muslims and Christians to "make common cause of safeguarding and fostering social justice, moral values, peace and freedom" (Nostra Aetate, 3). Pope John Paul II, addressing various representatives of the World Conference on Religion and Peace at the opening of their 6th World Assembly in Rome on 3 November 1994, insisted on the necessity of a joint commitment to the promotion of peace: "Today, religious leaders must clearly show that they are pledged to the promotion of peace precisely because of their religious belief' (Address, 2, in L'osservatore Romano, weekly English ed., 16 Nov. 1994, p. 2).
During the unforgettable visit by Pope John Paul II to the Holy Land last year, the Holy Father at the interreligious meeting held in this very place on 23r~ March, 2000, stressed the contribution that Judaism, Christianity and Islam should make for peace in the Holy Land. Among other things, he said that "religion is the enemy of exclusion and discrimination, of hatred and rivalry, of violence and conflict. Religion is not, and must not become, an.? excuse for violence, particularly when religious identity coincides with cultural and ethnic identity. Religion and peace go together! Religious belief and practice cannot be separated from the defence of the image of God in every human being". (address on 23/3/2000, n. 4, in L'osserv. Romano, weekly English ea., 29/3/2000, p. 8).
Christian and Muslim parents, educators and leaders should be so convinced of the necessity of a sincere commitment to peace, beginning with peace between Muslims and Christians, that they will be able to effectively share these convictions in the family, at school, over the mass media, and especially in mosques and churches. It is good to offer condolences to families which have lost some of their members through violence sometimes perpetrated in the name of religion. But this is not enough. It is above all necessary to educate one's co?religionists to accept and respect others and to co?operate with them to promote peace. This dimension of Christian?Muslim relations is most important for the century which humanity has just entered.
7. The Weigh! of the Past.
The present and the future also depend to some extent on the past. A community without memory is a community without a future. Relations between Christians and Muslims have not always been peaceful and serene. Tension, conflicts, crusades and holy wars, have not been unknown. Nor should one forget the impact of colonialism or perceptions of it.
The Second Vatican Council admits this and pleads for a new spirit: "Although in the course of the centuries many quarrels and hostilities have arisen between Christians and Muslims, this most sacred Synod urges all to forget the past and to strive sincerely for mutual understanding" (Nostra Aetate' 3).
8. Lack of Self?criticism.
Christians are taught by their religion to examine their conscience each day, especially in the evening, to accept responsibility for any wrongs they may have done, and to repent and beg God for forgiveness. The supreme act of Christian worship, the Eucharistic sacrifice, always begins with such a penitential rite. In the sacrament of Penance the Christian who has sinned accepts responsibility, confesses and receives forgiveness. I would like to ask my Muslims friends whether in Islam there Is a similar practice.
Self?criticism is not a sign of weakness. It is really a proof of maturity. It can help to consolidate and deepen relations between individuals and between communities. With regard to Muslim?Christian relations, where self?criticism is lacking, there is a tendency to be content with criticising the others. This is a real obstacle to constructive and lasting relations.
9. Manipulation of Religion by Politics.
occasionally, there is the temptation for religions to allow themselves to be used by politicians and even a greater temptation for politicians to manipulate religion for their own ends. Since religious convictions are among the strongest of motivations, an unscrupulous politician may be tempted to use religion to attain political goals. It has happened in history that religion has been abused to motivate people to fight wars which have as their real causes political, economic, or racial considerations. This is sad. It is deplorable. It does rho service to either religion or politics.
Reflection can make Christian and Muslim leaders agree that politicians have their own goals and their own methods of achieving them. It should be required of such politicians that they respect the freedom of religions to determine their own goals and their activities in both the sphere of worship and that of service of neighbour.
10. Religious Fanaticism or Extremism.
Muslim-Christian relations are challenged and obstructed by religious fanaticism or extremism. The religious extremist or fanatic may be motivated by a desire to see his or her religion return to what is considered its original and pure state. But the extremist generally pursues this self?assigned goal by a rigid application to our times of practices and observances which were part and parcel of a different age and culture.
