A Letter to
Pope Benedict XVI
By Nihad Awad
Executive Director
Council on American-Islamic Relations
Dear
CAIR Supporter,
About a month ago during my visit to Jordan I was
invited by Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, Special Advisor
to King Abdullah II of Jordan, to sign, on behalf
of CAIR, a letter of inter-religious solidarity
that was to be sent to major Christian leaders in
the world urging cooperation and inter-faith understanding.
Recently that historic 29-page letter titled "A
Common Word Between Us and You," was sent to
Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan
Williams and more than 20 other Christian leaders.
Read the full text of the letter.
This initiative was coordinated by the Royal Aal
al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought in Amman,
Jordan. Both Washington Post and Newsweek reported
that several Christian leaders welcomed this letter.
The 138 Muslim signatories to this letter believe
that meaningful world peace can only happen when
members of both faiths work together to advance
the cause of the love of God and the love of our
neighbor, traditions intrinsic to both Christianity
and Islam.
This one-of-a-kind effort demonstrates what mainstream
Muslims can achieve by working together to reclaim
the true message of Islam, which forever remains
a message of love, mercy and peace. We have taken
a historic step to assure Christian leaders that
we envision a world where leaders of all faiths
are working side-by-side to foster harmony and mutual
understanding.
It is our hope at CAIR that in the coming days we
will take this important initiative to the larger
American Muslim community seeking their endorsement
and support. Following which we will send this letter
to major Christian leaders in America hoping to
spur a new wave of inter-faith dialogue.
The letter that was sent to Pope Benedict XVI stated
in part the following:
“Of God’s Unity, God says in the Holy
Qur’an: Say: He is God, the One! / God,
the Self-Sufficient Besought of all! (Al-Ikhlas,
112:1-2). Of the necessity of love for God,
God says in the Holy Qur’an: So invoke
the Name of thy Lord and devote thyself to Him with
a complete devotion (Al-Muzzammil, 73:8). Of
the necessity of love for the neighbor, the Prophet
Muhammad (SA) said: “None of you has faith
until you love for your neighbor what you love for
yourself.
“In the New Testament, Jesus Christ u said:
‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the
Lord is One. / And you shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, with
all your mind, and with all your strength.’
This is the first commandment. / And the second,
like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor
as yourself.’ There is no other commandment
greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)
“Love of the neighbor is an essential and
integral part of faith in God and love of God because
in Islam without love of the neighbor there is no
true faith in God and no righteousness. The Prophet
Muhammad (SA) said: “None of you has faith
until you love for your brother what you love for
yourself.” And: “None of you has faith
until you love for your neighbor what you love for
yourself.”
“However, empathy and sympathy for the neighbor
— and even formal prayers — are not
enough. They must be accompanied by generosity and
self-sacrifice.
“Without giving the neighbor what we ourselves
love, we do not truly love God or the neighbor.
“Finally, as Muslims, and in obedience to
the Holy Qur’an, we ask Christians to come
together with us on the common essentials of our
two religions … that we shall worship
none but God, and that we shall ascribe no partner
unto Him, and that none of us shall take others
for lords beside God … (Aal ‘Imran,
3:64).
“Let this common ground be the basis of all
future interfaith dialogue between us, for our common
ground is that on which hangs all the Law and
the Prophets (Matthew 22:40).
“God says in the Holy Qur’an: Say
(O Muslims): We believe in God and that which is
revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto
Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and
the tribes, and that which Moses and Jesus received,
and that which the prophets received from their
Lord. We make no distinction between any of them,
and unto Him we have surrendered. / And if they
believe in the like of that which ye believe, then
are they rightly guided. But if they turn away,
then are they in schism, and God will suffice thee
against them. He is the Hearer, the Knower. (Al-Baqarah,
2:136-137)
“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.
“So let our differences not cause hatred and
strife between us. Let us vie with each other 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.”
It is my hope and prayer that today marks the beginning
of a new chapter in inter-faith dialogue, cooperation
and understanding.
May Allah bless all those who strive for peace,
justice and mutual understanding.
To learn more about us, visit our new website to
see our vision, mission and core principles as well
as CAIR at-a-glance detailing information about
CAIR. You can also read about CAIR national board
and key staff and see the leaders of each of our
33 chapters.
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