Editorial
Salaam alei kum!
Pope Benedict XVI received a special welcome from Muslim leaders as he arrived at the international airport of Yaoundé-Nsimalen on March 18, 2009. The great imam of Yaoundé, Sheik Ibrahim Moussa, affirmed: "In the Koran, the prophet Mohammed recommends to welcome the foreigners, because very often they come with peace. Therefore, for us, the coming of the Pope is a blessing." At the beginning of his three-day stay in Cameroon, the Pope received repeated welcomes from the leaders of the Muslim community, which forms the second largest religion after Christianity in this country of more than 18 million people. Motivated by the Pope's arrival, Sheik Moussa appealed to faithful Muslims to "respect the religion of others and to unite to welcome this great man." So the Muslims were happy to receive the Pope and prayed for him. An example of dialogue of life! We present in this issue of Salaam the address of Pope Benedict XVI to the Cameroon Muslim leaders.
Islamic Studies Association organizes National Convention once in two years in different parts of India to create inter-religious awareness and to have a taste of veritable experience of Muslim life. This year the convention was held in Jammu on February 28 – March 1, 2009. Fr. Paul Jackson, the President of the Association writes about the convention in detail in this issue of Salaam. Fr. Paul Jackson is now revising the book, ‘Questions Muslims Ask’ published by ISA a few years ago. Christianity is a monotheistic religion believing in Trinity. So the basic question that the Muslims have about Christianity is, whether Christianity is a monotheistic religion in its strict sense. Fr. Paul Jackson describes about Christian’s belief in One God.
St Ethelburga, Centre for Reconciliation and Peace, is a small building in the heart of London that offers a peaceful place where people of all faiths build healthy relationships across political, religious and cultural divisions. It is the place where different faith traditions work together to promote reconciliation and peace "by creating safe space for difficult encounters, advancing practical models for reconciliation and inter-religious cooperation, and celebrating those who put them into practice, we can demonstrate an alternative to violent conflict." Fr. Victor Edwin narrates his personal experience of being to the St. Ethelburga.
We also present two interviews related to Christian-Muslim dialogue. Dr Chris Hewer is the St Ethelburga Fellow in Christian-Muslim Relations. Chris has a background in Christian theology, education and Islamic Studies and has worked in the field of Muslims in Britain and Christian-Muslim relations since 1986. From 1999 to 2005 worked as the Adviser on Inter-Faith Relations to the Bishop of Birmingham. Canon Dr Andrew Wingate is the director of St Philip's Centre, Leicester. He was involved in theological education for 25 years at the Tami Nadu Theological Seminary in Madurai and other places. He is now Director of the St Philip’s Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi Faith Society, Bishop's Adviser on Inter Faith Relations, and a Canon Theologian. In 2007 he was appointed Chaplain to The Queen. Victor Edwin SJ interviewed both of them for Salaam.
The last article “A Madrasa with a Difference” by Yoginder Sikand is about a madrasa (an Islamic religious educational Centre), Jamia al-Islamiya, established in 1955. It is located at Shanthapuram, a township in the Mallapuram district of Kerala. It is one of the largest Islamic Centres in Kerala. The article helps us to have a proper understanding of the system of madrasa education in India.
Salaam expresses its best wishes and greetings of EASTER to all its readers.
Khuda Hafiz!
The Contents of this issue:
Presidential Address - 14TH NATIONAL CONVENTION OF THE ISLAMIC STUDIES ASSOCIATION
JAMMU CONVENTION
DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE IN ONE GOD?
A DAY AT ST ETHELBURGA
CHRISTIAN - MUSLIM DIALOGUE: AN INTERVIEW
CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS NEED TO LISTEN WITH RESPECT: AN INTERVIEW
A Madrasa with a Difference
POPE'S MESSAGE TO CAMEROON MUSLIM LEADERS
Friday, April 17, 2009
14TH NATIONAL CONVENTION OF THE ISLAMIC STUDIES ASSOCIATION
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
JAMMU, 28TH FEBRUARY, 2009
Paul Jackson, S.J.
The Islamic Studies Association was founded at a Consultation called in Agra by the Dialogue Commission of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) in March, 1979. It functions in consultation with this Commission. Its Patron is The Most Reverend Vincent M. Concessao, Archbishop of Delhi. It is a Catholic Association. The members elect a Managing Committee of seven members who, in turn, elect their office-bearers: President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. Among the Objectives listed in the Memorandum of Association could be mentioned:
To work towards harmonious relations among Muslim, Christian, Hindu and other religious and social communities in India.
To promote, study, research and teaching regarding the history, religion, culture, socio-economic conditions and other aspects of Islam.
The affairs of the Association are entrusted to the Managing Committee which has just held its 67th meeting. Tomorrow morning, 1st March, we shall be having our Sixteenth General Body Meeting and elect a new Managing Committee for the next two years.
You will notice that this is our Fourteenth National Convention, not the Sixteenth. The reason for this is that Fr. James Tong, when he was the Executive Secretary of the Association, suggested that we have a Convention on the occasion of our General Body Meeting, held every two years in different locations. This would enable us to choose a theme that would be of interest to local Christians and thus enable us to invite them to participate. This Convention takes up the theme of “An Experience of Muslim Life.” Our speakers are Muslims. Basically they have kindly consented to share with us their experience of what it means to be a Muslim today. It is hoped that the cumulative effect of listening to their varied stories will prove to be a veritable experience of Muslim Life.
A gathering of this nature has its inbuilt limitations. One of these is linguistic. Because our members come from different parts of India, we have been using English as the medium of our Conventions. Some speakers will prefer to speak in Urdu or Hindi. We ask you to bear with us if you may occasionally find it difficult to understand what is being said.
In order to make the best possible use of our precious time I would request you to focus your clarifications and questions on the personal experience of the speakers, which is the specific theme of our Convention.
The Association has helped foster Christian-Muslim relations through its Conventions previously held in Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Patna, Meerut, Bareilly and Jhansi. Another very important source of promoting understanding has been our quarterly journal, Salaam. This year sees the 30th volume making its appearance. Although it is a modest publication, it helps promote better understanding between Christians and Muslims in India. Another significant publication is The Muslims of India: Beliefs and Practices. This valuable handbook has been recommended by IGNOU.
It needs to be pointed out that this is an Association which has not been running any institution or research centre. Its members are engaged in a wide variety of activities some of which, of course, relate to Muslims. Thus the Association has never had more than one full-time worker and, since the year 2000, has not had a full-timer. This places severe limits on its activities. Even after thirty years, the Association has never reached thirty members.
Granted the present situation in our country, of which you are all well aware, the theme may seem to lack relevance. Some may be looking for something like a joint action programme. While I am happy with any collaborative efforts for the common good, and encourage them, I do not think our theme is irrelevant. Our Association itself, with its mere handful of numbers, highlights the difficulties involved in ventures of this nature. One major constraint is a certain diffidence felt towards Muslims by Catholics who have not had the opportunity, strange as it may seem, of having personal contact with them. They rely on the shifting sands of largely negative, sensationalist media portrayals. This Convention provides an opportunity for more personalized experience.
Gatherings of this nature have become all the more important in view of the increasing polarisation that is taking place at the international level. Events in the Middle East tend to make it more difficult for us to live harmoniously together. Viewed in this context our gathering may seem of negligible significance. This may be so, but initiatives which aim at helping people of different religious backgrounds understand and appreciate one another are urgently needed nowadays. Any human being has personal strengths as well as weaknesses, so it is not surprising that any group, of whatever kind, shares in this ambiguity. Being human means that we accept the goodness in ourselves as well as in others, while, at the same time, we strive to curb all undesirable tendencies. We all face this challenge, both individually and collectively. What has to be rejected is a mind-set which pounces on deficiencies in a few members of another group, magnifies them and completely ignores the special beauty and goodness of the vast majority of its members. In India, this warning applies in a special way to the areas of caste and religion.
There is no need for me, an outsider, to point out the special significance of Jammu-Kashmir with regard to Interreligious understanding. You live in a privileged, yet extremely challenging situation. Although only a few of our members have been able to join us here in Jammu, nevertheless, as an Association, we wanted to show our solidarity with your efforts towards understanding and peace. That is why we have come here.
It is in the realization of this special context that we pray for God’s blessing on all of us gathered here today. May His grace enable us to become ever more compassionate and understanding!
JAMMU, 28TH FEBRUARY, 2009
Paul Jackson, S.J.
The Islamic Studies Association was founded at a Consultation called in Agra by the Dialogue Commission of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) in March, 1979. It functions in consultation with this Commission. Its Patron is The Most Reverend Vincent M. Concessao, Archbishop of Delhi. It is a Catholic Association. The members elect a Managing Committee of seven members who, in turn, elect their office-bearers: President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. Among the Objectives listed in the Memorandum of Association could be mentioned:
To work towards harmonious relations among Muslim, Christian, Hindu and other religious and social communities in India.
To promote, study, research and teaching regarding the history, religion, culture, socio-economic conditions and other aspects of Islam.
The affairs of the Association are entrusted to the Managing Committee which has just held its 67th meeting. Tomorrow morning, 1st March, we shall be having our Sixteenth General Body Meeting and elect a new Managing Committee for the next two years.
You will notice that this is our Fourteenth National Convention, not the Sixteenth. The reason for this is that Fr. James Tong, when he was the Executive Secretary of the Association, suggested that we have a Convention on the occasion of our General Body Meeting, held every two years in different locations. This would enable us to choose a theme that would be of interest to local Christians and thus enable us to invite them to participate. This Convention takes up the theme of “An Experience of Muslim Life.” Our speakers are Muslims. Basically they have kindly consented to share with us their experience of what it means to be a Muslim today. It is hoped that the cumulative effect of listening to their varied stories will prove to be a veritable experience of Muslim Life.
A gathering of this nature has its inbuilt limitations. One of these is linguistic. Because our members come from different parts of India, we have been using English as the medium of our Conventions. Some speakers will prefer to speak in Urdu or Hindi. We ask you to bear with us if you may occasionally find it difficult to understand what is being said.
In order to make the best possible use of our precious time I would request you to focus your clarifications and questions on the personal experience of the speakers, which is the specific theme of our Convention.
The Association has helped foster Christian-Muslim relations through its Conventions previously held in Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Patna, Meerut, Bareilly and Jhansi. Another very important source of promoting understanding has been our quarterly journal, Salaam. This year sees the 30th volume making its appearance. Although it is a modest publication, it helps promote better understanding between Christians and Muslims in India. Another significant publication is The Muslims of India: Beliefs and Practices. This valuable handbook has been recommended by IGNOU.
It needs to be pointed out that this is an Association which has not been running any institution or research centre. Its members are engaged in a wide variety of activities some of which, of course, relate to Muslims. Thus the Association has never had more than one full-time worker and, since the year 2000, has not had a full-timer. This places severe limits on its activities. Even after thirty years, the Association has never reached thirty members.
Granted the present situation in our country, of which you are all well aware, the theme may seem to lack relevance. Some may be looking for something like a joint action programme. While I am happy with any collaborative efforts for the common good, and encourage them, I do not think our theme is irrelevant. Our Association itself, with its mere handful of numbers, highlights the difficulties involved in ventures of this nature. One major constraint is a certain diffidence felt towards Muslims by Catholics who have not had the opportunity, strange as it may seem, of having personal contact with them. They rely on the shifting sands of largely negative, sensationalist media portrayals. This Convention provides an opportunity for more personalized experience.
Gatherings of this nature have become all the more important in view of the increasing polarisation that is taking place at the international level. Events in the Middle East tend to make it more difficult for us to live harmoniously together. Viewed in this context our gathering may seem of negligible significance. This may be so, but initiatives which aim at helping people of different religious backgrounds understand and appreciate one another are urgently needed nowadays. Any human being has personal strengths as well as weaknesses, so it is not surprising that any group, of whatever kind, shares in this ambiguity. Being human means that we accept the goodness in ourselves as well as in others, while, at the same time, we strive to curb all undesirable tendencies. We all face this challenge, both individually and collectively. What has to be rejected is a mind-set which pounces on deficiencies in a few members of another group, magnifies them and completely ignores the special beauty and goodness of the vast majority of its members. In India, this warning applies in a special way to the areas of caste and religion.
There is no need for me, an outsider, to point out the special significance of Jammu-Kashmir with regard to Interreligious understanding. You live in a privileged, yet extremely challenging situation. Although only a few of our members have been able to join us here in Jammu, nevertheless, as an Association, we wanted to show our solidarity with your efforts towards understanding and peace. That is why we have come here.
It is in the realization of this special context that we pray for God’s blessing on all of us gathered here today. May His grace enable us to become ever more compassionate and understanding!
JAMMU CONVENTION
by Dr Paul Jackson SJ
The story of the Fourteenth Convention of the Islamic Studies Association (ISA) began at the General Body Meeting of the Association held in Jhansi in February 2007. The significance of Jammu-Kashmir needs no elaboration. ISA decided to hold its next General Body Meeting and Convention in Jammu as a sign of solidarity with the local Church. Fr. Pushpa Anbu, ISA's Secretary, subsequently met Bishop Peter Celestine and informed him of ISA's plan. He welcomed the idea.
The real planning for the Convention began at the Managing Committee Meeting held in New Delhi on 23rd August 2008. Readers may recall that Jammu was greatly disturbed at this period. In fact, the town of Jammu was disturbed for 61 days. Fr. Anbu and I had tickets for the night train to Jammu, but these had to be cancelled. In view of what was happening in Jammu, we had to decide whether to go ahead with our plans to have the General Body Meeting and Convention there in February 2009. We felt we should keep to our plan out of solidarity with the Church and the people there.
By chance, Bishop Celestine was in New Delhi at the time. Fr. Anbu, Fr. Thomas Kunnunkal and I went to meet him on 24th morning and made our preliminary plans in consultation with him. It was decided to invite Muslims from different backgrounds to come and speak to us on a Saturday afternoon and have a follow-up meeting of Christians on the Sunday afternoon to hear about the activities of the members of the Association and formulate whatever action-plan seemed feasible in the circumstances. Monday morning would be devoted to visiting some prominent Muslim institutions in Jammu. It was also decided that Fr. Anbu and I would visit Jammu on sixth and seventh of December to help with the organization of the Convention.
