Christian and Muslim religious leaders discuss pluralism and dialogue in Dhaka
Dhaka (AsiaNews) – Some 50 priests and 50 imams, plus a number of lay people, met last Saturday in Savar (Dhaka), at a Qur‘an research centre to discuss ‘Leadership in a pluralistic society from the Muslim and Christian points of view’.
Organised with the support of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), the seminar was chaired by philosopher Obidur Rahman. The Italian ambassador to Bangladesh, Ms Itala Maria Marta Occhi, and Ms Kilmeny Beckering Vinckers, Australian deputy high commissioner, were present at the event.
In his address, Rev Paul Sishir Sarkar, bishop of the Anglican Church of Bangladesh, said that society today is increasingly pluralistic, and that mutual understanding and dialogue are increasingly important. In this context, an open exchange of opinions can be advantageous to everyone. For this reason, it is even more important for Christians and their leaders to lead a life according to their faith, with honesty, humility and openness to dialogue, for “Muslims are our neighbours,” he said, and as leaders, “we should teach our people to love them”.
Mohammed Abdullahel Bauqi, an anthropology professor at Jahangirnagar University, said that Christians and Muslims believe in the One God, a God who wants man’s happiness. Love for him and for one’s neighbours are fundamental principles inscribed in the sacred texts of both religions. As the Prophet Muhammad said, “None of you has faith until you love for your neighbour what you love for yourself.”
Muslims and Christians, who together represent more than half of the world population, are called to establish peace and justice in the world. To this effect, he proposed the creation of an institute for inter-faith dialogue, which would develop and teach these matters.
For Islamic scholar Mowlana Joynal, “love for one’s neighbour is an essential and integral part of faith in God and love of God because, in Islam, without love of the neighbour there is no true faith in God and no righteousness.” Christians and Muslims, he believes, should look at their common ground rather than focus on their obvious differences.
“As Muslims, we are not against Christians; Islam is not against them, so long as they do not wage war against Muslims on account of their religion, oppress them and drive them out of their homes”.
Still, he acknowledges that many times people in Bangladesh have used violence against Christians to their own benefit, some time for their own political ends or for other benefits. To stop it, “We need to teach ordinary Muslims about the Qur‘an, and let our people know more about other religions.”
Ambassador Occhi commended organisers for their initiative. She said that greater cooperation among leaders from the two communities could bring positive change to Bangladesh.
Ms Beckering Vinckers praised the meeting as an example of unity and peace. Such events, she noted, can bring greater justice and peace to the country by fostering greater friendship between Christians and Muslims. Thus, Muslims and Christians can discover the common ground they share.
Fr Francesco Rapacioli (pictured), PIME superior general in Bangladesh, brought the meeting to an end by saying that he was happy to see Christians and Muslims engage in dialogue, share with each other their respective religious experience. He said he was certain that misunderstandings and violence between religions could end, and this facilitates mutual understanding and esteem.
Dialogue is a two-way street, he said. It entails speaking and listening, giving and receiving, in mutual growth and enrichment. It means bearing witness to one’s faith and being open to others, as Pope John Paul II said in his encyclical Redemptoris Missio.
About 90 per cent of Bangladesh’s population is Muslim. Another 8 per cent is Hindu with the remaining 2 per cent belonging to other faiths. Christians number around 800,000 (0.03 per cent), half of whom are Catholic.
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15/07/2019 14:09
03/05/2022 16:27
