Dear Friends, As Salaam Alaikum (Peace be upon you)
On October 12 2007, leading Muslim scholars and intellectuals signed and released a document titiled 'A Common Word Between Us and You'
138 Muslim scholars, clerics and intellectuals have unanimously come together for the first time since the days of the Prophet Muhammad to declare the common ground between Christianity and Islam.
26 leading Christian clergy and scholars are addressed in this letter from the Muslims.
The letter was presented at a conference in September 2007 organized by the Royal Academy of The Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought in Jordan, under the Patronage of H.M. King Abdullah II.
"Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world’s population. Without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world. The future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians.
The basis for this peace and understanding already exists. It is part of the very foundational principles of both faiths: love of the One God, and love of the neighbour. These principles are found over and over again in the sacred texts of Islam and Christianity. The Unity of God, the necessity of love for Him, and the necessity of love of the neighbour is thus the common ground between Islam and Christianity."
The link below provides the contents of this important letter:
Click here to read the rest of the letter
Please read and share.
Iftekhar Hussain
Showing posts with label Interfaith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Interfaith. Show all posts
Monday, October 15, 2007
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Remarks of Head of Interfaith Relations Nat’l Council of Churches to ISNA Convention
Dear Friends, As Salaam Alaikum (Peace be upon you)
Please see a link below to the remarks delivered by Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana, Head of Interfaith Relations Nat’l Council of Churches at the ISNA convention this past Labor Day weekend
Iftekhar Hussain
Remarks of Head of NCC Interfaith Relations to ISNA Convention
Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana
ISNA Unity Reception – September 2, 2007
My sisters and brothers of faith – greetings of peace, assalamu aleikum.
As I noted earlier in this convention, these are the same words my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ used to greet his disciples shortly after his resurrection – peace be upon you. You didn’t know it, did you? Lots of Christians don’t know it either. Indeed there is much that Christians and Muslims don’t know about each other. Fact is, we have a great deal more in common in our religious traditions than our differences. No, we don’t need to hide our differences. They are real and we must honestly deal with them. But we have more in common...
Read more at http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/remarks_of_head_of_interfaith_relations_to_isna_convention/0014540
Please see a link below to the remarks delivered by Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana, Head of Interfaith Relations Nat’l Council of Churches at the ISNA convention this past Labor Day weekend
Iftekhar Hussain
Remarks of Head of NCC Interfaith Relations to ISNA Convention
Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana
ISNA Unity Reception – September 2, 2007
My sisters and brothers of faith – greetings of peace, assalamu aleikum.
As I noted earlier in this convention, these are the same words my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ used to greet his disciples shortly after his resurrection – peace be upon you. You didn’t know it, did you? Lots of Christians don’t know it either. Indeed there is much that Christians and Muslims don’t know about each other. Fact is, we have a great deal more in common in our religious traditions than our differences. No, we don’t need to hide our differences. They are real and we must honestly deal with them. But we have more in common...
Read more at http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/remarks_of_head_of_interfaith_relations_to_isna_convention/0014540
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Rabbi Eric Yoffie's remarks at the ISNA Convention on Labor Day weekend
Dear Friends, As Salaam Alaikum (Peace be upon you)
I write to you to share words of hope and wisdom from Rabbi Eric Yoffie of the Union of Reform Judaism, delivered at the ISNA convention this past Labor Day weekend.
Iftekhar Hussain
Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, President
Union for Reform Judaism
I am deeply honored by your invitation to be present at this convention.
I am here as the leader of largest Jewish religious movement in North America, consisting of more than 900 congregations and 1.5 million Jews.
My organization is currently discussing with your leadership a joint dialogue and education program that we hope to launch in the very near future, involving our congregations and your mosques. This project is a matter of the utmost importance to my Movement and to me personally, and I would like to share with you why that is so.
There exists in this country among all Americans – whether Jews, Christians, or non-believers – a huge and profound ignorance about Islam. It is not that stories about Islam are missing from our media; there is no shortage of voices prepared to tell us that fanaticism and intolerance are fundamental to Islamic religion, and that violence and even suicide bombing have deep Koranic roots. There is no lack of so-called experts who are eager to seize on any troubling statement by any Muslim thinker and pin it on Islam as a whole. Thus, it has been far too easy to spread the image of Islam as enemy, as terrorist, as the frightening unknown.
How did this happen?
Read more at http://isna.net/index.php?id=35&backPID=1&tt_news=899
I write to you to share words of hope and wisdom from Rabbi Eric Yoffie of the Union of Reform Judaism, delivered at the ISNA convention this past Labor Day weekend.
Iftekhar Hussain
Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, President
Union for Reform Judaism
I am deeply honored by your invitation to be present at this convention.
I am here as the leader of largest Jewish religious movement in North America, consisting of more than 900 congregations and 1.5 million Jews.
My organization is currently discussing with your leadership a joint dialogue and education program that we hope to launch in the very near future, involving our congregations and your mosques. This project is a matter of the utmost importance to my Movement and to me personally, and I would like to share with you why that is so.
There exists in this country among all Americans – whether Jews, Christians, or non-believers – a huge and profound ignorance about Islam. It is not that stories about Islam are missing from our media; there is no shortage of voices prepared to tell us that fanaticism and intolerance are fundamental to Islamic religion, and that violence and even suicide bombing have deep Koranic roots. There is no lack of so-called experts who are eager to seize on any troubling statement by any Muslim thinker and pin it on Islam as a whole. Thus, it has been far too easy to spread the image of Islam as enemy, as terrorist, as the frightening unknown.
