Living at peace – learning to love our neighbours when we differ…..
Muslims
& Christians have lived side by side for centuries in many parts of
the world, and with varying levels of peace. These two massive
religions share many common interests but also many distinctions.
Respect and tolerance for faith motivated convictions is shaping free
speech, human rights, international security issues, and education.
It’s even shaping what a young girl can wear to a soccer game, where in
Canada an 11 year old hijab wearing player became a political point for
societal integration.
Today we listen in on how Canadians are
working out their differences. From a Christian pastor investigated
for hate mongering to a missionary kidnapped by Muslim extremists,
we’ll bring you the drama of differences. And we’ll look at Christian
- Muslim relations through the lens of humour with Little Mosque on the
Prairie producer, Zarqa Nawaz. We'll also hear how academics are
facilitating multi-faith dialogue for their students and we’ve added a
Question and Answer segment called ‘Fair Play’ at the end of our show
too!
ZACHARIAH ANNANI
Zachariah Annani was a guest speaker at the Campbell Baptist lecture
series. A self-described former Arab terrorist from Lebanon, 32 years
ago he left his Muslim faith and converted to Christianity.
FAIR PLAY
We decided we’d close today with a segment called “Fair Play” - same questions; different points of view. Here are the questions that we asked Raheel Raza and Dr. Wafik Wahba:
Why should I become a Muslim / Christian?
Muslims and Christians both have the goal of converting the world. How can that be done in a way that promotes peace?
What causes the conflict in religion and culture?
Can you explain the difference between “fundamentalist” and “moderate” in your faith?
What areas of religious expression do you hold back on rather than create offence?
What are the consequences of converting from one religion to another?
What about the obvious evidence that Christians aren’t free in Muslim dominated countries?
How do we build bridges of understanding between different faiths?
We tried to give you an exposure today
of two faith groups making headlines because of tensions when their
beliefs differ. Both Christianity and Islam have commitments to be a
people of peace, why then the suspicion that we’re not? I’d like to
sum it up by quoting former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan who
wrote;
“The problem is not the Koran, not the Torah, not the
Bible. The problem is never the faith; it is the faithful and how they
behave toward each other.”
He went on to say “any strategy to
build bridges must depend heavily on education about all religions so
myths and distortions can be seen for what they are.” (Globe and Mail,
Feb. 16, 2007)
I think that’s a good solution. If you want to
understand God and what God would expect of your behaviour, you need to
be a good student of the source material on God. Obviously, our
speciality here is Christianity and we’d be happy to take any inquiries
on how to understand that faith better. We’re life long students here,
and we’ll gladly listen to your questions you have on God and look up
the answers for you. We do answer all our mail, so please tap into our
mail bag at listenuptv.com.
Listen Up with Lorna Dueck is available ON-LINE in a variety of ways.
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On April 30, 2005 Lorna was privileged to receive an honorary Doctorate of Christian Ministries from Canada's largest Christian university, Trinity Western University. Lorna was recognized for the witness and leadership that Listen Up TV has provided in public messaging: "a leader in the voice of evangelical life in Canada."
