Vatican Communique on Results of a Vote in Anglican Church
VATICAN CITY, 8 JUL 2008 (VIS) - Given below is the text of a communique released late this morning by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, concerning recent events within the Anglican Communion.
"We have regretfully learned the news of the Church of England vote that paves the way for the introduction of legislation which will lead to the ordaining of women to the episcopacy.
"The Catholic position on the issue has been clearly expressed by Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II. Such a decision signifies a break with the apostolic tradition maintained by all of the Churches since the first millennium and is, therefore, a further obstacle to reconciliation between the Catholic Church and the Church of England.
"This decision will have consequences on the future of dialogue, which had up until now borne fruit, as Cardinal Kasper clearly explained when on 5 June 2006 he spoke to all of the bishops of the Church of England at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
It is the opinion of this writer that the Vatican statement is beligerent and lacks elegance. It is fine for the Roman Catholic Church to express its understanding of doctrine, but such an expression should not be presented in a threatening tone. The impact of denominational decisions on dialogue should be expressed quietly among dialogue partners, in a spirit of Christ-like charity, not in blustery, threatening declarations.
Please continue to pay close and prayerful attention to events and developments in West Java. It is vital to invest in positive interreligious relations and to protect the rights of believers.
JAKARTA - Public Order officials on June 26 demolished a church building in Cimahi regency of Bandung district, West Java, to make way for a new shopping mall and bus terminal after church leaders failed to convince authorities that they owned the land on which it was built...
Since the Indonesian Anglican Church of Cirebeum village was established in 1992 – with a letter of approval from 20 families in the immediate neighborhood – courts have dealt with a succession of people claiming to be the rightful owners of the property. Even as the church building was demolished, a civil tribunal in Bandung district was considering a verdict on rightful ownership following a hearing on June 24.
Swiss nationalists vote on banning Muslim minarets
Here is an important development that warrants the attention of people interested in the development of positive interreligious relations.
It should be noted that the Swiss People's Party and the fringe Federal Democratic Union are anti-immigrant groups who have sponsored similar campaigns, and generally do not enjoy the favor of most Swiss citizens.
GENEVA (AP) — Swiss nationalists have forced a nationwide referendum on whether to ban the construction of minarets where Muslims issue the call to prayer — a proposal that, if approved, could clash with Switzerland's constitutionally protected right to freedom of religion.
The Interior Ministry said it received a proposal Tuesday with more than the required 100,000 signatures.
It was submitted by members of the nationalist Swiss People's Party and the fringe Federal Democratic Union, who say they are acting to fight the political spread of Islam. They argue that the minaret is a symbol of political and religious claim to power rather than a mere religious sign. Article here
John Templeton was one of the great investors of the 20th century, making many hundreds of millions of dollars for himself and those whose funds he managed. But his name is perhaps better known for the way he gave his fortune away.
The Templeton Prize for Progress towards Research or Discoveries about Spiritual Realities, initially known as the Templeton prize for Progress in Religion, is the world’s richest individual Prize, always set higher than the Nobel and currently worth £820,000. Its distinguished but highly eclectic recipients have included Mother Teresa, the cosmologist John Barrow, the environmental ethicist Holmes Rolston, the philosopher Charles Taylor, Billy Graham, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Charles Colson, the Nixon aide imprisoned for his role in Watergate (he later founded a prison outreach programme).
New Delhi (PTI): Perturbed by growing tendency of stereotyping of Muslims after terror attacks, a prominent body of the communityon Sunday decided to form defence groups against terrorism across the country.
The Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani here said that the organisation would launch an effective movement against terrorist and disruptive forces in every nook and corner of the country.
Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka's Central Cultural Fund Chairman Professor Sudarshan Seneviratne this week lauded Pakistan for her immense contribution towards the protection and preservation of Gandhara's ancient Buddhist cultural heritage
Muslim woman in UK wins 4000 pounds in headscarf racial row
London, June 18 : A British employment tribunal panel has awarded 4,000 pounds to a Muslim teenage hairdresser as compensation for “injury to feelings” after she was declined a job for wearing a headscarf.
Korean team calls for preserving Pakistan's Buddha site
It is often felt that clash over holy sites is one of the most formidable and combustible arenas in the world of interreligious relations. Paradoxically however, holy sites represent great opportunities for leaping forward in the face of the most challenging frontiers of interreligious affairs. All religions have a common intuition as to the fragility, preciousness, and great care needed to protect irreplaceable holy sites. On the basis of this shared generic understanding, enlightened religious leaders can pioneer ways to demonstrate creative designs for collaboration, and loving, mutual respect.
This account of North Asian Buddhists in Pakistan is very encouraging. (Kaufmann)
Korean team calls for preserving Pakistan's Buddha site
The News, June 15, 2008
Peshwar, Pakistan
A delegation of Korean Buddhists headed by senior monk Jeon Woon Deok Saturday urged the Pakistan government to initiate measures for protecting and restoring Buddha site in Takhtbhai and make it the biggest place for Buddha worship.
The seven-member team of the Buddhists visited the historic Mahabat Khan mosque to forge interfaith harmony. Deok and his delegation visited different section of the mosque and met its Khateeb, Maulana Yousaf Qureshi.
On the occasion, strict security measures were put in place as no irrelevant person was allowed to enter the mosque premises.
