Do you think that the Europeans are able to understand Islam as a religion if they believe in secularism?
Answer
Secularism is not a religion which competes with Islam and Christianity. The ideal of secular liberal countries is that all religions are respected and accepted. Europeans can understand Islam because European society is able to respect religion.Most Europeans do respect Islam and are seeking to learn more about it.
Name
Hind
- Portugal
Profession
Question
Dear Priest.Nigel Dawkins,what is your definition of the word secularism and do you think the concept is still valid?
Answer
I understand secularism to be values, thoughts and actions which are not explicitly religious. Of course, many values, thoughts and actions which can be described as secular in fact originate in religion. Perhaps this is why you ask whether the concept is still valid. I think the concept is still valid, but religious people must try not to see secularism as an enemy: much in the secular world comes from religion, and much is a healthy challenge to religion.
Name
Maher
- Denmark
Profession
Question
Do the established Christian churches in Europe face problems coping with modernity and secularism?
Answer
One important aspect of Christian life is reading and understanding the Bible. The way that Christians interpret the Bible has been significantly affected by modernism: Christians now often expect to understand every detail about God, in the way that science expects to understand every detail about the universe. Christians sometimes forget that God is beyond our understanding and that mystery is an important aspect of Christian faith.
Name
Alaa
- Lebanon
Profession
Question
I would like to ask the Priest Nigel Dawkins,How can religion and spiritual belief play a role in forming the European identity?
Answer
The identity of people in Europe is formed in many different ways: the football team they support, the political party they support, the brand of coffee they drink. Religion and spiritual belief play an important part in many people's identity because being a committed member of a religion involves living a life different from secular expectations. Striving to lead a holy life has a significant impact on one's identity.
Name
Jaber
- Egypt
Profession
Question
What do the European churches offer people?
Answer
European churches offer people an opportunity to know God.Christianity speaks about Christians having a relationship with God, and it is the Church which provides the community in which people can grow in their relationship with God. Churches are communities in which people can learn about God, pray together and worship together. They also provide support to people in their everyday lives: priests visit people who are sick and help people as they prepare for marriages and funerals.
Name
Ann
-
Profession
Question
Do not you consider Muslims as hypocritical , they are asking for equality in the European countries while they mistreat the Christian minorities in their countries?
Answer
I do not see 'Muslims' as one people who can be criticized as one people. I grew up as a Christian in Saudi Arabia where the government does not allow churches to be built. However, in Egypt over 10% of the population is Christian and the predominantly Muslim government allows Christians to worship freely. For that reason I cannot say that Muslims are hypocritical: Saudi Muslims and Egyptian Muslims are not the same in their attitude to giving Christians freedom to worship. What is important in Europe is that Europeans are conscious of the values upon which we have built our countries, and be true to those values. Religious freedom is integral to European liberal democracy: Europeans must stay mindful of this even when other parts of the world do not show such tolerance.
Name
Ali
- Iran
Profession
Question
You have just said that "European churches offer people an opportunity to know God" then why the majority of the Europeans can not understand that Muslims have ordered by God to wear Hijab and to have their own culture?
Answer
I think that the majority of Europeans do understand that Muslims have practices which have been ordered by God. The issue of the hijab is interesting in Europe because it has shown how different European countries are from each other: the attitude to young women wearing the hijab in Britain is very different from in France. The police force in London has designed a special hijab for policewomen so that they can wear police uniform while also wearing hijab. However, some people in Europe now have no experience of religion and so it is difficult for them to understand the idea of being told how to dress by an authority.
Name
Suha
-
Profession
Question
In your opinion , what are the real differences between Muslim & Christian perspectives towards Europe?
Answer
European Christians have grown up in cultures where free speech means being allowed to criticize what one disagrees with. This means that many Christians can hear criticism of Christianity without being offended. However, many Muslims from the Middle East and Asia do not grow up in countries where open criticism is encouraged and therefore feel greater offence when Islam is criticized.One aspect of this difference is that Europeans often do not understand that they are causing offence when they criticize.
Name
HADERA
- Algeria
Profession
Question
How do you see the future of Muslims in Europe? And do you think it is possible to be integrated in the European societies?
Answer
I think the future for Muslims in Europe is good. Every European country now contains a mixture of cultures and faiths, and most Europeans value this diversity. Any fear which exists in these societies comes from ignorance, and that ignorance exists amongst Christians, Muslims and others. The challenge for us all is to become better informed: Westerners must learn about Islam and Muslims must learn about Western culture. It is possible for us to be well integrated in European society without all being the same. But that will only come through mutual understanding.
Name
Mariam
-
Profession
Question
What is the kind of relationship between religion and state in Britain?
Answer
Christianity does not have a set of laws which are equivalent to Sharia. For this reason, Christians cannot hope that the state will become a 'Christian state', because that idea does not exist.If the state is influenced by Christianity then it is through the involvement of committed Christians in government. One historical example of this is William Wilberforce, the Christian who in the 19th century campaigned for the abolition of slavery. He was a Member of Parliament whose politics were driven by his faith. If the British state seems to be Christian today it is because many Christians have been involved in government over many centuries.
Name
Rock
-
Profession
Question
Are you doing any kind of missionary work inside Europe among the secular youth for instance as well as outside Europe in African and Arab countries?
Answer
Most of the European Church's energy is directed towards bringing Christianity into the lives of people in Europe. This is especially true in the cities where there are many young people who have had little opportunity to learn about religion. Christians recognize that there is a great need for this sort of work in Europe, and see it as a high priority.
Name
Era
- Egypt
Profession
Question
What are the main the differences between Islam and Christianity and do you think that the gap can be bridged to reach the needed understanding?
