Christians and Muslims in Mumbai as "co-pilgrims" on the path of dialogue and collaboration
The Jesuits organised a seminar with Islamic scholars to highlight the similarities between the two religions and foster collaboration. This included explanations about Islam, the Qur‘an and the interpretations that affect Islamic doctrine.
Mumbai (AsiaNews) – A seminar was held in Mumbai on 3 November to highlight the similarities between Christianity and Islam and establish a dialogue and constructive cooperation between the two communities in India. People from both religions attended the event, moved by the common desire to understand the other's faith and recognise each other as "co-pilgrims". What follows is a commentary by Fr Errol D'Lima on the address by Fr Victor Edwin, a Jesuit expert on Islam.
India's secular Constitution provides space for Religious Pluralism. All religions are to be respected and a prior condition for this to happen is to be well-informed about other faiths and learn how to appreciate them.
On 3rd November 2016, the Bombay Jesuit Province organized a day-long seminar entitled "Christians and Muslims Journeying together as Co-pilgrims: The Ideal and the Existential Reality." Province members as well as priests from the Bombay Archdiocese and members of the Conference of Religious (i.e., an association of women and men belonging to various Catholic religious orders or congregations) of India (CRI), Mumbai Branch, participated in the Seminar. A special Muslim invitee, Advocate Irfan Engineer, participated in the entire seminar and played an important part in the panel discussion.
The Seminar's aim was to provide reliable information about Islam so that a mutually enriching dialogue between Christianity and Islam could emerge in areas of faith, spirituality, work, and socio-ecological action.
The timetable of the seminar included a morning session of two inputs by an expert, with time for questions and clarifications, followed by group discussion that focussed on future action plans to further dialogue. The post-lunch session was given to presenting group reports, and a panel discussion concluded the seminar.
Fr. Victor Edwin, S.J. was our accomplished resource person. He is an expert both in the theory as well as practice of Islam and teaches in Vidyajyoti. The first session drew attention to the Catholic Church's appreciation of Islam as reflected in the Vatican Council II's documents: Lumen Gentium 16 and Nostra Aetate 3. Both religions stress that God is One, Merciful and Creator of all. In the light of Abrahamic faith, all persons are duty-bound to submit to God who is also Judge.
Recent popes, like Paul VI and John Paul II, have declared their admiration for Muslims and asked that Christians be open to what Muslims say, and be enriched and challenged in practising their Christian commitment.
The second session offered a commentary on Islam's teachings and practices. The participants were introduced to the five pillars of Islam: (a) Shahada -- the profession of faith; (b) Salat -- daily ritual prayer; (c) Zakat -- the tax to help the poor; (d) Saum -- the Ramadan fast; and (e) Hajj—the pilgrimage to Mecca. Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam is a religion of the book, and absolute importance is given to the text of the Qur'an by Muslims.
The participants asked questions that elicited important information about the Qur'an. Its text is divided into chapters referred to as suras, and Allah is the author of the text, not Muhammad. Islam stresses the need to live a moral life and a person is helped by following the Shari'a which covers every aspect of human life, from personal matters to family relations, and the social, economic and political organization of a community.
Besides the Qur'an, another source of Islamic belief and practice is the Hadith which includes the sayings, deeds and decisions of Muhammad. Popular perception -- often aided by the media -- sees Islam as a monolithic whole. But it is necessary to acknowledge the varied interpretations that colour the Muslim way of life in different countries and movements. Explanations were sought about the true meaning of jihad and the stereotypes projected in the media about Muslims.
The seminar ended with a panel discussion that underlined the need for introspection in matters of religion and for interpreting religious texts with care and caution. Religions other than one's own bring new experiences which suggest change, and sometimes lead to insecurity and fear that give rise to fundamentalist stances.
Political groups hijack religion for their selfish purposes and use the social media to project their cause. There is need to critique religion and the way it is lived; otherwise what is the opinion of a private person or group is made out to be a tenet of religious faith for the whole community.
In our Christian institutions, there is need to celebrate communal harmony through programmes which foster goodwill and understanding between different religious groups. The Church has encouraged dialogue with other religions so that Christians respect other religions and, in keeping with the Indian State's Constitution, provide space for the practice of religion that is constructive and builds faith and harmony.
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