A week before leaving for Jammu I happened to call on Maulana Nizamuddin, the Amir-i Shariat in Phulwari Sharif. We are old friends. I mentioned my upcoming trip to Jammu. Maulana Nizamuddin told me that the Imam of the Jama Masjid was Sadrul Hasan, a friend of his from Bihar. In Jammu, on the sixth of December, Fr. Anbu's train was a couple of hours late, so it was only after lunch that Bishop Celestine and we two were able to visit the Jama Masjid. It was around 2 p.m. and the Imam Sahib had gone home after the noon prayer. We noticed a number of policemen sitting outside the mosque. As Jammu is filled with a police, paramilitary and military presence, we thought that was 'normal' for Jammu. Only later on did we realize the significance of the date – the 6th December. It was the anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid, and the police presence was a precautionary measure, not something normal .
We met a bearded young man in kurta-pyjama and I explained how Maulana Nizamuddin had given me the name of the Imam Sahib. The young man quickly sized up the situation and told us he was the Imam's son. He then led us to his father's house. When we were seated, he went to call his father and arrange for some tea for us. Anbu and I noticed a clock on the wall with "Jamia Millia Islamia" written on it. Anbu had done his doctorate from Jamia, and I had done my master's degree there many years ago. Mahmud, the Imam's son, had done an engineering degree from Jamia Millia Islamia University. This created another bond between us and him.
The Imam was very open to our request to give us the names of prominent Muslims and institutions so we could invite people to speak to us at our forthcoming Convention. I jotted them down. In the evening we had a meeting called by the Bishop. A number of Catholics were there, as well as three Hindus, two gentlemen and one lady. These three were involved in the Jammu-Kashmir Peace Mission, the whole aim of which was to bring people together on the basis of their common citizenship and humanity, not according to their specific religious identity. This is a valid forum for a collaborative effort for peace, but ISA takes the religious identity of Muslims seriously and tries to foster understanding Muslims as human beings for whom their religion is a very important dimension of their lives. For many, it is the most important dimension.
At the end of the meeting, one of the priests, Fr. Johnson, volunteered to see to the organization of the Convention. It was agreed that Fr. Anbu would be the person in touch with him, and I would send material to Fr. Anbu for him to forward to Fr. Johnson. We knew everyone would be very busy in the pre-Christmas season, so actual contact would begin in early January.
I typed up a page and a half of material about the whole programme and gave the names and addresses of the Muslims mentioned by the Imam Sahib. These were forwarded, via Fr. Anbu, to Fr. Johnson. I booked my ticket to arrive early on 26th February, giving me two full days to do follow-up visits of the Muslim speakers Fr. Johnson had contacted in order to explain, once again, that we wanted to hear their stories, not a lecture on Islam. Our Convention was scheduled for 28th afternoon, beginning at 2:30 p.m.
At breakfast on 26th morning I discovered that the Bishop had gone to Srinagar the previous day and would be back on Friday afternoon, 27th. I also met two young couples who had flown down from Srinagar to speak at our Convention. Alarm bells began to ring, because ISA does not have money to pay for airfares. We invite Muslims from the town and are ready to pay local transport costs if requested. Fr. Kalathil, who is stationed in Jammu but goes regularly to Srinagar in connection with the Jammu-Kashmir Peace Mission, had invited them because they worked for the Peace Mission there. At about 10:30 am Fr. Kalathil phoned Fr. Johnson to let him know that I had arrived and was waiting to meet him. Unfortunately, he was delayed and we could meet only in the evening. He told me the two couples had been invited from Srinagar and a Muslim couple was expected from Patna, my friends, the Mashhadis. Regrettably, for family reasons, they were unable to come.
In the event, about 50 people were present. Fr. Kalathil organized an Opening Prayer. This was followed by a welcome note by the Bishop and an address by the President of the Islamic Studies Association. The visitors from Srinagar then shared their experiences with us. This took us to the tea break. After this Bishop Patrick Nair had a few words to say. Fr. Bob McCahill, who gave a PowerPoint presentation about the people he worked for in Bangladesh and explained his work, followed him. He is like a modern-day Jesus, going around the villages on a bicycle looking for children particularly with a cleft palate – commonly referred to as a "hair lip." He then takes them and some family members to Dhaka once a week and their deformity is removed by one of the best specialists in this field in the whole world. This was very inspiring. Sr. Manju then spoke of her work, particularly when she lived in a room with an open door between her and two buffaloes in the home of a Muslim family. I spoke about the "Exposure to Islam" programme I run, and then Fr. Thomas Kunnunkal aptly drew some practical lessons for all of us. Fr. Anbu, as Secretary of the Association, proposed the vote of thanks. Although the programme was not as we had envisioned it, we all agreed that, in the circumstances, it went off well. It was a fruitful afternoon, but we thought a great opportunity to make an even greater impact had been lost.
At the General Body Meeting of the Association on Sunday morning we examined the whole course of events and drew appropriate lessons for the future. In the afternoon, we formed part of a group of about sixteen to visit some Muslim institutions. When we went to the Jama Masjid a number of sisters admitted it was the first time they had ever entered a mosque. We were warmly welcomed and one young man gave us a demonstration of the ritual prayer performed five times a day. He went through all the gestures and recited the prayers in Arabic. We were grateful for this spontaneous demonstration. The next mosque was next to an underground aquarium which was very well set up. Of particular interest to a number of us was to see actual piranha fish, often called "cannibal fish" because they can reduce a human being to a skeleton in double quick time. Our next visit was to a Sufi shrine which I had seen from the outside on Friday and had found it quite impressive. I was disappointed when I read the blurb about the Sufi, stating he had lived to about 500 years of age! One good thing about the shrine was that it commemorated some reputedly respectful Muslim-Sikh encounters of previous centuries. In fact, a number of Muslims and Sikhs visit the shrine, and this has an irenic impact which can be fully appreciated only when viewed against the slaughter of Partition.
Our full Convention programme had been slated to finish at lunchtime on Monday, but actually finished on Sunday evening. Six of us were able to be guests of the Bishop as he took us to Akhnoor and Kaleeth. Both of these places are very close to the border. In fact, in Kaleeth we were able to watch some artillery shooting practice by the Indian army. They were firing over a low ridge into a valley where nobody lives. We could see the flame shoot out of the barrel and then hear the big 'boom' and feel the building shake a little after each shell was fired. It was a reminder that the services provided by the Church in both Akhnoor and Kaleeth were performed in the shadow of the unresolved Kashmir situation.
We were grateful for the hospitality of the Bishop and of Fr. Ivan Pereira at St. Peter's School, where most of our ISA members stayed and where we held our ISA meetings. All the ISA members were glad they had come, though there was also a tinge of regret that things could have been better arranged and more fruitful as far as the Convention was concerned.
The story of the Fourteenth Convention of the Islamic Studies Association (ISA) began at the General Body Meeting of the Association held in Jhansi in February 2007. The significance of Jammu-Kashmir needs no elaboration. ISA decided to hold its next General Body Meeting and Convention in Jammu as a sign of solidarity with the local Church. Fr. Pushpa Anbu, ISA's Secretary, subsequently met Bishop Peter Celestine and informed him of ISA's plan. He welcomed the idea.
The real planning for the Convention began at the Managing Committee Meeting held in New Delhi on 23rd August 2008. Readers may recall that Jammu was greatly disturbed at this period. In fact, the town of Jammu was disturbed for 61 days. Fr. Anbu and I had tickets for the night train to Jammu, but these had to be cancelled. In view of what was happening in Jammu, we had to decide whether to go ahead with our plans to have the General Body Meeting and Convention there in February 2009. We felt we should keep to our plan out of solidarity with the Church and the people there.
By chance, Bishop Celestine was in New Delhi at the time. Fr. Anbu, Fr. Thomas Kunnunkal and I went to meet him on 24th morning and made our preliminary plans in consultation with him. It was decided to invite Muslims from different backgrounds to come and speak to us on a Saturday afternoon and have a follow-up meeting of Christians on the Sunday afternoon to hear about the activities of the members of the Association and formulate whatever action-plan seemed feasible in the circumstances. Monday morning would be devoted to visiting some prominent Muslim institutions in Jammu. It was also decided that Fr. Anbu and I would visit Jammu on sixth and seventh of December to help with the organization of the Convention.
A week before leaving for Jammu I happened to call on Maulana Nizamuddin, the Amir-i Shariat in Phulwari Sharif. We are old friends. I mentioned my upcoming trip to Jammu. Maulana Nizamuddin told me that the Imam of the Jama Masjid was Sadrul Hasan, a friend of his from Bihar. In Jammu, on the sixth of December, Fr. Anbu's train was a couple of hours late, so it was only after lunch that Bishop Celestine and we two were able to visit the Jama Masjid. It was around 2 p.m. and the Imam Sahib had gone home after the noon prayer. We noticed a number of policemen sitting outside the mosque. As Jammu is filled with a police, paramilitary and military presence, we thought that was 'normal' for Jammu. Only later on did we realize the significance of the date – the 6th December. It was the anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid, and the police presence was a precautionary measure, not something normal .
We met a bearded young man in kurta-pyjama and I explained how Maulana Nizamuddin had given me the name of the Imam Sahib. The young man quickly sized up the situation and told us he was the Imam's son. He then led us to his father's house. When we were seated, he went to call his father and arrange for some tea for us. Anbu and I noticed a clock on the wall with "Jamia Millia Islamia" written on it. Anbu had done his doctorate from Jamia, and I had done my master's degree there many years ago. Mahmud, the Imam's son, had done an engineering degree from Jamia Millia Islamia University. This created another bond between us and him.
The Imam was very open to our request to give us the names of prominent Muslims and institutions so we could invite people to speak to us at our forthcoming Convention. I jotted them down. In the evening we had a meeting called by the Bishop. A number of Catholics were there, as well as three Hindus, two gentlemen and one lady. These three were involved in the Jammu-Kashmir Peace Mission, the whole aim of which was to bring people together on the basis of their common citizenship and humanity, not according to their specific religious identity. This is a valid forum for a collaborative effort for peace, but ISA takes the religious identity of Muslims seriously and tries to foster understanding Muslims as human beings for whom their religion is a very important dimension of their lives. For many, it is the most important dimension.
At the end of the meeting, one of the priests, Fr. Johnson, volunteered to see to the organization of the Convention. It was agreed that Fr. Anbu would be the person in touch with him, and I would send material to Fr. Anbu for him to forward to Fr. Johnson. We knew everyone would be very busy in the pre-Christmas season, so actual contact would begin in early January.
I typed up a page and a half of material about the whole programme and gave the names and addresses of the Muslims mentioned by the Imam Sahib. These were forwarded, via Fr. Anbu, to Fr. Johnson. I booked my ticket to arrive early on 26th February, giving me two full days to do follow-up visits of the Muslim speakers Fr. Johnson had contacted in order to explain, once again, that we wanted to hear their stories, not a lecture on Islam. Our Convention was scheduled for 28th afternoon, beginning at 2:30 p.m.
At breakfast on 26th morning I discovered that the Bishop had gone to Srinagar the previous day and would be back on Friday afternoon, 27th. I also met two young couples who had flown down from Srinagar to speak at our Convention. Alarm bells began to ring, because ISA does not have money to pay for airfares. We invite Muslims from the town and are ready to pay local transport costs if requested. Fr. Kalathil, who is stationed in Jammu but goes regularly to Srinagar in connection with the Jammu-Kashmir Peace Mission, had invited them because they worked for the Peace Mission there. At about 10:30 am Fr. Kalathil phoned Fr. Johnson to let him know that I had arrived and was waiting to meet him. Unfortunately, he was delayed and we could meet only in the evening. He told me the two couples had been invited from Srinagar and a Muslim couple was expected from Patna, my friends, the Mashhadis. Regrettably, for family reasons, they were unable to come.
In the event, about 50 people were present. Fr. Kalathil organized an Opening Prayer. This was followed by a welcome note by the Bishop and an address by the President of the Islamic Studies Association. The visitors from Srinagar then shared their experiences with us. This took us to the tea break. After this Bishop Patrick Nair had a few words to say. Fr. Bob McCahill, who gave a PowerPoint presentation about the people he worked for in Bangladesh and explained his work, followed him. He is like a modern-day Jesus, going around the villages on a bicycle looking for children particularly with a cleft palate – commonly referred to as a "hair lip." He then takes them and some family members to Dhaka once a week and their deformity is removed by one of the best specialists in this field in the whole world. This was very inspiring. Sr. Manju then spoke of her work, particularly when she lived in a room with an open door between her and two buffaloes in the home of a Muslim family. I spoke about the "Exposure to Islam" programme I run, and then Fr. Thomas Kunnunkal aptly drew some practical lessons for all of us. Fr. Anbu, as Secretary of the Association, proposed the vote of thanks. Although the programme was not as we had envisioned it, we all agreed that, in the circumstances, it went off well. It was a fruitful afternoon, but we thought a great opportunity to make an even greater impact had been lost.
At the General Body Meeting of the Association on Sunday morning we examined the whole course of events and drew appropriate lessons for the future. In the afternoon, we formed part of a group of about sixteen to visit some Muslim institutions. When we went to the Jama Masjid a number of sisters admitted it was the first time they had ever entered a mosque. We were warmly welcomed and one young man gave us a demonstration of the ritual prayer performed five times a day. He went through all the gestures and recited the prayers in Arabic. We were grateful for this spontaneous demonstration. The next mosque was next to an underground aquarium which was very well set up. Of particular interest to a number of us was to see actual piranha fish, often called "cannibal fish" because they can reduce a human being to a skeleton in double quick time. Our next visit was to a Sufi shrine which I had seen from the outside on Friday and had found it quite impressive. I was disappointed when I read the blurb about the Sufi, stating he had lived to about 500 years of age! One good thing about the shrine was that it commemorated some reputedly respectful Muslim-Sikh encounters of previous centuries. In fact, a number of Muslims and Sikhs visit the shrine, and this has an irenic impact which can be fully appreciated only when viewed against the slaughter of Partition.
