wfn.org | Tension and cooperation in inter-faith relations

["Lambeth98" <storm@indigo.ie>]

ACNS LC061 - 29 July 1998

Lambeth hears of tension and cooperation in inter-faith relations

By E.T. Malone, Jr.
Lambeth Conference Communications

News of the murder of three Roman Catholic nuns in an Islamic
nation, The Yemen, prompted an unexpected moment of silence at
the beginning of the Lambeth Conference's plenary on
Christian-Muslim relations, Monday (July 27).

As he began his address, Rochester's Bishop Nazir-Ali (England),
formerly of Pakistan, told the session: "We have just had news
that three nuns, Missionaries of Charity, have been killed in the
Yemen, so before we begin, let us be silent for a moment." Mother
Teresa founded the order, which is based in India.

The deaths, linked by news agencies to an Islamic extremist
gunman, formed a harsh backdrop to the opening of the plenary
session, designed to outline some of the challenges, but also the
successes in Christian-Islam relations. There was a gasp from
members of the audience, most of whom had not heard the news.

Bishops place priority on inter-faith relations

Bishop Nazir-Ali told the plenary: "Anglicans wonder about the
extent to which they can conform to distinct cultures and still
be Christians." 

Interfaith issues, in a variety of contexts, were listed as
important by regional groups across the Anglican Communion that
were polled before the conference, he said. For example, some
parts of the church wanted to discuss inter-faith cooperation to
tackle issues of international debt, the environment or human
rights, while for others inter-faith dialogue was important, he
said. "They want to be involved in dialogue, yes, but also wonder
about the relationship of Christian witness to dialogue," he
said. 

There was particular interest in relations between Islam and
Christianity. He said, "Islam and Christianity are both
missionary faiths and they find themselves in the same place and
at the same time, and that means they are sometimes in
competition with one another particularly in Africa, and in East
Asia, but in nearly every part of the world."

Bishop Nazir-Ali reminded the plenary of the long history of
Christian-Islamic relations: "The Prophet himself had very close
relationships with Christians and Jews. Some were among his
closest friends and colleagues." Given "such a long history of
co-existence and co-operation in culture and learning and
political life, what then has gone wrong?" he asked.

The rise of Islamic fundamentalism was a key factor, Bishop
Nazir-Ali said. Fundamentalism had grown, he suggested, as a
reaction to colonialism, corrupt leaders, the failure of
capitalism and civil wars.

Cooperation in Gambia

As the plenary then heard stories of inter-faith tension and
cooperation from Africa, Asia, Britain and the Middle East,
Bishop Tilewa Johnson of The Gambia described his overwhelmingly
Muslim country-95 percent Muslim, three percent Christian. He
described a country of tolerance and openness, in sharp contrast
to the tales Bishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon of Kaduna Diocese
(Nigeria) told 20 minutes later.  

Bishop Johnson described his country as a secular state "with
freedom of religion enshrined in the constitution," where
"Christians and Muslims attend each other's weddings and
funerals." Intermarriage occurs, and "within the extended family
there can be both religious communities," he said. "All state
functions are preceded with prayers by leaders of both religious
communities."	 

Christians and Muslims collaborate on social concerns and in
development work, he said. "A social priority of the Christian
missions has been the establishments of schools," said Bishop
Johnson. "Therefore many Muslims have passed through Christian
schools, taking part in religion classes and acquiring a
knowledge of the Bible and a deep understanding  of the Christian
tradition." 

Christians may not have the same depth of understanding of Islam.
Bishop Johnson pointed out that "experience has shown it is
essential to have a knowledge of Islam in order to share the
Christian faith effectively with Muslims." He admitted that
genuine conversions from Islam "are uncommon" and rapid
conversions following intensive evangelism "evaporate over time."

But, he said, the tradition of rural Muslim children being sent
to urban Christian families for upbringing and formal education
can have "a gradual, but profound effect . . . hearts can be
turned quietly but surely."	

An opposite situation in Nigeria.

Today, said Bishop Idowu-Fearon,  85 to 90 percent of the
population in the north of Nigeria is Muslim while Christians
make up only three to five percent.

In the central region of the country where he lives, Christians
and Muslims dwell in equal numbers, while in the south Christians
outnumber Muslims in about the same proportion as Muslims
outnumber Christians in the North.

In the middle region and in the north, "Christians have no
rights," he said. "Provision is not made for Christian education
in the state schools. The public propagation of the gospel by the
media is prohibited."

Bishop Idowu-Fearon said, "There is serious enmity or hatred,
deep hatred, between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria,
especially in the middle part of the country . . . . We've lost
over 10,000 lives in the name of religion and more thousands have
been displaced . . . and millions of dollars of property lost in
the name of religion."

Middle East sets 'awesome' example of cooperation

The 2,000-year presence of Arab Christians in the Holy Land is
"nothing less than an awesome achievement," Jerusalem's Bishop
Riah Abu el-Assal told the plenary. But after 150 years of living
under "a superimposed Western veneer," Arab Christians number
barely 1.5 percent of the population of Palestine and Israel, he
noted. 

"Our mere physical presence is at stake," he said, a situation
that demands the attention of the Anglican Communion, "lest the
Holy Land become a museum of holy stones."

During 1300 years of "daily living dialogue" with Muslims, there
have been instances of discrimination and persecution, but
despite these difficulties "we became accustomed to live them,
and they learned to appreciate our presence among them."

