Posts Tagged ‘ Christian ’

‘Muslim’ Nations and The Problem of Christian Persecution

October 23, 2011
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Qasim Rashid, Huffington Post, Oct.19, www.huffingtonpost.com/qasim-rashid/the-problem-of-christian-persecution_b_1012010.html

Some so-called “Muslim” nations have a problem.

It is not America, Europe, and no, it is certainly not Israel.

The problem is persecution, and in this case, of Christians. Some fourteen centuries after Prophet Muhammad wrote, “Christians are my citizens, and by God, I hold out against anything that displeases them,” Christian persecution has become a norm in these Muslim majority nations. While persecution in even one nation is too much, the problem is far beyond just one nation.

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, a Christian father of two sits on death row, inhumanely incarcerated in Iran for his “crime” of converting to Christianity from Islam. Yes, the Qur’an forbids punishment for apostasy, but tell that to the Iranian government. And though Islam does not sanction the mixing of mosque and state, be careful about saying that out loud — you may be charged with apostasy.

And the problem persists. Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of five sits on death row in a putrid Pakistani prison — literally tortured — for her alleged blasphemy of Prophet Muhammad. Yes, the Qur’an forbids punishment for blasphemy, but tell that to the Muslim clergy. And though Islam does not sanction any sort of priesthood, be careful about saying that out loud — you may be charged with blasphemy.

And the problem still persists. A human rights watch reports that a 12-year-old Christian girl in Pakistan was kidnapped, raped, forcibly converted to “Islam” and forcibly married to a Muslim before she finally escaped. When her parents went to the police, they were advised to “return the girl to her rightful husband,” ignoring the kidnapping, rape, forced conversion and forced marriage. Yes, the Qur’an protects the rights of women and children, condemns rape, forbids inheriting women (let alone children) against their will and forbids compulsion in religion. But, tell that to a people who worship the almighty dollar instead of the Almighty Deity. And though Islam demands absolute justice in all affairs, be careful about saying that out loud — if you cannot be bribed in Pakistan, you might find yourself buried six feet under.

And yet, the problem still persists. In Indonesia, over 50 Christian churches have been forcibly — and illegally — closed under extremist pressure. Contrast this with Prophet Muhammad’s Charter that states, “No one is to destroy a house of [the Christian] religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims houses.” Prophet Muhammad also foretold Islam’s spread to Egypt and reminded Muslims that their spiritual grandmother — Hagar, wife of Abraham — was Egyptian. As such, Muslims were specifically admonished to respect and honor Egyptian Christians. Quite obviously, Egyptian Coptic Christian persecution stands in stark contrast to Prophet Muhammad’s guidance.

Read the complete article here.

Turkey’s Elephant in the Room: Religious Freedom

September 30, 2011
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Susanne Gusten, New York Times, Sep.28, www.nytimes.com/2011/09/29/world/europe/turkeys-elephant-in-the-room-religious-freedom.html?_r=1&ref=religionandbelief

With his triumphant tour of the countries of the Arab Spring this month, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has managed to set up Turkey on the international stage as a role model for a secular democracy in a Muslim country — as, in his words, “a secular state where all religions are equal.”

The only trouble is that he has yet to make that happen for Turkey.

The relationship between religion and the state, ever the sore spot of Turkish identity, is one of the most explosive issues of the debate on the new constitution that Mr. Erdogan has pledged to give the country in the new legislative term that opens Saturday.

That debate will have to deal with the elephant in the room: the total control that the state exerts over Islam through its Religious Affairs Department, and the lack of a legal status for all other religions in a predominantly Sunni Muslim society.

“Turkey may look like a secular state on paper, but in terms of international law it is actually a Sunni Islamic state,” Izzettin Dogan, a leader of the country’s Alevi minority, charged at a joint press conference with leaders of several other minority faiths last week in Istanbul.

Mr. Dogan is honorary president of the Federation of Alevi Foundations, which represents many of what it claims are up to 30 million adherents of the Alevi faith, an Anatolian religion close to Sufi Islam but separate and distinct in its beliefs and practices.

“The state collects taxes from all of us and spends billions on Sunni Islam alone, while millions of Alevis as well as Christians, Jews and other faiths don’t receive a penny,” Mr. Dogan said, referring to the $1.5 billion budget of the Religious Affairs Department. “What kind of secularism is that?”

Read the complete article here.

German Jews praise Pope but warn on Pius XII and Holocaust

September 26, 2011
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Tom Heneghan, Reuters, Sep.21, www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/22/us-pope-germany-jews-idUSTRE78L50L20110922

Germany’s small Jewish community praised Pope Benedict on Thursday for stressing the common roots of Christianity and Judaism but warned him it would be hurt if he honors wartime Pope Pius XII, who it said was silent during the Holocaust.

Dieter Graumann, secretary general of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, also said Jews were hurt by his support for an ultra-traditionalist Catholic group they consider bigoted against Jews, Muslims, gays, women and Protestants.

