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Interfaith Dialogues: Are We Up To The Challenge?
By Altaf Husain
27/02/2001
Generally, the image of Muslims held by people of other religions is positive, and is becoming increasingly so due to the growing availability of information about Islam and Muslims.
One of the ways by which priests and rabbis have been learning more about Islam is through interfaith dialogues with their Muslim counterparts, the imams. This is an ideal scenario - learned people of one religion engaging in dialogue with learned people of another religion.
Sometimes, these interfaith dialogues involve members of a masjid's executive, dawah or outreach committees with their counterparts from various Christian and Jewish congregations. In yet other scenarios, Muslim students engage in such dialogue through either campus ministries or a specific coalition that exists under the interfaith banner.
Regardless of the type of dialogue, a common question that can be asked is, "Are we up to the challenge?"
One of the major challenges we face as Muslims in such discussions is agreeing on a common language for communication. In America, our Imams or representatives must be well versed in the English language - in terms of possessing both a solid grasp of the English vocabulary and an understanding of American idioms. Too often, we minimize this element, and push for people to represent Islam in such discussions who are non-native English speakers. Although they possess the Islamic knowledge, they often have a difficult time trying to explain fundamental Islamic beliefs in plain language using phrases and expressions common to Americans. What happens is the speakers end up confusing listeners, and leaving them with more questions afterwards than before the dialogue. True, some of the audience's questions may be in search of elaboration on certain points, but other times, questions arise simply because audiences are not familiar with the phrases being used by speakers.
As well, both native English-speaking Muslims and non-native English-speaking Muslims often have difficulty explaining Islamic concepts to people who have drastically different ideas about God, religion, the scriptures, the angels, etc. Therefore, the ideal representative in an interfaith dialogue has to understand the religious perceptions of non-Muslims. For example, when we address the Creator as God, what exactly is going through the minds of our non-Muslim audience? Are they thinking of the idea inherent in their trinity - God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost? Are they thinking of a God who has chosen a special group to the exclusion of others?
In cases where there are polytheist participants in the audience, the use of the term "god" complicates the interfaith dialogue. Over time, experience is showing that our referring to God as Allah from the very outset has profound positive consequences, not the least of which is the prevention of confusion with the non-Muslims' conception of God. When we say "Allah" and define Him according to the Islamic perspective, they are forced to perceive Him from our authentic descriptions, void of any of their own biases or understandings. Therefore, a major area in which we must expend more energy in order to prepare for interfaith discussions is in studying the religious beliefs and understandings of the other participants.
A third challenge faced by Muslim interfaith dialogue participants is being invited to pray along with, join in the activities of, or observe the services of the other religious groups. It is often related in dialogues that so-and-so Christian or Jewish participant observed Muslims fasting during the month of Ramadhan to get an idea of what it is like. However, if invited, could Muslims observe the Sabbath of the Jews as a learning experience? Can Muslims join Christians, Jews, Hindus, and Buddhists in a candlelight vigil to promote tolerance?
What if one of their objectives is to promote tolerance towards homosexuals? The recent murder of Mathew Shepard, a young homosexual student was protested as a hate crime and prompted a candlelight vigil to be held for victims of all hate crimes, including those who are gay and lesbian. Where do we, as Muslims, draw the line in participating in such events? Is such participation even allowed?
What about attending Christmas or Easter concerts, with musicals praising their Lord Jesus?
A comprehensive effort should be undertaken to determine the permissibility of attending, observing and/or participating in such gatherings.
Finally, we need to earnestly inquire as to whether our communities, masjids, and Islamic centers are up to the challenge of participating in interfaith dialogues. Zealous Muslims, with the best of intentions, have faced great resistance in trying to schedule such dialogues at masjids or Islamic centers. There have even been several instances where Muslims were hostile towards non-Muslim participants. Our communities are in need of being educated about the permissibility of such discussions, and their goals and objectives (if there are agreed-upon goals and objectives).
For someone planning such events, producing and distributing a brief pamphlet outlining the proofs within Islam for the permissibility of interfaith dialogues is very necessary. As well, scholars and potential dialogue participants are in need of developing a comprehensive guide on being effective in interfaith discussions - one that contains case studies and the "do's and don'ts." It would most likely be worthwhile to devote a khutbah at different masjids to the topic as well.
Along with preparing our community, we need also to prepare our masjids and Islamic centers by making sure the physical grounds and infrastructure are intact. There are times when cleanliness is a major issue at masjids - the grounds are often littered and bathrooms are smelly, with little ventilation and half an inch of standing water on the floor. Despite the fact that cleanliness and proper hygiene are highly valued in Islam, we seem to have difficulty in upholding such standards. Unfortunately, these discrepancies often bias non-Muslims into believing that Muslims do not implement all of the aspects of their religion.
These are only some of the possible challenges that we face in engaging in interfaith dialogues. I am sure that experienced dialogue participants might raise several others. These can be overcome, for the most part, with the assistance of Islamic scholars who are well versed in comparative religion and possess good language skills.
Meanwhile, however, the question remains: "Before we continue to participate, are we presently up to these challenges?"
Editor's Note: This week, the Society section is featuring a focus on Muslims and their relationships with people of other faiths. We would like to have your feedback on our articles, as well as your own thoughts on interfaith dialogues. Write to:
society@islam-online.net.
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