Answer
I think that the differences which exist between Islam and Christianity are much smaller that the differences which exist between European culture and Middle Eastern culture.I am in Egypt at the moment and I can see that people think differently in Egypt from in Britain.This is not because the religions are different but because the cultures are different.One difference is in how much one can criticise ideas or practices: the university system in Britain encourages criticism as a way of exploring ideas, whereas criticism in Egypt is more likely to cause offence. It is understanding ideas like this - that criticism has a different place in cultures - that the gap can be bridged.I am confident that through better mutual understanding people of different cultures are able to live in peace together.
Name
Casper
-
Profession
Question
Can not you see that religion and spirituality lose a lot whenever the established organized religious powers try to gain authority , is not better to make people find their own ways to God by themselves?
Answer
There are many examples in history of religious institutions gaining worldly power and being corrupted by that power. So perhaps you are right that political power is a bad thing for religious institutions. However, those institutions still serve an important function in helping people find their way to God. If religions did not exist then every person seeking God would be trying to re-invent the wheel. Religions preserve revelation and traditions which help people find God.
Name
Akbar
-
Profession
Question
What's your own view regarding the Danish Cartoons against prophet Mohamed? What you will do if there were similar cartoons insulting the Christ?
Answer
The truth is that there are similar negative portrayals of Christ in European art and media.Christians have developed a 'thick skin' to such disrespect, and are no longer surprised by it.It is very difficult in Europe to offend someone because criticism is a normal part of the culture.For this reason people are not aware of the offence they might cause when they attack religion.I think that the Danish cartoonist and newspaper editor did not understand what effect the cartoons would have.If they had intended to create offence, that is one thing.But if they caused offence out of ignorance, then what should our reaction be?
Name
amos
- Yugoslavia
Profession
custodian
Question
which will be the best type of government for this world?
Answer
The first priority of any government is to provide security for its people: security from internal and external threats. Once a society is secure then the best type of government is that which creates an environment in which people have the opportunity to live the best lives they can. Different people will chose different types of life and the government must protect people's ability to do so. However, a government is also responsible for a country's relations with other countries. The best type of government is that which treats other countries with the same respect that it shows for its own people.
Name
Mostafa
- Bahrain
Profession
Question
From your experience in living in Arab countries, do you think that secularism will be accepted there?
Answer
I think that secularism has already been accepted here. In most Arab countries the law does not prevent people from eating food which is not halal, wearing clothes which are not hijab and sleeping in bed when others are in the mosque praying. People can live non-sharia lives. In most Arab countries this form of secularism is accepted. Most aspects of secularism do not threaten Islam: committed Muslims can still choose to eat halal food, wear hijab and pray without feeling attacked by secularism.It is this kind of mutual acceptance which we must hold on to.
Name
Adaam
- Australia
Profession
Question
Do you believe in the dialogue between religions or it is a myth?
Answer
People believe in dialogue for many different reasons: some want to convert others, some want to live peacefully with others, some want to learn more about their own faith through the challenge of hearing how others think about God. However, as a Christian I believe that we are taught to 'love our neighbour'. Muslims are our neighbours. How can we love our neighbours if we do not know them? Dialogue is about building relationships: getting to know our neighbours. Only once we know our neighbours can we love them.
Name
Susie Ombraker
- Alaska
Profession
Retired Oenologist
Question
Whose idea was it for your first name to be "Priest?" Reminds me of Major Major in Joseph Heller's novel "Catch 22."
Answer
My first name is Nigel.I am training to be a priest in the Church of England. My apologies if that was not clear.
Name
jasmin
- United States
Profession
none
Question
Did they stopped the aid to Palestine because its a religious government?
Answer
I believe that the financial situation exists because in Europe people think of Hamas as a terrorist organization. However, Hamas is now also a democratically-elected organization. This creates a difficult problem in European minds. What it reveals is that Europeans do not believe that democracy is everything.
Name
Sarah Sheriff
-
Profession
Question
Why did you change your career ? Are there many young people doing that?
Answer
I worked for six years as a computer consultant for a commercial organization. I have changed my career to become a priest because there is greater need in Europe for spiritual growth than financial growth. I would like to put my energy into helping people with their spiritual lives rather than with their financial lives. There are some young people who take this attitude, but of course money is attractive to many people!
Name
Poopsie
-
Profession
Question
Given that Europe has suffered and endured centuries of religious strife, is there any excuse for tolerating Muslims who preach religious bigotry and prejudice?
Answer
It can be claimed that historically Islam has a better track record than Christianity of protecting religious minorities. The challenge for us today is not to confuse the rantings of a small minority with the teaching of the religion as a whole. Much blood was spilt in Europe establishing the principle of respect for religious minorities. We should hold fast to that principle, regardless of whether it seems to be appreciated or not.
Name
Lady Fingers
- Bahamas
Profession
Question
You are to be congratulated for your efforts in bringing understanding to the Arabs. What has been your most frustrating experience?
Answer
I have found that the word 'freedom' is used quite differently in Europe and the Middle East. In Europe the word is morally neutral - it is how you use your freedom which is good or bad. However, in the Middle East 'freedom' implies that something is allowed, and therefore 'not bad'. Thus when a European says something like, "I have the freedom to criticise Islam", it is understood differently according to who is listening.Misunderstandings cause frustration!
Name
Hous bin Fard'een
-
Profession
Question
Are European Muslims in favor of assimilating into their new countries?
Answer
A distinction is made in Europe between assimilation and integration. Assimilation implies losing one's identity in the attempt to be part of society.Integration implies keeping one's identity while participating fully in society.Most Muslims in Europe try to integrate rather than assimilate into European society.