The close friendship that has developed between Christians and Jews “must put up with others saying things that hurt,” he told Reuters after he and other Jewish leaders met the pope and Catholic prelates for about 25 minutes.

“A possible beatification of Pius XII would hurt us,” said Graumann, referring to efforts to put the late pope on the path to sainthood. “For us he is the pope who kept his silence too coldly and loudly during the Holocaust.”

Despite these differences, the Jewish leader stressed that the closed-door meeting was friendly and moving for him.

“This is an impulse for new closeness, for a deeper and even better relationship,” he said.

Read the complete article here.

Pope wins over German Muslims

September 26, 2011
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Tom Heneghan, Reuters, Sep.23, blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2011/09/23/pope-benedict-wins-over-german-muslims-in-first-meeting-since-regensburg-speech/

Pope Benedict told German Muslims in Berlin on Friday they can expect cooperation and support from Roman Catholics as long as they respect Germany’s constitution and the limits it sets on pluralism. Meeting representatives of the country’s four million Muslims, he said the constitution drawn up in post-war West Germany was solid enough to adapt to a pluralistic society in a globalised world and make room for new religions as well.

It sounded like the Bavarian-born pontiff was making a veiled reference to a debate in Germany over the past year over Muslim integration in Germany and whether  Muslims wanted sharia here, an issue discussed mostly on the conservative end of the political spectrum. Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Muslims last year that Islamic law had no place in Germany. “What applies here is the constitution, not sharia,” she declared. When he took office in March, Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich said the idea that “Islam belongs to Germany” — first mentioned by President Christian Wulff last year — “is not substantiated by history at any point.” A recent book “Richter ohne Gesetz” (Judges without Law) argues that Muslims are setting up a “parallel legal system” that is undermining German justice.

Muslim leaders didn’t hear it that way.  They  praised the pope for confirming through the meeting that Islam was now a part of German society and pointing towards new and expanded cooperation between Catholics and Muslims. But they said their loyalty to the constitution, a main point in his speech, was never in question. “As Muslims in Germany, we have always said that we see the German constitution as a good basis for peaceful life together,” Bekir Alboga, head of interreligious dialogue for the Turkish mosque association DITIB, told Reuters after meeting the pope.

Read the complete article here.

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom may fold

September 26, 2011
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Emily Belz, World Magazine, Sep.23, www.worldmag.com/webextra/18683

The U.S. government’s resources for monitoring international religious freedom are already small and they may get smaller.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent government watchdog for abuses of religious freedom abroad, may cease to exist if the Senate doesn’t act over the weekend to reauthorize it. Congress leaves soon for a weeklong recess, depending on when the House and Senate resolve a spending bill to keep the government functioning, and the commission will shut down Sept. 30 without Senate reauthorization. One Democratic senator is apparently holding up the reauthorization, according to several sources.

“Other countries are creating bodies like ours,” said Leonard Leo, chairman of the commission. “At the same time we’re jeopardizing the existence of our own?” Commissions monitoring religious freedom are beginning in Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, and the Philippines, he said.

“If somebody does have a hold on it—here we have growing Christian persecution and anti-Semitism . . . I would hope they would surface and say, ‘This is the reason,’ and let it go,” Wolf said. “I would hope this would not be a political thing.”

Read the complete article here.

Jesus would support Palestinian statehood bid

September 26, 2011
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Carl Mederaris, CNN, Sep.21, religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/21/my-take-jesus-would-support-palestinian-statehood-bid/

This week at the United Nations, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has promised to ask for recognition of a Palestinian state. If he does, the United States will veto. Why?

Largely because of something we’ll call Christian Zionism, an American theological movement that preaches a Christian obligation to help Jews reclaim the biblical Promised Land.

I travel constantly, speaking about the Middle East to evangelical Christians across America and Europe. I lived in Lebanon for 12 years and churches invite me to talk about how to love their Muslim neighbors.

Often before I get invited to speak at churches and Christian conferences, I go through an awkward period of questioning, an interview that feels more like an interrogation.

Pastors and conference leaders want to size me up to make sure I’m “safe” for Christian audiences. The interrogation usually goes something like this:

“Carl, we love your books and your message. You have a lot of insight on how Christians can be more Jesus-like to our Middle Eastern neighbors. We hope you’ll talk a lot about that!”

Translation: Please, for the love of God, don’t say anything controversial about Israel or the Palestinians.

Though they are too polite to ask, what those pastors and conference leaders want to know is what is my position on Israel. For them, the modern Jewish state is a direct fulfillment of Bible prophecy, the catalyst for a series of events that will culminate in the return of Jesus.

As the Palestinians press ahead in their bid for statehood, prepare to hear from this crowd. These Christians number in the tens of millions and they go into a state of frenzy every time a politician so much as winks at the idea of Israel giving up a few settlements or withdrawing to pre-1967 borders.

People ask me all the time what I think about Israel and end-times theology, and how the Palestinians factor into that.
Here’s my answer: If your end-times theology trumps the clear commands in Scripture to love neighbors and enemies, then its time to rethink your theology.