Our full Convention programme had been slated to finish at lunchtime on Monday, but actually finished on Sunday evening. Six of us were able to be guests of the Bishop as he took us to Akhnoor and Kaleeth. Both of these places are very close to the border. In fact, in Kaleeth we were able to watch some artillery shooting practice by the Indian army. They were firing over a low ridge into a valley where nobody lives. We could see the flame shoot out of the barrel and then hear the big 'boom' and feel the building shake a little after each shell was fired. It was a reminder that the services provided by the Church in both Akhnoor and Kaleeth were performed in the shadow of the unresolved Kashmir situation.
We were grateful for the hospitality of the Bishop and of Fr. Ivan Pereira at St. Peter's School, where most of our ISA members stayed and where we held our ISA meetings. All the ISA members were glad they had come, though there was also a tinge of regret that things could have been better arranged and more fruitful as far as the Convention was concerned.
DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE IN ONE GOD?
by Dr Paul Jackson SJ
Christian Worship
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This is the Christian equivalent of In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Just as Muslims begin many acts of devotion with this formula, so also, many Christians begin their acts of devotion with this particular formula. In the Quran, for example, you will find the bismillah, as it is called, at the head of the 114 suras (chapters), except for the ninth. At the beginning of the most sacred act of Christian worship, the Holy Eucharist, commonly known as the Mass, the priest begins In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, to which the people all reply, Amen. Their response indicates that they all agree to begin their act of worship In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. While they are reciting this short, introductory prayer, Christians make what is called "The Sign of the Cross." They place their left hand across their stomach, just beneath their ribs, and, as they say, In the name of the Father, they place the fingertips of their right hand on their forehead; and of the Son, they touch themselves just above their left hand; and of the Holy, they touch their left shoulder; Spirit, they touch their right shoulder. While adding, Amen, they bring their hands together.
Immediately after the Sign of the Cross at Mass the priest says: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all! To which the people respond: And also with you.
After the Introductory Rites there is a prayer, readings from the Bible and a homily delivered by the priest. The priest and all the people then proclaim their faith by reciting either The Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed. The former begins with I believe in God, while the latter begins with We believe in one God. When we come to the central prayer of the Mass, known as the Eucharistic Prayer – of which there are nine commonly used ones - the second one begins thus:
Father, it is our duty and our salvation,
Always and everywhere
To give you thanks
Through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
He is the Word through whom you made the universe…
In the final part of all the Eucharistic Prayers the priest says or sings:
Through him,
with him,
In him,
In the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honour is yours,
Almighty Father,
For ever and ever.
To which the people respond:
Amen.
The 'him' of this prayer is Jesus Christ. Immediately after the conclusion of the Eucharist Prayer, as given above, all recite the Lord's Prayer, which Jesus himself taught his disciples. It begins thus: Our Father in heaven, holy be your name, your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven… When the priest gives a final blessing to all the people, he says:
May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The people respond with:
Amen.
There can be no better indicator of the faith of Christians than the prayer formulae used during their most sacred form of worship, the Holy Eucharist. Briefly, Christians worship God, whom they address as 'Father'; they do so in union with Jesus Christ, whom they designate as 'Son'; and their prayer is offered in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the irrefutable rhythm of Christian worship. What lies behind it?
The Origin of Christian Worship
In order to answer this question it is necessary to recall the long struggle against the tendency of the Jewish people to be influenced by the polytheism of their neighbours and fall into idolatry. A careful reading of the biblical texts indicates that such aberrations were associated with a selfish disregard for others, especially the widow, the orphan and the stranger, the vulnerable members of Jewish society. The prophets insisted on the worship of Yahweh, the personal name for God in Hebrew. Jews, however, do not pronounce this name, out of respect. Instead they say 'Lord.' We will follow this convention. The prophets also insisted on the need for dealing justly with other people, especially the powerless, enumerated as the widow, the orphan and the stranger. By the time of Jesus, the Jews were firmly united in their worship of God. This worship had its focal point in the Temple in Jerusalem. King Herod had overseen the planning and early construction of a truly magnificent temple. We are told in the Gospels that it took forty-six years to build. It was the pride and joy of all Jews. It was the House of the Lord, the House of God, and its very existence reinforced their belief in the Lord as the one, unique God, and it was there that they came to worship Him. No matter where they were, when the time for prayer came, they turned in the direction of the Temple in order to pray. While the people wholeheartedly worshipped the Lord in His Temple, a veritable bazaar had been set up inside the premises of the Temple. Traders sold cattle, sheep and doves needed for worship, and, because people came from different countries, moneychangers had set up tables where they did a brisk business. All four Gospel narratives – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – recount how Jesus made a whip of cords and drove out the sellers and their cattle and sheep; overturned the tables of the moneychangers, spilling their coins all over the ground, and said to the sellers of doves: Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace! (John, 2:16) We notice that he called God, My Father.
Jesus addressed God as Father in his private prayer. The prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane, as he was about to be arrested, tried, unjustly condemned to death, scourged, forced to carry his cross to Golgotha, and there be crucified, is recorded by the authors of three Gospel narratives. My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want (Matthew, 26:39). Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want (Mark, 14:36). Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done (Luke, 22:42). It needs to be recalled that Jesus spoke Aramaic, but the Gospel narratives, as they have come down to us, were written in Greek. Hence the significance of Mark's use of the actual word used by Jesus, Abba, followed immediately by its Greek equivalent, given in English translation as Father. There is no need to explain the meaning of Abba to Muslims in India, nor to elaborate on the nuances of the word, used so lovingly and trustingly by small children as they address their father. These were the sentiments with which Jesus addressed God as Abba.
For Christians, the high point of God's revelation is found in the life, teaching, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. Not only did Jesus himself address God as Abba, but He also instructed his disciples to do the same: This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven,
holy be Your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts
as we forgive those
who are in debt to us.
Do not put us to the test
but deliver us from evil.
(Matthew, 6:9-13)
It is true that the Greek text has the ordinary word for father, and not the Aramaic Abba.
Nevertheless, Jesus clearly invited his disciples to turn towards God lovingly and trustingly, as
to a loving and much loved Father, as He himself did. The Gospel narratives make it clear that Jesus was in the habit of rising early and praying to God as his loving Father. This does not mean that He was not filled with a reverential awe for the unutterably infinite glory and majesty of God. He most certainly was. These sentiments of reverential awe might be thought of as the basic, foundational dimension of his whole attitude of heart and mind, but this whole thrust of his being was crowned, so to say, by the realization of a bond of such intimate love that we can only faintly appreciate its depth. It is in the strength of this bond of inexpressible love that Jesus is able to accept the cup of suffering offered to him in Gethsemane. The sentiment of awe invites us to bow down in adoration, while that of love enables us to embrace even things that naturally repel us. Christians vaguely sense all this when they address God as Father.
We have already noted the greeting used at the beginning of Mass. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. This greeting is based on the concluding prayer found at the end of the Second Letter to the Corinthians, of the Apostle Paul, (13:13), with only one change. The original has the Lord, while the greeting at Mass has our Lord. The probable date of this letter is 57 C.E. Its significance can be more fully grasped in the light of what scholars commonly accept as the first written text in the New Testament, Paul's First Letter to the Thessalonians, written probably in 51 C.E.
From Paul, Sylvanus and Timothy to the Church of Thessalonica which is in God the Father and in Christ Jesus the Lord:
May grace and peace be with you!
We give thanks to God at all times for you and remember you in our prayers. We constantly recall before God our Father the work of your faith, the labour of your love and your endurance in hope of Christ Jesus our Lord.
We know, brothers loved by God, that God has chosen you. For we brought the Good News to you, not merely with words, but also with power and the Holy Spirit. (1st Thessalonians, 1:1-5)
It is clear that Paul uses the Lord and our Lord interchangeably. This is the basis for choosing our Lord at the beginning of Mass. We also notice Paul's terminology regarding the word God. We read God the Father; God; God our Father; God and God. This is Paul's usage in his first letter, which constitutes the first words of the New Testament text as we have it. Paul was a Jew, as was Jesus, but he was not an ordinary Jew. He was a brilliant student of an outstanding scholar, Gamaliel. He was also a Pharisee who burned with zeal for the religion of his ancestors. This was why he entirely approved of the stoning of Stephen, and set about persecuting the Jews who had become Christians for deviating, as he thought, from the religion of their ancestors. For him, it was tantamount to a betrayal of God. Paul's whole consciousness was steeped in a profound reverence for God. If someone were to ask him if he believed in God, he would not have been able to understand the question, for his life was centred on God. This basic orientation never changed, as the repetition, five times, of the word God in the above quotation, clearly indicates.
Equally clearly, he had now embraced an added dimension to his consciousness of God. This newness can be traced to a life-changing experience on the outskirts of Damascus. He was on his way there to arrest and bring to Jerusalem any of the Jews who had become followers of the Way taught by Jesus. He himself relates what happened to him, using his old name, Saul:
As he travelled along and was approaching Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?" He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The voice replied, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do." (Acts of the Apostles, 9:3-6)
This life-changing encounter was of such importance for Paul that he narrates it in two more places in the same book, namely, 22:3-16 and 26:9-18. It could be more accurately called a "life-wrenching encounter." To appreciate the magnitude of the conversion we need only read Paul's own words about the vehemence of his previous attitude:
At one time I myself thought it my duty to use all possible means to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I did in Jerusalem and, with the authorisation of the chief priest, I put in prison many who believed; and I cast my vote when they were condemned to death.
I went round the synagogues and multiplied punishments against them to force them to renounce their faith; such was my rage against them that I pursued them even to foreign cities. (Acts, 26:9-11)
These are not the accusations of some enemy. These are Paul's own words. Clearly, Paul was full of God and of his Jewish religion. Equally clearly, he had no scruple about using violence in order to 'protect' his religion. Implicit in his attitude and actions was the belief that God condoned such violence. After all, it was purely in order to protect His religion! As a result of his encounter with the Risen Lord Jesus he understood that violence was incompatible with God's very nature of compassionate, merciful love. He could never sanction such violence perpetrated in His name! Paul now wholly belonged to the Lord Jesus and found he could address God as Father, as the above quotations unambiguously proclaim.
It could be suggested that Paul's previous 'knowledge' of God was more intellectual conviction than experiential knowledge. This conviction grew out of long study of the Jewish scripture, the Old Testament, under the famous Gamaliel. Moreover, anyone who reads the Old Testament could be excused for thinking that God condoned violence. For example, the 450 prophets of Baal failed to call down fire from heaven to consume their sacrifice, but when the prophet Elijah had prepared his sacrifice the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering (1Kings, 18:38). We then read what Elijah said to all the people: "Seize the prophets of Baal and let none of them escape." So they seized them. Then Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and had them slaughtered there (1 Kings, 18:40). Rene Girard and a number of scholars who have been influenced by him have shown the anthropological origins of what he termed "sacred violence." He argues persuasively for its ultimate rejection by the biblical revelation. The fact of violence in the Old Testament, however, helps us understand Paul's attitude before his conversion.
Paul addressed the small Christian community in Thessalonica as being in God the Father and in Christ Jesus the Lord. It is by being united to Christ Jesus that a Christian becomes united to God the Father. Although profoundly mysterious, the relationship is clearly interpersonal, and a Christian approaches God with the mind of Christ Jesus, with a clear emphasis on the love of God.
The simple answer to the question posed at the beginning of this chapter is "Yes! Christians do believe in One God." The chapter itself has attempted to describe the manner in which Christians believe in One God. It might be called the 'rhythm' of their belief. It is rooted and grounded in the experience of Jesus Christ. It is not the fruit of philosophical speculation. Its very complexity is a pointer towards the Infinite Mystery known as 'God.'
Christian Worship
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This is the Christian equivalent of In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Just as Muslims begin many acts of devotion with this formula, so also, many Christians begin their acts of devotion with this particular formula. In the Quran, for example, you will find the bismillah, as it is called, at the head of the 114 suras (chapters), except for the ninth. At the beginning of the most sacred act of Christian worship, the Holy Eucharist, commonly known as the Mass, the priest begins In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, to which the people all reply, Amen. Their response indicates that they all agree to begin their act of worship In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. While they are reciting this short, introductory prayer, Christians make what is called "The Sign of the Cross." They place their left hand across their stomach, just beneath their ribs, and, as they say, In the name of the Father, they place the fingertips of their right hand on their forehead; and of the Son, they touch themselves just above their left hand; and of the Holy, they touch their left shoulder; Spirit, they touch their right shoulder. While adding, Amen, they bring their hands together.
Immediately after the Sign of the Cross at Mass the priest says: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all! To which the people respond: And also with you.
After the Introductory Rites there is a prayer, readings from the Bible and a homily delivered by the priest. The priest and all the people then proclaim their faith by reciting either The Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed. The former begins with I believe in God, while the latter begins with We believe in one God. When we come to the central prayer of the Mass, known as the Eucharistic Prayer – of which there are nine commonly used ones - the second one begins thus:
Father, it is our duty and our salvation,
Always and everywhere
To give you thanks
Through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
He is the Word through whom you made the universe…
In the final part of all the Eucharistic Prayers the priest says or sings:
Through him,
with him,
In him,
In the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honour is yours,
Almighty Father,
For ever and ever.
To which the people respond:
Amen.
The 'him' of this prayer is Jesus Christ. Immediately after the conclusion of the Eucharist Prayer, as given above, all recite the Lord's Prayer, which Jesus himself taught his disciples. It begins thus: Our Father in heaven, holy be your name, your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven… When the priest gives a final blessing to all the people, he says:
May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The people respond with:
Amen.
There can be no better indicator of the faith of Christians than the prayer formulae used during their most sacred form of worship, the Holy Eucharist. Briefly, Christians worship God, whom they address as 'Father'; they do so in union with Jesus Christ, whom they designate as 'Son'; and their prayer is offered in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the irrefutable rhythm of Christian worship. What lies behind it?
