Muslim scholars urge Christians to engage Islam

Muslims say theirs is ‘most misunderstood religion in the world’

by Alexa Smith

      A Christian theologian challenged the group to engage Christians in dialogue that does not avoid the hard questions posed by either faith.

      “We need serious, ongoing, in-depth discussion with other faiths,” said the Rev. Eugene March, a retired professor of Hebrew Bible at Louisville Theological Seminary, speaking of U.S. Christians, and of U.S. Presbyterians in particular. “It is easiest to begin with Muslims and Jews because we share so much in common. ...

      “Jews and Muslims become uncomfortable when we Christians talk about the Trinity, and we understand why. But we can’t dodge questions because they’re difficult.”

In such dialogue, according to March, the point is not for the two sides to reach agreement, but to deepen their understandings of their own faith and of others’ faiths.

      March’s opinions fell on receptive ears during the two-hour conversation involving Presbyterians and the Muslims, who are traveling across the United States on a grant from the U.S. State Department.

      They said they have two aims: To see how Muslims in the U.S. live, and to help Americans to a better understanding of mainstream Islam and its adherents.

Riffat Hassan speaks at the Presbyterian Center. Photos by  Alexa Smith.

      The delegation includes men and women representing Afghanistan (See related story 04194), Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. The coordinator of the Muslims’ tour is Dr. Riffat Hassan, a prominent Islamic feminist who teaches at the University of Louisville, the official recipient of the State Department grant.

      The Muslims’ appearance at the Presbyterian Center was moderated by the Rev. Jay Rock, the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s coordinator for interfaith relations.

      “Many American Presbyterians are just quite ignorant,” March said. “... There are just so many things we don’t know. And many Americans think, ‘If we don’t know it, it must not count for anything.’”

      Which is why the Muslim scholars and preachers came prepared to talk about the basics and to seek common ground with people of other faiths.

      “Islam is the most misunderstood religion in the world,” said Dr. Kazi Nurul Islam, chair of the Department of World Religions at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. “The most misunderstood. We do not worship Mohammed. We consider him to be the first prophet of Islam. But people have a very suspicious opinion of Muslims. They ask, ‘What is Islam? Who is a Muslim?’”

    The professor offered some concise answers. Islam, he said, is a peaceful, progressive religion that respects Jews and Christians and their prophets. He said Mohammed himself taught that, to be truly religious, one must treat others with respect. And Mohammed, he said, even spoke of the second coming of Jesus Christ.

        Hassan said in several ways that Islam is a universal religion. 

      “Muslims believe in God, the creator and sustainer of all peoples and universes,” she said. “Service to God is not separated from service to humankind.”

      She warned that interpreting the Islamic tradition isn’t easy, or simple. 

      For instance, she said, Muslims disagree on how they should related to Christians and Jews. “Judaism is the first of the three Abrahamic religions, and it has a view of itself as a complete revelation. Christianity came after … and for the whole world universalized the Jewish tradition, continuing the Jewish scriptures. … Muslims came after, a continuation of both the Jewish and Christian scriptures.

      Hassan said her own opinion is that paradise is open to non-Muslims — including those who believe in the Jewish or Christian scriptures and all who believe in God. She acknowledged that many Muslims disagree. While some Muslims maintain that dressing appropriately, praying on schedule and following the dogma is a ticket to paradise, she said, she believes the Koran’s moral and ethical principles demand a life of righteous action and faith in God.

      The most serious debate within Islam, she added, has to do with the role of women.

      Dr. Islam, the Bangladeshi, noting that several Islamic countries, including Indonesia, have female prime ministers and presidents, said democracy is a difficult concept for Muslims because they believe that sovereignty is in the hands of God, not of people.

      To the question of why the U.S. is understood to be speaking for Christians, Hassan said, “The United States is the only superpower in the world, and this President is presenting a certain view of Christianity. I don’t think the rest of the world thinks it is the only view. … But the agenda of this government has drawn (upon) a certain view of Christianity, although many Americans do not agree with this view at all.”

      Hassan explained that the “greater jihad,” a concept related to the Islamic mystical tradition, is the struggle to improve oneself. It can also be understood as a fight against evil and social ills, she said, but the Koran opposes aggression and Muslims must live with the paradox that Mohammed was a warrior.

      An Afghani man, Momin Shah, said of the former Soviet Union: “It is the miracle of jihad in Afghanistan that destroyed the Russian power. … The Russians wanted to take over the world.”    

      Robina Winbush, an ecumenical officer in the Office of the General Assembly, described the ministries of U.S. Presbyterians to the group and invited more interfaith dialogue.