After their visit, Deok held a joint press conference with Yousaf Qureshi and said that the Korean and Japanese governments would finance a university in the NWFP for the protection of the historic Buddha sites. He said talks were underway with the government of Pakistan in this regard.
“Though physically we belong to Korea but spiritually we are deeply attached to Pakistan as Buddhisattvi spread in the whole world from here,” he added. He said all religions should work for the interfaith harmony and promote the message of peace.
Masjid Mahabat Khan Khateeb said that Buddhist community should closely work with the Muslims for bringing peace as Islam believed in peace and tolerance.
VATICAN CITY – The world is obsessed by Islam, according to the Vatican’s point man for relations with other religions.
Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran also said he did not want an impression to grow that there are different classes of religion.
Tauran’s department, the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, oversees relations with all non-Christian religions except Judaism and is preparing new guidelines for Catholic dialogue with them.
The new guidelines will not have special emphasis on Islam, Tauran said in an interview with the religious website terrasanta.com which specialises in Holy Land affairs.
‘No, it has to have regard for all religions. What was interesting about our discussions was that we did not concentrate on Islam because in a way we are being held hostage by Islam a little bit,’ he said.
‘Islam is very important but there are also other great Asiatic religious traditions. Islam is one religion,’ he said.
Dear IRFWP reader. Below is an RNS article examining the impact that religious and pastoral endorsements have had on the US presidential contest so far.
The article accurately identifies the mark of a shift in the relationship between politicians and clergy that will remain permanent. The sure decline in the religious and political hand in glove is not nefarious, signs of rising secularism, or cause for hand-wringing among lovers of God.
Personally I see two problems that revealed themselves through the chaotic missteps in the religious and political relationships that have littered this political season thus far.
1. The relationship is wrong. This is not to say there should NOT be a relationship, politicians should be religious and religious leaders should invest in the politics of their land. It is to say that these paired responsibilities have not until now taken on the proper form and order.
2. Religious leaders are parochial, not inclusive. All the leaders who caused their candidates of choice were exposed not for a higher inclusive vision but rather for their division. It was the proneness and intensity of againstness that forced the breaches the politicians were eventually forced to declare.
Please read through this RNS article below. Then please offer IRFWP dot org your views and understanding. You may do so in the poll below, but please consider writing your views at length here (<-- click). We will post serious writing as IRFWP commentary, or invite your contribution to Dialogue and Alliance(<-- click)
Hazards for both sides when politicians court pastors By Adelle M. Banks and Daniel Burke
WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney and his Mormon faith. Mike Huckabee and his "Christian leader" ads. John McCain and John Hagee. Hillary Clinton and her "prayer warriors." Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright.
To put it mildly, the 2008 election has featured an extraordinary emphasis on religion.
"There's been more religious ferment in this election than any since 1960," said Ralph Reed, the GOP strategist who helped build the Christian Coalition in the 1990s, "and I don't expect that to come to an end."
But the past couple of weeks have demonstrated -- to a degree not seen in previous elections -- that the intersection of religion and politics can be fraught with peril for pastors and politicians.
This is an extremely important article. The situation requires constant observation and perseverance from international rights and watchdog groups.
If the monks are involved with bombs, even if their cause is just, and even if the destruction is only to property, still this must stop. The current world situation needs to purge violent activity from all religious activists.
If the monks have been subject to torture or questionable interrogation and confession seeking tactics, it is vital that all people and organizations of conscience stay vigilant and bring these realities to the light of day!
HONG KONG — The police in Tibet have arrested 16 Buddhist monks and accused them of involvement in three bombings, a police spokesman in northeastern Tibet said Thursday.
All three involved homemade explosives and caused only property damage, no deaths or injuries, the spokesman said in a telephone interview.
The spokesman, in Qamdo, Tibet, declined to give his name and referred further questions to the Tibet Department of Public Security headquarters in Lhasa, where a press officer said that he had no information.
Xinhua, the official Chinese news agency, reported Thursday that the Tibet Department of Public Security had arrested the 16 monks on May 12 and 13 in connection with bombings on April 5, 8 and 15 in villages near Qamdo.
All of the monks have admitted their guilt, according to Xinhua.
Human rights activists and Tibetan exile groups have repeatedly accused Chinese security forces of using torture to extract confessions. The police in China also frequently delay announcing arrests until confessions have been obtained.
Nicolas Bequelin, a Hong Kong-based researcher for Human Rights Watch said that while he had no specific information on the monks under arrest, he was doubtful that their treatment would meet international standards.
“We have no confidence that these people get due process, and in particular the issue of confession is always tricky, because of the use of pretrial torture and coercion in China,” he said.
Judges in Tibet have also been outspoken in saying that their goal is to try cases as quickly as possible and preserve the territorial integrity of China. “They don’t pretend that they’re giving people a fair trial, they say they are fighting separatism,” Mr. Bequelin said.
The author of this article is cynical about the interfaith qualities of the coming June 4 interfaith conference that Saudi King Abdullah will open, and over which Saudi Shura Council head Saleh bin Huma will preside, and perhaps rightly so.
The author approaches the event from the hard edge of oil profits and national self-interest. Of course these are elements in all equations in the region. Further it is the responsibility of peace seekers and interfaith activists to be sophisticated in their efforts for peace.
For this reason, Mr. Friedman's excellent article (though it might be felt as a touch harsh by Saudi leaders) is a must read.
