It wakes me up at night but when I calm down I realize these are feelings brought on by evil. They only have power if we let them.
Together we are stronger. Stand firm love wins.
Importance of Inter-Religious Harmony (voa.gov)
Interfaith cooperation among religious communities around the world
is a powerful counterbalance to hate, violence, and injustice, said U.S. Ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom David Saperstein. This is especially true in countries afflicted by sectarian violence. In Kenya, for example, when Islamist gunmen suspected to be al-Shabaab attacked a bus in December 2015 and demanded that Christians and Muslims be separated, the driver of the bus said that the Muslims on board refused to be separated from their fellow Christian travelers.
They told the militants to kill them all or leave them alone – which incredibly the gunmen in the main did. Yet one man, Salah Farah, was injured while shielding Christians from the attack and later died. His brother Rashid told the media that he hoped Salah’s example would encourage Kenyans to live as one community and promote religious harmony. In Israel there are examples of peace-building through interfaith education that schools like the Tabeetha School in Jaffa or the six Hand in Hand schools in cities all across Israel, provide to Jewish, Muslim, Druze and Christian students.
In Turkey, members of Istanbul’s tiny Greek Orthodox community, visitors from neighboring Greece and other faithful attended an Epiphany service led by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians in Istanbul, where the Patriarchate is based. A ceremony to bless the waters was also held in Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city. It was the first “official” Epiphany ceremony there since the Greco-Turkish War ended in 1922 triggering a population exchange between Greece and Turkey. Although the Greek Consulate in Izmir had organized a ceremony in 2006, it was the first time the Turkish government both approved and helped to organize it.
“It’s a historic day here and we’re grateful to the local authorities and to the Patriarchate … for making this happen,” Tina Samoglu, secretary of the Izmir Orthodox Community told Greek state TV.” There is a power to be found when we advocate not just for people who share our beliefs, but also for those whose beliefs are profoundly different. When Jews advocate for Christians who are persecuted for their beliefs….when Christians advocate for Buddhists….when Hindus advocate for Muslims….when Muslims advocate for atheists….,” said Ambassador Saperstein. ”When we all recognize that if any one of us is not free to practice our beliefs, then none of us are.”
The vital role of interfaith harmony in preventing violent extremism.
We interviewed Extremely Together Young Leaders Jonah and Hassan on the importance of interfaith dialogue in preventing violent extremism and how to encourage productive discussions.
Young Leaders Jonah Obajeun and Hassan Ndugwa bring young people together to prevent violent extremism in Nigeria and Uganda.
Jonah set up the Tolerance Academy, a peacebuilding boot camp in Nigeria. The academy encourages interfaith and intercultural dialogue by setting up clubs in schools and creating an educational platform for youth to learn how to diminish their prejudices.
Extremely Together Young Leader Jonah Obajeun. Photo credit: Kofi Annan Foundation
Hassan is the co-founder of the peacebuilding organization Uganda Muslim Youth Development Forum (UMYDF) in Uganda. The UMYDF promotes pluralism and tolerance through dialogues, training and interfaith activities, and research and advocacy.
What does ‘interfaith’ mean?
Jonah: First, I will tell you what interfaith is not, which will help explain what it is. It is not a competition between Islam and Christianity. It is not between Catholic and Sunnis; neither is it a contest between Shia and Pentecostal.
It is not a debate between Anglican and Tijanyyaa. It is not a measure of faith superiority. Interfaith is the positive reinforcement of relationships among all faiths as a social contract between them and their communities.
Interfaith is the positive reinforcement of relationships among all faiths.
Why is interfaith harmony so important to you?
Jonah: For me, I grew up as a Christian, trained by Muslim families.
When I was ten, I went to open forums where Imams (Muslim clergy/religious leaders in mosques, the Islamic place of worship, and in Muslim communities) and other religious leaders would speak. However, instead of dialogue, they would try to convert people to their beliefs.
This experience showed me that open communication is essential to ensure that learners cannot be manipulated or be prejudiced. This was ultimately the reason I set up the Tolerance Academy.
Hassan: In 2010, there was a bombing at the Kyadondo Rugby grounds.
I was there with friends watching Spain play Holland in the World Cup Final. The blast killed 74 people and injured over 75 more. In the days following the attack, I saw that people were blaming Muslims. We set up the UMYDF in response to these negative prejudiced messages, rather than letting events like the Kyadondo bombing drive a further wedge between the different faith communities in Uganda.
World Interfaith Harmony Week: United Nations Webcast 2013
If someone wants to start an interfaith dialogue, what do they need to know?
