Showing posts with label Interfaith dialogue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Interfaith dialogue. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Sunday, February 08, 2015
Austria Threatens to Close Saudi-Backed Interfaith Dialogue Center
"Saudi Arabia practices a form of Sharia law that is one of the most brutal systems in the world... Does the Austrian Foreign Ministry really want to give such a state the opportunity to build an international propaganda center in Austria?" — Editorial, Die Presse.
"An inter-religious dialogue center that remains silent when it is time to speak out clearly for human rights is not worthy of being called a dialogue center. It is a silence center." — Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann.
"If the center wants to remain only an economic center with a religious fig leaf, then Austria should no longer be a part of it. In any event, Austria will not allow itself to be threatened or blackmailed." — Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann.
The Austrian government has threatened to close a controversial Saudi-sponsored religious dialogue center because of the latter's failure to condemn the flogging of a Saudi human rights activist and blogger.
Saudi Arabia has responded to the threat by issuing a counter-threat to move the permanent headquarters of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries [OPEC] out of the Austrian capital of Vienna. » | Soeren Kern | Sunday, February 08, 2015
Friday, March 28, 2014
Inside Story: Is Religion a Source of Unity or Division?
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
FRONTPAGEMAG.COM: The Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Azhar University want to shake hands with the new Pope Francis. One of the first pledges he has made is to embrace interfaith dialogue with the Muslim world. Will he become the latest dupe of the “moderate” Islamists?
Pope Francis is a critic of Pope Benedict’s 2006 speech in Germany where he quoted a Byzantine Emperor that said “show me just what Mohammed brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”
It caused a rupture in relations between Muslim authorities and the Vatican, with almost 40 Muslim scholars signing a letter of protest. Five churches were attacked in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, reinforcing the negative depiction of their religion that they were so offended by.
Pope Benedict said he was “deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address at the University of Regensburg, which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims” and “These were in fact a quotation from a Medieval text which do not in any way express my personal thought.” It fell short of the direct apology that was demanded.
He tried to make amends by praying inside Turkey’s Blue Mosque and visiting Jordan in 2009, where he reflected upon the “common history” of the Abrahamic religions. He visited more mosques than any other pope, entering twice as many as his predecessor. » | Ryan Mauro | Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
REUTERS.COM: Pope Francis urged the West on Friday to intensify dialogue with Islam and appealed to the world to do more to combat poverty and protect the environment.
Speaking in Italian, the new pontiff said richer countries should fight what he called "the spiritual poverty of our times" by re-forging links with God.
"How many poor people there still are in the world! And what great suffering they have to endure!" he told the diplomats in the Vatican's frescoed Sala Regia.
Some critics of the Catholic Church, which has been struggling with scandals and internal divisions, say its rejection of contraception in particular harms the poor.
Others say it does much good in the developing world, running thousands of hospitals, schools, orphanages and hospices.
Francis made his appeal in an address to diplomats accredited to the Vatican, sending a message through them to the leaders of the 180 states with which the Vatican has diplomatic relations.
He urged them to help keep religion central in public life and promote inter-religious dialogue as a catalyst for efforts to build peace.
"In this work (peace building), the role of religion is fundamental. It is not possible to build bridges between people while forgetting God," he said.
"But the converse is also true: it is not possible to establish true links with God while ignoring other people. Hence it is important to intensify dialogue among the various religions, and I am thinking particularly of dialogue with Islam."
Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, said he was grateful that many Muslim religious and civilian leaders attended his inaugural Mass on Tuesday. DIALOGUE, NOT RIVALRY » | Philip Pullella | VATICAN CITY | Friday, March 22, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pope Francis has called for "friendship and respect" among all faiths at a meeting with representatives of major world religions in the Vatican.
The Roman Catholic Church would "promote friendship and respect between men and women of different religions," the pope said, a day after his formal inauguration in St Peter's Square.
"We can do a lot for the good of people who are poor, who are weak, who suffer... and to promote reconciliation and peace," Francis told them.
Representatives of Orthodox Christianity, Judaism and Islam were among those present at the meeting.
Latin America's first pontiff said they should be united against "one of the most dangerous pitfalls of our time - reducing human beings to what they produce and what they consume." » | Agence France-Presse in Vatican City, edited by Sarah Titterton | Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Saturday, April 28, 2012
CALGARY HERALD: The Islamic Supreme Council of Canada is planning to hold a national interfaith dialogue with Christian and Jewish leaders in Canada.