To move away for a moment from the mental prisons of materialism and self-interest as the core motivational essence of being human, I for one pray that Shiite and Sunni Muslims can discover beauty in one another's traditions, and find a higher home in Islam for the breadth of approaches these two historical approaches represent.
June 2, 2008
By George Friedman
The Saudis are hosting an interfaith conference June 4. Four hundred Islamic scholars from around the world will be there, with one day devoted to interfaith issues. Saudi King Abdullah will open the conference, over which Saudi Shura Council head Saleh bin Huma will preside. This is clearly intended to be a major event, not minimized by the fact that Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran’s most influential leader — who heads Iran’s Assembly of Experts, the body that elects and can remove the Supreme Leader — will be attending as well. Rafsanjani was specifically invited by the Saudi ambassador to Iran last Wednesday with the following message: “King Abdullah believes you have a great stature in the Islamic world … and he has assigned me the duty of inviting you to the conference.” We would not have expected to see a meeting on interfaith dialogue even a year ago.
For its part, al Qaeda condemned the conference. Its spokesman, Abu Yahya al-Libi, said of Abdullah via videotape that “He who is called the defender of monotheism by sycophantic clerics is raising the flag of brotherhood between religions … and thinks he has found the wisdom to stop wars and prevent the causes of enmity between religions and peoples.” He went on to say “By God, if you don’t resist heroically against this wanton tyrant … the day will come when church bells will ring in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula.” In the past, the Saudis have been very careful not to push al Qaeda, or the kingdom’s own conservatives, too far.
One reason for the change might be the increasing focus by conservative Saudi clerics on the Shia, particularly Iran and Hezbollah. Twenty-two leading conservative clerics issued a statement condemning the Shia as destabilizing the Arab world and hostile to Sunnis. More important, they claimed that Iran and Hezbollah are only pretending to be hostile to the United States and Jews. In a translation by The Associated Press, the clerics said that “If they (Shiites) have a country, they humiliate and exert control in their rule over Sunnis. They sow strife, corruption and destruction among Muslims and destabilize security in Muslim countries … such as Yemen.” This view paralleled statements by al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri a few weeks back.
May 16, 2008
by Preeti Bhattacharji
Council on Foreign Relations
Introduction
Religious observance in China is on the rise. According to a survey published in a state-run newspaper, 31.4 percent of Chinese adults are religious, a figure that is three times the initial government estimate. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is officially atheist, but it has been growing more tolerant of religious activity for the past twenty years. China's constitution explicitly allows "freedom of religious belief," and in 2005, the State Council passed new guidelines broadening legal rights for state-sanctioned groups. In March, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recognized these efforts and removed China from the State Department's list of top human rights violators. But experts say that Muslim Uighurs, Buddhist Tibetans, unregistered Christians, and groups that the party brands as cults, such as Falun Gong, are still persecuted and repressed.
Freedom and Regulation
Article 36 of the Chinese constitution says that Chinese citizens "enjoy freedom of religious belief." It bans discrimination based on religion, and it forbids state organs, public organizations, or individuals from compelling citizens to believe in—or not to believe in—any particular faith. In 2005, the State Council passed new Regulations on Religious Affairs, which allow religious organizations to possess property, publish literature, train and approve clergy, and collect donations as long as they have registered with the state. According to Chinese criminal law, officials who deny citizens of their right to religious belief can be sentenced up to two years in prison.
But religious freedom is still not universal in China. The state only recognizes five official religions—Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism—and considers the practice of any other faith illegal. Religious organizations are required to register with one of five state-sanctioned patriotic religious associations, each of which is supervised by the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA). Religious groups that fail to affiliate with one of the five official religions are denied legal protection under Chinese law.
SCHOOL dress codes in an increasingly culturally diverse Ireland will be the subject of a national consultation process in the autumn.
Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe yesterday said he had asked Junior Minister Conor Lenihan, who has responsibility for integration, to consider the matter in the context of work on the development of an Intercultural Education Strategy.
Mr Sweetman allowed Shekina Egan (13) to wear the hijab, but called on the State to give guidance and so avoid a situation where one school had a policy allowing a hijab, while it was not permitted in another.
Shekina is the eldest daughter of Gorey native Liam Egan, who lived in the Yemen and Saudi Arabia and converted to Islam a number of years ago. Mr Egan returned to his hometown last year with his family which also includes wife Beverly and children Shakura (12), Shakiira (8) and Shadia (4).
Beverly Egan said it was Shekina's choice to wear a hijab. She said: "Leaving it to individual school boards of management was not a safe way to go".
Mr O'Keeffe said he did not regard questions over the Muslim veil as "a serious issue" in Ireland.
He said: "Wearing a veil is unlikely to be an issue in most schools but there will come a time when schools will be forced to deal with situations when parents demand that their daughters face be fully covered.
"Will it be found to be discriminatory under Equal Status legislation if school authorities insist that a full veil can't be worn?
LDS-Catholic relations impact the study of Geneology
This article is presented as information. It is an unexpected arena of interreligious relations. The Catholic Church and the Church of the Latter Day Saints. The eventual outcome of this "conversation" has implications beyond the relationship of these two communities of faith. The whole world of geneology and geneological studies will be affected by this matter.
