January 2010 Archives

It is often the case that when one side stumbles, the other comes up with the higher voice or longing and encouragement.  Sometimes those in the political sphere are the voice of reason (and policy) to urge greater commitment among religions to serve the cause of peace.  Other times religions somehow manifest harmony and voice encouragement and urge courage among political leaders.

Politicians this week struggled in to find a way forward with the Stormont power-sharing government for Northern Ireland.

Four churches have come together to urge perseverance among the political leaders working on the effort.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/church-leaders-urge-norths-politicians-to-strike-a-deal-443756.html



The leaders of Ireland's four main churches today urged politicians to redouble their efforts in talks to save the future of the Stormont power-sharing government.

Their plea came after British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Taoiseach Brian Cowen left the talks venue at Hillsborough castle, Co Down, yesterday without securing agreement.

The two leaders asked, however, that First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness return to the negotiating table and report on their progress by tomorrow morning.

In a further development senior clerics offered their prayers and support in a joint statement from Cardinal Sean Brady, Church of Ireland Archbishop Alan Harper, Presbyterian Moderator Dr Stafford Carson and Methodist President Rev Donald Ker.

The men said they wished to put on record their "admiration for the commitment of all parties engaged in the talks to resolve the issues surrounding the devolution of policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly".

They added: "The people of Northern Ireland expect their representatives to ensure that agreement is reached. There is an overwhelming desire throughout Northern Ireland for continued political progress and for the peace process to be sustained."

It is always wonderful to learn more deeply about the faith and culture of others.

IRFWP is happy to report on festivities planned for London this Spring

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3521764.htm

Manchester,UK (PRWEB) January 28, 2010 -- The first ever Open Jewish Culture Festival is set to take place in London this year, which could be the perfect opportunity for the city's citizens to learn more about the religion and Jewish way of life.

It is a month-long occasion taking place between February 27th and March 29th across various venues, many of which will undoubtedly be near hotels in London. (http://www.laterooms.com/en/k16295585_london-hotels.aspx)

The festival will celebrate everything from Jewish arts to culture and heritage with two main events being incorporated into the spectacle.

These are Jewish Book Week, which is held from February 27th until March 7th, and the official opening of the Jewish London Museum this spring.

One person who has been showing his support for the event is mayor of London Boris Johnson.

He said that he is "delighted" to be giving his support to the occasion and pointed out that the city's Jewish community has been integral to the success of the capital.

"Open Jewish Culture will give Londoners and tourists alike the chance to discover more about the fantastic variety of Jewish arts and culture that is out there," Mr Johnson added.

People of good will the world over are distressed over the unnecessary violence in Malaysia at present. 

There is a view among many Christians suffering violence and attack in Malaysia that ill is being perpetrated by a non-representative minority characterized by extremism

One worshipper who only wanted to be identified as Lee said reactions to the court ruling from sections of the Muslim community had been "quite shocking".

"But I think the majority of Malaysians are still peace-loving and we should have dialogue to resolve this," she said. (AFP)

Importantly religious leaders of all communities are recognizing these events as stemming from a failure to invest more vigorously in dialogue.

Religious leaders say a lasting solution to the Herald issue will be to open communication lines further among the communities.

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism said this would help avoid a recurrence of the issue. (NST)

Read this whole article here

IRFWP fully upholds the wisdom that bi-lateral religious tensions have the best chance for dissolution when embraced and engaged by the larger family of religions, even while necessary bi-lateral emergency conversation goes forward.

by Isabelle Dana

First published in the Common Ground News Service

The Islamic state is a controversial issue in the West, as recent news confirms. Last October, an imam was killed and six men arrested by the FBI in Detroit for allegedly conspiring to establish an Islamic state in the United States. In the United Kingdom, government officials worry that extremist groups like Hizb-ut-Tahrir have infiltrated Muslim schools to propagate their vision of an Islamic state.

Public opinion in the West reflects the fear that radical Muslims are trying to impose their values on the rest of the world. But the nebulous term "Islamic state" is not merely a concern for the anxious Western world, it is actually a point of discord and contention within the Muslim world itself.

For many Muslim theologians, the Islamic state actually represents an obstacle to Islamic ethics and values. In Iran, pre-eminent scholar Abdulkarim Soroush, also a former political figure, emphasises how difficult it is to sustain civil, political and religious rights in the current Islamic Republic of Iran. Even the new wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt believes that an Islamic state is not feasible in today's world.

Read the entire article here