altmuslim
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In the name of the Father
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On the face of it, it seems obvious. Official Catholic teachings warn against marraige between Catholics and Muslims (particularly between Catholic women and Muslim men), and urge children of such unions to be brought up Catholic. Turn the situation around (Muslim women and Catholic men), and you’d get a similar answer from commonly agreed-upon Islamic teachings. But the issuance of a document from the Vatican outlining aspects of Catholicism’s relationship with the Muslim world (both of which are increasingly encroaching upon each other), revealed a growing unease between the two faiths which collectively govern 2 billion people. Citing “profound cultural and religious differences” between the two faiths, the document urges respect for Islam and Muslims, particularly those immigrating to Europe, but also warns against inter-religious marraige and a lack of freedom and human rights in Muslim lands. “There is a high or growing percentage of Muslim immigrants, for whom this Pontifical Council also expresses its solicitude,” says the document. But it also calls for “a growing awareness that fundamental liberties, the inviolable rights of the person, the equal dignity of man and woman, the democratic principle of government and the healthy lay character of the state are principles that cannot be surrendered.” On the other side of the aisle, Muslims took the statement in stride. “This can be viewed as something against Islam,” said Souleiman Ghali, president of the Islamic Society of San Francisco, “(but) we don’t view it this way… We view (Pope John Paul II) as a man of peace and as a man who believes deeply in bridging the gap between the Catholic and Muslim community.” The statement also viewed as problematic allowing Muslims to worship in churches, a reference to a request by Spanish Muslims to pray in the cathedral of Cordoba, which was once a mosque.
Shahed Amanullah is editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com.
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