The Origin of Christian Worship
In order to answer this question it is necessary to recall the long struggle against the tendency of the Jewish people to be influenced by the polytheism of their neighbours and fall into idolatry. A careful reading of the biblical texts indicates that such aberrations were associated with a selfish disregard for others, especially the widow, the orphan and the stranger, the vulnerable members of Jewish society. The prophets insisted on the worship of Yahweh, the personal name for God in Hebrew. Jews, however, do not pronounce this name, out of respect. Instead they say 'Lord.' We will follow this convention. The prophets also insisted on the need for dealing justly with other people, especially the powerless, enumerated as the widow, the orphan and the stranger. By the time of Jesus, the Jews were firmly united in their worship of God. This worship had its focal point in the Temple in Jerusalem. King Herod had overseen the planning and early construction of a truly magnificent temple. We are told in the Gospels that it took forty-six years to build. It was the pride and joy of all Jews. It was the House of the Lord, the House of God, and its very existence reinforced their belief in the Lord as the one, unique God, and it was there that they came to worship Him. No matter where they were, when the time for prayer came, they turned in the direction of the Temple in order to pray. While the people wholeheartedly worshipped the Lord in His Temple, a veritable bazaar had been set up inside the premises of the Temple. Traders sold cattle, sheep and doves needed for worship, and, because people came from different countries, moneychangers had set up tables where they did a brisk business. All four Gospel narratives – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – recount how Jesus made a whip of cords and drove out the sellers and their cattle and sheep; overturned the tables of the moneychangers, spilling their coins all over the ground, and said to the sellers of doves: Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace! (John, 2:16) We notice that he called God, My Father.
Jesus addressed God as Father in his private prayer. The prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane, as he was about to be arrested, tried, unjustly condemned to death, scourged, forced to carry his cross to Golgotha, and there be crucified, is recorded by the authors of three Gospel narratives. My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want (Matthew, 26:39). Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want (Mark, 14:36). Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done (Luke, 22:42). It needs to be recalled that Jesus spoke Aramaic, but the Gospel narratives, as they have come down to us, were written in Greek. Hence the significance of Mark's use of the actual word used by Jesus, Abba, followed immediately by its Greek equivalent, given in English translation as Father. There is no need to explain the meaning of Abba to Muslims in India, nor to elaborate on the nuances of the word, used so lovingly and trustingly by small children as they address their father. These were the sentiments with which Jesus addressed God as Abba.
For Christians, the high point of God's revelation is found in the life, teaching, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. Not only did Jesus himself address God as Abba, but He also instructed his disciples to do the same: This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven,
holy be Your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts
as we forgive those
who are in debt to us.
Do not put us to the test
but deliver us from evil.
(Matthew, 6:9-13)
It is true that the Greek text has the ordinary word for father, and not the Aramaic Abba.
Nevertheless, Jesus clearly invited his disciples to turn towards God lovingly and trustingly, as
to a loving and much loved Father, as He himself did. The Gospel narratives make it clear that Jesus was in the habit of rising early and praying to God as his loving Father. This does not mean that He was not filled with a reverential awe for the unutterably infinite glory and majesty of God. He most certainly was. These sentiments of reverential awe might be thought of as the basic, foundational dimension of his whole attitude of heart and mind, but this whole thrust of his being was crowned, so to say, by the realization of a bond of such intimate love that we can only faintly appreciate its depth. It is in the strength of this bond of inexpressible love that Jesus is able to accept the cup of suffering offered to him in Gethsemane. The sentiment of awe invites us to bow down in adoration, while that of love enables us to embrace even things that naturally repel us. Christians vaguely sense all this when they address God as Father.
We have already noted the greeting used at the beginning of Mass. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. This greeting is based on the concluding prayer found at the end of the Second Letter to the Corinthians, of the Apostle Paul, (13:13), with only one change. The original has the Lord, while the greeting at Mass has our Lord. The probable date of this letter is 57 C.E. Its significance can be more fully grasped in the light of what scholars commonly accept as the first written text in the New Testament, Paul's First Letter to the Thessalonians, written probably in 51 C.E.
From Paul, Sylvanus and Timothy to the Church of Thessalonica which is in God the Father and in Christ Jesus the Lord:
May grace and peace be with you!
We give thanks to God at all times for you and remember you in our prayers. We constantly recall before God our Father the work of your faith, the labour of your love and your endurance in hope of Christ Jesus our Lord.
We know, brothers loved by God, that God has chosen you. For we brought the Good News to you, not merely with words, but also with power and the Holy Spirit. (1st Thessalonians, 1:1-5)
It is clear that Paul uses the Lord and our Lord interchangeably. This is the basis for choosing our Lord at the beginning of Mass. We also notice Paul's terminology regarding the word God. We read God the Father; God; God our Father; God and God. This is Paul's usage in his first letter, which constitutes the first words of the New Testament text as we have it. Paul was a Jew, as was Jesus, but he was not an ordinary Jew. He was a brilliant student of an outstanding scholar, Gamaliel. He was also a Pharisee who burned with zeal for the religion of his ancestors. This was why he entirely approved of the stoning of Stephen, and set about persecuting the Jews who had become Christians for deviating, as he thought, from the religion of their ancestors. For him, it was tantamount to a betrayal of God. Paul's whole consciousness was steeped in a profound reverence for God. If someone were to ask him if he believed in God, he would not have been able to understand the question, for his life was centred on God. This basic orientation never changed, as the repetition, five times, of the word God in the above quotation, clearly indicates.
Equally clearly, he had now embraced an added dimension to his consciousness of God. This newness can be traced to a life-changing experience on the outskirts of Damascus. He was on his way there to arrest and bring to Jerusalem any of the Jews who had become followers of the Way taught by Jesus. He himself relates what happened to him, using his old name, Saul:
As he travelled along and was approaching Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?" He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The voice replied, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do." (Acts of the Apostles, 9:3-6)
This life-changing encounter was of such importance for Paul that he narrates it in two more places in the same book, namely, 22:3-16 and 26:9-18. It could be more accurately called a "life-wrenching encounter." To appreciate the magnitude of the conversion we need only read Paul's own words about the vehemence of his previous attitude:
At one time I myself thought it my duty to use all possible means to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I did in Jerusalem and, with the authorisation of the chief priest, I put in prison many who believed; and I cast my vote when they were condemned to death.
I went round the synagogues and multiplied punishments against them to force them to renounce their faith; such was my rage against them that I pursued them even to foreign cities. (Acts, 26:9-11)
These are not the accusations of some enemy. These are Paul's own words. Clearly, Paul was full of God and of his Jewish religion. Equally clearly, he had no scruple about using violence in order to 'protect' his religion. Implicit in his attitude and actions was the belief that God condoned such violence. After all, it was purely in order to protect His religion! As a result of his encounter with the Risen Lord Jesus he understood that violence was incompatible with God's very nature of compassionate, merciful love. He could never sanction such violence perpetrated in His name! Paul now wholly belonged to the Lord Jesus and found he could address God as Father, as the above quotations unambiguously proclaim.
It could be suggested that Paul's previous 'knowledge' of God was more intellectual conviction than experiential knowledge. This conviction grew out of long study of the Jewish scripture, the Old Testament, under the famous Gamaliel. Moreover, anyone who reads the Old Testament could be excused for thinking that God condoned violence. For example, the 450 prophets of Baal failed to call down fire from heaven to consume their sacrifice, but when the prophet Elijah had prepared his sacrifice the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering (1Kings, 18:38). We then read what Elijah said to all the people: "Seize the prophets of Baal and let none of them escape." So they seized them. Then Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and had them slaughtered there (1 Kings, 18:40). Rene Girard and a number of scholars who have been influenced by him have shown the anthropological origins of what he termed "sacred violence." He argues persuasively for its ultimate rejection by the biblical revelation. The fact of violence in the Old Testament, however, helps us understand Paul's attitude before his conversion.
Paul addressed the small Christian community in Thessalonica as being in God the Father and in Christ Jesus the Lord. It is by being united to Christ Jesus that a Christian becomes united to God the Father. Although profoundly mysterious, the relationship is clearly interpersonal, and a Christian approaches God with the mind of Christ Jesus, with a clear emphasis on the love of God.
The simple answer to the question posed at the beginning of this chapter is "Yes! Christians do believe in One God." The chapter itself has attempted to describe the manner in which Christians believe in One God. It might be called the 'rhythm' of their belief. It is rooted and grounded in the experience of Jesus Christ. It is not the fruit of philosophical speculation. Its very complexity is a pointer towards the Infinite Mystery known as 'God.'
A DAY AT ST ETHELBURGA
by Victor Edwin SJ
St Ethelburga Centre for Reconciliation and Peace is a small building in the heart of London that offers a peaceful place where people of all faiths build healthy relationships across political, religious and cultural divisions. St Ethelburga's is a place where different faith traditions work together to promote reconciliation and peace "by creating safe space for difficult encounters, advancing practical models for reconciliation and inter-religious cooperation, and celebrating those who put them into practice, we can demonstrate an alternative to violent conflict." A short prayer for an end to violence which is displayed at the Centre was one of the most beautiful prayers that I have ever prayed.
God of life
“Every act of violence in our world, between myself and another, destroys a part of your creation. Stir in my heart a renewed sense of reverence for all life. Give me the vision to recognize your spirit in every human being, however they behave towards me. Make possible the impossible by cultivating in me the fertile seed of healing love. May I play my part in breaking the cycle of violence by realizing that peace begins with me... “
The medieval Church of St Ethelburga in Bishopsgate was one of the oldest buildings in the City of London. It escaped the Great Fire of London in the 17th century and survived the bombing of London in the Second World War unscathed. In 1993, a huge IRA lorry bomb targeted at the financial centres and banks all around, devastated the church. "10 years and 3 million pounds of fundraising later, it reopened as a Centre for Reconciliation and Peace providing a unique place of meeting inside its restored mediaeval walls." I had the opportunity to attend a program in this oasis of peace to reflect on Christian-Muslim Relations.
Our meeting took place in the Tent at St Ethelburga's. "The Tent is a remarkable new space dedicated to the meeting of faiths. It is modeled on a traditional Bedouin design, and set in an Andalusian garden. Specialists form Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Israel collaborated with young people in the UK to create a circular space in which people of different faiths can meet as equals to explore the differences between faiths." We were a group of Christians from different traditions and smaller number of Muslims. The theme for the day was "Understanding Jesus and Muhammad for Muslims and Christians". We reflected on Muhammad, the prophet of Muslims. It was felt that Christians needed to have a learned and dignified understanding of Muhammad in order to carry forward the dialogue between Christians and Muslims. Muslims view Muhammad as the exemplary role model of Qur'anic teachings. Muslims believe that he was sent to establish a pathway on earth to lead people to Paradise. However in history Christians have often spoken badly of Muhammad; such an attitude closed the doors of dialogue. While not being able to share the Muslim view of him as a sinless exemplar in all ways, we were encouraged to look at elements of his life that could indeed act as a model of virtue for Christians.
The important question is: as a Christian what can I say about Muhammad? Within Christian theology, is there a space for a positive understanding of Muhammad? One needs to explore from within one's own tradition. As a Catholic Christian I have a beautiful starting point: the Catholic Church's Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions (Vatican Council II Documents). In this document the Council Fathers expressed their great esteem for Muslims in this way: ''Upon the Muslims, too, the Church looks with esteem. They adore one God, living and enduring, merciful and all powerful, Maker of heaven and earth and Speaker to men.'' It is also important to speak of Muhammad with dignity drawing upon the Muslim sources as well as our own faith traditions. Surely, the Spirit blows where she wills and God uses people who are not Hebrews (e.g. the Queen of Sheba and Cyrus the Persian) in a prophetic role. The teacher, Dr Chris Hewer, St Ethelburga Fellow in Christian-Muslim Relations, talked about a comment by the 8th Century Nestorian Katholikos Timothy. When asked by the Muslim Caliph what he thought of Muhammad, Katholikos Timothy said "Muhammad walked in the way of the prophets." Muslims and Christians have a different definition of the term prophet; for Christians they are not sinless, perfect exemplars of a Godly way of life, for example, but it is important that Christians should be able to speak of Muhammad in a dignified and informed way.
In the session I was happy to meet Sadat Malik, a man of Pakistani heritage, who was born and brought up in the UK. During the tea break someone asked me about the relationship between India and Pakistan. I said that both Indians and Pakistanis want to live in peace with one another. However, the political and ideological powers that control both India and Pakistan do not want peace. They create situations that fuel animosity between people. Sadat Malik joined us and told me that he was delighted to hear such a remark. He asked me whether I was involved in any way in peace related activities between India and Pakistan. It gave me an opportunity to tell him of my involvement in the Pakistan India Peoples' Forum for Peace and Democracy and about the joint convention that I attended in Delhi. I told him the many delightful conversations I had with human rights activists, students, teachers, children and trade unionists from Pakistan. It was an eye opener for me to see how ordinary people long for peace and good neighborly relations with India. He too affirmed that common men and women want peace so that they can get along with their lives. We talked about his work with financial institutions, the present credit crunch and my research on Christian-Muslim relations. We now keep in touch with one another through e-mail. After the program I had a long and interesting conversation with Dr Chris Hewer. First we talked about The Common Word, the document on which I am working for my MPhil dissertation. The Common Word is a Letter issued by 138 Muslim religious scholars to the Pope and other Christian leaders inviting them to enter a dialogue on what could be mutually recognised and accepted in both religious traditions. The Muslim leaders proposed the "Love of God and Love of Neighbour" as a common starting point for such relations. We discussed many issues connected with the Letter. Chris told me that this document has the potential to carry forward the process of Christian-Muslim dialogue. However, it needs to be studied carefully and discussed in length, especially the areas that are ambiguous. We dropped in for a meal at a Polish restaurant near Clapham Common. The meal was delicious and it was a great celebration of life and learning for me.
St Ethelburga Centre for Reconciliation and Peace is a small building in the heart of London that offers a peaceful place where people of all faiths build healthy relationships across political, religious and cultural divisions. St Ethelburga's is a place where different faith traditions work together to promote reconciliation and peace "by creating safe space for difficult encounters, advancing practical models for reconciliation and inter-religious cooperation, and celebrating those who put them into practice, we can demonstrate an alternative to violent conflict." A short prayer for an end to violence which is displayed at the Centre was one of the most beautiful prayers that I have ever prayed.
