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October 10, 2007
Faithful living
Panel explores Muslim-Christian relations in Africa, America, Iran
The realities of Muslim-Christian relations in several different world contexts came to life during a panel discussion at the recent Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) World Mission ’07 celebration.
“Faithful Living Among Muslims: Christian Witness in Markedly Different Settings” was the theme of the discussion as experts, including former PC(USA) mission co-worker the Rev. Peggy Thomas, provided attendees with a personal glimpse into how Christians live with Muslim neighbors in Africa, America and Iran.
In Africa, Muslims and Christians “see each other as co-citizens having equal rights and equal claim,” said the Rev. John Azumah, a pastor in the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. “You have a kind of equal balance.”
There, he said, it’s common for families to have members in both faiths, and that one cannot do mission in Africa without “taking Islam seriously.”
Islam could be the religion of your cousin or your mother, said Azumah, who was cared for by a Muslim relative who also paid for Azumah’s theological education. “Islam has a human face in Africa.”
In that light, he said faithful living there, even in regions where Muslin-Christian tensions have been high, means being true to what you believe.
“Faithful living means being faithful to our calling,” Azumah said. In relationships with Muslims, “we don’t have to pretend to be anything other than Christian,” which is what Muslims expect and respect, he said.
The Rev. Hendrik Shanazari, executive secretary of the Synod of the Evangelical Church of Iran, outlined a different situation between Muslims and Christians in Iran, where religious distinctions traditionally break down along ethnic lines.
He said ethnic Christians have often felt treated as foreigners and were often not integrated into society, but noted that secularization of the country is reducing the sensitiveness of that situation.
Shanazari said many Muslims in Iran are showing interest and wanting to be a part of Christian communities, which “causes joy for Iranian Christians. … Every day more people are attracted to Christianity.”
Panel moderator the Rev. Jay Rock, the PC(USA)’s coordinator of interfaith relations, offered the American perspective on living faithfully among Muslims, and pointed out that a wide diversity within Islam must be recognized.
To suggest there is a single culture for Islam “would widely miss the mark,” he said. “One size emphatically does not fit all.”
Pay close attention to the diversities of thought and practice, which have to be considered to gain an accurate understanding, Rock said.
He said Muslims in the United States “feel vulnerable” in the current climate of hostility toward Muslims, and that the community as a whole “condemns terrorism strongly,” a position not often highlighted.
Rock said the U.S. Muslim community is actively cooperating with government agencies to be as “transparent” as possible, and that “Muslims here want to be our partners in responding to terrorism.” |
