Now that the shock waves touched off by Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks at Regensburg on September 12 2006 have subsided, the overall consequences have proven more positive than negative. Above and beyond polemics, the Pope’s lecture has heightened general awareness of their respective responsibilities among Christians and Muslims in the west.
It matters little whether the Pope had simply mis-spoken or, as the highest-ranking authority of the Catholic church, was enunciating church policy. Now the issue is one of identifying those areas in which a full-fledged debate between Catholicism and Islam must take place. Papal references to “jihad” and “Islamic violence” came as a shock to Muslims, even though they were drawn from a quotation attributed to Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaiologos. It is clear that the time has come to open debate on the common theological underpinnings and the shared foundations of the two religions. The appeal by Muslim men of religion, “A Common Word”, had precisely this intention: our traditions have the same source, the same single God who calls upon us to respect human dignity and liberty. These same traditions raise identical questions concerning the ultimate purpose of human activity, and respect for ethical principles.
In a world that is experiencing an unprecedented global crisis, a world in which politics, finance and relations between humans and the environment suffer from a cruel lack of conscience and ethical integrity, it is a matter of greatest urgency that Christian-Muslim dialogue turn its attention to both theological issues and to those of values and ultimate aims. Our task is not to create a new religious alliance against the “secularised” and “immoral” world order, but to make a constructive contribution to the debate, to prevent the logic of economics and war from destroying what remains of our common humanity.
Our constructive dialogue on shared values and ultimate goals is far more vital and imperative than our rivalries over the number of believers, our contradictory claims about proselytism, and sterile competition over exclusive possession of the truth. Those dogma-ridden individuals who, in both religions, claim truth for themselves, are, in fact, working against their respective beliefs.
Whoever claims that he alone possesses the truth, that “falsehood belongs to everybody else … ” has already fallen into error. Our dialogue must resist the temptation of dogmatism by drawing upon a comprehensive, critical and constantly respectful confrontation of ideas. Ours must be a dialogue whose seriousness requires of us, above all else, humility.
We must delve deep into history the better to engage a true dialogue of civilisations. Fear of the present can impose upon the past its own biased vision. Surprisingly, the Pope asserted that Europe’s roots were Greek and Christian, as if responding to the perceived threat of the Muslim presence in Europe. His reading, as I noted after the lecture at Regensburg, is a reductive one. We must return to the factual reality of the past, to the history of ideas. When we do so, it quickly becomes clear that the so-called opposition between the west and Islam is pure projection, an ideological instrument if you will, designed to construct entities that can be opposed or invited to dialogue, depending on circumstances.
But the west has been shaped by Islam, just as Islam has been shaped by the west; it is imperative that a critical internal process of reflection begin: that the west and Europe initiate an internal debate, exactly as must Islam and the Muslims, with a view to reconciling themselves with the diversity and the plurality of their respective pasts.
The debate between faith and reason, and over the virtues of rationalism, is a constant in both civilisations, and is as such far from exclusive to the Greek or Christian heritage; nor is it the sole prerogative of the Enlightenment. The Pope’s remarks at Regensburg have opened up new areas of inquiry that must be explored and exploited in a positive way, with a view to building bridges and, working hand in hand, to seeking a common response to the social, cultural and economic challenges of our day.
It is in this spirit that I will be participating on November 4, 5 and 6 in Rome, and in the meeting with the Pope scheduled for November 6. Our task will be to assume our respective and shared responsibilities, and to commit ourselves to working for a more just world, in full respect of beliefs and liberties. It is essential, then, to speak of freedom of conscience, of places of worship, of the “argument of reciprocity”; all questions are possible in an atmosphere of mutual confidence and respect.
Still, it is essential that each of us sit down at the table with the humility that consists of not assuming that we alone possess the truth; with the respect that requires that we listen to our neighbours and recognise their differences; and, finally, the coherence that summons each of us to maintain a critical outlook in accepting the contradictions that may exist between the message and the practice of believers. These are the essential elements to be respected if we are to succeed.
It is so saddening to see the situation of Muslims today.
Everyone acts alone without uniting with other organizations and with renown scholars.
Unity has much stronger impact than acting alone.
I wish Dr. Ramadan had consulted prominen scholars before taking the initiative to meet with the Pope who has recently shown resentment towards Islam and Muslims.
Dr. Ramadan will be meeting him not on a personal level. He would be going to the Vatican in the name of Islam and Muslims.
This is a major problem we as Muslims have.
Everyone sees his own way and does not care about other opinions and also does not bother to unite with others especially in matters such as meeting the Pope.
When a newspaper in Denmark published pictures and cartoons that insulted Prophet Mohammed (SAW), few of our young preachers decided to travel to Denmark. Prominent scholars like Sheikh Qaradawi had discouraged these young scholars to take the move which he considered to be unwise and unproductive.
But the young clerics did not listen to him and did not respect the scholar’s advice and decided to go ahead with their plans.
They did not show any respect to Sh. Qaradawi who was experienced in the field. They had probably thought to themselves that old people don’t deserve and are not worthy of any attention. They are young and know better.
I hope Dr. Ramadan will do all he can to work collectively with others.