Jonah: Before starting an interfaith dialogue, everyone must be open-minded about their own religion and beliefs. This ensures the starting place is one of tolerance and that people are open to learning about others. Additionally, it is vital to be mindful of the labels and terminology you use for your events and interventions. I see that terms such as ‘Countering Violent Extremism’ cause discomfort and raise the alarm for security threats, particularly as this term means different things to different people.
Hassan: I agree. Furthermore, it is crucial to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable. In some of our interfaith dialogues, we have had religious sects that are relatively isolated. Before starting, we consider everyone’s ‘comfort zones.’ We realized it was essential to those who are isolated that we limit any music in the background, which meant they felt more content and thus happy to participate.
Additionally, both Jonah and I see that teaching activists how to lead interfaith dialogues and activities is just as important. We want to ensure dialogue leaders have a sufficient understanding of all doctrines and can use this knowledge to navigate their own biases and participants’ biases.
How do you move from dialogue to action, aka ‘interfaith activities’?
Hassan: At the UMYDF, getting young people engaged in activities where they can share what is important to them in an informal setting is key. This informality gives them the space to build lasting relationships across faith and cultural barriers.
The Bugiri Interfaith Peace Gardens.
For example, we have set up some interfaith peace gardens.
This project aims to create a living symbol of interfaith harmony where young people can discuss, play sports, and interact with each other. The project starts with a gardening fellowship, where young people learn about landscaping and gardening. Then, young people from various religious backgrounds come together to build the garden with corners representing each different religion. By the time the gardens are finished, the participants have made lasting friendships that go beyond faith.
Jonah: The Tolerance Academy adopts a similar approach. We emphasize civic responsibilities rooted in local context and culture while linking to existing social ills such as bullying. I think this makes learning more relevant and relatable to young people.
In addition to dialogues, we educate primary and secondary school children about interfaith harmony, value formation, critical thinking and tolerance. Patterns of thinking develop in early childhood; therefore, giving children the tools to think critically and engage in dialogue will help them become thought-leaders for harmony and tolerance.
What role does personal bias play?
Jonah: Recognizing your biases toward other individuals and groups is the most crucial part of any interfaith activity. At the Tolerance Academy, we connect Muslim students with pastors and young Christians to Imams for an internship. Having done this for over ten years, we have found that 95% of participants strongly discriminate against the other religion before the internship starts.
Hassan: Similarly, the UMYDF has recognized that learning to appreciate our differences involves recognizing one’s biases and the biases that may be present within our communities. Once we recognize these biases in ourselves, we can take steps to create a more equal and accepting environment.
Once we recognize these biases in ourselves,
we can take steps to create a more equal and accepting environment.
To recognize your biases, you need to have the tools to think critically about the information you see. There are multiple ways to do this. For example, at both the UMYDF and the Tolerance Academy, we use dialogues and interfaith exhibitions to allow young people to showcase important symbols in their respective religions. We also provide critical thinking training for schools.
How can we be ‘Extremely Together’?
Jonah: To create a peaceful and tolerant world, we need to understand
and appreciate each other’s differences. Interfaith dialogues, activities and developing critical thinking can help us identify our implicit biases and prejudices.
Hassan: We should learn from the rich cultures surrounding us and counter extremist narratives that seek to spread division within societies. Our experiences have shown us that young people are eager to learn and understand different religions. If we harness that enthusiasm, we can help prevent violent extremism together.
Keep praying it’s going to be ok. I feel your anxiety & tension. It wakes me up at night but when I calm down I realize these are feelings brought on by evil.
They only have power if we let them.
Together we are stronger. Stand firm love wins.
“Does religion unite or divide us?”
That question was posed to the readers of The Sydney Morning Herald. Of those who responded, the vast majority—some 89 percent—felt that religion divides us.
SUPPORTERS of interfaith, however, view the matter quite differently.
“Show me a religion that doesn’t care about compassion . . . , that doesn’t care about stewardship of the environment . . . , that doesn’t care about hospitality,” asked Eboo Patel, founder of the Interfaith Youth Core.
Indeed, Buddhists, Catholics, Lutherans, Protestants, Hindus, Muslims, and many others have on occasion joined forces to fight poverty, campaign for human rights, work to ban landmines, or draw attention to environmental issues. Multi-faith dialogue circles have participated in efforts to seek mutual understanding and inspiration. They celebrate their diversity with candle-lighting ceremonies, festivals, music, prayers, and so on.
