West Coast Catholic-Muslim Dialogue
The West Coast Catholic-Muslim Dialogue met on October 8, 2018 at the Roman Catholic Diocese of SanDiego. The meeting was chaired by Bishop Robert McElroy and Dr Muzammil H. Siddiqi.
The dialog is a partnership between the Shura Council of Southern California and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. According to a Shura Council announcement, the agenda included a number of topics including stereotyping/profiling of others, immigration issues, and efforts needed to overcome the fear factor among our two communities.
Sister Kathleen Warren, OSF, made a presentation on the film “The Sultan and the Saint.” The group decided to formulate a program for our region based on the film and its historical contribution to Muslim-Catholic relations. The program will consist of showing the film at Mosques and Churches and Educational Institutions, accompanied by presentations by both Muslim and Catholic scholars and question-and-answer sessions.
Rosemary Johnston made a presentation on “Meet Your Muslim Neighbor,” a program designed to break down barriers.
The group explored various efforts at engaging young members of both communities in joint projects.
“America’s increasing repudiation of its legacy as a nation of immigrants is having an enormous impact on both Catholic and Muslim communities,” said Bishop McElroy. “This meeting deepened the ever richer personal friendships between us and agreement on the issues which touch on societal lives, family, and faith.”
Dr Siddiqi observed that “this Muslim and Catholic dialogue has contributed in building relations between us in Southern California for the last 25 years. It is important that this dialogue continue: it is very much needed in the climate in which we are currently living.”
The Shura Council was represented by Waqas Syed, Board Secretary and Imam Taha Hassane, Director of the Islamic Center of San Diego.
In the evening, Dr Michael Kinnamon, former president of the National Council of Churches, spoke to the dialogue members and a select group of interfaith leaders in the San Diego area on the topic of “Fear in the Religious Community.” Joining us that evening as well was Dr Ahmed Soboh, Chairman of the Shura Council.
Dr Kinnamon made three recommendations for our action as people of faith: 1) teach what our own traditions have to say about fear and how to put it in proper perspective; 2) encourage first-hand knowledge of, through actual encounter with, people of other faiths; and 3) make a commitment to speak out together against fear-mongering in public, no matter where it comes from.
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