How effective will A Common Word be?

[Ibrahim]

How effective do you think the Common Word initiative will be at building Muslim and Christian cooperation, in the long-term? What are the issues that will help or hinder its effectiveness? What can we do to help? Discuss.

[Ibrahim]

I voted "Very Effective" but that may only be wishful thinking.

[Carl]

The dialog that was created by this courageous act of Muslim scholars has opened so many doors for productive communication. However, we must proceed. Dialog is simply a means to an end. What is the end? Where does good dialog lead? Who is taking us there? These are even better questions.

[thesettingsun07]

I can only hope that dialogue will lead us to discussing peacefully the differences that we indubitably have, but I'm afraid that neither side, among themselves, will be able to really to come to a consensus on how they want to handle the other. Because of the different sects and denominations that exist in both Islam and Christianity, this olive branch may be only a small dent in a large sea of confusion and ignorant enmity. My utmost hope, though, is that A Common Word and the dialogue ensuing from it will be effective... it's too early to tell.

[al-Najashi]

I think a key aspect that Tariq Ramadan talks about in his book, "Western Muslims and the Future of Islam", is that people who are engaged and involved in interfaith dialogue between Muslims and Christians often have limited to no influence within their own respective faiths. Secondly, that those who participate in these dialogues are often not the problem, it's the people who remain enstranged from the "other" who are often the problem. And they are the most likely not to attend such a dialogue.

What Ramadan proposes is that people engaged in dialogue need to maintain a visible and influential position within their own faiths. What is learned and accomplished via dialogue needs to then be communicated back to one's respective faith. This means that interfaith dialoguers should be predominately teachers within their own faith, helping their own faith grapple with the cultural, linguistic, religious, and/or historical issues that have kept these two faiths at a distance and often even in hostility toward one another.

I agree with this as a true starting point. A Common Word Between Us and You is a great letter and a great overture to the Christian community worldwide. But it will take Christians making friends with Muslims, Muslims making friends with Christians, dialoguing, truly stepping out into another's community and perspective, including reading their Holy Book/s, then communicating what is learned to their own faith community. I think this is the only way forward.

-Najashi

[mrimpatient]

Great post Najashi. Loved it. The point about those involved in dialogue often being on the margins is well made. On a local community level in Birmingham UK there are a small number of leaders who are visible and influential in each faith community talking with each other and building the trust for dialogue and disagreement. This means their respective "congregations" are also aware and influenced by these perspectives which begins to shape the local environment.
A Common Word has had a mixed response here. Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali spoke out in criticism but made a valid observation when he said "I would stress that dialogue between partners must be conducted in the integrity of each faith. One partner cannot dictate the terms on which dialogue must be conducted. This document seems to be on the verge of doing that".

I must confess that my immediate emotional reaction to reading the document was one of feeling I was being lectured to and having my own holy book quoted at me! Not a great start but maybe those are my sensitivities!