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Christianity & Islam
Christian-Muslim relations and dialogue. Comparative studies of the Christian and Islamic faiths.
Changing the present and dreaming the future
 Tariq Ramadan, professor of Islamic Studies and senior research fellow of St Antony's College at Oxford University, asks readers to consider transforming the present to bring about a future of constructive interfaith relations and a more secure world. Admitting that peace, and indeed conversation, can be very difficult and even frightening, he challenges each individual to consider the difference between emotion, which "put us in a position where we perceive "Ëœus' versus "Ëœthem' and where we have to defend our identity", and spirituality, which is about effort, in our attempts to make "peace" and "mutual trust" more than just words. |
Introduction to Islam: A Christian Perspective and Appreciation (Part I)
 Fred Bush, professor emeritus of Ancient Near Eastern Studies at Fuller Seminary, looks at the religion of Islam from a distinctly Christian perspective, examining the similarities and differences of these two monotheistic faiths. |
Interfaith Vigil to End Occupation Calls on U.S. to Impose Cease-Fire
 By Pat and Samir Twair
On July 16th, five days into Israel's blitz on Lebanon, the Interfaith Community United for Justice and Peace convened a meeting of Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Islamic Center of Southern California. Speakers were Rev. Dr. George Regas, Rabbi Leonard Beerman and Dr. Maher Hathout. "We must speak out against violence," Rev. Regas, retired rector of All Saints Episcopal Church of Pasadena, told the audience of 250 concerned citizens. While denouncing the capture of Israeli soldiers by Hamas and Hezbollah, the cleric called on Israel to cease its greatly overproportional actions in Lebanon and Gaza. |
CPT rejoices in the release of our peacemakers
Our hearts are filled with joy today as we heard that Harmeet Singh Sooden, Jim Loney and Norman Kember have been safely released in Baghdad. Christian Peacemaker Teams rejoices with their families and friends at the expectation of their return to their loved ones and community. Together we have endured uncertainty, hope, fear, grief and now joy during the four months since they were abducted in Baghdad.
by Doug Pritchard and Carol Rose (co-directors of Christian Peacemaker Teams)
Speak and Act Before It Is Too Late: Let Go of CPT Peace Workers in Iraq!
The November 27th kidnapping of four members of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT)-Tom Fox (54), of the United States, Norman Kember (74) of Great Britain, and James Lonely (41) and Hameet Singh Sooden (32) of Canada-who were working in Iraq in solidarity with the Iraqi people is another sad reminder of the danger facing the Muslim and Arab world if we continue to tolerate those "elements" or forces of darkness who operate from within.
by Mohammed Abu-Nimer
'Islamic Terrorism': How Should Christians and the West Respond?
by Rev. Colin Chapman
2005 Redcliffe Lectures in World Christianity, 14 March
When I suggested the title for this lecture some months ago, I had no idea how relevant it would be for an audience in Gloucester in March, 2005. On 1 March, the headline in The Times was 'The shoe bomber from a Gloucester grammar', and we read of the shock and dismay of the Muslim community in this city over the conviction of the quiet and earnest Saajid Badat in the Old Bailey for having conspired to blow up an airliner over the Atlantic in December 2001.
How should Christians and the West be responding to this new phenomenon that is called 'Islamic Terrorism'. We know how George Bush and the American administration launched their 'war on terror' in response to the attacks of 9/11, and how, having failed to catch Osama bin Laden in his mountain stronghold in Afghanistan or Pakistan, they turned their attention on Iraq, with the help of their only ally, Britain. We're no doubt very aware of the public debate that has been going on going on in our country in recent weeks about the powers that the government believes it needs to detain suspected terrorists. If there is a wide spectrum of opinions about the war in Iraq and the threat of terrorism at home, we probably have to admit that Christians are probably almost as divided as the rest of our society over these issues.', 'In this context all I can do is to present a personal opinion, as a Christian who is now living in the West but who has also lived for a number of years in the Islamic world and tried to engage seriously in the study of Islam. I will try to explain how and why I have come to this opinion and hope that this will stimulate a vigorous debate.
Before getting into the subject, however, I want to make three points by way of introduction. Firstly, we need to be cautious about the expression 'Islamic terrorism'. I imagine that all of us would be upset if we heard Muslims speaking about 'Christian Terrorism in Northern Ireland'. A number of people in recent years who happen to be Muslims have engaged in acts of terrorism, motivated by convictions that are firmly based on their Islamic beliefs. There is some justification for describing these actions as 'Islamic', since those who have carried them out claim openly that they are acting in the name of Islam. But we probably ought to be careful about attaching the word 'Islamic' in such a blanket way to every terrorist action carried out by Muslims. Journalists have referred to Pakistan's nuclear weapons as 'Islamic'. But they would never speak of America's nuclear weapons as 'Christian' or to Israel's as 'Jewish'. In the rest of this lecture, therefore, I will try to avoid speaking of 'Islamic terrorism'.
Secondly, if at any state in this lecture you think I am showing too much sympathy for terrorist actions carried out by Muslims, I want to declare at the outset my condemnation of terrorism of every kind in the strongest possible terms. The killing of innocent people through calculated acts of violence is repugnant and abhorrent, and especially when they are carried out in the name of religion. What we have been witnessing in recent years is the emergence of a new style of terrorism whose 'primary purpose is not to defeat or even to weaken the enemy militarily but to gain publicity and to inspire fear
Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God? Part V
by Umar F. Abd-Allah
Part 5 in a 5 part series
As a Muslim, I am led by my understanding of religious history, languages and Islamic theology to say unequivocally that Christians and Muslims worship the sameGod. But at the outset I wonder if it is appropriate to ignore the political setting fordiscussing such a topic and its possible bearing on human lives. The quotations from George Bush and Ted Haggard-the first timely, the second reckless-give theappearance of offering theological clarifications, while each is firmly grounded inpolitical bedrock. Can we undertake our query as an academic exercise and set aside its political context within the charged ambience of our times?
It is suggested that we not be encumbered in the discussion by what is politically correct. Political correctness is good etiquette and sensible advice for not getting punched in the nose. But this topic implicates much weightier concerns than mere political correctness-like fundamental considerations of moral responsibility and human rights.
As an educator, I have rarely encountered students who liked being told what they are to think; as a Muslim, I am naturally sensitive to attempts by others to define what Ior my community believes. Few Jews or Christians would delegate to others the definition of themselves or their private and collective devotion. While welcoming the Christian Century's commendable undertaking of this discussion, I remain asfundamentally interested in the current implications of the question "Do we worship thesame God?" as I am with answering it. Will the question be taken as inquisitive or Inquisitorial? Who carries the burden of proof? Do we make similar inquiries equally ofall groups? Would a negative answer-the preference of Ted Haggard and others on theReligious Right-imply negative consequences? If we were to insist that Christians did not worship the same thing as Buddhists or Hindus-not to mention agnostics andatheists-would that jeopardize basic rights, constructive dialogue and positive social engagement?