Read the complete article here.

Jewish Theological Seminary Launches Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue

September 26, 2011
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JTS of NY, Sep.6, www.jtsa.edu/News/Press_Releases/JTS_Launches_Milstein_Center_for_Interreligious_Dialogue.xml

The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) announced the establishment of the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue(MCID), funded with a $2 million gift from New York philanthropist Howard Milstein and the Paul Milstein family. The Milsteins have a long history of engagement with JTS. Irma Milstein chaired the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education and served on the JTS Board of Trustees. The gift from her family marks the second generation of relationship between the Milsteins and JTS.

The Milstein Center’s invitation-only inaugural event will take place at JTS on Monday, October 31, 2011, with His Eminence Kurt Cardinal Koch as the guest of honor. Cardinal Koch is visiting from the Vatican, where he is the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, which includes the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews. This is Cardinal Koch’s first trip to New York City in that capacity.

“The new center will expand the long commitment of JTS to interreligious dialogue and partnership and enable us to highlight an annual schedule of distinct programs that range in complexity and content,” said Rabbi Burton L. Visotzky, who will be director of the Milstein Center. Rabbi Visotzky is the Appleman Professor of Midrash and Interreligious Studies at JTS. He has been active in interreligious dialogue for more than three decades in the United States and internationally.

Howard Milstein added, “This is a good time to build on 50 years of Jewish-Christian dialogue and expand it to all of the Abrahamic religions. At a time when religion-based antagonism is one of the greatest threats to world peace, JTS has a pivotal role in educating the next generation of religious leaders to promote mutual respect among all faiths.”

Read the complete article here.

Muslims helping to rebuild Christian school in Kashmir

September 23, 2011
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Anto Akkara, ENInews, Sep.20, www.eni.ch/featured/article.php?id=5155

Muslims in Kashmir, in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent, are supporting the re-building of a Christian school that was destroyed by fire during anti-Christian violence one year ago.

“What happened here is certainly wrong and it should not have happened. I can assure you that our people will not allow it to happen again,” Munshi Mukhtar Ahmed, a Muslim teacher in a government school in the town of Tangmarg.

On 13 September, 2010, the Tyndale Biscoe School was the target of Muslims protesting a reported desecration of the Quran in the U.S. that marked the ninth anniversary of the 11 September 2001 terror attacks. The school is in the town of Phulwama and is run by the Church of North India (CNI), the dominant Protestant denomination in North India.

Two dozen Muslim protesters were killed by security forces and over 100 injured. There are about four million Muslims in Kashmir and 5,000 Christians.

“The burning of the school was a big loss for the local (Muslim) community and they are still feeling the pinch of it,” said Ahmed. The church-run school has about 450 students, almost all of them Muslims.

Read the complete article here.

Religious Leaders in Dachau Join in Opposing War

September 19, 2011
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Chiara Santomiero, Zenit, Sep.15, www.zenit.org/article-33448?l=english

From Romania, Poland, Hungary and Ukraine, from Italy and Russia, religious leaders convoked by the Catholic lay Community of Sant’Egidio arrived together to Bunker 28 in Dachau.

The group was part of the interreligious meeting held last Sunday through Tuesday in Munich, with the theme: “Bound to Live Together. Religions and Cultures in Dialogue.”

Catholic priests and Protestant pastors were held at Dachau, men who expressed in their churches opposition to the Nazi regime or helped to hide Jews and other persecuted people. From 1933 to 1945, some 3,000 priests were kept there, from 134 dioceses and 24 countries.

Very many died. “Dachau was not an extermination camp; its objective was ‘re-education’ through forced labor; however, as regards the 42,000 deaths among the 200,000 inmates during 12 years, there certainly can be no talk of natural deaths,” explained the guide.

The religious leaders from all over the world — Christians, Muslims, Jews and representatives of the religions of Asia — met Tuesday in Dachau for a commemorative ceremony, which highlighted, once again, the desire of religions for peace and reconciliation.

Read the complete article here.

A Buddhist Example of Interfaith Dialogue

September 19, 2011
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Paul Knitter, Huffington Post, Sep.15, www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-paul-f-knitter/a-buddhist-response-to-christian-fanaticism_b_964072.html

Earlier this year, my wife Cathy and I spent eight days being gently rushed around the South Korean peninsula as part of a project aimed at promoting a more fruitful dialogue between Buddhists and Christians.  So there I was, in the midst of this Christian violence, a septuagenarian Christian scholar from New York arrives in Korea to talk about the value and need of Buddhist-Christian dialogue and to speak about my recent book “Without Buddha I Could Not Be a Christian.” To talk about dialogue and academia in the midst of such conflict had the semblance of urging relaxation in the midst of an earthquake. Still quaking, the Chogye Order of Korean Seon (Zen) Buddhists held to their invitation and asked this foreign Christian to come and talk.

Read the complete article here.