Extremism is often characterized by an intransigent attitude towards coreligionists and others who hold different views or who have another concept of society. This frequently leads to violence. Some extremists go further, denying the right to religious freedom to those whose religious convictions differ from their own, and even excluding them from salvation.
Who does not see that this is no way to promote Christian/Muslim relations.
11. Reciprocity and Justice between Religious Communities.
The right to religious freedom applies to individuals and also to religious communities. It includes both the right to practice a religion and the right to share that religion with others. The exercise of this right should have
on 21 June 1995, the day on which the first mosque was being inaugurated in Rome, Pope John Paul II spoke of the necessity of reciprocity in the General Audience. "A grand mosque is being inaugurated in Rome today. This event is an eloquent sign of the religious freedom recognized here for every believer. And it is significant that in Rome, the centre of Christianity and the See of Peter's Successor, Muslims should have their own place of worship with full respect for their freedom of conscience. on a significant occasion like this, it is unfortunately necessary to point out that in some Islamic countries similar signs of the recognition of religious freedom are lacking. And yet the world, on the threshold of the third millennium, is waiting for these signs! Religious freedom has now become part of many international documents and is one of the pillars of contemporary society" (in L'osservatore Romano, weekly Eng. ed. 28 June 199b, p. 1 1).
I have listed several obstacles to Christian?Muslim co?operation. Perhaps it is better and healthier to regard them as challenges, because this latter way of looking at them gives some hope that they can be overcome. This is going to be our third and final consideration.
WAYS OF MEETING THE CHA! I FNGES
12. Heating of Historical Memories.
The history of Muslim?Christian relations should be studied in all sincerity and truth. Past wrongs should be accepted and regretted. Pardon should be sought and given. only then will reconciliation be possible. As I wrote to Muslims at the end of Ramadan in 1995, without true reconciliation we cannot commit ourselves together for the good of our co? religionists and of the world.
Such a sincere study of the past also includes paying tribute to a religious community for its contribution to culture and science where that is the case. For example, Arabs, most of them Muslims, contributed to Western civilization. Christian communities were in the Middle East for centuries before the arrival of Islam and Arabic culture owes much to them. To accept the past is a condition for facing the future.
13. Learning to exercise Self criticism.
The difficult exercise of self?criticism has to be learned. Pope John Paul II invited the Catholic Church to examine her collective conscience on the failings of her children in the past, in preparation for the year 2000. He said that the Church "should become more fully conscious of the sinfulness of her children, recalling all those times in history when they departed from the spirit of Christ and his Gospel and, instead of offering to the world the witness of a life inspired by the values of faith, indulged in ways of thinking and acting which were truly forms of counter?witness and scandal. Although she is holy because of her incorporation into Christ, the Church does not tire of doing penance: before God and man she always?acknowledges as her own her sinful sons and daughters" (Tertio Millennzo Adveniente, 33). As you know, on i2th March 2000, Pope John Paul II actually led the whole Catholic Church in St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, in begging God for pardon for the sins of Christians all through the past 2000 years.
If
Muslims will perform a similar exercise, mutual relations between them
and Christians will because less arduous. As has been said above, selfcriticism
is a sign of transparency and strength.
14.Liberate Religion from political manipulation.
Christian and Muslim religious leaders cannot remain indifferent in front of the manipulation of religion by politicians. Religion should be allowed necessary freedom to concentrate on beliefs, ritual and a rule of life. God is at the centre of all genuine religion. Politicians and governments should be impartial towards all religions. Religious leaders who succumb to the temptation of allowing their religion to be abused and made an instrument by a political party will have to reflect on the negative consequences, including the probability that that religion is likely to become a despised widow when that political party is no longer in power. At times it will be useful for religious and political leaders to meet and discuss such questions.
15.Facing the phenomenon of Religious Extremism and promoting Religious Freedom.
