Christians and Muslims after September 11
The attacks of September 11 have presented Muslim-Christian relations with new challenges and opportunities.
Christian and Western leaders have been at pains to stress that the perpetrators of the terror campaign against the United States (and, indeed, the Western world) are not to be equated with Islam in general.
Likewise, most Muslim commentators and governments among them those ordinarily hostile to US foreign policy have also distanced themselves from terror mastermind Osama bin Laden’s brand of Islam, one that uses the religious notion of jihad, or holy war, as a method of accomplishing political objectives.
These conciliatory repudiations notwithstanding, there have been deplorable attacks in the United States and Britain against innocent Muslim civilians, some of them lethal. In exhibitions of racist ignorance, even Hindus and Sikhs have been singled out for assault.
While televised footage of Muslims in Palestine and elsewhere publicly celebrating the terror attacks has done much to hurt Islam’s image, US President George W Bush has not aided Christian-Muslim relations by his unfortunate use of the historically charged term “crusade” to describe the West’s war on terror.
The obligation on Christians and Muslims now is to find a common ground based on mutual respect internationally, and in South Africa, where Islamic fundamentalism enjoys a groundswell of support. For this, open dialogue is essential. Difficult as this may be, such dialogue must involve even radical elements.
Profound moves have already been made in that direction. Earlier this month, Iran’s President Mohammad Khatami made contact with Pope John Paul to discuss, in the words of the Vatican, “the importance and necessity of dialogue as an instrument for collaboration for building a world of peace and justice”
The Catholic Church has maintained good diplomatic relations with many Muslim states. In that light, Catholics are in a unique position to facilitate and engage in a dialogue that may help to bridge mutual suspicions and misconceptions.
And the time to do so is now.
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