As you will read in the article, the Catholic Church is not the only religious group that has taken exception with the LDS practice of baptizing the deceased. How this will end is anyone's guess. We present the issue here for the sake of those involved in interfaith work. Frank Kaufmann
Jaipur has suffered horrible attacks from extremists in ruthless bombings timed and orchestrated to cause the greatest possible loss of life and injury to innocents. Near crowded temples to coincide with the celebration of Lord Hanuman, and in the surrounding bazaars and market places.
Of course we decry the brutal and bestial mind that possesses the perpetrators. The Economic Timesreports on developments and investigations.
In the mean time, lifelong, saintly activist Shrivatsa Goswami remains in Jaipur to offer prayers and comfort.
Here is what Shrivatsa writes to a fellow scholar in the States who wrote Shrivatsa with concern:
I am giving Bhagavata katha in Jaipur and we gathered even today despite the curfew to pray for the departed and help the suffering families. The day was peaceful and the anger did not translate into retalliation and that is what the hindu leaders here have apealed to the citizens of Jaipur. Like Varanasi, Jaipur will prove its sanity and maturity to the disbelief of media--who are very much disappointed for lack of violence.
Please pray for Shrivatsa, for all who seek to give comfort and solace, for all who suffer, and for all who champion interreligious understanding and harmony in our violent and dangerous times.
Here is an important article from the Pew Forum on religion in China on the eve of the 2008 Summer Olympics:
According to a 2006 survey by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, 31% of the Chinese public considers religion to be very or somewhat important in their lives, compared with only 11% who say religion is not at all important. When asked a somewhat different question in a 2005 Pew poll, an even greater percentage of the Chinese public (56%) considered religion to be very or somewhat important in their lives.
While there are no nationally representative surveys of the religious affiliation of the Chinese public, three recent surveys provide some sense of the number of people who belong to China’s five main recognized religions – Buddhism, Protestantism, Catholicism, Islam and Taoism
Islamic seminary's plea against cow slaughter receives praise
It is continued good news each time we find leaders, institutions or communities standing up and fighting for the rights of believers from different faiths.
In the article just below, we read of a Jewish rabbi calling for protests to protect the sensibilities of Hindus
In this article, we read of a Muslim seminary calling for the end to cow slaughter and consumption, not because it is a matter of Muslim dietary law, but rather as a gesture to care for the religious life and sensibilities of Hindus.
There is no better way to forge the steady advance of interreligious harmony and cooperation, than to take solid action on behalf of the religious concerns of others. Frank Kaufmann
Islamic seminary's plea against cow slaughter receives praise
New Delhi: The Deoband-based Islamic seminary's plea to refrain from cow slaughter and beef eating has been warmly received with people saying the gesture will go a long way in further cementing Hindu-Muslim brotherhood.
"The appeal to refrain from cow slaughter and beef eating is in tandem with India's secular ethos and sentiments. It is a welcome move that will go a long way in bridging the gap between Hindus and Muslims," Harcharan Singh Josh, a member of the National Commission for Minorities, said.
"In India, where unity thrives in diversity, the people should learn to respect each other's religious sentiments. Such gestures should be replicated in our behaviour as well and, if possible, reciprocated as well. Thus, we can contribute to the country's peace and harmony."
Jewish leader calls for boycott of the movie "The Love Guru"
I have not seen this movie. I do not know first hand the degree to which its content is offensive.
What is positive to note in this article is the cross defense of a religious community, by a leader from a different religion.
This is an example of what must be done in all dimensions of religion so that religious leaders can transcend our own rootedness in separation, and insodoing rise to hold the lead in peacemaking that not only is proper to true religious leadership, but requisite to any hopes for peace in the world. Frank Kaufmann
Jewish leader calls for boycott of the movie "The Love Guru"
Washington, May 6 : A prominent Jewish Rabbi has called for boycott of upcoming movie "The Love Guru" because it "lampoons Hinduism, mocks Ashram life and Hindu philosophy" and asking "who laughs at religious practices".
Rabbi Elizabeth W. Beyer of Nevada, in a statement, said, " 'The Love Guru' lampoons Hinduism, mocks Ashram life and Hindu philosophy. While 'Guru Pitka' states that he endorses no particular religion, the movie clearly portrays him as a guru - religious leader of Hindus."
Obama, Clinton take on tough faith questions at Compassion Forum
Here is a not too bad article about a woefully undercovered event in which Senators Clinton and Obama participated in the "Compassion Forum" at Messiah College on April 13, 2008.
As important as the contributions and reflections of Senators Clinton and Obama is the fact the Senator McCain declined to participate.
Enjoy this report. Click through to read the entire article. This is promising.
GRANTHAM, Pa. (CNS) -- The two Democratic senators seeking their party's nomination for president sought to define themselves in terms of their religious faith in an April 13 forum at Messiah College in Grantham that was broadcast live on CNN.
Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and Hillary Clinton of New York talked about the role of faith in their lives, about the place they think religion should hold in civil society, about their beliefs on when life begins and how that influences their political stances on abortion and end-of-life care.
The Compassion Forum, held at an evangelical liberal arts college in a state holding its Democratic presidential primary April 22, marked a significant shift in the way Democratic candidates are willing to talk about religion.
Cuts of meat that are forbidden by kosher or halal law are sold back into the general market, but animal rights activists find kosher and halal slaughter practices inhumane. The British Food and Farming Minister wants these meats labeled so that consumers have the right to reject meats if they feel the animals have been treated in inhumane ways (during slaughter).