God of life
“Every act of violence in our world, between myself and another, destroys a part of your creation. Stir in my heart a renewed sense of reverence for all life. Give me the vision to recognize your spirit in every human being, however they behave towards me. Make possible the impossible by cultivating in me the fertile seed of healing love. May I play my part in breaking the cycle of violence by realizing that peace begins with me... “
The medieval Church of St Ethelburga in Bishopsgate was one of the oldest buildings in the City of London. It escaped the Great Fire of London in the 17th century and survived the bombing of London in the Second World War unscathed. In 1993, a huge IRA lorry bomb targeted at the financial centres and banks all around, devastated the church. "10 years and 3 million pounds of fundraising later, it reopened as a Centre for Reconciliation and Peace providing a unique place of meeting inside its restored mediaeval walls." I had the opportunity to attend a program in this oasis of peace to reflect on Christian-Muslim Relations.
Our meeting took place in the Tent at St Ethelburga's. "The Tent is a remarkable new space dedicated to the meeting of faiths. It is modeled on a traditional Bedouin design, and set in an Andalusian garden. Specialists form Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Israel collaborated with young people in the UK to create a circular space in which people of different faiths can meet as equals to explore the differences between faiths." We were a group of Christians from different traditions and smaller number of Muslims. The theme for the day was "Understanding Jesus and Muhammad for Muslims and Christians". We reflected on Muhammad, the prophet of Muslims. It was felt that Christians needed to have a learned and dignified understanding of Muhammad in order to carry forward the dialogue between Christians and Muslims. Muslims view Muhammad as the exemplary role model of Qur'anic teachings. Muslims believe that he was sent to establish a pathway on earth to lead people to Paradise. However in history Christians have often spoken badly of Muhammad; such an attitude closed the doors of dialogue. While not being able to share the Muslim view of him as a sinless exemplar in all ways, we were encouraged to look at elements of his life that could indeed act as a model of virtue for Christians.
The important question is: as a Christian what can I say about Muhammad? Within Christian theology, is there a space for a positive understanding of Muhammad? One needs to explore from within one's own tradition. As a Catholic Christian I have a beautiful starting point: the Catholic Church's Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions (Vatican Council II Documents). In this document the Council Fathers expressed their great esteem for Muslims in this way: ''Upon the Muslims, too, the Church looks with esteem. They adore one God, living and enduring, merciful and all powerful, Maker of heaven and earth and Speaker to men.'' It is also important to speak of Muhammad with dignity drawing upon the Muslim sources as well as our own faith traditions. Surely, the Spirit blows where she wills and God uses people who are not Hebrews (e.g. the Queen of Sheba and Cyrus the Persian) in a prophetic role. The teacher, Dr Chris Hewer, St Ethelburga Fellow in Christian-Muslim Relations, talked about a comment by the 8th Century Nestorian Katholikos Timothy. When asked by the Muslim Caliph what he thought of Muhammad, Katholikos Timothy said "Muhammad walked in the way of the prophets." Muslims and Christians have a different definition of the term prophet; for Christians they are not sinless, perfect exemplars of a Godly way of life, for example, but it is important that Christians should be able to speak of Muhammad in a dignified and informed way.
In the session I was happy to meet Sadat Malik, a man of Pakistani heritage, who was born and brought up in the UK. During the tea break someone asked me about the relationship between India and Pakistan. I said that both Indians and Pakistanis want to live in peace with one another. However, the political and ideological powers that control both India and Pakistan do not want peace. They create situations that fuel animosity between people. Sadat Malik joined us and told me that he was delighted to hear such a remark. He asked me whether I was involved in any way in peace related activities between India and Pakistan. It gave me an opportunity to tell him of my involvement in the Pakistan India Peoples' Forum for Peace and Democracy and about the joint convention that I attended in Delhi. I told him the many delightful conversations I had with human rights activists, students, teachers, children and trade unionists from Pakistan. It was an eye opener for me to see how ordinary people long for peace and good neighborly relations with India. He too affirmed that common men and women want peace so that they can get along with their lives. We talked about his work with financial institutions, the present credit crunch and my research on Christian-Muslim relations. We now keep in touch with one another through e-mail. After the program I had a long and interesting conversation with Dr Chris Hewer. First we talked about The Common Word, the document on which I am working for my MPhil dissertation. The Common Word is a Letter issued by 138 Muslim religious scholars to the Pope and other Christian leaders inviting them to enter a dialogue on what could be mutually recognised and accepted in both religious traditions. The Muslim leaders proposed the "Love of God and Love of Neighbour" as a common starting point for such relations. We discussed many issues connected with the Letter. Chris told me that this document has the potential to carry forward the process of Christian-Muslim dialogue. However, it needs to be studied carefully and discussed in length, especially the areas that are ambiguous. We dropped in for a meal at a Polish restaurant near Clapham Common. The meal was delicious and it was a great celebration of life and learning for me.
CHRISTIAN - MUSLIM DIALOGUE: AN INTERVIEW
Dr Chris Hewer is the St Ethelburga Fellow in Christian-Muslim Relations. Chris has a background in Christian theology, education and Islamic Studies and has worked in the field of Muslims in Britain and Christian-Muslim relations since 1986. From 1999 to 2005 worked as the Adviser on Inter-Faith Relations to the Bishop of Birmingham. He is the author of the recently published "Understanding Islam" SCM 2006). Victor Edwin SJ speaks to Dr Chris Hewer on Christian - Muslim Relations.
Dr Chris, how did you get interested in Christian-Muslim Relations?
This was an act of Providence; one of those ways in which God takes a hand in our lives without our being aware of it at the time. In 1984, I was assigned to teach religious education in a state secondary school in Birmingham. There were 1250 pupils but only a handful had any kind of religious background. We were obliged to teach under the Birmingham Agreed Syllabus for RE, which required us to cover at least two and no more than three religions from a list of six, one of which had to be Christianity. We chose the religions that have a particular place for Abraham in their systems: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. As I had spent nine years in the study of philosophy and Christian theology under a variety of tutors, I thought that I knew something about that. All students of Christian theology think that they know something about Judaism in the light of their biblical studies; until they realise that it has developed markedly over the last 2000 years! I had to improve my knowledge of living Judaism so that I could teach it. But I was aware that I knew nothing at all about Islam. This took me to the Centre for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at Selly Oak in Birmingham, where I began an MA in Islamic Studies over two years in addition to teaching full-time.
My expectation was that afterwards I would concentrate on school-based education but I became involved in questions of the education of Muslims in Britain. After my MA, I reduced my teaching in school to part-time so that I could devote the next three years to negotiating a teacher training programme at Selly Oak whilst also writing my MPhil on "Controverted questions of Islamic Education in Britain". After this I joined the staff at the Centre and spent some years setting up and running the Muslims in Britain Documentation Project and eventually completing my PhD on "Fazlur Rahman: A reinterpretation of Islam in the 20th Century". Finally I joined the staff of the Anglican Bishop of Birmingham as Adviser on Inter-Faith Relations from 1999 to 2005.
As Fellow in Christian-Muslim Relations at St Ethelburga Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, how do you share your expertise and knowledge?
I am supported in my work by a syndicate of four charitable foundations, both Christian and Muslim, of which St Ethelburga's is one. My brief is to concentrate exclusively on adult popular education on Understanding Islam and Christian-Muslim relations across Greater London. Through the generosity of my funders, I am able to offer my services without charge for time or expenses. Each term, I deliver six ten-week courses on Understanding Islam simultaneously. These are generally hosted by churches, mosques, education centres, colleges and suchlike around the capital. I expect between 150 and 200 people in total between the six courses each term. We work our way through the material covered by my course book Understanding Islam: The first ten steps, London: SCM, 2006. In addition I deliver study days and occasional talks on the same material. Then there are specialised follow-up days on a range of topics, tailored training for various professionals and talks/courses on Understanding Christianity for Muslims.
How important is Christian-Muslim Dialogue for Europe, especially in the UK?
Over the last fifty years, Europe has undergone one of the most important demographic changes in its history. There are now some 15million Muslims in Western Europe, not to mention, especially in Britain, significant communities of Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs. This kind of religious plurality is something quite new for us, although there have been Jewish communities in Europe for centuries; often treated with suspicion and discrimination by European Christians. We are in completely uncharted waters, both sociologically and theologically. In Britain, the overwhelming majority of members of these new religious communities are full British citizens, permanently settled and now in their third and fourth generations. We need therefore to ask first how we make space in our societies for people of other faiths to live with integrity under God within the context of a European culture that has deep Christian roots over the last two millennia.
Our European societies are in the process of change and development. The separation of religion and state in Europe means that we have to ask about the role of religion in our societies, especially as many Europeans do not today subscribe to a clearly defined faith commitment but would describe themselves as increasingly secular. As we move into this new situation, the religions face a new challenge. We need to explore what it is to live a life based on faith in God that shapes every aspect of our personal, family, economic, political and social lives together. We are forced to address the question of what we have in our great "treasuries of wisdom" built up over centuries and millennia, which can contribute to addressing the question: "What is it to be truly human and to live in a human society?" We are forced by society to discuss and define what we have to say about human values lived out under God that can make life truly worth living. Such discussions need to be conducted with fidelity to God and our on-going traditions, in a spirit of humility for God's sake, as St Francis of Assisi would put it, for the sake of the common good.
Has the Catholic Church in the last forty years (from the time of Nostra Aetate) improved its understanding of Islam and relations with Muslims? The Catholic Church has a particular position of strength in this matter based on the documents of the Second Vatican Council, which represents its highest teaching authority. This has its reflections in similar statements emanating from the Lambeth Conference, for the Anglican Communion, and from the World Council of Churches. However Vatican II's statements contained in Nostra Aetate (§3) and Lumen Gentium (§16) have the particular merit of stating explicitly that Muslims worship the One True God and live lives of prayer and charity in faithful service to God. This is a major step, which can be appreciated when one considers the history of Christian-Muslim relations, which were more often characterised by polemic, denunciation and apologetic. The importance of these documents as a first positive step cannot be over-emphasised but there were elements on which the Council was silent, for example on the place of the Prophet Muhammad and on the nature of the Qur'an. Such topics, which are absolutely central to Islam, spur us on to take further the process of study and mutual exploration, both intellectually and intuitively, as two communities of faith under God.
How important is theology for Christian-Muslim dialogue?
In this context, theology is the art of a person of faith trying to explain with clarity what they believe in words that can be understood without ambiguity by members of the other faith tradition. This is immensely difficult as often we do not share a common language and set of theological concepts, so manifestly it is easy for there to be misunderstanding. In this, we stand in the same position as Christian and Muslim theologians in Damascus, Baghdad, Spain and India in our history. However we now live in an age of mass popular education and mass communication, which has never existed in the past. It is now communities of believers who engage in this work and not remote scholars. Our work must be done in the light of world events and with the knowledge that, in an instant, documents, ideas and conflicts can be shared with an audience of millions via the Internet. What we do and say in Europe today has its influence and impact on a world-wide canvas.
As people of faith, our work must always be theological and not just sociological. We must take seriously what God has done in our respective communities and that we are accountable to God and humanity for what we do and say. This means that Christian theologians and believers must take seriously the question of what God might be saying to us about being faithful servants of God in and through the Qur'an, the lived example and teaching of Muhammad and the faithful lives of Muslims down through the centuries and today. Similarly, we must remain faithful to the unique revelation of God in Christ in the person of the Incarnate Word, our Christian experience of God as eternally relational in our Trinitarian understanding, and that Christ is the universal Saviour of the World with all that means to a Christian, in terms of redemption, to live now in the Resurrected Christ and the Christian vocation to be co-heirs with Christ to the Kingdom. This gives us an awesome responsibility under God to think, speak and act with clarity, so that we genuinely hear and learn what God is saying through believers and their tradition, and at the same time communicate without misunderstanding from our own unique perspective. This is the task and responsibility of theology in Christian-Muslim relations.
Many seem to complain that dialogue often remains at the initial level of exchanging compliments. Why do we fear leaving such familiar shores?
Perhaps one element of this timidity is a lack of a developed and lively faith on our part, coupled with human arrogance in not being willing to allow God to be God and instead wanting to confine God by imposing on God the limits of our own human understanding. Who am I to complain if God chooses to act in and through another faith community? Who am I to tell God that in my human frailty and paucity of vision, I must be able to understand the mind and will of God right here and now? There are huge areas of overlap between the faithful lives of Muslim and Christian (and other) believers that can only be valued and cherished experientially by sensing with the heart how the Spirit is at work outside the visible Christian community. We need to live, work, study and pray together so that we are open to the promptings of the Spirit in the life and faith of fellow travellers in another faith tradition. This requires prolonged and deep exposure in vulnerability, as Christ made himself vulnerable for our sakes, if we are to hear these promptings.
One of our human gifts is the capacity for rational thought and intellection. This is true for all human beings, in our various capacities, and especially for the trained scholars of different faiths so that we must seek to identify, articulate and live out the particularities of what God has done in us as individuals and as communities of faith. When I talk to Christians about Islam or when I speak to Muslims about Christianity, I ask them to take the bold step of empathetic understanding; to feel themselves in another paradigm that is quite different to their own. There are major and fundamental differences of understanding of God and of the God-human relationship between Christians and Muslims. These cannot be ironed out until they look the same, chopped up into small pieces to camouflage the difference, or insisted upon to the denial of the faith, humanity and dignity of the other believer. God understands the resolution of these differences and my duty is to bear faithful witness to what God has done in my life and in my tradition without the arrogance of usurping the infinite wisdom of God, whilst being open to the action and presence of God in the lives and faith of others.
To progress then beyond the initial level requires humility before God, who is the God of all humankind: Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer and ultimate Resting Place. It requires truly knowing and valuing fellow believers in other traditions as Children of God, in our hearts and in our intellects, and then seeking ways to explore what God has planted through the gift of humanity and faith. This requires a sustained human, theological and spiritual engagement, in which we build from one step to the next in faithfulness to the findings, promises and experiences that we discerned at the lower level. Only then can we move off "square one" in our journey of Christian-Muslim relations.
Coming to the Common Word Open Letter, do you think that the text has the potential to carry forward dialogue between Christians and Muslims?