Calgary Imam Syed Soharwardy said the council wants to hold a series of interfaith dialogues in all major cities, including Montreal, Toronto, Mississauga, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Surrey and Vancouver.
He said the purpose is to discuss: religious and secular fundamentalism and extremism in Canada; the role of religion in Canadian society; the impact of international events on faith communities and their relationships in Canada; the perceived threat of sharia law; Canadian values versus religious values; Jewish-Christian values versus Islamic values; freedom of speech and the freedom of religion in Canada and around the world; and improvements in interfaith relationships in Canada. » | Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary Herald | Friday, April 27, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Through years of outreach, Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren is part of an effort named King's Way that's attempting bring evangelical Christians and Muslims together.
The Rev. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest and one of America's most influential Christian leaders, has embarked on an effort to heal divisions between evangelical Christians and Muslims by partnering with Southern California mosques and proposing a set of theological principles that includes acknowledging that Christians and Muslims worship the same God.
The effort, informally dubbed King's Way, caps years of outreach between Warren and Muslims. Warren has broken Ramadan fasts at a Mission Viejo mosque, met Muslim leaders abroad and addressed 8,000 Muslims at a national convention in Washington D.C.
Saddleback worshippers have invited Muslims to Christmas dinner and played interfaith soccer at a picnic in Irvine attended by more than 300 people. (The game pitted pastors and imams against teens from both faiths. The teens won.)
The effort by a prominent Christian leader to bridge what polls show is a deep rift between Muslims and evangelical Christians culminated in December at a dinner at Saddleback attended by 300 Muslims and members of Saddleback's congregation.
At the dinner, Abraham Meulenberg, a Saddleback pastor in charge of interfaith outreach, and Jihad Turk, director of religious affairs at a mosque in Los Angeles, introduced King's Way as "a path to end the 1,400 years of misunderstanding between Muslims and Christians." » | Jim Hinch | Thursday, February 23, 2012
Sunday, April 10, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Prince of Wales complained of being "abused and ridiculed" over his attempts to promote inter-faith dialogue as he addressed religious leaders in Morocco.The Prince, who has spent decades trying to encourage better understanding of different religions around the world, said he would not allow the criticism to not [sic] stand in his way.
During a discussion with Islamic scholars at the Al-Qarawiyyin University [جامعة القرويين] in Fez, the Prince said: "One of the hardest things is to remind people of the great truth of traditional Islam, not distorted Islam, and trying to remind people of the great truth of traditional Christianity, not distorted Christianity, and we know there are problems in both religions.
"It's the issue of stereotypes that is difficult. It's so easy to concentrate on the negative and not the positive.
"But what I do is remind people of what we share in common." » | Gordon Rayner, in Fez | Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
THE INDEPENDENT: Cambridge University is at the centre of a row over ethical funding of universities after accepting a new donation from the Oman government to promote religious understanding. The deal, signed only two weeks ago, is the second substantial donation the university has received from the Sultanate – bringing total funding to the university to well over £4m.The university has also received £8m from the House of Saud to set up a new centre for Islamic studies.
Last night a newly created students' group, campaigning to promote "clean" funding of universities, called on the university to refuse to accept any more cash from either regime – on the grounds it could be compromised. Continue reading and comment >>> Richard Garner, Education Editor | Wednesday, March 09, 2011
My comment:
The Brits fly around the world like prostitutes, accepting money for this and that from this one and that. Would Sultan Qaboos accept money for Omani universities for the promotion of Christian understanding? Or the Saudi's king, King Abdullah? No, I thought not. So why do we have to accept money for the promotion of the under-standing of Islam? I am looking forward to the day when these things are done in a spirit of reciprocity. – © Mark
This comment also appears here
Monday, January 24, 2011
Mr. Moore: There is no dialogue to be with this religion! How can one enter into dialogue with adherents of a 'religion' that believe they are the superior ones, God's (sorry Allah's) chosen people? How can one enter into a dialogue with Muslims when they have an unshakeable belief that their religion was revealed to them (to a prophet we are not even supposed to recognise) as the perfection of religion for man for all time? How can one enter into a dialogue with Muslims when they fail to understand the triune nature of God? (The Trinity, to a Muslim, is proof positive that we are all polytheists.) How can one enter into a dialogue with adherents of a faith that believe the world is divided into two: Dar ul Islam, the 'House of Islam', and Dar ul Harb, the 'House of War', and who further believe that there will be no peace until the latter has been absorbed into the former? How can one enter into a dialogue with people who are convinced that the Holy Bible has been falsified and changed over the centuries? How does one enter into a dialogue with the adherents of a faith which denies the most important aspect of our faith, namely that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us, when they don't believe that he even died on the cross?
