Peace Begins with You and Me

Peace Begins with You and Me

During the 20^th Century wars seemed to be aligned with differing political ideologies but in the 21^st century more and more fighting is attributed to religious differences rather than political differences. Sometimes the conflicts are between differing religious groups and sometimes they are among people adhering to the same religion. So much strife in the Middle East and Far East seems to stem from religious differences or differing interpretation of tenants of the same religion that we in North America are often at a loss to know what if anything we can do about it.

We sometimes like to think that this strife is caused by a few extremists and all would be well if we could just route out and silence these few radicals. This approach would be at best naive and at worst foolhardy.

To see the problems of the world solely as religious issues is to try to simplify a complex problem. There are economic, social, cultural problems in parts of the middle and far east and parts of Africa and religious differences often provides political leaders with an excuse to blame and ultimately make war with their neighbours.

During the last sixty years there has been relative peace and stable governments in Europe and North America. We are bewildered by the violence and terrorism which is often blamed on religious strife.

However, at one time the tables were reversed. The Muslim nations were experiencing peace and prosperity in 1090’s until invaded by Crusaders from Europe. Meron Benvenisti the former mayor of Jerusalem described the beginning of the crusades. “The historical origins of the mass movement of kings, knights, priests burghers and peasants who took the cross and set out to deliver Jerusalem and the Holy Sepulcher from defilement by Muslim infidels are complex, and its societal, economic, religious and cultural causes varied. All these forces converged into an electrifying response to the sermon delivered by Pope Urban 11 in Clermont, France, in November 1095. Hundreds of thousands of people came together to participate in an armed pilgrimage that promised them absolution from their sins, glory and adventure”.

Today young Muslims who are prepared to be suicide bombers are promised immediate access to paradise for their perceived sacrifice by religious or political leaders who choose sections of the Koran for their own purposes.

Perhaps the greatest hope of stemming this growing tide of intolerance is to open dialogue between members of different religious and cultural groups but this is not always easy.

Within all of the large world religions there are a substantial number of adherents who are closed to any type of dialogue and this usually can be traced back to a deep seated fear that the aim of the other religious group is to try acquire new converts or worse that some of their own religious group may find the other religion appealing and want to convert on their own.

This leaves us feeling we as individuals can do very little to solve such a complex problem. However I disagree.

If things are to change you have to take the initiative and reach out to those around you and not worry about what is happening on the other side of the world which you can do very little about. Fethullah Gulen did not wait for the Turkish government to start discussions with other religious leaders’ he met with the Pope and Patriarchs of the Orthodox Churches. He decided the world could not wait for politicians to act and he would do what he could.

The Turkish government was not pleased with his meeting these religious leaders because he was not a politician or head of state and could not officially represent Turkey. But Mr. Gulen is a religious leader and everyone should be able to discuss religion and should not have to seek state approval to do so.

Where did he feel he got authority to have these discussions? He says “At the very outset, the Qur’an calls people to accept the former Prophets and their books. Having such a condition at the very beginning seems very important to me, especially in the matter of interfaith dialogue.”

It is very difficult to truly accept the former Prophets or their books without knowing them and one of the best ways to ensure you are not misinterpreting them is to talk to followers of those books. Jesus was Jewish and there were strict rules about talking to non Jews yet he sought out non Jews and spread his message. So did Mohammad.

“Muslims and Christians have struggled with each other for almost 14 centuries. The west remembers Islam‘s military might and invasions. Current Muslim opposition to and resentment of the West benefits no one. In our global village, the West cannot wipe out Islam and Muslim armies cannot attack the west. Both sides can benefit from each other. The West has scientific, technological, economic and military supremacy: Islam possesses an uncorrupted and living spiritual tradition rooted in the Qur’an and Sunnah.”

Stepping back to look at basic principles

How do you start to learn to get along with people of other faiths?

1. Find religious groups open to dialogue and start with them with a view to expanding to others later on.

In 1984 Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue published "The Attitude of the Church Toward Followers of Other Religions: Reflections and Orientations on Dialogue and Mission" which put interfaith dialogue squarely in the role of church leaders.

2. Start with what is achievable.

In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI cast doubt on the possibility of interfaith dialogue but called for more discussion of the practical consequences of religious differences.

