Is Interfaith a Farce?
By Dr Aslam Abdullah
CA

A Muslim organization invited the local interfaith group to sign a statement calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. None in the group responded.

Another Muslim group asked its interfaith partners to hold a joint press conference calling for peace in the occupied land. They refused.

Interfaith groups, by and large, through their silence, endorsed the policies of subjugating the Palestinians in the land they have lived for centuries.

One can understand the position of Rabbis. But what about other religious groups?

Why are they silent? Are their claims on human rights selective? Do they not consider Palestinians worthy of human dignity? Why have they refused to question the ongoing excesses in the region?

Was their participation in interfaith forums a farce? Do they believe in pluralism and stand for peace, or do they find Muslims unworthy of living a dignified life?

These are questions Muslims must ask.

Interfaith is not a social event for entertainment. It's a serious effort to stand for justice and peace for all.

Interfaith is still possible if those involved in it have a genuine commitment to human dignity, human rights, peace, and justice for all.

(Dr Aslam Abdullah is a resident scholar at Islamicity.org and editor-in-chief of the Muslim Observer newspaper. He is also the Indian Islamic Heritage Project director of the American Federation of Muslims of Indian origin and the interim President of the World Council of Muslims for Interfaith Relations, WCMIR.)