“The Process of Interfaith”
By DrShahid Athar
Indiana
Interfaith is the need of the time. In 1988, Rabbi Jonathan Stein, Rev. Jerry Zaher, ImamIhasanBagby and I got together to form Northside Interfaith Project. Later, Rabbi Sasso, Sardar K.P. Singh and many faith leaders joined. Thus emerged the Interfaith Alliance of Indiana. It merged with Council for Interfaith Cooperation.
When I was the president of IAI, a group of interfaith leaders from USSR visited the US. They told us they wanted to learn interfaith from the Americans.
In 2016, Mayor Brainard of Carmel sponsored the Carmel Interfaith Alliance. Our mission has not been to organize theological debates but to share our faith with others. We also launched several community service projects like feeding the hungry, organizing free medical clinics, refurbishing homes of old citizens, giving school backpacks and undergarments to poor children. Recently, we joined hands to clean a section of the Monon Trail.
Interfaith is not giving up one’s faith or compromising with his belief but a process of self-education about others through interaction and exchange of views. It is a coming together on a common ground as a fellow human being. It is a window of showing one’s faith to others. Despite the fact that the world has become a global village, sometimes followers of faith traditions live in a small hut of their own, never opening their doors to venture outside to see how other people live or believe. Thus, our apprehension of others is sometimes the result of not knowing one another. Knowing each other is not simply a social need but also a divine injunction. Qur'an (49:13) says, “We have created you from a single pair of souls and made you into nations and tribes that you know each other (not that you despise each other)”. Just because a person has a skin color different than mine, was born into a land different than where I was born, or prays to the same God but in a different manner or in a different language, he does not become less worthy of my love and respect for his life and property. Once we remove the skin, the color of the blood is the same, the color of the flesh is the same, and the color of the bones and nerves are the same. So, the difference in the outer garments: the skin color does not signify that we have been created differently and it is not right to discriminate on the basis of color of the skin, language, gender or even views. For when we do not accept others with full equality, we are questioning the Creator. The Bible says “Judge not and you will not be judged.”
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) entered into interfaith dialogue with people of other faiths. Once a Christian delegation came to visit Prophet Mohammad. He asked them to stay in his mosque, allowed them to pray in their Christian way. Muslim Sufis brought Islam to India. It was their interaction with a culture which was advanced in philosophy and science, to engage in spirituality. This was again done through the interfaith process.
Interfaith work is directed toward creating a better and more tolerant environment in a pluralistic society. Its main purpose is to create mutual understanding among people of different faiths so that peaceful coexistence in society becomes possible.
Certain etiquette of interfaith can be summarized in the following do’s and don’ts list:
We must accept that everyone has a right to choose his own religion. Ask others and show respect for others’ beliefs without agreeing with theirs. Tell them about one’s own beliefs. Remove misconceptions regarding one’s own religion. Ask about hope and aspirations of the other believers and share their grief. Look for a common ground which unites us. Join together in presenting good deeds in the society. Share concerns of others and condemn the evil and work together towards creating a better civil society. Do not not speak ill of anyone’s beliefs. We are not gate keepers of heaven or hell. One should not say, “Join my religion for your salvation.”
After the tragedy of Sept 11, we have to play our role in promoting harmony through an interfaith dialogue. Only by sharing our joys and pains with others can we heal wounds of terrorism, racism, inequality and injustice.
(The writer is the 2015 recipient of Golden Hoosier Award by State of Indiana. He is currently with Carmel Interfaith Alliance. Email:sathar3624@aol.com)
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