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DEVELOPMENTS IN INTER- Latest Developments The Latest Developments regarding Islam
Economist Jeremy Rifkin, draws our attention to the importance of the dialogue that will be established between the Islamic and Christian world in his article "Dialogue is Necessity" in the famous British The Guardian newspaper. Rifkin ends up: "What we need is "The Great Conversation" between Islam and the west so we can figure out how to accommodate each other. Until we do, our world will continue to be a dangerous and precarious place." Islam and the West, The Economist -April 2002 The Economist magazine gives place to a conversation among an Imam and a Bishop and emphasizes that there is no element that requires a conflict between two cultures.
The Bible and the Quran, The Newsweek- February 11, 2002 The well-known magazine Newsweek devoted 8 pages in its February 11, 2001 issue to an examination of the Qur'an. In the report entitled "In the Beginning There Were the Holy Books", it was emphasized that each of the three holy books was revealed by God and there was no room for conflict among the religions. The news began with those lines: "The Bible and the Qur'an both reveal the word of God. Both speak of prophets, redemption, heaven and hell. So why the violence? " Among the issues treated in the report were the kind of morality
enjoined by the Qur'an, how Muslims regard Christians and Jews and
how a person should live his life according to Islam. The report
states that, when they first read the Koran, many Christians are
surprised to see how much is written in the Qur'an about the lives
of Prophets such as Jesus, David, Abraham and Jonah who appear in
their own scriptures. The report also stresses that justice, mercy
and compassion are basic to the Qur'an. The Pluralism Project, Dianne Eck- Introducing the Internet website One of the most important names associated with this issue was Professor Dianne Eck, known for coining the name "Pluralism Project" for an enterprise in inter-faith dialogue. (Eck was awarded a special peace prize by the Clinton government for this project.) In her book, A New Religious America, Eck gives an account of what she has determined about the rapid rise of Islam: …As Muslims become more numerous and visible in American society,
public officials have begun to shift from speaking of "churches
and synagogues" to "churches, synagogues, and mosques."
The annual observance of the Ramadan month of Muslim fasting now
receives public notice and becomes the occasion for portraits of
the Muslims next door in the Dallas Morning News or the Minneapolis
Star Tribune. The fast-breaking meals called "iftar"
at the close of each day have become moments of recognition. In
the late 1990s there were iftar observances by Muslim staffers on
Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and in the State Department. In 1996
the White House hosted the first observance of the celebration of
Eid al-Fitr at the end of the month of Ramadan, a practice that
has continued. The same year also saw the U.S. Navy commission its
first Muslim chaplain, Lieutenant M. Malak Abd al-Muta' Ali Noel,
and in 1998 the U.S. Navy's first mosque was opened on the Norfolk
Naval Base in Virginia, where Lieutenant Noel was stationed. When
50 sailors attend Friday prayers at this facility, they signal to
all of us a new era of American religious life. (i)
A Meeting in Brussels on "The Peace of God in the World" A meeting held in Brussels in the last month of 2001 organized by the president of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, and the Orthodox Patriarch, Bartholomeos was attended by more than 80 clergy. The view was expressed at the meeting that it was absolutely essential for the three religions to work together for world peace. The final report began with this sentence: "The will of God is for the peace of heaven to reign on earth." The following words contained in the report are also of interest: "We unanimously reject the assumption that religion contributes to an inevitable clash of civilizations. On the contrary we affirm the constructive and instructive role of religion in the dialogue among civilizations." (ii) On the Pope's invitation, as many as 200 clergy gathered in the Italian city of Assisi where they prayed for world peace. About 5 thousand people attended the service including the Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi. In his address, the Pope said that violence and fanaticism were alien to religion and, if the world was to have a long-lasting peace, it was necessary to foster justice and forgiveness in the world.
A Pope Visits a Mosque for the First Time in Islamic History The visit of Pope John Paul II to Syria's Umiyye Mosque in 2001 was an historical first. This was the first visit made by a pope to a mosque in the 1400 year history of Islam. On his tour of the Middle East in 2001, as a sign of respect, the
Pope kisses the Qur'an given to him as a gift by Muslim clergy.
The Holy Father called all Christians to fast with the Muslims on the last Friday of the month Ramadan. His statement is as follows: The Holy Father, in announcing the day of fasting, prayer and charity
of December 14, made it known that the offerings gathered on that
occasion would be given, on Christmas Day, to the victims of terrorism
and war. Call for Interfaith Dialogue from Prince Charles
Tony Blair and Interfaith Dialogue One of the subjects Tony Blair dwells upon is not to make any discrimination between Christians and Muslims. An article entitled "Muslim and Christians share values- Blair" in BBC gives place to the statements of Blair on this issue.
Stop Islam Stereotypes-Blair, BBC In another article from BBC, Blair informs: "the frequent and indiscriminate use of the 'Islamic' tag the media uses to describe developments here or elsewhere which have nothing at all to do with the teachings of the Qur'an or the aspirations of ordinary Muslims." Blair Calls on Faiths to Unite, BBC In a news on BBC television entitled "Blair calls on faiths to unite" the inter-faith dialogue seminar at Lambeth Palace, London was brought up. This report emphasized Blair's view that, in the new world order developing since September 11 , Muslim-Christian cooperation has become much more important. The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr George Carey, who is hosting the seminar, suggested Christians should read the Koran and Muslims the New Testament to better understand each others' faiths. (i) http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itdhr/1101/ijde/eck.htm (ii) http://www.orthodoxa.org/patriarcat/documents/BrusselsDeclaration.htm
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Dialogue
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