“Breaking Down Barriers: Embracing Differences for a World of Love and Friendship Between Muslims and Christians”

By Fr. Midhun J Francis and Kochukallan SJ, New Age Islam 25 March 2023 Introduction In March 2023, the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue sent a message of good wishes to Muslims around the world on the occasion of the month of Ramadan and ‘Id al-Fitr 1444 H. / 2023 A.D. The message titled “Christians and Muslims: Promoters of Love and Friendship” aimed at promoting peaceful and harmonious coexistence between people of different religions, particularly Muslims and Christians. The Dicastery recognized that there are various challenges to friendly coexistence, such as extremism, radicalism, polemics, disputes, and religiously motivated violence, fuelled by a culture of hate. Therefore, the Dicastery sought to offer some thoughts to counter and overcome such a culture, enhancing instead love and friendship between Muslims and Christians. Attitudes towards Differences The Dicastery noted that it all begins with our attitudes towards each other, particularly when there are differences between us in religion, ethnicity, culture, language, or politics. Differences can be perceived as a threat, but everyone has the right to his or her specific identity with its diverse components, yet without ignoring or forgetting what we have in common. In this regard, the Dicastery quoted the Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, which states that “One is the community of all peoples, one their origin, for God made the whole human race to live over the face of the earth. One also is their final goal, God.” Negative Attitudes and Behaviours The Dicastery recognized that negative attitudes and behaviours towards those who are different from us are, unfortunately numerous, such as suspicion, fear, rivalry, discrimination, exclusion, persecution, polemics, insults, and backbiting. Social media platforms are common spaces for such harmful behaviours, perverting their role from being means for communication and friendship to being instruments for enmity and fighting. The Dicastery quoted Pope Francis, who said that “Social aggression has found unparalleled room for expansion through computers and mobile devices.” Promoting a Culture of Love and Friendship The Dicastery suggested that to prevent and counter the culture of hatred and, instead, promote a culture of love and friendship, there should be a sound education for future generations in all the spaces where they are formed: in the family, at school, in places of worship, and on social media. A world where justice, peace, fraternity, and prosperity reign is pleasing to the Almighty and brings joy, calling for our sincere and shared engagement. Conclusion In conclusion, the message aimed at promoting peaceful and harmonious coexistence between people of different religions, particularly Muslims and Christians. The message recognized that there are various challenges to friendly coexistence, such as extremism, radicalism, polemics, disputes, and religiously motivated violence, fueled by a culture of hate. Therefore, the Dicastery sought to offer some thoughts to counter and overcome such a culture, enhancing instead love and friendship between Muslims and Christians, calling for a sound education for future generations in all the spaces where they are formed. ----- Fr. Midhun J Francis Kochukallan SJ is a Jesuit priest from Kerala in, India. He is a research scholar at the Pontificia Università Gregoriana in Rome, specialising in Christian-Muslim interfaith relationships. He holds a Licentiate in Systematic Theology from JD, Pune, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Studies from Henry Martyn Institute, Hyderabad, and diplomas in Arabic and Urdu. He also has a Master’s degree in Philosophy from Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune. He has attended a number of seminars on interfaith dialogue internationally. He works with the South Asian Jesuit Conference on Christian-Muslim relations. He also writes for a number of English and Malayalam magazines and newspapers. URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/embracing-love-friendship-muslims-christians/d/129402 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism