“Breaking Down Barriers: Embracing Differences for a World of Love and Friendship Between Muslims and Christians”
By
Fr. Midhun J Francis Kochukallan SJ, New Age Islam
25 March
2023
Introduction
In March
2023, the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue sent a message of good wishes
to Muslims around the world on the occasion of the month of Ramadan and ‘Id
al-Fitr 1444 H. / 2023 A.D. The message titled “Christians and Muslims: Promoters
of Love and Friendship” aimed at promoting peaceful and harmonious
coexistence between people of different religions, particularly Muslims and
Christians. The Dicastery recognized that there are various challenges to
friendly coexistence, such as extremism, radicalism, polemics, disputes, and
religiously motivated violence, fuelled by a culture of hate. Therefore, the
Dicastery sought to offer some thoughts to counter and overcome such a culture,
enhancing instead love and friendship between Muslims and Christians.
Attitudes
towards Differences
The
Dicastery noted that it all begins with our attitudes towards each other,
particularly when there are differences between us in religion, ethnicity,
culture, language, or politics. Differences can be perceived as a threat, but
everyone has the right to his or her specific identity with its diverse
components, yet without ignoring or forgetting what we have in common. In this
regard, the Dicastery quoted the Declaration on the Relation of the Church to
Non-Christian Religions, which states that “One is the community of all
peoples, one their origin, for God made the whole human race to live over the
face of the earth. One also is their final goal, God.”
Negative
Attitudes and Behaviours
The
Dicastery recognized that negative attitudes and behaviours towards those who
are different from us are, unfortunately numerous, such as suspicion, fear,
rivalry, discrimination, exclusion, persecution, polemics, insults, and
backbiting. Social media platforms are common spaces for such harmful
behaviours, perverting their role from being means for communication and
friendship to being instruments for enmity and fighting. The Dicastery quoted
Pope Francis, who said that “Social aggression has found unparalleled room for
expansion through computers and mobile devices.”
Promoting
a Culture of Love and Friendship
The
Dicastery suggested that to prevent and counter the culture of hatred and,
instead, promote a culture of love and friendship, there should be a sound
education for future generations in all the spaces where they are formed: in
the family, at school, in places of worship, and on social media. A world where
justice, peace, fraternity, and prosperity reign is pleasing to the Almighty
and brings joy, calling for our sincere and shared engagement.
Conclusion
In
conclusion, the message aimed at promoting peaceful and harmonious coexistence
between people of different religions, particularly Muslims and Christians. The
message recognized that there are various challenges to friendly coexistence,
such as extremism, radicalism, polemics, disputes, and religiously motivated
violence, fueled by a culture of hate. Therefore, the Dicastery sought to offer
some thoughts to counter and overcome such a culture, enhancing instead love
and friendship between Muslims and Christians, calling for a sound education
for future generations in all the spaces where they are formed.
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Fr. Midhun J Francis Kochukallan SJ is a
Jesuit priest from Kerala in, India. He is a research scholar at the Pontificia
Università Gregoriana in Rome, specialising in Christian-Muslim interfaith
relationships. He holds a Licentiate in Systematic Theology from JD, Pune, and
a Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Studies from Henry Martyn Institute,
Hyderabad, and diplomas in Arabic and Urdu. He also has a Master’s degree in
Philosophy from Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune. He has attended a number of
seminars on interfaith dialogue internationally. He works with the South Asian
Jesuit Conference on Christian-Muslim relations. He also writes for a number of
English and Malayalam magazines and newspapers.
URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/embracing-love-friendship-muslims-christians/d/129402
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