The Common Word Open Letter is to be welcomed as an initial step from a group of Muslim scholars as a way of opening up a dialogue. It can be seen as an attempt to shift the consensus within Muslim thought in a direction of seeking an agreed ethical base for Christian-Muslim action in the world. The Great Commandment, to love God and neighbour, is the heart of the Christian ethical system, not, of course, the heart of the Christian faith as such, which would be more in terms of the unique action of God in Christ reaching out to call, guide and save humanity through entering into a new relationship within the Trinitarian unity of the Godhead. We must not over-emphasise the magnitude of the step seen within this context. Like any bold document laid upon the table of public discourse it prompts discussion, agreement, disagreement, clarification and an on-going process of exploration. Like all good ethics, it requires the support of lived reality to give it its true value and meaning.
Any document with multiple signatories but without identified authors has a necessary degree of anonymity about it. We await the single-author monographs that explain and defend the positions taken against the backdrop of centuries of Muslim scholarship. Any document written to attract multiple signatories lays itself open to a variety of interpretations so we must await the bold scholars who will explain how they interpreted the text before deciding to append their signature. Again any document that is circulated for signature in more than one language carries the necessary ambiguity of language, concept and context that only time and further writing can clarify. Many eminent scholars around the world have not appended their names to the Letter; we await the internal Muslim critical writing which might help bring out, and indeed demand, further clarification and debate amongst Muslim scholars.
In the same way, the responses by Christian scholars and organisations have been of varying character. Some have been characterised by ebullient rejoicing rather than by informed critical scholarship. Some have seen flaws in argument or documentation that raise concerns in their minds. Many have genuinely embraced the opportunity that the document offers to reflect on and articulate Christian theological and ethical perspectives around the common theme proposed. The document and its responses are as yet in their infancy; perhaps with maturity something of greater value and abiding worth will grow from this initiative. As we say in English: every mighty oak grows from a single acorn, and as the Qur'an would counsel us: God does not withdraw a verse without bringing something better to replace it.
Does the Common Word Open Letter express a new approach towards Christian faith among the Muslim thinkers who signed it?
We are not at liberty to say what is in the mind of the Muslim thinkers who signed the document; they must do that for themselves. It is clear that the mere fact that the document exists is a positive step in Christian-Muslim dialogue based on a Muslim initiative and thus to be welcomed.
What do you think about the quotations from Jewish and Christian scriptures in the Common Word Open Letter in the light of Muslim understandings of tahrif?
The quotations from the Bible in the Letter are from passages that can be seen to agree with the teaching of Islam contained in the Qur'an. This is not a new step in Christian-Muslim interaction as Muslims are required as an article of faith to believe that Jesus received an authentic scripture from God, the Injil, and so it is quite plausible that some elements of it have been retained by Christians in the New Testament. The criterion for making a judgment on the authenticity of any particular element within the Bible must be the extent to which it agrees with the Qur'an, which is in Islamic understanding al-furqan, the Criterion. The mere citation of selected verses from the Bible that agree with the Qur'an therefore says nothing about the general principle of tahrif (distortion or falsification of earlier scriptures). It may indicate that the writers were taking the Bible seriously and with respect but it says nothing about authenticity. The fact that Muslim scholars in the present time are prepared in an Open Letter to cite from the Bible in a positive and respectful way is of course to be welcomed.
The Common Word Open Letter does not have many signatories from South Asia. Do you think that South Asian Christians and Muslims could contribute in the dialogue process in any special way in the light of this Letter?
It would be helpful for a scholar to calculate the number of Muslims from each country represented by a signatory and then to divide this number by the number of signatories from that country; this might indicate that the representational nature of the document is not as high as it at first seems, e.g. a relatively small Muslim population in Jordan is represented by fifteen signatories, whereas a massive Muslim population in Indonesia, larger than all Arab Muslims combined, is represented by only one. The Muslim populations of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh account for perhaps 40% of all Muslims currently on earth; this makes their voice of serious moment in such discussions. South Asian Muslim thinkers have a proud reputation in recent centuries and those who inherit their legacy today have a considerable burden to carry. Similarly there is a wide variety of Christians in these South Asian countries, who approach matters of relating to Muslims (and people of other faiths) quite differently to Arabs or Europeans. It is this genius of living for millennia in societies of diverse character (ethnically, religiously, culturally and linguistically) that needs to be tapped and brought to bear on questions of Christian-Muslim relations.
Dr Chris, how did you get interested in Christian-Muslim Relations?
This was an act of Providence; one of those ways in which God takes a hand in our lives without our being aware of it at the time. In 1984, I was assigned to teach religious education in a state secondary school in Birmingham. There were 1250 pupils but only a handful had any kind of religious background. We were obliged to teach under the Birmingham Agreed Syllabus for RE, which required us to cover at least two and no more than three religions from a list of six, one of which had to be Christianity. We chose the religions that have a particular place for Abraham in their systems: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. As I had spent nine years in the study of philosophy and Christian theology under a variety of tutors, I thought that I knew something about that. All students of Christian theology think that they know something about Judaism in the light of their biblical studies; until they realise that it has developed markedly over the last 2000 years! I had to improve my knowledge of living Judaism so that I could teach it. But I was aware that I knew nothing at all about Islam. This took me to the Centre for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at Selly Oak in Birmingham, where I began an MA in Islamic Studies over two years in addition to teaching full-time.
My expectation was that afterwards I would concentrate on school-based education but I became involved in questions of the education of Muslims in Britain. After my MA, I reduced my teaching in school to part-time so that I could devote the next three years to negotiating a teacher training programme at Selly Oak whilst also writing my MPhil on "Controverted questions of Islamic Education in Britain". After this I joined the staff at the Centre and spent some years setting up and running the Muslims in Britain Documentation Project and eventually completing my PhD on "Fazlur Rahman: A reinterpretation of Islam in the 20th Century". Finally I joined the staff of the Anglican Bishop of Birmingham as Adviser on Inter-Faith Relations from 1999 to 2005.
As Fellow in Christian-Muslim Relations at St Ethelburga Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, how do you share your expertise and knowledge?
I am supported in my work by a syndicate of four charitable foundations, both Christian and Muslim, of which St Ethelburga's is one. My brief is to concentrate exclusively on adult popular education on Understanding Islam and Christian-Muslim relations across Greater London. Through the generosity of my funders, I am able to offer my services without charge for time or expenses. Each term, I deliver six ten-week courses on Understanding Islam simultaneously. These are generally hosted by churches, mosques, education centres, colleges and suchlike around the capital. I expect between 150 and 200 people in total between the six courses each term. We work our way through the material covered by my course book Understanding Islam: The first ten steps, London: SCM, 2006. In addition I deliver study days and occasional talks on the same material. Then there are specialised follow-up days on a range of topics, tailored training for various professionals and talks/courses on Understanding Christianity for Muslims.
How important is Christian-Muslim Dialogue for Europe, especially in the UK?
Over the last fifty years, Europe has undergone one of the most important demographic changes in its history. There are now some 15million Muslims in Western Europe, not to mention, especially in Britain, significant communities of Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs. This kind of religious plurality is something quite new for us, although there have been Jewish communities in Europe for centuries; often treated with suspicion and discrimination by European Christians. We are in completely uncharted waters, both sociologically and theologically. In Britain, the overwhelming majority of members of these new religious communities are full British citizens, permanently settled and now in their third and fourth generations. We need therefore to ask first how we make space in our societies for people of other faiths to live with integrity under God within the context of a European culture that has deep Christian roots over the last two millennia.
Our European societies are in the process of change and development. The separation of religion and state in Europe means that we have to ask about the role of religion in our societies, especially as many Europeans do not today subscribe to a clearly defined faith commitment but would describe themselves as increasingly secular. As we move into this new situation, the religions face a new challenge. We need to explore what it is to live a life based on faith in God that shapes every aspect of our personal, family, economic, political and social lives together. We are forced to address the question of what we have in our great "treasuries of wisdom" built up over centuries and millennia, which can contribute to addressing the question: "What is it to be truly human and to live in a human society?" We are forced by society to discuss and define what we have to say about human values lived out under God that can make life truly worth living. Such discussions need to be conducted with fidelity to God and our on-going traditions, in a spirit of humility for God's sake, as St Francis of Assisi would put it, for the sake of the common good.
Has the Catholic Church in the last forty years (from the time of Nostra Aetate) improved its understanding of Islam and relations with Muslims? The Catholic Church has a particular position of strength in this matter based on the documents of the Second Vatican Council, which represents its highest teaching authority. This has its reflections in similar statements emanating from the Lambeth Conference, for the Anglican Communion, and from the World Council of Churches. However Vatican II's statements contained in Nostra Aetate (§3) and Lumen Gentium (§16) have the particular merit of stating explicitly that Muslims worship the One True God and live lives of prayer and charity in faithful service to God. This is a major step, which can be appreciated when one considers the history of Christian-Muslim relations, which were more often characterised by polemic, denunciation and apologetic. The importance of these documents as a first positive step cannot be over-emphasised but there were elements on which the Council was silent, for example on the place of the Prophet Muhammad and on the nature of the Qur'an. Such topics, which are absolutely central to Islam, spur us on to take further the process of study and mutual exploration, both intellectually and intuitively, as two communities of faith under God.
How important is theology for Christian-Muslim dialogue?
In this context, theology is the art of a person of faith trying to explain with clarity what they believe in words that can be understood without ambiguity by members of the other faith tradition. This is immensely difficult as often we do not share a common language and set of theological concepts, so manifestly it is easy for there to be misunderstanding. In this, we stand in the same position as Christian and Muslim theologians in Damascus, Baghdad, Spain and India in our history. However we now live in an age of mass popular education and mass communication, which has never existed in the past. It is now communities of believers who engage in this work and not remote scholars. Our work must be done in the light of world events and with the knowledge that, in an instant, documents, ideas and conflicts can be shared with an audience of millions via the Internet. What we do and say in Europe today has its influence and impact on a world-wide canvas.
As people of faith, our work must always be theological and not just sociological. We must take seriously what God has done in our respective communities and that we are accountable to God and humanity for what we do and say. This means that Christian theologians and believers must take seriously the question of what God might be saying to us about being faithful servants of God in and through the Qur'an, the lived example and teaching of Muhammad and the faithful lives of Muslims down through the centuries and today. Similarly, we must remain faithful to the unique revelation of God in Christ in the person of the Incarnate Word, our Christian experience of God as eternally relational in our Trinitarian understanding, and that Christ is the universal Saviour of the World with all that means to a Christian, in terms of redemption, to live now in the Resurrected Christ and the Christian vocation to be co-heirs with Christ to the Kingdom. This gives us an awesome responsibility under God to think, speak and act with clarity, so that we genuinely hear and learn what God is saying through believers and their tradition, and at the same time communicate without misunderstanding from our own unique perspective. This is the task and responsibility of theology in Christian-Muslim relations.
Many seem to complain that dialogue often remains at the initial level of exchanging compliments. Why do we fear leaving such familiar shores?
Perhaps one element of this timidity is a lack of a developed and lively faith on our part, coupled with human arrogance in not being willing to allow God to be God and instead wanting to confine God by imposing on God the limits of our own human understanding. Who am I to complain if God chooses to act in and through another faith community? Who am I to tell God that in my human frailty and paucity of vision, I must be able to understand the mind and will of God right here and now? There are huge areas of overlap between the faithful lives of Muslim and Christian (and other) believers that can only be valued and cherished experientially by sensing with the heart how the Spirit is at work outside the visible Christian community. We need to live, work, study and pray together so that we are open to the promptings of the Spirit in the life and faith of fellow travellers in another faith tradition. This requires prolonged and deep exposure in vulnerability, as Christ made himself vulnerable for our sakes, if we are to hear these promptings.
One of our human gifts is the capacity for rational thought and intellection. This is true for all human beings, in our various capacities, and especially for the trained scholars of different faiths so that we must seek to identify, articulate and live out the particularities of what God has done in us as individuals and as communities of faith. When I talk to Christians about Islam or when I speak to Muslims about Christianity, I ask them to take the bold step of empathetic understanding; to feel themselves in another paradigm that is quite different to their own. There are major and fundamental differences of understanding of God and of the God-human relationship between Christians and Muslims. These cannot be ironed out until they look the same, chopped up into small pieces to camouflage the difference, or insisted upon to the denial of the faith, humanity and dignity of the other believer. God understands the resolution of these differences and my duty is to bear faithful witness to what God has done in my life and in my tradition without the arrogance of usurping the infinite wisdom of God, whilst being open to the action and presence of God in the lives and faith of others.
To progress then beyond the initial level requires humility before God, who is the God of all humankind: Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer and ultimate Resting Place. It requires truly knowing and valuing fellow believers in other traditions as Children of God, in our hearts and in our intellects, and then seeking ways to explore what God has planted through the gift of humanity and faith. This requires a sustained human, theological and spiritual engagement, in which we build from one step to the next in faithfulness to the findings, promises and experiences that we discerned at the lower level. Only then can we move off "square one" in our journey of Christian-Muslim relations.
Coming to the Common Word Open Letter, do you think that the text has the potential to carry forward dialogue between Christians and Muslims?
The Common Word Open Letter is to be welcomed as an initial step from a group of Muslim scholars as a way of opening up a dialogue. It can be seen as an attempt to shift the consensus within Muslim thought in a direction of seeking an agreed ethical base for Christian-Muslim action in the world. The Great Commandment, to love God and neighbour, is the heart of the Christian ethical system, not, of course, the heart of the Christian faith as such, which would be more in terms of the unique action of God in Christ reaching out to call, guide and save humanity through entering into a new relationship within the Trinitarian unity of the Godhead. We must not over-emphasise the magnitude of the step seen within this context. Like any bold document laid upon the table of public discourse it prompts discussion, agreement, disagreement, clarification and an on-going process of exploration. Like all good ethics, it requires the support of lived reality to give it its true value and meaning.