In quotations from the letter that appeared on Sunday in Corriere della Sera, Italy’s leading daily newspaper, the pope said the book “explained with great clarity” that “an interreligious dialogue in the strict sense of the word is not possible.” In theological terms, added the pope, “a true dialogue is not possible without putting one’s faith in parentheses.”

But Benedict added that “intercultural dialogue which deepens the cultural consequences of basic religious ideas” was important. He called for confronting “in a public forum the cultural consequences of basic religious decisions.”

Mr. Gulen has also taken a practical view of what can be accomplished.

“Muslims must stop acting out of ideological or political partisanship and dressing it up in Islamic garb, or represent mere desires or ideas. This has caused the West to adopt a distorted vision of Islam. For example American Universities teach Islam as a political system in their political science or international relations departments”.

All religions should be able to exist and flourish under a number of different systems.

Islam, like Christianity Judaism, Sikhism and Baha’i are first of all religions although they do provide guidance on how to live with others of the same and different faiths.

3. Read about other religions. Go to texts or writings written by people of the faith and not interpretations only by those of your faith. Read the sacred books yourself and don’t always rely on someone else’s interpretation. You will be surprised at what you will find.

4. Look for common elements. Things you are familiar with.

Ask about things that seem basic to your religion which seems to be missing in the faith of others. You may have missed something in your readings or in your own faith.

5. Get to know others who follow that other faith

Attend lectures put on by other religious groups and just listen. You will find out many new things. You may also discover that they have misconceptions about your religion. Don’t rush to correct these misconceptions right away but consider why they might have these misconceptions. Is it a misreading of a text? Is it something that has been playing in the media? Have other sects of your religion been espousing those views? Don’t get angry at others who have no reason to be familiar with your religion.

6. Be open to the scholarly work of leaders of other faiths. You may well gain insights into your own faith. For example I was always taught you must have faith and once you decide that then all of the religious beliefs will be easy to follow. But how do you decide to have faith. Emil Fackenheim a creative scholar of the Jewish Religion has shown great insight into how we make such a decision in. We must understand clearly the specific nature of the decision of faith. A modern writer properly warns: If we believe in a God not because He is the truth, but assume His Truth only because we believe in Him, then there are as many gods and as many truths and values as there are beliefs”

If the decision of faith is on the same level as other possible decisions, man makes God’s sovereignty or even His existence dependent on his belief of, Him. This is the final heresy. The distinctive nature of the decision of faith is that it is at the same time no decision at all, because in accepting Gods sovereignty man realizes that he accepts that to which he is subject regardless of his decision”

We are now at the crucial point in man’s religious situation Before he makes the decision he is free not to make it….after the decision there is no freedom to reject God. There is merely freedom to rebel against Him.” The full article is quite illuminating…

7. When you have established a firm basis for dialogue where you trust each other, ask them to explain things you find troubling.

8. Be aware of problems with language

The Old Testament of the Bible was written in Hebrew and the Koran was written in classical Arabic. Because few people speak Hebrew and very few use classical Arabic in everyday language it is often difficult to readily understand some sections of these writings, What can add misunderstanding is that Semitic languages were often written without vowels and these would be added in common speech.

Carolyn Killean’s article Learning Arabic ; A Life Commitment, Humanism Culture & Language in the Near East p 146 Winona Lake, Indiana Eisenbrauns 1997 deals with some of the difficulties.” Very few native speakers of Arabic can claim to really ‘know’ this many faceted language. As the Muslims say “Allah a lam” “God alone knows best” and since he alone is the only native speaker of Classical Arabic, he alone knows it all….. the toughness of Arabic, its challenge to non native speakers, lies especially in the variation and diversity with which it requires them to cope. They must deal both with the large amount of variation tolerated in the pronunciation of the literary language and with the wide variation in structural features possessed by the dialects- urban, rural and Bedouin in each geographical area. This striking variety makes it difficult for non-native speakers to relate to the core of Arabic.”

Hebrew is another Semitic language with similar problems. The New Testament of the Bible was written in Greek and there were several translations so one must be very careful when reading the text not to immediately assume you know its full meaning.