How did this happen?
Read more at http://isna.net/index.php?id=35&backPID=1&tt_news=899
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Thoughts on the approach of Ramadan, Tishrei and the Feast Day of Francis of Assisi
Dear Friends, As Salaam Alaikum (Peace be upon you)
As we approach the month of Ramadan, Tishrei and the Feast Day of Francis of Assisi, I encourage Muslims, Jews and Christians to reach out to each other during this period of the year.
As some in the Muslim community have already observed, it is imperative that these three communities begin to create bonds of genuine relationships. The religious traditions of these 3 communities allow for such a possibility and the history of interaction between these 3 communities provides a precedence for movement in such a direction.
I have participated in the 'Tent of Abraham' meetings initiated by the Shalom Center and Rabbis Arthur Waskow and Phyllis Berman. Jews, Christians, Muslims and members of several other faith traditions have participated and bonded with each other through this series of annual meetings over the last 4 years. Through an annual retreat, we have learned to understand each others traditions, hopes and fears. This process has created the possibility to talk of ways to value and honor each other rooted in our own religious source texts and traditions.
I ask you, my friends, to begin to explore your own ways of connecting with your neighbors and friends and honoring them during this period. If you would like to learn of the success of the approach adopted by the Tent of Abraham, please write to me at ihussain@cair.com or write to Rabbi Arthur Waskow at office@shalomctr.org.
More details about the Tent of Abraham can be found at http://www.shalomctr.org/node/1246
Thank you and Salaam
Iftekhar Hussain
As we approach the month of Ramadan, Tishrei and the Feast Day of Francis of Assisi, I encourage Muslims, Jews and Christians to reach out to each other during this period of the year.
As some in the Muslim community have already observed, it is imperative that these three communities begin to create bonds of genuine relationships. The religious traditions of these 3 communities allow for such a possibility and the history of interaction between these 3 communities provides a precedence for movement in such a direction.
I have participated in the 'Tent of Abraham' meetings initiated by the Shalom Center and Rabbis Arthur Waskow and Phyllis Berman. Jews, Christians, Muslims and members of several other faith traditions have participated and bonded with each other through this series of annual meetings over the last 4 years. Through an annual retreat, we have learned to understand each others traditions, hopes and fears. This process has created the possibility to talk of ways to value and honor each other rooted in our own religious source texts and traditions.
I ask you, my friends, to begin to explore your own ways of connecting with your neighbors and friends and honoring them during this period. If you would like to learn of the success of the approach adopted by the Tent of Abraham, please write to me at ihussain@cair.com or write to Rabbi Arthur Waskow at office@shalomctr.org.
More details about the Tent of Abraham can be found at http://www.shalomctr.org/node/1246
Thank you and Salaam
Iftekhar Hussain
Monday, August 27, 2007
Islam Today: The Need to Explore Its Complexities
Islam Today: The Need to Explore Its Complexities
Wednesday 22 August 2007, by Tariq Ramadan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Never before have Islam and the Muslims been held up to such relentless scrutiny. Never before have journalists devoted so many articles, interviews and analyses to the "Muslim world" or to "Muslims in the West." And yet never has knowledge of Islam, of Muslims, and of their geographical, political and geostrategic circumstances been so superficial, partial and frequently confused—not only among the general public, but also among journalists and even in academic circles...
read more below
http://www.tariqramadan.com/article.php3?id_article=1167&lang=en
Wednesday 22 August 2007, by Tariq Ramadan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Never before have Islam and the Muslims been held up to such relentless scrutiny. Never before have journalists devoted so many articles, interviews and analyses to the "Muslim world" or to "Muslims in the West." And yet never has knowledge of Islam, of Muslims, and of their geographical, political and geostrategic circumstances been so superficial, partial and frequently confused—not only among the general public, but also among journalists and even in academic circles...
read more below
http://www.tariqramadan.com/article.php3?id_article=1167&lang=en
Saturday, August 4, 2007
A Letter to Your Beautiful Heart: Muslims are Your Family, Too, America
A Letter to Your Beautiful Heart: Muslims are Your Family, Too, America
Mohja Kahf
A certain Middle Eastern religion is much maligned in this country. Full of veils and mystery, it is seen by many as sexist. Often violent, sometimes manipulated by demagogues, it yet has sweetness at the core, and many people are turning to it in their search for meaning.
I’m talking about Christianity.
This Muslim squirms when secular friends, tolerant toward believers in Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, and Native spirituality, dismiss Christians with snorts of contempt. “It’s because the Christian right wants to take over this country,” they protest.
read more below
http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/a_letter_to_your_beautiful_heart_muslims_are_your_family_too_america/0014311
Mohja Kahf
A certain Middle Eastern religion is much maligned in this country. Full of veils and mystery, it is seen by many as sexist. Often violent, sometimes manipulated by demagogues, it yet has sweetness at the core, and many people are turning to it in their search for meaning.
I’m talking about Christianity.
This Muslim squirms when secular friends, tolerant toward believers in Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, and Native spirituality, dismiss Christians with snorts of contempt. “It’s because the Christian right wants to take over this country,” they protest.
read more below
http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/a_letter_to_your_beautiful_heart_muslims_are_your_family_too_america/0014311
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