Faiths must interact, Muslim says

By Laura Hancock
Deseret Morning News

PROVO – Tolerance is not enough to ease the tension between Islam and
the West, Indonesia’s minister of foreign affairs says.

“To tolerate something is to learn to live with it, even when you think
it is wrong and evil,” Alwi Shihab said Tuesday at Brigham Young
University.

Shihab, who received a standing ovation following his address, suggested
instead that religious people work to promote multi-faith and pluralist
societies, which requires interfaith dialogue to understand each other’s
religions, as well as dialogue on common values such as human rights.

Shihab, who delivered his address in English while quoting the Quran in
Arabic, is a scholar who has taught Islamic studies at Harvard
University.

In addition to working as Indonesia’s minister of foreign affairs, he is
an official in the country’s National Awakening Party, a moderate
Islamic party.

Shihab acknowledged that Muslims and Christians have been at odds for
more than 14 centuries.

Some Muslims see the lax values of the West as a threat. And many
Westerners see fundamentalist Islamic-inspired terrorism as a threat to
their lives.

A remedy to the problem, Shihab said, is for religious leaders to
discuss correct theology with members of their faiths to encourage moral
behavior.

Three of the world’s major religions, Islam, Judaism and Christianity,
have similar roots and much in common, Shihab said.

They believe in one God, descend from Adam and Eve. They share the
tradition of faith begun by Abraham and continued by Moses. They respect
the Virgin Mary, admire her son Jesus and want to promote good and
prevent evil, he said.

Shihab was introduced by President Boyd K. Packer, acting president of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints.

The two have been friends for years, and Packer recalled their telephone
conversation in 2004, when Shihab arrived in Aceh province after the
devastating tsunami. Shihab asked for 20,000 body bags. LDS Church
leaders found them in China and shipped them to Indonesia.

That was the beginning of the church’s humanitarian efforts in the wake
of the tsunami, Elder Packer said.
“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints expresses a special
concern for the eternal welfare for all … knowing we’re brothers and
sisters of the same eternal father,” he said.

“You have to be proud to be members of this church,” Shihab said to
almost-full Marriott Center, adding that he feels he is part of the LDS
community.

Peace will never happen until the major religions root out and eliminate the fringe and radical elements of their own religions.

Christianity for the most part has effectively done this. Same with Judaism, Hinduism, Daoism, and Buddhism. The one big major player that hasn’t is Islam. What is sad is Mr. Shihab either does not recognize this or will not take a stand.

Once all the major religions root out the cancerous parts of their religions then interfaith dialogue and an understanding of each other’s religions will happen naturally, as it has in this country. Until that happens, peace will be hard to find.