Any document with multiple signatories but without identified authors has a necessary degree of anonymity about it. We await the single-author monographs that explain and defend the positions taken against the backdrop of centuries of Muslim scholarship. Any document written to attract multiple signatories lays itself open to a variety of interpretations so we must await the bold scholars who will explain how they interpreted the text before deciding to append their signature. Again any document that is circulated for signature in more than one language carries the necessary ambiguity of language, concept and context that only time and further writing can clarify. Many eminent scholars around the world have not appended their names to the Letter; we await the internal Muslim critical writing which might help bring out, and indeed demand, further clarification and debate amongst Muslim scholars.
In the same way, the responses by Christian scholars and organisations have been of varying character. Some have been characterised by ebullient rejoicing rather than by informed critical scholarship. Some have seen flaws in argument or documentation that raise concerns in their minds. Many have genuinely embraced the opportunity that the document offers to reflect on and articulate Christian theological and ethical perspectives around the common theme proposed. The document and its responses are as yet in their infancy; perhaps with maturity something of greater value and abiding worth will grow from this initiative. As we say in English: every mighty oak grows from a single acorn, and as the Qur'an would counsel us: God does not withdraw a verse without bringing something better to replace it.
Does the Common Word Open Letter express a new approach towards Christian faith among the Muslim thinkers who signed it?
We are not at liberty to say what is in the mind of the Muslim thinkers who signed the document; they must do that for themselves. It is clear that the mere fact that the document exists is a positive step in Christian-Muslim dialogue based on a Muslim initiative and thus to be welcomed.
What do you think about the quotations from Jewish and Christian scriptures in the Common Word Open Letter in the light of Muslim understandings of tahrif?
The quotations from the Bible in the Letter are from passages that can be seen to agree with the teaching of Islam contained in the Qur'an. This is not a new step in Christian-Muslim interaction as Muslims are required as an article of faith to believe that Jesus received an authentic scripture from God, the Injil, and so it is quite plausible that some elements of it have been retained by Christians in the New Testament. The criterion for making a judgment on the authenticity of any particular element within the Bible must be the extent to which it agrees with the Qur'an, which is in Islamic understanding al-furqan, the Criterion. The mere citation of selected verses from the Bible that agree with the Qur'an therefore says nothing about the general principle of tahrif (distortion or falsification of earlier scriptures). It may indicate that the writers were taking the Bible seriously and with respect but it says nothing about authenticity. The fact that Muslim scholars in the present time are prepared in an Open Letter to cite from the Bible in a positive and respectful way is of course to be welcomed.
The Common Word Open Letter does not have many signatories from South Asia. Do you think that South Asian Christians and Muslims could contribute in the dialogue process in any special way in the light of this Letter?
It would be helpful for a scholar to calculate the number of Muslims from each country represented by a signatory and then to divide this number by the number of signatories from that country; this might indicate that the representational nature of the document is not as high as it at first seems, e.g. a relatively small Muslim population in Jordan is represented by fifteen signatories, whereas a massive Muslim population in Indonesia, larger than all Arab Muslims combined, is represented by only one. The Muslim populations of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh account for perhaps 40% of all Muslims currently on earth; this makes their voice of serious moment in such discussions. South Asian Muslim thinkers have a proud reputation in recent centuries and those who inherit their legacy today have a considerable burden to carry. Similarly there is a wide variety of Christians in these South Asian countries, who approach matters of relating to Muslims (and people of other faiths) quite differently to Arabs or Europeans. It is this genius of living for millennia in societies of diverse character (ethnically, religiously, culturally and linguistically) that needs to be tapped and brought to bear on questions of Christian-Muslim relations.
CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS NEED TO LISTEN WITH RESPECT: AN INTERVIEW
Canon Dr Andrew Wingate was involved in theological education for 25 years at the Tamilnadu Theological Seminary, in Madurai, as Principal of the West Midlands Course at Queen's College Birmingham, and as Principal of the College of the Ascension at Selly Oak. He has been in Leicester since 2000, and is now Director of the St Philip’s Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi Faith Society, Bishop's Adviser on Inter Faith Relations, and a Canon Theologian. In 2007 he was appointed Chaplain to The Queen.
In addition, he has been a member of the Network for Inter Faith Concerns (NIFCON) since its inception, is currently the Joint Chair of the Hindu-Christian National Forum, and English representative on the Churches’ Committee for Relations with Muslims in Europe. He is part of a range of local interfaith initiatives in Leicester, including the Council of Faiths, Faith Leaders Forum, and long standing dialogue groups between Christians and Muslims, Christians, Muslims and Jews, and Christians and Hindus respectively.
He has been appointed an Honorary Lecturer of Birmingham University, from where he did his Doctorate in the area of Inter Religious Conversion. The Centre has developed an MA/ Diploma/Certificate in Inter religious Relations. Accreditation is expected to be De Montfort University, Leicester, from September 2009. Author of many articles and eight books, his two most recent books, published by DLT, are Free to Be, and Celebrating Difference, Staying Faithful: how to live in a Multi Faith Society. He is the director of St Philip's Centre, Leicester. Victor Edwin SJ speaks to Andrew Wingate for Salaam.
How does St Philip’s Centre: Study and Engagement in a multi Faith Society serve Christians?
The St Philip’s Centre is rooted in the multi-faith context of Leicester and is a national ecumenical training centre under the Presence and Engagement initiative. It provides training for Christians, those of other faiths and civic partners. It enables Christians and churches to be a confident presence in a multi faith world, prepared to share their won faith and learn from others. Good working relationships and dialogue with peoples of other faiths serve to promote the common good. The Centre is developed by the Anglican Diocese of Leicester, St Philip’s Church, the Methodist, United Reformed, Roman Catholic and Baptist churches.
What do you mean by Present and Engagement Initiative?
This is a national programme of the Church of England and other churches, developed since 2005. It focuses on the need to be present, but also engaged, in all parishes of the country, including those with major other faith populations, such as St Philip’s, just 16% registered as Christians according to the 2001 census. Over 900 parishes are considered inter faith, but this is increasing all the time. The programme is about training and reflection and engagement. It is also about challenging the whole church to take the challenge of other faiths seriously and positively, while remaining faithful to the Christian calling.
How does the centre serve the multi religious population of this city?
The St Philip’s Centre offers learning opportunities and experiences at a variety of levels. We have courses for key groups in society such as police, local authorities, educational and medical groups, classes for lay people. The centre offers for students to work towards accredited certificates, diplomas and MA modules. The centre as a research institution offers research at PhD level in conjunction with academic partners. The people of other faith learn more about Christianity. They participate in interfaith dialogue sessions, and sporting and social occasions.
Education seems to be a key component in the training programs. Why so much emphasis on education?
Education is the key to enabling people of different faiths to understand one another better. There is an increased interest in interfaith issues as people meet others of diverse convictions at work, in education, on holiday and in the community. Moreover, since 9/11 there has been an upsurge in demand for interfaith education. There is a need to increase Christian understanding how to celebrate differences while remaining faithful witnesses to Jesus Christ.
Why Leicester is chosen to for establishing this centre?
Leicester is the most multi religious city outside London, with almost equal numbers of Muslims and Hindus, a large Sikh Community and groups of Jews, Jains, Buddhists and Bahais too live in this city. Leicester has a long history of successful engagement with other faiths and well established faith leaders and dialogue groups. The centre has well qualified resource practitioners from various ecumenical partners in the region and from other faiths. The centre has developed partnerships with the Markfield Islamic Foundation, and the Henry Martyn Institute (HMI) in Hyderabad, as well as De Montfort University.
Coming to the Common Word, what are the ways in which this letter reaches out to Christians?
Purpose of the letter is to engage Christians of different churches. If it is just based on the Muslim sources it may not have a profound impact on Christians. The letter is written in the frame work of Love of God and Love of neighbour which is very familiar to Christians. The basic frame work of the Letter inspires the Christian readers to carefully look at the document and respond to it engagingly. The Letter may be a shock to some of the Ulema, but the writers show that they are keen to carry forward dialogue with Christians.
Do you think the Letter misses out the South Asian voice?
I think this document needs a special response from India. Indian Christians and in Muslims are minorities. Especially in the south of India both Christians and Muslims have common interests. May be an Indian version of this document should be welcomed, should be very important.
The Letter uses Christian Scriptures. Is it an important step forward in Christian Muslim Relations?
In dialogue between Christians and Muslims both of us need to listen with respect to what both Quran (and Hadith) and Gospels say. I am pleased with this document that quotes Christian scriptures. Some times I have found Muslims tried to use the Gospel of Barnabas in the dialogue meetings. I have told them: sorry, friends. Christians do no consider Gospel of Barnabas as an authentic Gospel. We do not nourish our faith on the text of Barnabas. I am ready to listen from Quran, Hadith and Gospels in the interreligious meetings between Christians and Muslims. In this document Muslims have reached out to Christians by quoting from the Gospels which are authentic for Christians.
Is the Letter an ecumenical venture from Muslims? How does that add value to this document?
The Letter is undoubtedly ecumenical in nature. The signatories come from different schools of Islam. They come from different countries and they represent different institutions. However, it is not very sure how much influence they exercise among the Muslims of different towns and places they live and work. Still very few Muslims and Christians know about this document in our local areas.
What do you think about the Letter’s reflection on Love of God and Love of Neighbour?
Christian witness to love of neighbour is very strong. Every one who is in need is one’s neighbour. This document really does not bring about that in-depth understanding. Traditional the Muslim approach to neighbour seems to be confined mainly to Muslims. For an example: the Zakat funds are used for the poor who are Muslims. Now they say Islamic Relief influenced by Christian Aid seems to have included everyone who is in need. A beautiful example: Christians are around 2-3% in India, while17% of all educational and charity is done by Christians (these figures were given to me by an Indian Muslim). It is a great witness to Christ in India. The Muslims seem to take note of it.
A Madrasa with a Difference
by Yoginder Sikand
Located at Shanthapuram, a township in the Mallapuram district some eighty kilometers from Calicut, the Jamia al-Islamiya is one of the largest Islamic seminaries in Kerala. Established in 1955 by activists associated with the Kerala unit of the Jamaat-e Islami, and considerably expanded since then, the Jamia offers a wide range of courses and seeks to combine Islamic and modern subjects. Says V.K.Ali, the Rector of the Jamia, ‘We want our graduates to take up careers in a wide range of fields, not just as professional ulema, and this is reflected in our curriculum. So far, some 40 batches have passed out of our institution, and our graduates have taken on a range of jobs. Some are in journalism. Many are Arabic teachers in schools. Others work in the numerous institutions run by the Jamaat-e Islami throughout Kerala. Yet others are in the Gulf.’
Admission is provided to students who have finished at least the tenth grade of regular school and have passed the entrance examination held by the Jamia at its premises every year. ‘Unlike in much of the rest of India,’ Ali points, ‘in Kerala most ulema have a basic modern education as well.’ Students first go through a two-year Introductory or Tamhidi course, studying Urdu, Arabic, English, Quran, Hadith, Fiqh, Islamic History and Computer Applications. Thereafter, they can opt for a Bachelor’s Degree in either Usul ud-Din (‘The Principles of Din’) or the Shariah, each of three-year duration. English, Urdu, Arabic and Comparative Religions are part of the curriculum of both courses. BA level students must simultaneously enroll, as private candidates, for a graduate degree course in Calicut University in a subject of their choice. Most select English, Arabic or Sociology. Thereafter, students can do a two-year Master’s course in Quranic Studies, Hadith Studies or Islamic Mission (Dawah). The medium of instruction in all three courses is Arabic.
Education in most courses at the Jamia al-Islamiya is provided free of cost, as are boarding and lodging. Students doing their Master’s degree are provided with an additional monthly stipend of Rs.1250. At present, the Jamia has some 500 students, of whom around 65% are from Kerala and the rest from north India, mainly Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Of the 50-odd teachers, mostly from Kerala, several hold Ph.D degrees, including from Saudi Arabia and Egypt, in addition to some Indian universities.
Besides regular course work, students are encouraged to participate in a range of curricular activities. Malayalam journalists are regularly invited to speak to the students to encourage them to write for the press and to help improve their writing skills. The Jamia brings out three periodicals—Sandesham in Malayalam, Majallat ul-Jamia in Arabic and Dawn in English—which contain articles penned by students. Its sprawling library, containing some 30,000 books, is one of the largest collections of Islamic literature in south India.
Recent years have seen a marked rise in the popularity of and demand for ‘Islamic’ financial institutions. To promote further research in the field of Islamic economics and to cater to the increasing demand for personnel skilled in this discipline in India and abroad, in 2003 the Jamia launched a one-year post-graduate diploma course in Islamic Economics and Finance. ‘Ours is the only institution in south India to offer such a course,’ says course co-ordinator Muhammad Saleh. ‘We framed our very detailed syllabus in consultation with Islamic economics experts, and after examining the curriculum used for teaching the same subject in institutions in Malaysia and some Arab countries. Our syllabus has been validated by the Markfield Institute of Islamic Studies in the United Kingdom, a major centre for research in the field of Islamic Economics and Finance.’ The medium of instruction is English, and entrance is open to B.Com and BA (Economics) graduates. Given the demand for ‘Islamic economics’ specialists, particularly in the Gulf, the course has been attracting a steadily increasing number of students, who are willing to pay the Rs.10,000 course fee (in addition to boarding and lodging expenses). Presently, some 40 students are enrolled in the course, four of who are girls. One of these girls is a topper in Physics from Calicut University. Another student is a trained Chartered Accountant and four students are graduates of Islamic Studies. Most of the earlier students are now working in finance institutions in the Gulf.
Students in the Institute of Islamic Economics and Finance are expected to do a one month internship to gain practical experience, generally at an interest-free credit society or shariah-based firm in Kerala. They must also write a detailed thesis, in English, on a subject of their choice, which could be either theoretical or empirically-based. Muhammad Salih points to a cupboard neatly arranged with bulky blue-coloured bound volumes—almost fifty thesis that have so far been submitted by the students. I take a hurried glance at their titles, all of which seem fascinating to me and represent innovative research that few other Islamic institutions in India are engaged in. I note down a few titles: ‘The Economic Teachings of the Quran’, , ‘Shariah Investment Options in India and the Indian Capital Market’, ‘Acceptability of Mutual Funds as an Islamic Mode of Investment’, ‘Islamic Finance in Real Estate’, ‘Interest-Free Funds in Kerala: A Case Study of the Irshad Islamic Finance Cooperative, Melattur’, ‘Islamic Micro-Finance: A Case Study of the Welfare Society, Salamath Nagar, Pallikal’, ‘Flourishing of Shopping Malls: Boon or Bane?’, ‘Islamic Microfinance Through Self-Help Groups in Kerala’, ‘The Role of the Islamic Welfare Forum in Poverty Alleviation of Muslims in Edavankad’, ‘The Impact of Interest in Society: A Case Study of Tirur Municipality’. And so on.