Here, (some) Jews and Muslims have come together in agreement. It is a matter to keep on your radar.
Brit Jews, Muslims say no to labelling of halal and kosher meat
London, Apr.7 : Jews and Muslims in Britain have reportedly objected to a Government proposal to label halal and kosher meat before they are put on sale.
Reacting to Food and Farming Minister Lord Rooker's proposal that suggests that the public should be given the choice of deciding whether they want to buy food from animals that have been bled to death, community leaders and members said this step to label meats went against their religious beliefs.
"My choice as a customer is that I would want to buy meat that has been looked after and slaughtered in the most humane way possible."
Lord Rooker's comments were welcomed by the RSPCA, which is concerned about the experience of animals killed for Jews and Muslims.
Sotheby's Monday stopped the auction of an 18th century body armour after Sikh groups protested it was playing with their religious sentiments.
But bowing to continuing Sikh protests, the auction house said Monday it was withdrawing the armour from the April 9 auction at the request of the seller.
Patna Sikhs protest Guru Gobind Singh's armour's auction in UK
This writer upholds the position of the Patna Sikhs protesting the the proposed auction of an armour at London's renowned Sotheby's, believed to be that which belonged to the Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and last religious head of the Sikhs.
It is the firm stance of this writer expressing the IRFWP position that every possible measure should be sought in all cases to protect and respect the religious sensibilities and the world's sacred treasure entrusted to each of the many distinct faith communities in the world.
We as a worldwide family of believers from every tradition should stand in solidarity with one another in concern for respecting that which is sacred and treasured from a viewpoint of religious faith and belief.
We call upon Sotheby's to withdraw the armor from auction until the matter is settled in consultation with Sikh leaders and believers.
Patna, Apr 2 : The Sikh community in Patna on Wednesday protested against the proposed auction of an armour at London's renowned Sotheby's, as they believe it belonged to the Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and last religious head of the Sikhs.
The protesters came out in large numbers shouting slogans and showing placards voicing their demand and urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to step in to stop the proposed auction.
"The government should immediately stop the auction and if they (British Government) continue with it, then it will hurt the religions sentiments of Sikhs and our gurus. Moreover, if our demands are not met, then we shall report against the British Government in the International Court of Justice," added Raja Singh, Secretary of Takht Shri Harminderji Patna Sahib.
The apex religious representative body of the Sikhs, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) had also appealed to Manmohan Singh to look into the matter.
An important article appears today in The Times of India entitled "Young Muslims in UK attracted to radical Islam." The unfortunate reality is described plainly in the headline, but the article fails to unpack the implications of two key elements concealed in the very words of the writer himself.
The first clue appears in paragraph one:
Young Muslims in Britain are increasingly getting inclined towards radical Islam as it presents a more "comprehensive and coherent" ideology than the one advocated by local mosques, a report has suggested.
And the second in paragraph two:
"The growth of monocultural ghettos has led to the radicalisation of young Muslims who see extremism as the only theology available to them," the report, by British home office in 2005 said.
The essence of my commentary is twofold. The first is a call to world, Muslim leadership, especially its theologians, scholars and educators to recognize the implications of this observation. The second is a call to all concerned citizens worldwide to recognize the enduring fact that non-religious elements contribute to this harmful and self-destructive identification with deviant and aberrant "religious" interpretations.
When first reading this Times of India headline, I felt saddened. On balance I tend to admire the UK for its efforts to intuit and implement the all important ideal of religious freedom (as opposed to so many mainland European nations, which or some odd reason are lowbrow in this arena). Thus, why in the UK of all places (as one of the better places to be Muslim) should there be an increase in the trend toward what is called "radical Islam" (a misnomer in my opinion)?
The reasons for this shone through the writer's casual observations. I was not at all surprised to discover that both halves of the equation had little to do with religion per se. Yet even so, the implications for religious leaders and practitioners are great.
The two elements identified in the article as responsible for the rise of "radical Islam" among Muslim youth in the UK are: 1. Monocultural ghettos, and 2. The comprehensiveness and coherence of these evil teachings.
The fact of monocultural ghettoes is a political, economic, cultural, and historical reality, far more than a religious one (if at all). While not a religious reality, it is nevertheless a religious problem, namely something religions (and surely not just Islam) should address and fix. Monocultural ghettos are a problem. These have the potential to lead to anger and violence whether packaged in an ideology or not (for example plain old drug and gang violence), and whether the ideology happens to be the perversion of religious teachings or not (for example Marxism, a religion denying ideology is extremely violent).
The second element that completes the circle in this sad and destructive mix is that the appeal described for "radical Islam" is that it is comprehensive and coherent! Not that it is true, edifying, uplifting, consistent with tradition and historical interpretation, or responsible in anyway to genuinely religious purposes. As with the ghetto problem, comprehensiveness coherence in a thought system are not related necessarily to religion. Any thought system can be comprehensive and coherent, even one claiming to represent a religion despite violating the most important of its basic tenets.
And here with this issue of coherence, (just as it was with the issue of monocultural ghettoes), it is not a matter necessarily related to religious thought, but again it is a religious problem. If Muslim leaders, educators, and parents cannot present a comprehensive and coherent account of the Islam of peace, human equality, social cohesion, and respect for life they leave their precious children vulnerable to villains who can construct a comprehensive and coherent call, even if it is one that defiles all virtue and life itself.
