faith & reason

Muslim leaders accept Pope's invitation to dialogue

(by CWNews)

Oct. 16 (CWNews.com) - In an open letter to Pope Benedict XVI (bio -
news), a group of 38 Muslim religious leaders have taken up the
Pontiff's invitation to a serious dialogue between Christianity and
Islam.

In their 4-page message, the Islamic scholars offer a detailed
response to the Pope's lecture at the University of Regensburg. They
write:


While we applaud your efforts to oppose the dominance of positivism
and materialism in human life, we must point out some errors in the
way you mentioned Islam as a counterpoint to the proper use of
reason, as well as some mistakes in the assertions you put forward
in support of your argument.
The open letter is signed by representatives of every major branch
of Islam, including the grand muftis of Egypt, Russia. Bosnia,
Croatia, Kosovo, Oman, and Uzbekistan; the Iraqi Ayatollah Mohammed
al Tashiri; Prince Ghzi bin Muhammad bin Talal of Jordan; and
authorities from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia,
Iran, Kuwait, Pakistan, and Morocco. Their message was decribed by
FAther Justo Lacunza, the former rector of the Vatican's Islamic
institute, as a gesture "of great importance" to inter-faith
dialogue.

The full text of the Islamic leaders' letter has been reproduced on
the American Islamica web site, through which the message first
appeared.

The letter respectfully cites what the authors see as errors or
oversimplications in the Pope's treatment of Islam during the
Regensburg speech. The authors argue, for example, that the teaching
in the Qu'ran that "there is no compulsion in religion" is intended
to restrain Muslim leaders from any attempt to force conversion.
They say that the term "holy war" is foreign to traditional Islamic
languages, and the term jihad is properly used only to refer to the
believer's struggle to be faithful. Rejecting any use of violence in
the name of religion, the Islamic scholars cite their belief that
Allah is all-merciful and all-compassionate; they ask
rhetorically: "Is it not self-evident that spilling innocent blood
goes against mercy and compassion?"

The open letter assures Pope Benedict that Islamic thought does not
see a conflict between faith and reason. The text says:


There are two extremes which the Islamic intellectual tradition has
generally managed to avoid: one is to make the analytical mind the
ultimate arbiter of truth, and the other is to deny the power of
human understanding to address ultimate questions.
Welcoming the Pope's clarifications of his Regensburg speech, the 38
Islamic leaders express their own desire for a "frank and sincere
dialogue." They say: "We hope that we will all avoid the mistakes of
the past and live together in the future in peace, mutual acceptance
and respect."

"Christianity and Islam are the largest and second largest religions
in the world and in history," the letter notes. "Together they make
up more than ??% of the world's population, making the relationship
between these two religious communities the most important factor in
contributing to meaningful peace around the world."




COMMENTS:




Posted by: Tominellay - Oct. 19, 2006 4:18 PM ET USA
The comments of saufun are exactly correct. I see the decline of
Islam from this watershed moment.


Posted by: saufun - Oct. 19, 2006 12:09 PM ET USA
Pope Benedict, like all great teachers, has succeeded (at great
personal sacrifice, probably) in stimulating his listeners (in this
case, the world) to reason and reflect. This response by the Moslem
moderates is among the first fruits. Post-Regensburg I have been
astounded by all manners of journalists, politicians and bishops
(yes, bishops too) using the words "faith and reason".


Posted by: normnuke - Oct. 18, 2006 9:04 PM ET USA
Once again we CWNers have news that the MSM folks look the other way
over. In today's newspaper I saw yet another story about how Muslims
worldwide are still furious over the Regensburg address.

BTW, will this one day be as famous as the Gettysburg address?


Posted by: saufun - Oct. 18, 2006 10:54 AM ET USA
I think this was a hard won opening. Even my very secular friends
acknowledge that since the Regensberg speech, public discussion of
Islam is freer and more courageous, and moderate Moslems are daring
to speak openly (having criticized the Pope first, of course- and
that is probably understandable from a pragmatic point of view). Way
to go, Pope.


Posted by: surewish - Oct. 17, 2006 7:10 PM ET USA
Before waxing too optimistic, consider the situation of Christians,
and the Orthodox Patriarch, in Turkey. It is a nightmare. And this
is a "tolerant" Islamic society. The military is the only bar to
Sharia justice and 85% of the people want an Islamic rpuublic. Seems
to me, the Pope is trying to begin by establishing a common lexicon.


Posted by: Cupertino - Oct. 17, 2006 11:20 AM ET USA
This is a grace filled moment. Certainly there are two views in
Islam and one of them proclaims that violence and conversion by the
sword are called for. But these men who want to dialogue with our
gentle Pope think otherwise and may very well speak for the vast
majority in Islam. We should pray that talks begin soon and are
continuous. It is the only hope, really, now that extreme Islamists
will soon have nuclear weapons.


Posted by: CJ - Oct. 17, 2006 11:07 AM ET USA
I agree with Truth over Sentiment - Good news indeed! The response
from the Grand Muftis is encouraging. I have always found it
possible to acknowledge and share the commonalities of belief and
reverence that Catholics and Muslims share, (love of the same God,
for one thing) whilst in no way feeling the need to hide or minimise
anything of our own faith. I am sure my Muslim friends feel the
same. God is with all those who seek Him sincerely.


Posted by: TRUTH over SENTIMENT - Oct. 16, 2006 7:49 PM ET USA
This is very good news. It is clear now why the Holy Father said
what he did and how he said it. Makes one wonder if these Imans knew
what he was to say.

These 38 Imams obviously teach Islam in a different tone than do the
radicals that get all the press. If this dialog does go on, it could
put a wedge between moderate and radical Islam at a time when the
world needs it most. Look for the Ayatollahs in Iraq to disown these
38 men.


Posted by: trinnie - Oct. 16, 2006 6:36 PM ET USA
The full text of the Muslim leaders puts the best interpretation on
texts in the Koran dealing with violence against non-Muslims and on
conversion, but there are many other Koranic texts that do not
favour this 'peaceful' view. Still, this document is of sensational
importance, in the way it condemns violence now (although Islam did
spread across the Middle East and North Africa by sheer aggression,
not in self-defence). Muslim suicide bombers can never claim that
their acts are justified.