Earlier this year, the Chief Rabbi of Rome made a historic visit to Rome's mosque in a gesture of solidarity with the Muslim community, in the wake of the Danish cartoon episode. The Jews of Rome, once forced to live in a ghetto in the "eternal city" and no strangers to prejudice and bigotry throughout the centuries, wished to stand side by side with their Muslim fellow citizens.

This was interfaith dialogue at its best. No lengthy documents were produced, listing the areas of convergence between Islam and Judaism. No elaborate treatise was published, detailing the many shared moral values cherished by both religions. In fact, there was really not much talk at all. Instead, a hand of friendship and respect was offered and accepted, at a time when Muslims were feeling battered by the offensive drawings of their beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

In 2001, the great pope John Paul II, one of the giants of the 20th century and a tireless champion of tolerance and dialogue between religions, walked into the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus to pray with the Grand Mufti of Syria, opening up a new chapter of understanding between the Roman Catholic Church and Islam, and turning the page on centuries of misunderstanding and mistrust.

That single gesture, of being the first pope in history ever to set foot in a mosque, did more than thousands of words could have achieved. The pope's action was not mere rhetoric. Words come very cheap, don't they? No, his actions showed respect for Islam. People could see with their own eyes that he was practicing what he preached. The pope also famously visited Al-Azhar, as did the leader of the Church of England, Archbishop Rowan Williams, who spoke frankly about the similarities and differences between Christianity and Islam.

Marginalizing Spirituality

In an age such as our own, of increasing religious indifference among many of the peoples of the world, especially in the West, people of faith must surely realize that they have more in common with each other than they will ever have with the secular forces that control our lives and set the world's agendas. In many countries the argument has almost been lost, with religion and spirituality pushed to the margins of society. Those with a sincere religious faith are made to feel somehow that they don't fit in, that their beliefs are a private matter that should not touch upon the fabric of the state. Even in supposedly Muslim countries, many are branded as fanatics or extremists for using the Law of God as a guide for their lives. Instead, throughout the world, secular forces are left free to promote immorality and to enact laws that diminish the role of marriage and the family.

Interfaith dialogue, then, is a pressing need. But it is not about fancy talk. It is not about scholars and academics meeting to congratulate one another on their achievements or to pore over abstruse and obscure matters of doctrine. Nor is it a process of meeting to denounce the other and to belittle his faith as wrong. Real interfaith dialogue, if it is to be worthy of the name, should be honest and open. It should start with a hand of friendship or a gesture of respect and then, and only then, should it move on to discussion. Both sides in any dialogue have something to say and something to share.

The world's great religions, from their rich history, have something to teach all of us, but it begins at a simple level. The Muslim man driving a bus in Damascus has the same concerns as his Christian counterpart in New York. Both work hard to put food on the table for their families. Dialogue between religions must always bear this in mind. It must be grounded in reality. It may be that the dialogue gets no further than gestures of friendship, but what a profound achievement it would be to get that far.

To understand what others believe is surely the first step in respecting that belief. If two sides in a dialogue are comfortable with each other, then their relationship can deepen, even touching upon areas of profound disagreement. Disagreement does not mean the end of dialogue. It simply means that both sides are being honest. Pretending that all is well is not dialogue at all. It is just pretending. Interfaith dialogue must be frank and honest.

Destroying Reconciliation

In the midst of all this, it surely comes as no surprise that a secular Danish newspaper could cavalierly publish cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), causing deep offense throughout the Muslim world. People for whom religion has no importance show little regard for the convictions of people who have. One would have thought, though, that the ensuing uproar that resulted from the cartoon episode, causing a hundred people to die and many more to be injured, would have taught others to think twice before riding roughshod over Muslim sensibilities.

What a severe blow, then, that the next great slap in the face of Muslim belief should come from a religious man, the new leader of the world's Roman Catholics. How disappointing for all those who work tirelessly to promote dialogue. After hearing this pope's apology for the remarks, it is not enough to claim, after the event, that they were not meant to offend. Maybe they weren't. But they did offend and, in one swift action, they managed to destroy years of reconciliation, years of dialogue.

It is not enough to claim, either, that the words quoted were not his own. By using them, they became his own in the eyes of millions of people. How can Muslim leaders look this man in the face again and attempt to encourage tolerance and understanding, when they know that the one they are dealing with spoke in such a way, quoting from a wholly distasteful source and suggesting things about their beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that are too much for Muslims to bear.

It is for others to discuss elsewhere the motives for Pope Benedict XVI's choice of words in Regensburg, Germany. They can comment on the damage those words will have caused to Germany's Turkish Muslim minority, already facing the brunt of racism and extremism in that country. They can also analyze the irreparable damage done to the cause of interfaith dialogue between Christianity and Islam that the remarks will have brought about.

Promoting Dialogue

Enough here for us to say that interfaith dialogue requires both sensitivity and respect. Talking about another person's religion is one of the most sensitive things a person can do. Relationships are always fragile, especially if they are new. A misplaced word or an impromptu remark can cause great damage. Islam does not need anyone's approval, but Muslims do seek dialogue and friendship with all people of good will. Benedict XVI is already an old man. His reign will be brief. It may be that the process of dialogue, encouraged by his noble predecessor, will have to be put on hold at the highest levels until someone else sits on the papal throne. Dialogue cannot work in an atmosphere of mistrust. Almighty Allah, though, can work all things to good. It may be that this episode will encourage the cardinal electors next time round to choose a man who puts interfaith dialogue once more at the top of his church's agenda, respecting the deeply held beliefs of others.

Real dialogue between religions begins not in the corridors of the great and the good, nor in the lecture halls of universities. It begins on the street and in the town. It begins by inviting our non-Muslim friends to share an iftar meal with us or to join us in a social activity.

The holy month of Ramadan affords us all the chance, in sha' Allah, to renew our faith and to become strong once more in serving Almighty Allah. Offenses against Islam cannot be allowed to go unnoticed and without reaction, but our response should always be both restrained and dignified. Burning flags and attacking people and property is not how Muslims behave. Let us never play into the hands of those who would portray Islam as violent and uncompromising.

Let us show, instead, by our words and actions that Islam is both beautiful and sweet. While the behavior of some Muslims at times might give a different impression, Islam itself has nothing to be ashamed of. It has existed since the beginning of time and is the world's natural religion of peace. It is by living as good Muslims that we will show the world what Islam is like. Islam has nothing to fear by honest and open dialogue with other religions. In fact, the world can only benefit from people of faith working together. Let the voices of Muslims, then, be at the forefront in promoting tolerance and understanding.