I agree with you brother Kasim. I think unity is the biggest challange muslims are facing today. Sometimes we as muslims need to go beyoned our so called “Birth Sect” and accross the aisle and embrass others because the other is also a Muslim. I have been thinking about this question for a while, why can’t muslim get together and come to a conclusion. But each time i come back to same conclusion that we can’t untill some fundamental changes happen in muslim community. So the question is do we need to wait for these fundamental changes before we meet with religioyus leader of other faith? The answer to this is complex but if we take it methadologically it can be simple. What i know by reading Dr Ramadans literature on Islam and his excellent way of communication i am fully confident that Dr Ramadan won’t let us down. As you know our beloved Prophet (pbuh) had talked to his enemies sometimes even without conditions. I think we don’t need seal of approval from every single scholar of Muslim faith before taking such a step unless we belive that the person who is going to represent us is not qualified to do the job. I have utmost faith and belief that Dr. Ramadan will be able to bring some psotive outcome with this meeting, Inshallah. May God give all of us wisdom and courage to understand the challanges we are facing today.
Unity does not mean unanimity and too many Muslims confuse the two. We do not all have to agree, and if we wait for 6 billion Muslims worldwide to agree before we can do anything, we will do nothing! On the contrary we need to learn to disagree, accept our differences, see them for the blessing our Prophet (pbuh) said they were, and stop behaving like each one of us only holds the truth
Professor Ramadan – we need more like you the world over. Your wisdom and sensibility is a light for our world. May Allah (swt) guide you and grant you strength to continue your good work.
Assalamu Alaikum,
I am very happy that Dr. Ramadan is going to be meeting with the Pope.
I have been studying in Italy for about 3 years and I feel that knowledgable muslims need to interact much more with the christian scholars.
Dr. Ramadan’s visit is a superb move in this regard! It is an excellent way of dawah too and to make the christian scholars think about the need for constructive dialogue.
Salaam
Dr Ramadan is taking a great move in his decision to meet the Pope. Dialogue is what we need today. Especially when we got only one world to be shared with everyone – therefore we not only need to be talking with people who agree with us all the time BUT we also need dialogue with people who disagree with us. Dr Ramadan never shies away from living up to the Islamic ethics of humility in the hope that sincerity and humbleness is the way forward towards a better world! And this great move of Dr Ramadan to meet Pope is not any different and therefore is an act of optimism that through genuine dialogue we may understand each other better!
And for those who may hold the view that Pope after his humiliating comments towards Islam and the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) in 2006, Dr Ramadan should not meet Pope or else it is un-Islamic or it is a betrayal to our faith for a leading scholar such as Dr Ramadan to meet and have dialogue with Pope, the following Quranic verse “He who forgiveth, and is reconciled unto his enemy, shall receive his reward from God; for he loveth not the unjust doers” could be enough to remind us the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation with people who may have hurt us or those who may hold opposing views to that of ours!
Wish Dr Ramadan all the best in his journey!
Salam!
I follow your endeavors towards a deeper awareness and a fuller citizenship for all europeans. I support your cause through prayer and through dialogue with my fellow countrymen. Thank you for your efforts
This dialogue is a very important and necessary step. Prof. Ramadan is outlining here his reasons for going but the readers should know(if they don’t already do)that Prof. Ramadan is not going to this meeting alone. He is part of a delegation of Muslim scholars from the world. To find out more just search in google news his name and you’ll find the amount of media coverage and details.
May God bless the efforts of all those who took part in this dialogue and grant them success.
I support Prof Ramadan in his effort to concile the different groups in Europe. Muslims and Europe are not opposites of each other: its possible to be Muslims and European at the same time, just like it is possible to be Arab and Christian or Iranian and Jew at the same time ! God be with you Prof Ramadan !
This is wonderful.
We need more people like Dr. Ramdhan. I appreciate his contribution. We cannot live in isolation. We need to angage in a dialog with other faiths.
Naima,
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
As a Muslim, I cannot think of anyone better to represent us as a community than Professor Ramadan. By understanding that through his controversial address, the Pope was separating Islam from rationality and Christian Europe from the Muslim Other, Professor Ramadan successfully highlighted the challenge of our generation. That he has spend his entire life living up to this challenge, is why Professor Ramadan is an ideal candidiate to meet with the Pope. Nothing but what is of mutual benefit can come from this dialogue. Without Professor Ramadan, Muslims would surely be lost.
Has freedom of conscience not lead to the social, cultural and economic challenges of our day? Are we not divorced from our traditional wisdom insofar as we refuse the primacy of speculative intelligence for the hegemony of the practical intellect and the will? In the measure that this is the case, do we not lack the tools to judge human and divine events? We no longer seem to know, nor does our education gear us to know, our place in the order of things, in the divine economy. Isn’t the task ahead, essentially, a spiritual and intellectual one? But could such a trusteeship derive from the universal law of democracy and manhood suffrage?
Dear Mrs Ramadan,
As a European muslim I am more than happy that you intend to meet the Pope. We do indeed need more people like you who have the courage, knowledge and sincere intentions to create a platform of communication between Christians and Muslim regardless their heritage, background etc.
Thank you again and may Allah bless you.
Afsun