It is not sufficient merely to proof-text and reiterate ad nauseum the incessant declaration that Islam is a religion of peace, and that Islam means peace. It is necessary to compete with the appeal, devotion, and ideological ardor invested in the thought systems generated by militant and violent preachers and recruiters.
The realities sadly happen to be, 1. intolerable and enraging life in monocultural ghettos, combined with 2. selfless (if perverse) devotion and intellectual striving of hateful, violent ideologues. These are the challenges that must be faced and resolved by Muslim intellectuals, leaders and educators. Wherein lies a comprehensive and coherent account of Islam's true beauty that can speak in the midst of this tragedy, this current world of offense, separation, and inequality experienced in Europe's ghettos? This is the most pressing challenge of our time. The lives of a generation of beautiful young men and women depend on our success.
Frank Kaufmann is the director of the Inter Religious Federation for World Peace The opinion here is his own
Here is a fascinating phenomenon. Pope Clement XVI has somehow managed to secure for himself a split personality in which he functions religiously as BOTH good cop AND bad cop.
Richard Owen does a good job of documenting this in a Times of London article today, this time about Martin Luther.
As we see now a second seeming about face (first with Muslims and now with Protestants) we must ask exactly what it is that we keep seeing here? Is this calculated by Benedict XVI as a path to a higher good? "Insulting people is the best way to generate fruitful interreligious dialogue." Are we seeing a person who simply suffers from a deep inner conflict. "Sometimes I think Islam is inherently evil, sometimes I think its great." Is Pope Benedict XVI a calculatING person, who plays this back and forth game as a means surreptitiously to pursue Catholic imperialism? Kind of a theological rope-a-dope?
Whatever this is, it should properly arouse genuine interest among people who take religious belief and the importance of religious leadership seriously.
Pope Benedict XVI is to rehabilitate Martin Luther, arguing that he did not intend to split Christianity but only to purge the Church of corrupt practices.
Pope Benedict will issue his findings on Luther (1483-1546) in September after discussing him at his annual seminar of 40 fellow theologians — known as the Ratzinger Schülerkreis — at Castelgandolfo, the papal summer residence. According to Vatican insiders the Pope will argue that Luther, who was excommunicated and condemned for heresy, was not a heretic.
Cardinal Walter Kasper, the head of the pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said the move would help to promote ecumenical dialogue between Catholics and Protestants. It is also designed to counteract the impact of July's papal statement describing the Protestant and Orthodox faiths as defective and “not proper Churches”.
The ten members of the Danish parliament's Foreign Policy Committee, including Denmark's former foreign minister Mogens Lykketoft, erred when they canceled a trip to Iran two days prior to scheduled meetings.
IRFWP position already has been clearly editorialized on these pages:
We do not want Turkish Muslims barred from their sacred obligations any more than we would hope to see such constraints and impositions on Muslims citizens in Holland, Germany, or France.
The issue now continues with ever more intensity as reported in the New York Times
FOR Fatma Benli, a Turkish lawyer and women’s rights advocate, the controversy over Islamic head scarves has the irritating sound of a broken record.
Ms. Benli, who is 34, wears one herself. (On Wednesday, it was light brown with a floral print, tucked into the neck of a white turtleneck.) But she would rather talk about other things.
“I could tell you about domestic violence, about honor killings, about the parts of the criminal code that discriminate against women,” she said, ticking off her areas of expertise in rapid-fire sentences. “But we can’t move on to those issues.
“The head scarf is where we are stuck.”
“This is related to my private life,” she said. “It’s my personality. My wholeness.”
Sheikh attempts preemption in anticipation of Duth Film
UPI Germany Correspondent Stefan Nicola reports that the the Dutch government is bracing for widespread violence that could be sparked by an anti-Islam film that its producer wants to broadcast sometime this week.
The anticipated screening has already sparked international protests. Although no one has seen the film yet, there are rumors Wilders will tear up or burn the Koran in it. If that was true, Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassoun, the Grand Mufti of Syria, said earlier this month at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, "this will simply mean he is inciting wars and bloodshed. ... It is the responsibility of the Dutch people to stop him."
Sheikh professor Saheed Satardien writes clearly and extensively on the matter seeking in all ways to preempt the possibility of violent protest. Sheikh's Satardien's voice and analysis is very important. He is especially to be commended for visionary, courageous, PREEMPTIVE efforts to prevent violence, rather than merely decry it after matters degenerate out of control.
Please click to read further to read Sheikh Satardien's message in it's entirety.
Juashaunna Kelly, the District of Columbia's fastest woman, high-schooler in the mile and two-mile was barred from competition in Montgomery Invitational indoor track and field meet after officials said her Muslim clothing violated national competition rules. Meet director Tom Rogers said Kelly's uniform violated rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations.
Unfortunate and provocative decisions such as these must be avoided at all costs.
Mistakes such as this are a wake up call begging for more complete and far-ranging interreligious guidance and education especially for all people who occupy positions of influence, even influence in such public arenas of sports and other high profile cultural activities, AND people whose decisions impact young people.
Exemplary young people like Juashaunna Kelly, who not only excel in their endeavors, but furthermore manifest a proud devotion to spiritual and moral life should be upheld and encouraged, and never anything so unconscionable as being publicly diminished or obstructed by blind and foolish decisions, like that of meet director Tom Rogers.