Is the mingling of religions the way to heal the conflict among faiths?
Is interfaith God’s way of bringing about a better world?
UNITY—AT WHAT PRICE?
One of the largest of the interfaith organizations boasts that it has members representing over 200 different faiths and that it is active in 76 countries.
Its declared objective is “to promote enduring, daily interfaith cooperation.” That, however, has proved to be easier said than done. For example, according to the organizers, their charter had to be carefully worded so as not to offend the many faiths and indigenous groups that signed the document. Why? One factor was that there was disagreement on whether God should be included in the charter. Subsequently, any reference to or mention of God was avoided.
If God is left out of the picture, what role does faith play? Furthermore, how does such an interfaith movement differ from any secular charitable or philanthropic organization?
For good reason, the aforementioned interfaith body describes itself,
not as a religious entity, but as “a bridge-building organization.”
IS PROMOTING GOOD—GOOD ENOUGH?
“All major religious traditions carry basically the same message: that is love, compassion and forgiveness,” says the Dalai Lama, a prominent interfaith proponent. He adds: “The important thing is that they should be part of our daily lives.”
Granted, the value of such virtues as love, compassion, and forgiveness cannot be overemphasized.
In what has been called the Golden Rule,
Jesus said: “All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must do to them.” (Matthew 7:12)
But is true faith just a matter of promoting what is good?
About many who claimed to serve God in his day, the apostle Paul said:
“I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to accurate knowledge.” What was the problem? “Because of not knowing the righteousness of God,” Paul said, they were “seeking to establish their own.” (Romans 10:2, 3) Lacking accurate knowledge of what God wanted them to do, their zeal—and faith—were really in vain.—Matthew 7:21-23.
THE BIBLE’S VIEW OF INTERFAITH
“Happy are the peacemakers,” Jesus said. (Matthew 5:9) Jesus practiced what he preached by promoting nonviolence and taking a message of peace to people of diverse religious backgrounds. (Matthew 26:52) Those who responded were drawn into an unbreakable bond of love. (Colossians 3:14) But was Jesus’ objective merely to build bridges among people of various backgrounds so that they could get along in peace? Did he join with others in their religious practices?
The religious leaders of the sects of the Pharisees and the Sadducees viciously opposed Jesus—even sought to kill him. How did he react? Jesus instructed his disciples: “Let them be. Blind guides are what they are.” (Matthew 15:14)
Jesus refused to acknowledge spiritual brotherhood with such individuals.
Some time later, a Christian congregation was formed in Corinth, Greece—a city renowned for its pluralistic, multi religious culture. How were the Christians there to act in that environment? The apostle Paul wrote to them: “Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers.” Why not? Paul reasoned: “What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever?” Then he gave this counsel: “Therefore, get out from among them, and separate yourselves.”—2 Corinthians 6:14, 15, 17.
Clearly, the Bible speaks against the practice of interfaith. But you might wonder, ‘How, then, can true unity be achieved?’
BUILDING TRUE UNITY
The International Space Station—a technological wonder orbiting the earth—
is the result of the united efforts of some 15 nations. Could you imagine this project being accomplished if the participating nations did not agree on what blueprint to use?
That, essentially, is the situation with the modern-day interfaith movement. Although cooperation and respect are touted, there is no agreed-upon blueprint for building faith. As a result, moral and doctrinal issues remain as divisive as ever.
The Bible contains God’s standards, which are like a blueprint. We can build our lives on what the Bible says. Those who have embraced it have overcome racial and religious prejudices and have learned to work together in peace and unity. Foretelling this, God said: “I will change the language of the peoples to a pure language, so that all of them may call on the name of Jehovah, to serve him shoulder to shoulder.” Unity results from the “pure language,” God’s standard of worship.—Zephaniah 3:9; Isaiah 2:2-4.
Jehovah’s Witnesses cordially invite you to visit a Kingdom Hall near you to see for yourself the remarkable peace and unity that exist among them.—
Psalm 133:1.
Is Truth Relative?
Supporters of interfaith often feel that no religion can lay sole claim to truth.
In fact, they may say that exclusivism among religions is what gives rise to many of the problems we see today.
Contrary to such opinions, Jehovah is described as “the God of truth,” and he said of himself: “I do not change.” (Psalm 31:5; Malachi 3:6) About God, Jesus said: “Your word is truth.” (John 17:17) That truth is revealed in the divinely inspired Scriptures, the Bible. It instructs us and equips us “for every good work.”—2 Timothy 3:16, 17.
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