Interfaith Dialogue for a Better World |
| Written by Arshi Saleem Hashmi • Cover Stories • July 2011 |
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Fear of the ‘religious other’ is not a new phenomenon. One finds a number of accounts of conflicts with religious dimensions in which this ‘religious other’ is demonized. Whether we look to the Crusades, European colonialism, or the aftermath of 9/11, it is clear that fear and ignorance continue to dominate public perceptions and portrayals of them. Yet, throughout history, there have also been attempts to engage and understand them, whether due to intellectual curiosity, the desire to consolidate an empire, or simply to promote mutual understanding towards the goal of peaceful coexistence and, sometimes, cooperation. History is witness to the fact that religious groups always tend to view other religions in terms of incorrect beliefs or practices, theological errors, blasphemy and inequality. This was derived from the belief, especially among the monotheistic religions, that one’s own tradition possesses the one and only truth. On the other hand, for any interfaith interaction to succeed, it is imperative to increase mutual awareness, understanding and respect. The purpose of interfaith harmony is to correct stereotypes and misinformation and to find ways to work together to solve problems of mutual concern, including social, political, economic, and environmental issues. Interfaith initiatives are not a new concept. In the late 19th century, a series of missionary and faith conferences helped to spur interest in formal person-to-person encounters with religious others at the theological level. Later the changing global scenario, with the commencement of the globalization process, resulted in a rising number of interfaith encounters at the informal level, due to the rapid and far-reaching migration of both people and ideas. It has brought increased global access to diverse knowledge systems, whether religious, cultural, linguistic or ethnic, in daily and working life. The United States being the most powerful country and yet one which has been most discussed and criticized due to its various foreign policy engagements, has another side to share with the world. Given the pluralist nature of the American society, a number of initiatives have been taken by the U.S. civil society, think-tanks and universities to provide a platform to many religious communities in the U.S. to live in mutual peace and harmony. The opponents of the idea of interfaith dialogue tend to express concern that engaging in dialogue weakens or undermines their faith. They fear that their own religious identity would be jeopardized by accepting the right of others to fully express their own religious beliefs. Reservations exist among some about the sincerity of Western attempts to engage in interfaith dialogue, stating that this is simply an attempt to revive past missionary activities aimed not only at conversion, but also ultimately at invasion of and control over foreign territories. Due to such perceptions, genuine problem-solving and conflict resolution is at times impeded. Although, for many U.S. nationals, 9/11 remains an obstacle in embracing an interfaith dialogue, for many others it represents an opportunity to see beyond stereotypes and move towards genuine understanding. This is observed most notably on college and university campuses where coverage of Islam and the Muslim world has increased exponentially, as well as at worship places where people gather for both formal and informal discussions. Some U.S. organizations are working on creating harmony between the Muslim world and the U.S., while others are specifically working on peace and security through interfaith interaction in South Asia. For instance, Faith Shared is an initiative to help correct the misconceptions about Islam and Muslims within American society. The goal of the campaign is to promote interfaith events throughout the U.S. at churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship to create understanding between Muslims and other faith communities. One project that is actively involved with the South Asian community in the U.S. is the Harvard Pluralism Project. It brings religious leaders together to identify and discuss the challenges of being a person of faith in the 21st century and calls for a satellite television channel to promote interfaith dialogue. Similarly, an important institute working on South Asian issues through religion is the Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy. IMTD has been working with members of the Sikh community in the U.S., India and Pakistan to facilitate the approval and eventual construction of a Peace Corridor that would link two revered Gurdwaras, or Sikh houses of worship, in the Indian and Pakistani provinces of Punjab. These Gurdwaras are hundreds of years old and represent the last places of residence of the founder of the Sikh religion. Pilgrimage to both, Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan and Dera Baba Nanak in India, is very important to all Sikhs as this is where their religion was first proclaimed and nurtured. Yet, since 1947, historic pilgrimage routes have been difficult because of