Roman Catholic liturgy was in Latin until 1964 when the texts were translated into local languages so people could better understand them. Now even in local languages like English there are many versions of the Bible

In ISLAM many believers do not understand Arabic and must rely on others. In fact in all the great religions there are adherents who can’t read at all and must rely on the trustworthiness of their teachers. This is common in Afghanistan today for example.

This fact alone leaves room for less scrupulous teachers of sacred texts to interpret the text for their own ends. This has created a great deal of division among and between adherents of the main religions.

9. See the sacred text in its context and time frame

One must always be aware that the sacred texts were written at a given time and place and one must sometimes take this into account when reading the text for its true meaning. For example in the New Testament Jesus offers advice to slaves on how to conduct themselves in relation to their masters. This was necessary because there were many slaves at the time and they needed spiritual guidance as well but no Christian today would ever suggest that Jesus or Christianity is therefore in favour of slavery.

10. Cultural versus religious practices

We need to learn to watch for things that may be cultural but are not really a basic tenant of the religion because many people confuse cultural practices with religious beliefs.

11. Be aware of how easy it is to disagree with others

Even where we agree on the facts and the conclusion of a moral teaching we still have little trouble finding a dispute with those who are different from us. This is often why there can be disputes among those of the same religion as in Northern Ireland during the 20^th century.

12.Look at the history of conflicts to see how they developed.

This will sometimes help you understand where the parties are coming from and may help you understand why each party takes the position the do. Understanding the facts is often the first step to beginning a meaningful dialogue.

13. Do not judge others

Think about what is really hardest in living your faith. The hardest part of living your faith is often not the prayers or fasting or going to church or the mosque. Think of the 10 Commandments given to Moses. Few of us are tempted to commit murder: what is much harder is to be nice to someone we really don’t like. To be generous to those who treat us badly and perhaps hardest of all is to not judge others.

Life is a personal journey and in the end it is not what others did but rather what you did that matters.

In the New Testament when a woman was caught in adultery and they brought her to Jesus because the law proscribed stoning for those caught in adultery. Jesus did not deny the law but merely said “Let he who is without sin throw the first stone.”

I want to say more about not judging others as I believe it is one of the cornerstones, of having peace in the world. All the great religions prescribe a code of behaviour for mankind but it is not for us to go around judging others. Because only God can really know what is in another person’s heart and we only go on what we see.

God spoke of vengeance some 70 times in the Old Testament and in nearly all instances he said “Vengeance is mine” And where his chosen people were to take part in vengeance it was under his direction only.

Jesus’ message was of love and turning the other cheek to those who strike you. Baha’u’llah the Bahai spiritual leader spoke extensively of love and openness to one another and a new era of peace because we are all one human family. If you were to take a close look at all of the great religions of the world they all have at their base the commandment to Love God and to love your neighbor as yourself.

None of us want to be judged therefore none of us should judge others.

Mr. Gulen was a greatly influenced by the Sufism and Sufi leaders such as Mevlana Rumi. The Sufi path is one where one moves toward Truth and personal perfection through love and devotion. Rumi, a twelfth century Sufi and Islamic scholar wrote 70,000 poems devoted to mystical love. It is in this tradition that Gulen seeks to open dialogue with other religious leaders. He has also encouraged his followers to follow his example by engaging in open conversations with those in their community in a spirit of love and friendship.

This is why Sufism had great appeal to Mr. Gulen because you do not have to wait for the whole community to act. You are on a personal journey too…and your actions can influence others even if your community does not seem to be open to dialogue

In conclusion Fethullah Gulen has set an example for us on how to open dialogue with those who differ from us in their beliefs. This must not only include people of other faiths but also those who have no knowledge of faith or those who are skeptical about it. Together we can come to understand each other and appreciate that we are all part of one big human family marching side by side on our journey through life. If we as individuals extend our hand and hearts to others who differ from us we help to make mankind’s journey one of peace and harmony.

The Knights of the Holy Land, The Crusaders: An Historical Introduction , Meron Benvenisti p19, 1970, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem

M.F. Gulen Essays. Perspectives and Opinions compiled by The Fountain c 2002 by The Light Inc.

The Jewish thought of Emil Fackenheim p53 Wayne State University Press, Detroit 1987