Support for Erdogan's move to lift the head scarf ban
Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is pushing to lift Turkey's "headscarf ban" that forbids the wearing of Muslim head scarves in universities and public offices.
This is not merely and purely an issue of religious freedom. It is also the wedge and icon of the decades long power battle between "the generals" and elected governments in Turkey.
In addition to plain fights over power, there is a genuine ideological dimension as well. The secular establishment (including the military) sees attempts to lift the ban as threatening Turkey's "secular principles." In the past, Turkey's generals have even staged coups in the name of wanting to "protect the nation's secular traditions"!
One cannot look at this just cynically though. The legitimate points of concern from side of the secular elite is the express fear that lifting the headscarf ban could put pressure on women to wear ever more conservative attire, and open new avenues for the government to impose strict versions of Sharia law on public and private life. These are highly sensitive issues that often dominate the national agenda.
Still on principle alone it is necessary to side with Erdogan who insists that lifting the ban is nothing more than a question of individual liberty.
This claim to simplicity is not true in the context of Turkish power politics, and highly charged questions involving culture, religion, and even Turkey's own directions on policy and international relations. Still, even in such complex and complicated issues of politics and policy, it remains necessary to uphold the ideal of personal liberty, especially in the arena of religious freedom. We cannot be comfortable when governments impose on the free expression of personal faith. We do not want Turkish Muslims barred from their sacred obligations any more than we would hope to see such constraints and impositions on Muslims citizens in Holland, Germany, or France.
This NYTimes article provides an important icon for anyone invested in the prospects of peace in the Holy Land.
In many ways the dynamics harken to the enduring problem of Jerusalem, particularly the pilgrimage site Masjid Al Aqsa.
The religious rite of pilgrimage, when contaminated by religio-political elements including violence and security, make for a very complex set of elements and dynamics.
The Haj takes the same elements beyond Israel's jurisdiction into tense international relations with Muslim-state neighbors.
(Do not forget to click through these reports for access to the full articles.)
Egypt allowed about 2,000 Palestinian pilgrims to cross back into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday
Israel had demanded that they travel back to the Gaza Strip via an Israeli-controlled border crossing, Kerem Shalom, where they could undergo Israeli security checks. But Hamas refused
saying that its supporters could be arrested by Israel.
Israeli officials suspect that some of the pilgrims brought back large sums of money and other contraband for Hamas.
The Abbas-led Palestinian Authority, which rules from the West Bank, went to great efforts to organize an official quota of about 1,000 Gaza pilgrims, who were to travel to Saudi Arabia and back via Israel, the West Bank and Jordan.
Last year in August and September it was shown that the world could not protect nor defend the Buddhist monks of Myanmar, who suffered under government crackdown including deaths and 1,150 political prisoners. (See IHT article today)
China is set to make 2008 the year it asserts its status as a global colossus by flexing frightening economic muscle on international markets, enjoying unprecedented levels of domestic consumption and showcasing itself to a watching world with a glittering £20bn Olympic Games.
For this reason it is important to keep steady watch on developments in China especially as pertains religious freedom (as guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948).
Today The Epoch Times reports China Strengthens Tibetan Religious Repression,
Sources revealed on December 24 that the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in China's southwest Sichuan province continues to strengthen its control over the local temples. Officials have ordered Tibetans under the age of 18 not to serve as lamas.
As a result, many young lamas have been expelled from the temples. Meanwhile, the government is investigating lamas associated with India. The National Security Agency is also interrogating foreign lamas who are learning Tibetan Buddism in Ganzi.Dawa Tsering said, "The County official has visited our temple several times this year. Each time, we were asked to sign an anti-Dalai Lama's 'separatist activities' campaign statement. We have been reluctant, but there's nothing else we can do.
The County government prepared the speech and made the Tulku read it on the radio."
The IRFWP deeply agrees with the Muslim charities identified in this article. The mission of religion is to care equally for all people of all faiths. The act of service and sacrificial love and care that transcends religious differences, and embraces all people as beloved of God is the best way to advance a peaceful world. It is religion at its best.
Abdul Malik Mujahid wasn't quite sure where to start when the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago decided to extend its charitable mission beyond Muslims.
So he rented a refrigerated truck, filled it with thousands of pounds of meat, and began driving around the city, looking for poor people.
"Finding the poor is not easy; there is no ZIP code for it," he said of the long drives. "It was difficult."
After a few years doing it the hard way, the council, representing more than 50 mosques, teamed up with the Greater Chicago Food Depository. This week, to mark the annual celebration of Eid al-Adha, they will give away some 25,000 pounds of fresh, organic meat to local pantries.
A minister in India's West Bengal state has called for a ban on a book carrying a picture the Prophet Muhammad.
Muslim HIndu relations have been strained to the point of violence in the eastern, Indian city of Calcutta (Kolkata). At the end of November riots closed down the city, requiring the use of troops to return the city to its normal day to day functions. BBC carried this report on November 22:
Calcutta calm after day of riots: Life is returning to normal in the eastern Indian city of Calcutta a day after protests over a controversial writer turned into riots.
On Wednesday, police using tear gas and baton charges were unable to control crowds calling for Bangladeshi feminist writer Taslima Nasreen [Read about Taslima here and here] to leave India.