Need I go on?
The fact of the matter is this: We are in a hole with Islam. We have got ourselves into a fix we know not how to get out of. The first thing we need to do is recognise this fact. For truly, it will be the starting point to finding a solution. At present, the West is in denial of the huge problem it has brought upon itself. Denial will provide NO SOLUTIONS. – © Mark [My comment appears here] | Monday, January 24, 2011
The comment was a response to Mr. Charles Moore's article in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, November 25, 2010
THE JERUSALEM POST: Statement drafted by Sheikh Fawzi al-Zifzaf, chairman of permanent committee for dialogue, read during gathering of senior faith and political leaders at Parliament in London, 'Post' learns.
Scholars at the oldest Islamic university in the world issued a proclamation on Tuesday that lifted an ancient ban on dialogue with Jews, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
The statement drafted by Sheikh Fawzi al-Zifzaf, chairman of the permanent committee for dialogue at Al- Azhar University in Cairo, was read during a gathering of senior faith and political leaders at Parliament in London.
“And the point of origin of this invitation is Islam itself [calling for] brotherhood and mutual understanding and the strengthening of bonds between Muslims and followers of the other religions, and the establishment of bridges of dialogue with scholarly institutions in Europe and America,” Zifzaf wrote. Read on and comment >>> Gil Shefler | Thursday, November 25, 2010
Sunday, May 10, 2009
NZZ Online: Papst Benedikt XVI. hat Christen und Muslime zur Überwindung ihrer Spannungen aufgerufen. Bei seinem Besuch der Al-Hussein-bin-Talal-Moschee räumte das Oberhaupt der katholischen Kirche bestehende Spaltungen zwischen «Mitgliedern der verschiedenen religiösen Traditionen» ein.
Papst Benedikt XVI. hat Christen und Muslime zur Überwindung ihrer Spannungen aufgerufen. Beide Religionsgemeinschaften sollten sich auf gemeinsamen Wurzeln und Werte besinnen, sagte er während eines Besuchs der grössten jordanischen Moschee in Amman.
Bei seinem Besuch der Al-Hussein-bin-Talal-Moschee räumte das Oberhaupt der katholischen Kirche bestehende Spaltungen zwischen «Mitgliedern der verschiedenen religiösen Traditionen» ein. Zusätzlich geschürt würden diese oftmals durch «ideologische Manipulation», um zu politischen Zwecken Gewalt zu provozieren.
Doch sei es falsch, die Religion grundsätzlich als «Ursache der Spaltung unserer Welt» anzusehen, sagte Benedikt XVI. weiter. Gerade aufgrund der Last ihrer gemeinsamen Geschichte, die so oft von «Unverständnis» geprägt gewesen sei, sollten sich Muslime und Christen «ihres gemeinsamen Ursprungs und der Würde aller Menschen» bewusst sein. >>> sda/afp/Reuters/dpa | Samstag, 9. Mai 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
HAARETZ: A top Jewish umbrella organization in the United States is launching a campaign to initiate dialogue and cooperative efforts with the Muslim community.
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs announced the initiative as part of a bid to shift the focus from the community's recent rapprochement with Pope Benedict XVI. While restoring good ties with the Catholic Church is seen as important, especially following the fallout over the bishop who was reinstated despite his past statements denying the Holocaust.
There is a growing sense among activists and rabbis in the Jewish community that reaching out to American Muslims is a more urgent need than relations with Catholics.
The JCPA says it seeks to foster greater Jewish-Muslim cooperation in promoting civil rights, defending civil liberties, and combating terrorism.
The JCPA also says it seeks to join forces with Muslims to combat anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and anti-Islamic prejudice. >>> By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent | Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardcover – USA) >>>
Sunday, March 08, 2009
SAUDI GAZETTE: RIYADH – Dialogue among religions and cultures has become a clear and inevitable way to serve humanity, King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, said in an address to the Saudi-French Symposium on dialogue among civilizations which opened here Saturday.
“Based on the eternal principles of Islam which urge justice, equality and peace and call for building, friendship and fraternity among people, I welcome you in this blessed symposium which deals with an important issue of establishing contacts among peoples and transforming feelings of hatred among them into affection and understanding,” the King said in a speech delivered by Dr. Khalid Al-Anqari, Minister of Higher Education.