frequent conflicts between India and Pakistan. Today, Sikhs in both countries must apply for special visas which take a long time and a tedious procedure to follow, in order to visit Gurdwaras across the borders. Another remarkable initiative is being carried out by the United States Institute of Peace, a non-partisan, autonomous think-tank that has initiated a number of studies on peace and conflict. This Institute works towards creating sectarian harmony including a text book project. In order to counteract sectarian violence, the Institute’s Religion and Peacemaking Program works with both Sunni and Shi’ite religious scholars to produce an Islamic peace education textbook for religious schools in Pakistan, now published in Urdu. The textbook is directed at the high school level and seminary teachers in the five major Islamic sects in Pakistan will use this textbook in the near future to teach courses of peacemaking and conflict resolution. In collaboration with local partners, the Religion and Peacemaking Program is also providing training to these madressah teachers. By doing so, the initiative is helping develop capacity in peace-building and conflict-prevention for current religious teachers and the next generation of religious leaders. Besides nongovernmental efforts, the U.S. administration has also initiated steps to bridge the gap between the Muslims and the U.S. public. Ms. Farah Pundit, an American of Kashmiri Muslim origin, is the special representative of the United States to the Muslim world. Having a South Asian-American official to deal with the issue of interfaith harmony brings the South Asians in focus. Although nothing significant has been achieved under her leadership, one hopes that she would help remove some misunderstandings from the minds of U.S. policymakers and the American public on religious extremism and militancy emerging from the region, particularly Pakistan, where common people are as much supporters of peace and de-radicalization as anybody else in the world. It is no secret that South Asia is home to more than 1.4 billion people, nearly a quarter of the world’s population, and yet represents only about 2.5 percent of the world’s GDP. More than 50 percent of South Asians are under 25, and nearly three-quarters of them live on less than $2 per day. The South Asian Diaspora contributes to the development of their respective countries. An attempt therefore to involve the South Asian Americans in interfaith harmony would be a great step towards de-radicalization, peace and security.  Arshi Saleem Hashmi is Assistant Professor, Peace and Conflict Studies Department, National Defence University, Islamabad. She is a member of Women in International Security (WIIS,) Edmund A. Walsh School, Georgetown University and has also worked at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), Pew Forum on Religion and Public Policy and Middle East Institute, Washington DC. Comments (6)
  written by Mujeeb Alam , July 11, 2011 when i was studying in India decades ago i enjoyed a very good relationship with my fellow classmates, people belonging to different religions. we had hindus, muslims, christians, sikhs, buddhists all under one roof and yet we were all at peace. nobody labelled anyone. we all knew that in that institution we were students first regardless of our religion. if we apply the same thinking in our life. consider ourselves humans first a greater level of tolerance can be developed. report abuse
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written by Rasheed Amim , July 11, 2011 @saleem. religion is secondary. we do not even tolerate people of our own religion following another sect. we call them names, disrupt their religious practises, bomb their holy places. when we can show no respect for people of our own religion, how can any one expect us to understand other more different religions report abuse
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written by saleem baig , July 11, 2011 the reason that we fail to accept other faiths and religions is that we have no longer have any level of tolerance left. if we see someone following another religion we deem him a disbeliever. report abuse
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written by Saniya , July 07, 2011 people of every religion, culture, sect believe themselves to be right, and everyone else wrong. this mindset does not allow us to accept the practices and customs of others, which lead to grave injustices. report abuse
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written by sarwat , July 05, 2011 in order to progress, it is very important for a country that all its citizens regardless of the religion live in peace and harmony. a very well written piece report abuse
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written by Yusra Qasmi , July 05, 2011 It is true that South Asia represents only 2.5% of the world's GDP. Although there has been growth in this region, but this growth is slower than of the the other countries in the world. It has been seen that some of the US organizations and universities have been working on the issue, but they have been unable to find solutions. report abuse
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