Building Unlikely Bridges
By Emily Manna
American University
Washington, DC
On the evening of March 2nd I made my way, along with more than 300 others, up the steps of the beautiful Soka Gakkai International-USA building in the heart of Embassy Row in Washington, DC. The crowd, ranging from State Department workers to ministers to scholars and students, was ushered in by the center's smiling staff for what was to be an unusual event; a dialogue on Buddhism and Islam.
It was largely unfamiliar territory for followers of Buddhism, and as a student interested in the Muslim World, the Washington DC Buddhist Culture Center was not a place I anticipated visiting. As the audience filled the center's main hall, however, the atmosphere was one of openness and curiosity.
Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, one of the world's leading scholars of Islam, was the featured speaker in Soka Gakkai International's "Culture of Peace Distinguished Speaker Series." A Professor and the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington, DC, he has voiced his perspectives in the news media, advice to US foreign policy agencies and several acclaimed books and documentaries. The director of the center, long-time Buddhist William Aiken, began the evening with a story of how the two met a decade ago in response to an incident in Afghanistan where the Taliban had destroyed two ancient Buddha statues in opposition to "un-Islamic idols." Aiken and Ahmed began talking, and sparked a lifelong friendship of dialogue and exchange.
Although Aiken had reacted with Buddhist acceptance of the fact that all earthly things are temporary, Ahmed had been more strongly dismayed at what he saw as an example of Muslim intolerance. He began his segment of the talk by emphasizing the unique position of his homeland, South Asia, in the religious world. The geographic position of the region is at a crossroads between the seat of the Abrahamic religions of Islam, Christianity and Judaism and the Eastern traditions of Buddhism and Hinduism. As evidenced by the destruction of the Buddha statues as well as recent conflicts, this position does not always lead to peaceful relations. Ahmed spoke with disappointment of the assassination of Pakistani Christian minister Shahbaz Bhatti, which had taken place earlier that same day.
Ahmed said that in spite of the frequent association of Muslims with violence, Islam and Buddhism share a common desire for peace. Many Muslims, he explained, have fallen victim to the "Three Poisons" identified in Buddhist doctrine; Anger, Ignorance and Greed. He highlighted the role of the youth, who represent the majority of the Muslim World, and who have lashed out against those they are taught are their enemies, fueled by rage at a lack of education and jobs in their own countries. He stated, however, that Islam itself holds the answer to these problems through what he called its "Three Cures," of Compassion, Knowledge and Justice. Knowledge, he continued, is in fact the second-most used word in the Qur’an.
The questions that followed exhibited the impact of Ahmed's speech. The audience wanted to know about what can be done to promote peace in the future, asking about Islam's connection with youth, education and the treatment of women. Ahmed responded by stressing the importance of what is happening in the Muslim World, and urged the audience to "trust your own eyes and hearts." Education, he said, is invaluable in the struggle for peace, and he said that we as Americans must look at how our dollars are being spent in Muslim countries and call for a re-allocation of aid away from defense and in to schools. It struck me that the opportunity given to me as an American student to attend this interfaith dialogue and witness cooperation between world religions is one that is not extended to most young people in the Muslim World, and we as young people must work now in order to build a better relationship.
Ambassador Ahmed insisted that the youth are the most important actors in promoting intercultural understanding, and so American youth must insist on quality education for our counterparts in the Muslim World, instead of allowing American funding to go to only to military and weapons. As William Aiken shared in his story, great friendship can rise even from a place of destruction. As Ambassador Ahmed sought to prove, so too can dialogue and understanding rise from conflicts of faith.
(Emily Manna, an American University student in Washington, DC, has studied in the Muslim World and currently works as an assistant for the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