Saudi and French academics and researchers are participating in the symposium which the King hoped would come out with positive recommendations.
“The issue is civilization dialogue among Saudi and French academics and researchers,” the King said, praying that the dialogue would help replace conflicts and wars with understanding and peace.
The symposium is an outcome of the Madrid Interfaith Conference last July and the subsequent United Nations forum on dialogue among religions and cultures in New York in November. >>> SPA | Sunday, March 8, 2009
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Hardcover (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
FAMILY SECURITY MATTERS: There is such an increase of interfaith dialogue in our community lately, that it raises some concerns. While it is important to keep the doors open for dialogue, it is imperative to know who you are dialoguing with.
Freedom of religion in the United States allows Islamists to encourage interfaith dialogue but in their countries there is no such freedom. Many Muslim leaders project peace and love, but beneath that is an agenda of ingratiating themselves to the American community to obtain acceptance and support for their mission.
The enormous positive response to and subsequent discussions after my recent article, “Interfaith Dialogue – Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism,” made me realize how tragically uninformed or misinformed our community leaders are. The mere fact of equating Islamophobia with Anti-Semitism is dangerous and comparing Islam with Judeo-Christian beliefs is ignorant. There are many fundamental differences. The most important one is that Judaism and Christianity do not want to kill those who believe differently than they do. Sadly, facts and consequences seem to elude our religious and political leaders.
I have always held rabbis, priests, pastors, etc. in high esteem and to a higher standard. I have come to realize that we cannot just blindly listen to them – we must hold them accountable and responsible, particularly because they are teaching our impressionable children. We need to become more knowledgeable, be prepared to debate matters and not follow blindly like a herd of sheep. >>> Susan M Reyto | Tuesday, December 23, 2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Hardcover (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
Saturday, December 20, 2008
SPERO NEWS: A symposium was held in Tehran where representatives of Christianity and Islam met to find points of commonality.
The World Council of Churches (WCC, Geneva, Switzerland) and Centre for Inter-religious Dialogue of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (Tehran, Iran) held their fifth symposium in Tehran on13-14 December 2008.
Representatives of Islam and Christianity found new points of commonality during a two-day high level symposium of scholars and spiritual leaders in Tehran, and discussed models of co-existence between Christians and Muslims in different contexts. They explored further the conditions and principles that foster peaceful coexistence between communities of faith.
The symposium, held at the invitation of the Organization of Islamic Culture and Relations in Iran, was a continuation of a dialogue between Iranian Muslim and Christian scholars related to the World Council of Churches (WCC) which began in 1995. Participants from the WCC included six Christian scholars from Europe, North America and the Middle East, together with representatives of the WCC member churches in Tehran. From Iran, participants included some fifteen scholars and religious leaders from Tehran and Qom. >>> | Saturday, December 20, 2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardcover – USA)
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
FINANCIAL TIMES: Saudi Arabia is sponsoring a two-day United Nations conference in New York to promote interfaith dialogue to improve the image of Islam as a religion that favours dialogue over violence.
The conference, which begins on Wednesday, is seen as part of the Saudi monarch’s efforts to promote a more moderate brand of Islam in a kingdom that has been accused of breeding extremism since the September 11 attacks in 2001. By sponsoring interfaith events, King Abdullah may also be hoping to advance the debate over radicalism within the kingdom.
George W. Bush, US president, and Gordon Brown, UK prime minister, are among those listed to speak. Shimon Peres, Israeli president, and Tzipi Livni, foreign minister, will also attend.
“The dialogue comes at a time when the world is criticising Islam,” the Saudi monarch told local media. “It is regrettable that some of our sons have been tempted by Satan or the brothers of Satan.’’
Last year the king met Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican; earlier this year, he arranged a conference of Muslim sects at the holy city of Mecca and, in July, he presided over a gathering of Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Buddhists hosted by Spain.
The Vatican, however, is sceptical about the merit of the New York summit and concerned that the issue of religious freedom for Christians in Muslim countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, which permits no churches, will be pushed aside. >>> By Abeer Allam in Riyadh | ©The Financial Times Limited 2008 | November 12, 2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
LE FIGARO: À Rome, une rencontre au sommet entre l'Église catholique et l'islam va tenter pendant trois jours de solder la crise ouverte, il y a deux ans, par le discours du Pape à Ratisbonne.
