Dhaka, first encounter between Christian community and "heretical" Ahmadiyya
Dhaka (AsiaNews) - The first meeting between the Ahmadiyya and Christian communities of the Dhaka will be held tomorrow afternoon, in a bilateral conference organized by the "Shalom" movement. "An experience of knowledge", as defined by Fr. Francesco Rapacioli, one of the founders and leaders of Shalom. In this case, of a controversial community "victim of strong discrimination." The Ahmadiyya is a Muslim religious movement, regarded as "heretical" by Sunni Islam'. The community’s headquarters in Dhaka will host the meeting.
"In itself the Ahmadiyya - says Fr Rapacioli to AsiaNews - rose to prominence a few years ago for being persecuted by fundamentalists who termed them 'infidels', asking the government to declare this community as un-Islamic and banned all of their publications".
Conferences like this are one of the activities promoted by "Shalom." "The idea behind it - he says - is exchanging knowledge: to get to know the community, give them the opportunity to meet Christians, hoping to lay the groundwork for a potential and possible collaboration. For that past 5-6 years, every year, we meet a different group, usually almost or completely unknown to the Christian community, and vice versa. "
The organization of the meetings is up to both communities: creating a small committee which meets and decides the theme of the event, then draws up a letter of invitation signed by two representatives, sent to both communities. "The theme will generally be something that relates to both communities and allows for a first approach. With the Ahmadiyya community - says Fr Rapacioli - we have chosen as their theme the motto, 'Love for all, hatred for none': a message that challenges the Christian community closely, so it intrigues us share our point of view and learn about them". In the past, the theme for the meeting Hindus was our relationship with God, while that of the Buddhist’s was compassion.
Fr. Rapacioli believes it will be "long and complicated meeting, precisely because it is a first approach, but crucial to understand what kind of community we have in front of us, and also to make them understand a bit 'better who Christians are." It remains, he repeats, "an experience of knowledge." Perhaps with "further development, as we would like, or simply a briefing."
"Shalom" was born in October 2005. Its founders and leaders are, as well as Fr. Francesco Rapacioli, PIME missionary, also Fr. Guillaume, a Dutch Monk from the community of Taizé working in Bangladesh for over 30 years, and the Anglican Rev. Birbal Halder. It is a movement born from the bottom up, from people belonging to different Christian denominations who want to promote peace through ecumenical, interreligious and intercultural dialogue. (GM)
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