The Jamia’s Rector enthusiastically tells me that his institution wants to give greater focus on research on contemporary issues. ‘We need our scholars to know about present-day conditions and challenges and about what inspiration we can get from Islam to deal with these.’ To promote scholarship in this area, the Jamia recently set up the Islamic Research Centre. At present it has five research fellows, all of them graduates of the institution. Each of whom gets a modest sum of money, plus boarding and lodging facilities, to work on a project on a subject of their own choice, which, after its completion, might be published as a book and made accessible to the general public. The topics on which the researchers are presently working reflect some crucial current debates about Islam: ‘Islamic Revivalism’, ‘Salafism’, ‘Islamic Banking’, ‘Islamic Economics’ and ‘Islam and Democracy’.
‘We need to address modern-day concerns and questions, not simply parrot whatever past writers have written, as is the case with many madrasas and Islamic publishing houses in India’, says a young research scholar who takes me around. And judging by the enthusiasm of the students I meet, that seems a mission that the Jamiya al-Islamia seems to be taking with considerable seriousness.
Located at Shanthapuram, a township in the Mallapuram district some eighty kilometers from Calicut, the Jamia al-Islamiya is one of the largest Islamic seminaries in Kerala. Established in 1955 by activists associated with the Kerala unit of the Jamaat-e Islami, and considerably expanded since then, the Jamia offers a wide range of courses and seeks to combine Islamic and modern subjects. Says V.K.Ali, the Rector of the Jamia, ‘We want our graduates to take up careers in a wide range of fields, not just as professional ulema, and this is reflected in our curriculum. So far, some 40 batches have passed out of our institution, and our graduates have taken on a range of jobs. Some are in journalism. Many are Arabic teachers in schools. Others work in the numerous institutions run by the Jamaat-e Islami throughout Kerala. Yet others are in the Gulf.’
Admission is provided to students who have finished at least the tenth grade of regular school and have passed the entrance examination held by the Jamia at its premises every year. ‘Unlike in much of the rest of India,’ Ali points, ‘in Kerala most ulema have a basic modern education as well.’ Students first go through a two-year Introductory or Tamhidi course, studying Urdu, Arabic, English, Quran, Hadith, Fiqh, Islamic History and Computer Applications. Thereafter, they can opt for a Bachelor’s Degree in either Usul ud-Din (‘The Principles of Din’) or the Shariah, each of three-year duration. English, Urdu, Arabic and Comparative Religions are part of the curriculum of both courses. BA level students must simultaneously enroll, as private candidates, for a graduate degree course in Calicut University in a subject of their choice. Most select English, Arabic or Sociology. Thereafter, students can do a two-year Master’s course in Quranic Studies, Hadith Studies or Islamic Mission (Dawah). The medium of instruction in all three courses is Arabic.
Education in most courses at the Jamia al-Islamiya is provided free of cost, as are boarding and lodging. Students doing their Master’s degree are provided with an additional monthly stipend of Rs.1250. At present, the Jamia has some 500 students, of whom around 65% are from Kerala and the rest from north India, mainly Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Of the 50-odd teachers, mostly from Kerala, several hold Ph.D degrees, including from Saudi Arabia and Egypt, in addition to some Indian universities.
Besides regular course work, students are encouraged to participate in a range of curricular activities. Malayalam journalists are regularly invited to speak to the students to encourage them to write for the press and to help improve their writing skills. The Jamia brings out three periodicals—Sandesham in Malayalam, Majallat ul-Jamia in Arabic and Dawn in English—which contain articles penned by students. Its sprawling library, containing some 30,000 books, is one of the largest collections of Islamic literature in south India.
Recent years have seen a marked rise in the popularity of and demand for ‘Islamic’ financial institutions. To promote further research in the field of Islamic economics and to cater to the increasing demand for personnel skilled in this discipline in India and abroad, in 2003 the Jamia launched a one-year post-graduate diploma course in Islamic Economics and Finance. ‘Ours is the only institution in south India to offer such a course,’ says course co-ordinator Muhammad Saleh. ‘We framed our very detailed syllabus in consultation with Islamic economics experts, and after examining the curriculum used for teaching the same subject in institutions in Malaysia and some Arab countries. Our syllabus has been validated by the Markfield Institute of Islamic Studies in the United Kingdom, a major centre for research in the field of Islamic Economics and Finance.’ The medium of instruction is English, and entrance is open to B.Com and BA (Economics) graduates. Given the demand for ‘Islamic economics’ specialists, particularly in the Gulf, the course has been attracting a steadily increasing number of students, who are willing to pay the Rs.10,000 course fee (in addition to boarding and lodging expenses). Presently, some 40 students are enrolled in the course, four of who are girls. One of these girls is a topper in Physics from Calicut University. Another student is a trained Chartered Accountant and four students are graduates of Islamic Studies. Most of the earlier students are now working in finance institutions in the Gulf.
Students in the Institute of Islamic Economics and Finance are expected to do a one month internship to gain practical experience, generally at an interest-free credit society or shariah-based firm in Kerala. They must also write a detailed thesis, in English, on a subject of their choice, which could be either theoretical or empirically-based. Muhammad Salih points to a cupboard neatly arranged with bulky blue-coloured bound volumes—almost fifty thesis that have so far been submitted by the students. I take a hurried glance at their titles, all of which seem fascinating to me and represent innovative research that few other Islamic institutions in India are engaged in. I note down a few titles: ‘The Economic Teachings of the Quran’, , ‘Shariah Investment Options in India and the Indian Capital Market’, ‘Acceptability of Mutual Funds as an Islamic Mode of Investment’, ‘Islamic Finance in Real Estate’, ‘Interest-Free Funds in Kerala: A Case Study of the Irshad Islamic Finance Cooperative, Melattur’, ‘Islamic Micro-Finance: A Case Study of the Welfare Society, Salamath Nagar, Pallikal’, ‘Flourishing of Shopping Malls: Boon or Bane?’, ‘Islamic Microfinance Through Self-Help Groups in Kerala’, ‘The Role of the Islamic Welfare Forum in Poverty Alleviation of Muslims in Edavankad’, ‘The Impact of Interest in Society: A Case Study of Tirur Municipality’. And so on.
The Jamia’s Rector enthusiastically tells me that his institution wants to give greater focus on research on contemporary issues. ‘We need our scholars to know about present-day conditions and challenges and about what inspiration we can get from Islam to deal with these.’ To promote scholarship in this area, the Jamia recently set up the Islamic Research Centre. At present it has five research fellows, all of them graduates of the institution. Each of whom gets a modest sum of money, plus boarding and lodging facilities, to work on a project on a subject of their own choice, which, after its completion, might be published as a book and made accessible to the general public. The topics on which the researchers are presently working reflect some crucial current debates about Islam: ‘Islamic Revivalism’, ‘Salafism’, ‘Islamic Banking’, ‘Islamic Economics’ and ‘Islam and Democracy’.
‘We need to address modern-day concerns and questions, not simply parrot whatever past writers have written, as is the case with many madrasas and Islamic publishing houses in India’, says a young research scholar who takes me around. And judging by the enthusiasm of the students I meet, that seems a mission that the Jamiya al-Islamia seems to be taking with considerable seriousness.
POPE'S MESSAGE TO CAMEROON MUSLIM LEADERS
"Religion and Reason Mutually Reinforce One Another"
Here is the address of Benedict XVI during his Apostolic Journey to Cameroon (March 17-20, 2009) delivered on March 19, 2009 upon meeting with Muslim leaders at the Apostolic
Nunciature.
My Dear Friends,
Grateful for this opportunity to meet representatives of the Muslim community in Cameroon, I express my heartfelt thanks to Mr Amadou Bello for his kind words of greeting extended to me on your behalf. Our encounter is a vivid sign of the desire we share with all people of good will -- in Cameroon, throughout Africa and across the globe -- to seek opportunities to exchange ideas about how religion makes an essential contribution to our understanding of culture and the world, and to the peaceful coexistence of all the members of the human family. Initiatives in Cameroon, such as the Association Camerounaise pour le Dialogue Interreligieux, illustrate how such dialogue enhances mutual understanding and assists in the building up of a stable and just political order.
Cameroon is home to thousands of Christians and Muslims, who often live, work and worship in the same neighbourhood. Both believe in one, merciful God who on the last day will judge mankind (cf. Lumen Gentium, 16). Together they bear witness to the fundamental values of family, social responsibility, obedience to God’s law and loving concern for the sick and suffering. By patterning their lives on these virtues and teaching them to the young, Christians and Muslims not only show how they foster the full development of the human person, but also how they forge bonds of solidarity with one’s neighbours and advance the common good.
My friends, I believe a particularly urgent task of religion today is to unveil the vast potential of human reason, which is itself God’s gift and which is elevated by revelation and faith. Belief in the one God, far from stunting our capacity to understand ourselves and the world, broadens it. Far from setting us against the world, it commits us to it. We are called to help others see the subtle traces and mysterious presence of God in the world which he has marvellously created and continually sustains with his ineffable and all-embracing love. Although his infinite glory can never be directly grasped by our finite minds in this life, we nonetheless catch glimpses of it in the beauty that surrounds us. When men and women allow the magnificent order of the world and the splendour of human dignity to illumine their minds, they discover that what is "reasonable" extends far beyond what mathematics can calculate, logic can deduce and scientific experimentation can demonstrate; it includes the goodness and innate attractiveness of upright and ethical living made known to us in the very language of creation.
This insight prompts us to seek all that is right and just, to step outside the restricted sphere of our own self-interest and act for the good of others. Genuine religion thus widens the horizon of human understanding and stands at the base of any authentically human culture. It rejects all forms of violence and totalitarianism: not only on principles of faith, but also of right reason. Indeed, religion and reason mutually reinforce one another since religion is purified and structured by reason, and reason’s full potential is unleashed by revelation and faith.
I therefore encourage you, my dear Muslim friends, to imbue society with the values that emerge from this perspective and elevate human culture, as we work together to build a civilization of love. May the enthusiastic cooperation of Muslims, Catholics and other Christians in Cameroon be a beacon to other African nations of the enormous potential of an interreligious commitment to peace, justice and the common good!
With these sentiments, I once again express my gratitude for this auspicious occasion to meet you during my visit to Cameroon. I thank Almighty God for the blessings he has bestowed upon you and your fellow citizens, and I pray that the links that bind Christians and Muslims in their profound reverence for the one God will continue to grow stronger, so that they will reflect more clearly the wisdom of the Almighty, who enlightens the hearts of all mankind.
Here is the address of Benedict XVI during his Apostolic Journey to Cameroon (March 17-20, 2009) delivered on March 19, 2009 upon meeting with Muslim leaders at the Apostolic
Nunciature.
My Dear Friends,
Grateful for this opportunity to meet representatives of the Muslim community in Cameroon, I express my heartfelt thanks to Mr Amadou Bello for his kind words of greeting extended to me on your behalf. Our encounter is a vivid sign of the desire we share with all people of good will -- in Cameroon, throughout Africa and across the globe -- to seek opportunities to exchange ideas about how religion makes an essential contribution to our understanding of culture and the world, and to the peaceful coexistence of all the members of the human family. Initiatives in Cameroon, such as the Association Camerounaise pour le Dialogue Interreligieux, illustrate how such dialogue enhances mutual understanding and assists in the building up of a stable and just political order.
Cameroon is home to thousands of Christians and Muslims, who often live, work and worship in the same neighbourhood. Both believe in one, merciful God who on the last day will judge mankind (cf. Lumen Gentium, 16). Together they bear witness to the fundamental values of family, social responsibility, obedience to God’s law and loving concern for the sick and suffering. By patterning their lives on these virtues and teaching them to the young, Christians and Muslims not only show how they foster the full development of the human person, but also how they forge bonds of solidarity with one’s neighbours and advance the common good.
My friends, I believe a particularly urgent task of religion today is to unveil the vast potential of human reason, which is itself God’s gift and which is elevated by revelation and faith. Belief in the one God, far from stunting our capacity to understand ourselves and the world, broadens it. Far from setting us against the world, it commits us to it. We are called to help others see the subtle traces and mysterious presence of God in the world which he has marvellously created and continually sustains with his ineffable and all-embracing love. Although his infinite glory can never be directly grasped by our finite minds in this life, we nonetheless catch glimpses of it in the beauty that surrounds us. When men and women allow the magnificent order of the world and the splendour of human dignity to illumine their minds, they discover that what is "reasonable" extends far beyond what mathematics can calculate, logic can deduce and scientific experimentation can demonstrate; it includes the goodness and innate attractiveness of upright and ethical living made known to us in the very language of creation.
This insight prompts us to seek all that is right and just, to step outside the restricted sphere of our own self-interest and act for the good of others. Genuine religion thus widens the horizon of human understanding and stands at the base of any authentically human culture. It rejects all forms of violence and totalitarianism: not only on principles of faith, but also of right reason. Indeed, religion and reason mutually reinforce one another since religion is purified and structured by reason, and reason’s full potential is unleashed by revelation and faith.
I therefore encourage you, my dear Muslim friends, to imbue society with the values that emerge from this perspective and elevate human culture, as we work together to build a civilization of love. May the enthusiastic cooperation of Muslims, Catholics and other Christians in Cameroon be a beacon to other African nations of the enormous potential of an interreligious commitment to peace, justice and the common good!
With these sentiments, I once again express my gratitude for this auspicious occasion to meet you during my visit to Cameroon. I thank Almighty God for the blessings he has bestowed upon you and your fellow citizens, and I pray that the links that bind Christians and Muslims in their profound reverence for the one God will continue to grow stronger, so that they will reflect more clearly the wisdom of the Almighty, who enlightens the hearts of all mankind.
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