Muslims in Palestine, he noted, historically were "more tolerant
of religious pluralism than their European counterparts," and
enabled a more lasting peace during their dominance of the
Mediterranean basin than was the case under Christian or Jewish
rule. 

For the 1,000 Anglican Palestinians, if not all 150,000 Arab
Christians, "our experience with Islam has been one of mutual
respect, and mutual trust," he said.

For example, in Christ Church School in Nazareth, 65 percent of
the 600 students are Muslims. "All take Christian education
courses and do better than our own in their exams," noted Bishop
Riah. There have been few clashes over religious issues in the
school's 30-year history, he said. The biggest concern has been
arbitrating disputes among parents over which children get to
star in the Christmas pageant. 

"We share our faith, and we need to continue to share it," he
said. "We do not impose it. We share it in the spirit of truth
and love, and we do not compromise our conviction."

Bishop Alexander John Malik of Lahore, (Pakistan) pointed out
that religious pluralism is not a welcome concept in most Muslim
circles in Pakistan. 

While a Muslim man can marry a Christian woman, the reverse is
out of the question for a Christian man and a Muslim woman. It is
okay for a Christian to convert to Islam, but not for a Muslim to
become a Christian. "Apostasy in Islam is a grave sin and an
apostate is liable to be killed," said Bishop Malik. "There is no
freedom of religion/conversion in Islam."

Under Islamic law in Pakistan, state and the church are one and
the same: "Islam is not only a religious faith, but a political
ideology as well. In Islam, religion and politics are
intertwined; they go hand in hand," he said.

The pool of Muslims that believes that Islam needs to be open to
concepts of plurality and religious tolerance is increasingly
under fire, he said. The split between modern Muslims and those
espousing an Islamic state run strictly under the law of Sha'riah
is deepening, as illustrated in Algeria where the state is
virtually under siege by fundamentalists, and in his home country
of Pakistan where enforcement of the blasphemy law has jailed or
killed a number of Christians. 

"Blasphemy law is like a hanging sword for the minorities," he
said, citing the case of a local counselor who was shot for
defending a Christian graveyard against desecration, and the
burning of the Christian village of Shantinagar by a mob of
30,000 incensed over the village's reported desecration of the
Qur'an. 

"The most noticable expression of Islam in the present-day world
is the rejection of Western civilization and culture," said
Bishop Malik. This may be because the West is seen as too
Christian and because of the overwhelming secular influence in
most Western societies. "On this, the educated Muslim is really
torn," he said.

Malik cautioned against addressing Islam from a fixed or
stereotyped posture. Our response as a communion "has to be open,
liberal and flexible," he stressed. However, "this openness and
flexibility does not mean that we should accept the ideology of
Islam without its critical evaluation, or reject it without
reason, or compromise with it at the expense of Christian
principles." 

Tales of co-operation from Egypt and England

Anglican leaders from Egypt and England told how Christianity can
co-operate with Islam despite the best efforts of extremists.

President Bishop Ghais Malik (Egypt) told "how the Christian
minority live among the Muslim majority" in Egypt and the Middle
East. He stressed that "through the centuries Christians and
Muslims have lived together, during times of joy and times of
trouble. They faced wars together, and so fought together, died
together, and survived together."  

Christians and Muslims, said Bishop Malik, "are part of the one
body of Egypt."

Bishop Malik went on to address the issue of persecution and
emphasized that "we have to differentiate between 'persecution'
and 'difficulties and problems.'" He drew a distinction between
the word persecution "used when the government targets a minority
group and wishes to dissolve that group," and the concept of
troubles and difficulties which "are started by blinkered
individuals or fanatic Islamists with closed minds."  

The latter, said Bishop Malik, "I personally do not call
persecution."  He drew attention to events of the past few years
when "churches were burnt down, Christians were killed, Christian
shops were raided and burgled," when claims of persecution were
made. But "this was not a direct attack against the Christians
for their own sake, but an attempt by the terrorists to shake the
stability of the country, hoping thereby to bring down the
government and rule themselves."  

Referring to these situations, Bishop Malik remarked that "these
terrorists convince themselves and try to convince others that
they are following the Koran."

Bishop Malik addressed the issue of proselytising. "We are living
in a country where this is against the law," he said, "and so the
answer has to be 'No, we cannot do this.'"  Christians in Egypt
"do not impose on others to accept what they believe, but rather
show them how they live.

"I see a great need for Christian-Muslim dialogue," said Bishop
Malik, "I recommend it and, indeed, it has already been started."
 He stressed the importance of the work being done, including a
1995 visit to Egypt by the Archbishop of Canterbury and a return
visit the following year of the Grand Sheikh to London.

The final speaker of the plenary was Bradford's Bishop David
Smith.  He expressed his hope that the story of his central
English diocese would "encourage and offer opportunity for
challenge to others."

Bishop Smith told how Muslims in Bradford "look to the bishop as
a spiritual leader, since it is his responsibility to ensure
people's rights."  This focus comes out of the Muslims' sense
that they are "in a strange land."

Bishop Smith identified several policies established "to develop
and foster good relations." These are "to encourage people to
meet, to build up a sense of trust and respect for those who are
different, and to fight against 'Islamophobia' where Islam is
misrepresented." 

Lisa Barraclough, Nan Cobbey & David Skidmore contributed to
this story

For further information, contact:

   Lambeth Conference Communications
   Canterbury Business School
   University of Kent at Canterbury
   Telephone: 01227 827348/9
   Fax: 01227 828085
   Mobile: 0374 800212

   http://www.lambethconference.org