Rioters blocked roads and set cars alight. At least 43 people were hurt.
More than 100 arrests were made.
Crowds were also protesting at recent attacks on Muslims in the Nandigram area in the east of West Bengal state.
Now, the BBC reports that a book has appeared about former Indian president and philosopher S Radhakrishnan that has a "picture of the Prophet Mohammad" (PBUH). Minority affairs minister Abdus Sattar said the picture on the cover could lead to "religious tensions".
The publisher of the book, Vijay Goel, said he could take the book off the market and ensure that the future editions did not carry the picture.
Additionally, Ms Nasreen withdrew some lines from one of her books after Calcutta was rocked by violent protests against her on 21 November.
It is the opinion of this writer that the frequency of Muslim protests and riots over real and perceived religious offense (like the recent riots calling for the death of s simple school teacher in Khartoum) is a great negative in the world of religion, and that local Muslim leadership should become a community that champions more than anyone a stern insistence that believers behave with temperance, moderation, and respect. Matters of religion and increasing understanding and care for that which is sacred in our respective traditions can come without destructive, personal abandon and self indulgence as imagined righteousness.
Positive Christian response to recent Muslim outreach must be one of many steps to peace.
We carried on these pages prompt reportage on the "Muslim letter" calling for understanding with Christians, and then the prompt positive response coming from Christian leaders.
The Christian Science Monitor in its article "A Muslim-Christian Handshake," reports on the continued positive repercussions and developments, while simultaneously calling for the necessary resolve to see this forward over the long term.
In the article we read:
The letter (available at www.acommonword.com) is remarkable for its depth and message. Its signers represent all major schools of Islamic thought. It quotes from religious texts of Muslims, Christians, and Jews to show two shared, fundamental beliefs: love of one God, and love of neighbor.
Last week, the pope responded by praising the "positive spirit" behind the letter and inviting a delegation of its signers to the Vatican for talks. Just a year ago he angered many Muslims with a speech that linked Islam to violence. In the United States, the Muslim letter has prompted Yale Divinity School to lead an effort toward interfaith conferences and workshops in the US, Britain, and the Middle East.
This week's intervention of British Muslims [Reported quite extensively on these pages] to win a pardon for an English schoolteacher in Sudan shows that intrafaith efforts can have a moderating effect.
The entire article is brief but well worth reading and knowing. Please click through to this good work by the Christian Science Monitor
Gillian Gibbons, the British teacher jailed for insulting Islam in a row over
a teddy bear, was preparing to fly home from Sudan today after being
pardoned by the country's President.
The 54-year-old mother-of-two was released into the care of the British
Embassy in Khartoum after receiving an official pardon from Omar al-Bashir.
Her release followed 48 hours of negotiations between Sudanese officials and
two British Muslim peers, Lord Ahmed of Rotherham and Baroness Warsi.
Please pray for the two Muslim, British Parliamentarians who are in Sudan to plead the case of school teacher, Gillian Gibbons. Additionally we of IRFWP call upon Muslims, especially world Muslim leaders to pressure Sudan president al Bashir to quickly resolve this matter, and take the name of Islam away from these unthinkable negatives.
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) -- British officials pushed Sunday for a pardon from Sudan's president for a teacher imprisoned for allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammad.
Two Muslim members of British parliament, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi and Lord Nazir Ahmed, were meeting with Sudanese officials in the capital Khartoum for a second day to try to secure the early release of British teacher Gillian Gibbons.
Breaking- Press release from Muslim Council deplores Sudan judgement on teacher
Press Statement
The Irish Supreme Muslim Council vehemently abhors and deplores the
verdict of guilt issued by a Sudanese Court against the British school
teacher Gillian Gibbons for allegedly "insulting religion".
Media headlines often speak of tensions between the Western and Islamic worlds in terms of religion.
The frictions can range from protesters in Brussels trying to highlight what they see as the dangerous encroachment of Islamic values into Europe to protesters in the Middle East demonstrating against what they see as insults in Western newspapers to the Prophet Muhammad.
observers say that one important fact is too often lost sight of.
the tensions between East and West are far more often over political than religious values.
in the Islamic world there are many conspiracy ideas about the West's war on Islam, so called, and on the other hand many Westerners suspect that the Muslims are rallying against Western civilization in general," says Mustafa Akyol, deputy editor of the Istanbul-based "Turkish Daily News." "I think that these fears, that are exaggerated on both sides, create the basic divisive point."
CAIRO, Egypt — Citing a long list of chilling testimonials, human rights groups Monday called on the U.S.-backed Egyptian government to stop discriminating against converts from Islam and members of some religious minorities who want their faiths reflected on their national identity cards.
Egyptians must list their religion on their ID cards, which are required for enrolling in university, starting a job, opening a bank account and most other aspects of public life. But authorities, drawing on Islamic law, essentially refuse to acknowledge Muslims who convert to other faiths and recognize only the three "revealed religions": Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Egyptians who belong to minority groups such as the Baha'i often find themselves basically stateless if they refuse to list "Muslim" or "Christian" on their IDs.
Recent days have seen a controversy arise base on a report from Catholic News Agency (CNA). It quickly spread even to involve conservative US Senators and Congressmen (happened to be men). The matter of religious freedom as related to the upcoming Olympic games in China are something of great ongoing interest.