Muslims and Christians have no choice but to accept that we are in a world in which religious plurality is a fact. "There is no compulsion in religion" as the Qur'an asserts (Q 2,256). Religion is therefore to be proposed, not imposed. Religious unity or compliance arrived at as a result of force ? physical, psychological, economic, social or otherwise ? is not worthy of the human person. And it is not a fit offering to God. Religious fanatics absolutely need conversion.
As for those who engage in violence in the name of religion, this is a major insult to God and to religion. "No one can consider himself faithful to the great and merciful God who in the name of the same God dares to kill his brother. Religion and peace go together: to wage war in the name of religion is a blatant contradiction", said Pope Paul II to the World Conference on Religion and Peace (in L'osserv. Rom.,weekly Eng. ea., 16 Nov 1994, p.2).
Farseeing religious leaders and wise statesmen are needed to convince people that freedom of religion is one of the dearest of human rights and that no one should be prevented from exercising this right, provided that the just rights of other people are not violated.
16. Promotion of Development and Peace.
Poverty, underdevelopment, injustice and corruption are fertile grounds for the rise or growth of extremist religious tendencies. In such societies those who reject the present situation, or who oppose the government in power, may find it easy to get the support of the suffering poor who are the vast majority, by making appeal to extravagant religious claims. The temptation that the answer to these situations of suffering is a return to what is presented as an original or pure form of a certain religion- whether Christianity or Islam ? is an easy one.
The
effective response is not a crackdown on religious fanatics. It is rather
a joint commitment of Christians and Muslims, and other citizens, to justice,
development, sound economic programmes, honesty in private and public life,
and willingness on the part of the rich to show serious solidarity with
the poor. Peace stands on the pillars of love, truth, justice, solidarity
and development. It is quite in order to pay tribute here to the World
Conference on Religion and Peace and to the Community of St. Egidio for
their many projects to promote justice and peace.
17. More affection to the Spiritual Dimension.
Christian?Muslim relations will make more progress in the 2 ist century if there is increased attention on both sides to the spiritual dimension.
Knowledge of the other religion, religious freedom, meetings and common projects are good and important. But they are not enough. Greater attention to God is necessary. The nearer a Muslim and a Christian are to God in prayer, in openness to God's action in them and in readiness to do his will, the nearer they will get to each other. This is another way of saying that interreligious relations are best promoted by believers who are deeply committed in matters religious.
This
means that those who want to promote greater Muslim?Christian collaboration
in this millennium should encourage both sides to commit themselves to
deeper spiritualities in attention to God, continued conversion of the
heart in growing adherence to God's will, prayer, asceticism, sincerity
of heart and love of one's neighbour. A Christian leader and a Muslim leader
who are gifted with such high voltage of spirituality are more likely to
understand each other and promote good relations, than two learned people
from the two religions who practice little of what they preach.
18. Conclusion: Over to You in the Holy Land.
Distinguished brothers and sisters, I have proposed to you, with a vision of the whole world in mind, what Muslim?Christian relations could be, should be, in this new millennium. You will notice that I have not made any application to the situation in the Holy Land. That is for you to work out. You know the local situation better than I do.
one thing is clear. God wants us all to respect, accept and love one another. He wants Christians and Muslims to live in harmony and collaboration. He wants them, and also Jews and all other believers, to promote justice and peace. At his arrival in Ben Guiron Airport in Tel Aviv on 21st March last year, the Holy Father, among other pronouncements, said: "I pray that my visit will serve to encourage an increase of interreligious dialogue that will lead Jews, Christians and Muslims to seek in their respective beliefs, and in the universal brotherhood that unites all the members of the human family; the motivation and the perseverance to work for the peace and justice which the peoples of the Holy Land do not yet have, and for which they yearn so deeply" (address on 21/3/2000, 4, in L'osser7vatore Romano, weekly English ed. 29/3/2000, p. 3).
This is our prayer. This is our hope. And may the merciful God grant every one of us the grace and the strength to do our part in the promotion of excellent Christian?Muslim relations in this new century and millennium.
Francis Card. Arinze
24th
March 2001