ICMU News

 
A word to Muslims, Christians
by Nancy Haught, The Oregonian
Monday, March 9, 2009 8:00PM

In her polite, retired-Catholic-schoolteacher way, Sister Mollie Reavis has had it with people who wonder why moderate Islam never speaks up when extremists resort to violence.

"They have," she insists.

She plunks down on the table a printed copy of an October 2007 open letter to Christians signed by 138 Muslim leaders from all over the world. Endorsed by 163 others, they are from schools and sects of Islam that, together, represent mainstream Islam.

"More people need to read it," Reavis says.
Muslims and Christians: Anything in Common?

What: Conference sponsored by the Institute for Christian-Muslim Understanding
Where: Portland State University
When: 7 p.m. Friday, John Borelli and Amir Hussain on "The Significance of 'A Common Word,'" in Hoffman Hall; 1 p.m. Saturday, "Connecting for the Common Good"; 2:30 p.m. "Working Together Locally"; 6 p.m. potluck dinner (no pork or pork products). All Saturday events in Smith Center.
Cost: Free; donations accepted

A Common Word
Here's an excerpt from the October 2007 open letter to Christian leaders, originally signed by 138 Muslim leaders and subsequently endorsed by 163 more:

"Finding common ground between Muslims and Christians is not simply a matter for polite ecumenical dialogue. ... If Muslims and Christians are not at peace, the world cannot be at peace. With the terrible weaponry of the modern world, with Muslims and Christians intertwined everywhere as never before, no side can unilaterally win a conflict between more than half of the world's inhabitants. Thus our common future is at stake. The very survival of the world itself is perhaps at stake.

"And to those who nevertheless relish conflict and destruction for their own sake or reckon that ultimately they stand to gain through them, we say that our very eternal souls are all also at stake if we fail to sincerely make every effort to make peace and come together in harmony. ...

"So let our differences not cause hatred and strife between us. Let us vie with each other not only in righteousness and good works. Let us respect each other, be fair, just and kind to another and live in sincere peace, harmony and mutual goodwill."
A Common Word

She and her Muslim counterpart, Jan Abushakrah, are co-chairwomen of the Institute for Christian-Muslim Understanding. The goal of the 5-year-old Portland group is to encourage more people to read the letter, "A Common Word Between Us and You." The institute hopes people will talk about the letter and, most importantly, get to work for the common good. Despite interfaith efforts after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, ignorance and stereotypes persist, Reavis says. The institute's effort to build bridges is local, but it may have far-reaching consequences.

"We aren't interested in polite dialogue or even polite advocacy," Abushakrah says. There is work to be done at all levels, from the local community to the global one. Relationships between Christians and Muslims need to be working relationships, she says.

"Often, if you talk about your beliefs, you'll encounter real barriers," Reavis says. Christianity and Islam are different in significant ways, but their followers believe in one God, a common ancestor, Abraham, and many shared values, she says.

"There are different kinds of Christianity, too," she adds. The expression of her own faith, Catholicism, looks different in Mexico and in Ireland, "but there are core beliefs that hold us together."

The dozen people who are the core of the Christian-Muslim institute have organized a free two-day event this weekend, with lectures by two men who will discuss "A Common Word." John Borelli of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., who focuses on inter-religious initiatives, and Amir Hussain of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, author of "Oil and Water: Two Faiths, One God."

The conference will end with presentations by local volunteer organizations and tips on how to plan a discussion group around the Muslim open letter, which may be found at A Common Word, and Christian and Jewish responses to it.

So far, the institute has sponsored two dinner meetings, introducing 64 invited guests, both Muslims and Christians, to read and discuss "A Common Word" in hope of inspiring them to organize discussions with their friends. The snowball approach makes it hard to judge how many Portlanders actually have read the open letter. "Our goal for the year was getting 500 people to read the letter," Reavis says. "We have a ways to go."

-- Nancy Haught

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