C'est sans doute la blessure la plus vive du pontificat de Benoît XVI. La crise ouverte avec le monde musulman à Ratisbonne, en Allemagne, le 12 septembre 2006, n'est toujours pas refermée. Le premier «forum catholique-musulman» de trois jours, qui s'ouvre demain au Vatican, pourrait toutefois adoucir le mal.
Il y a deux ans, le Pape prononçait un discours académique devant ses anciens confrères universitaires dans la faculté où il avait enseigné. Il traitait de son thème favori, les relations entre la foi et la raison. Dans son introduction, le Pape s'appuyait sur une citation de l'empereur byzantin, Manuel II Paléologue. Une phrase, datée de 1391, «étonnamment abrupte» précisait alors Benoît XVI : «Montre-moi donc ce que Mohammed a apporté de neuf, et alors tu ne trouveras sans doute rien que de mauvais et d'inhumain, par exemple le fait qu'il a prescrit que la foi qu'il prêchait, il fallait la répandre par le glaive.»
Noyée dans le contexte de la conférence et de ce voyage du Pape en Allemagne, cette citation passa tout d'abord inaperçue. Pendant 48 heures… avant de revenir en boomerang des États-Unis et enflammer, d'un jet, le monde musulman. Le dimanche 17 septembre, une religieuse catholique était tuée en Somalie, six églises étaient endommagées dans des pays arabes, la plupart des pays musulmans engageaient des protestations diplomatiques contre le Saint-Siège. >>> Jean-Marie Guénois à Rome | 03.11.2008
BBC: Pope Urged to Admit Common Ground
When 138 senior Muslim scholars and clergy tried to establish the common ground between Islam and Christianity last year, they said the very peace of the world hung on the outcome.
On Tuesday, a high-ranking delegation is beginning a rare visit to Rome in an effort to persuade the Pope to endorse what they say are the shared origins and values of the world's two biggest religions.
Their letter, A Common Word, cited passages from the Koran which the scholars said showed that Christianity and Islam worship the same God, and require their respective followers to show each other particular friendship.
The document examined fundamental doctrine and stressed what it said were key similarities - such as the belief in one God and the requirement for believers to "love their neighbours as themselves".
Significantly the letter acknowledged that the Prophet Muhammad was told only the same truths that had already been revealed to Jewish and Christian prophets, including Jesus himself.
After a year using the Islamic principle of seeking consensus, the letter has developed into a "manifesto" and is backed by almost 300 leaders from Sunni, Shi'ite, Sufi and other Muslim traditions.
'Out of hand'
The initiative was welcomed promptly by several Christian leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.
The Vatican has, however, responded more cautiously to the prospect of identifying common beliefs. >>> By Robert Pigott, Religious Affairs Correspondent | November 4, 2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Broché) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Relié) >>>
Sunday, June 22, 2008
I realize it sounds rather cynical to ask certain questions about this interfaith dialogue planned for July in Madrid, but one really does have to ask a few questions at this point, concerning the topics to be discussed. First of all, what do Muslims know about human rights? A people who disallows others to choose their religion, or none, people who stone women to death for minor infringements, people who behead ‘criminals’ in the public square, people who cut off limbs for theft, people who believe in a death sentence for apostasy, for extra-marital relations, and for homosexuality are hardly in a position to talk about human rights. They have no understanding of the meaning of that term. And where, exactly, can we see any evidence of Muslims living in harmony with non-Muslims? So what, too, can these people add to a discussion on the topic of peaceful co-existence? – ©Mark
MAKKAH: The Muslim World League (MWL) will organize a global interfaith dialogue in Madrid on July 16, it was announced here yesterday.
Leading personalities representing various monotheistic religions would participate in the three-day conference, which would discuss various topics, including social amity, international cooperation, human rights and peaceful co-existence, said Abdullah Al-Turki, secretary-general of the MWL.
"The call for dialogue between various religions, cultures, civilizations and ideologies by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah at a conference organized by the MWL early this month was, in fact, a call from Makkah, which is the venue of divine inspiration, the source of the Islamic message and the qibla (the direction of prayer) of Muslims," Al-Turki said.
The MWL cheif said King Abdullah's initiative has been hailed unanimously by the Muslim world, which was represented at the conference by prominent scholars and thinkers. Global Interfaith Dialogue Set for July 16 in Madrid >>> By Badea Abu Al-Naja | June 22, 2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardcover – USA)
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