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FIFTH PART2

THE STEPS FOR THE UNIFICATION OF THE THREE MONOTHEISTS RELIGIONS !!!

The Unification begins, I’m sorry but I cannot translate in English all these writings !

You may use the automatic translator !

HISTORICAL EVENTS ARE TAKING PLACE THESE MOMENTS !!

Steps towards the Unification of the Children of God of the Monotheist Religions!!!

I have placed the automatic translation because it’s important that you understand what constitutes the suite!! Excuse-me if some words are not just or bad translate !!

Selection of Arabic and French texts of the Koran and Hadith du Sahih de El-Bokhâri

In the name of God the very Merciful, the quite Merciful

To put these texts in their reach we thus published them in French by taking authorized translations:

For the Koran, the translation Kasimirski, approved by one of the highest authorities: the Doctor Mohammed Hamidullah

For Hadith, translation of the eminent professors Houdas and Marçais.

We kept{*guarded*} the Arabic numbering of the Koranic verses. The various French translations of the Koran create a small gap of the numbering. You will thus just have to look at some verses which precede or follow the given reference, to find easily the text which we quote.

The opening

The holy books: say: we believe in God and in what was sent by at the top in us, to Abraham, and to Ismael, to Isaac, to Jacob, to twelve tribes, to the books which were given to Moses and to Jesus, to books granted{*tuned*} to the seers by the Lord; we do not put difference between them, and we are resigned in God's will. The Koran 2.136

The Gospel: we gave [to Jesus] the Gospel which contains the light and the direction{*management*} those who are held in the Gospel judge according to his{*her;its*} contents. Those who will not judge according to God's book are godless. The Koran 5.46,47

The men{*people*} who read Writings: [oh Muhammad] if you are in the doubt on what was sent to you of at the top, interrogates those who read Writings sent before you. The truth on behalf of God came down{*fell*} on you; do not be of those who doubt. The Koran 10.94

The men without pride: those who are the most inclined to love [ the Moslems] are the men who say to themselves Christians; it is because they have priests and monks, men exempt from any pride. The Koran 5.82

Jesus the Messiah - His person

Supernatural birth: the angels said to Marie: God announces you his Verb. He will name the Messiah, a Jesus son of Marie, honored in this world and in the other one... Lord, answered Marie, how I shall have a son? No man approached me. It is so, resumed the angel that created God what he wants... He will teach him the Book and the wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel. The Koran 3.45-48

Protected from the original sin: Abou-Horaïra said: " the Seer said: the Devil strikes of the finger in the stomach of all the sons of Adam, as they are born; there was an exception only for Jesus son of Marie the Devil struck that the placenta ". Hadith 59.11 (18)

Emanation of God... According to ' Obâda, the seer said: whoever will show that there is no divinity otherwise God, the unique without partner, that Muhammad is his admirer and his messenger; that Jesus is the admirer of God, his messenger, his Verb thrown in Marie's breast and emanation (spirit) of God; that the paradise is the truth and the hell the truth, God will admit him to the paradise, whatever were his works. Hadith 60.47

Jesus the Messiah - His works

Miracles: Jesus will be his Messenger with the children of Israel. He will say to them: I come towards you accompanied with signs of the Lord: I shall form of mud the figure of a bird, I shall blow above and by God's permission the bird will be alive; I shall cure the born blind and the leper: I shall resuscitate the deaths by God's permission... The Koran 3.49

Ministry: and the one who will have returned the life to a man will be looked as if he had returned the life to all the human race. The Koran 5.32

Death: God says to Jesus: I shall make you undergo the death and I shall raise{*bring up*} you to me; I shall free{*deliver*} you from unfaithful, and I shall raise{*bring up*} those who followed you over those who do not believe, until the day of the resurrection... The Koran 3.55

Jesus last seer to come: according to Abou-Horaïra, the Seer said: " the last hour will not come as long as the son of Marie will not have come down{*fallen*} among you as fair arbitrator, he will break the cross, he will put to death the pig, he will kill{*abolish*} the levy. Then the money will be so plentiful as nobody will more want to accept it ". Hadith 46.31

Birth of Jesus in Gospel and the Koran

Here are the main texts evoking the birth of Jesus in Gospel (Luc and Matthieu) and in the Koran (Sura 19 and 3)

Birth of Jesus in the Gospel

( Oecumenical translation of the Bible (TOB))

The announcement of the angel to Marie (Luc 1, 26-37)

Sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee of the name of Nazareth, to a girl granted} in marriage to a man named Joseph, of David's family; this girl was called Marie. The angel entered with her and says to her: " be joyful, you who have the favour of God, the Lord is with you. " In these words, she was very disturbed, and she wondered what could mean this greeting. The angel says to her: " be without fear, Marie, because you found grace{*favour*} with God. And you are going to be encircled, you will give birth to a son and you will give him the name of Jesus. He will be big and will be called Son of the Almighty. The Lord God will give him} David's throne his father; he will reign for ever over Jacob's family, and his administration will have no end. " Marie says to the angel: " how will it be made because I have no conjugal relations? " The angel answered her: " The Holy Spirit will come on you and the power of the Almighty will cover you with its shadow; that is why the one who is going to be born will be holy and will be called Son of God. And Élisabeth, your relative{*parent*}, is too encircled with a son in her old age and she is in her sixth month, her there that we called the sterile, because nothing is impossible for God. " Marie says then: " I am the handmaid of the Lord. That everything is supposed to be for me as you said it to me! " And the angel left.

Visitation of Marie to her cousin Elisabeth (encircled with Jean-Baptist) (1, 39-56)

At that time, Marie left hurriedly to make at the top country, in a city of Juda. She entered the house of Zacharie and greeted Élisabeth. Now, when Élisabeth heard the greeting of Marie, the child jumps up in her breast and Élisabeth was filled{*performed*} with the Holy Spirit. She pushed a big shout and says: " you are more blessed than all the women, blessed also is the fruit of your breast! How is it given to me that comes to me the mother of my Lord? Because when your greeting rang in my ears, and the child jumped up with enjoyment in my breast. Happy the one who believed: what was said to him on behalf of the Lord will come true! "

Then Marie says: " my soul excites the Lord and my spirit filled{*performed*} with enjoyment because of God, my Rescuer, because it concerned its glance humble sound handmaid. Yes, henceforth, all the generations will proclaim me happy, because Any Powerful made for me of big things: saint is his Name. His kindness extends of generation in generation over those who are afraid of him. He intervened of all the force of the arm; he scattered the men{*people*} in the arrogant thought; he threw the powerful of their thrones and he} raised{*brought up*} the humble; the starving men, he swamped them with possessions and the rich, he sent back{*dismissed*} them the empty hands. He helped in Israel his servant in memory of his kindness, as he had said it to our fathers, in favour of Abraham and of his descent for ever. " Marie lived with Élisabeth approximately three months, then she returned at her.

Birth of Jesus (Luc 2, 1-20)

Now, at that time, appeared Caesar Auguste's decree to make list{*count*} the whole world. This first census{*inventory*} took place when Quirinius was a governor of Syria. All were going be listed{*counted*}, each in the own city; Joseph also rose from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to the city of David which is called Bethlehem in Judée, because it was of the family and the descent of David, to be listed{*counted*} with Marie his wife, who was encircled. Now, while they were there, when she had to give birth arrived; she delivered to his son first-born, wrapped up him and put down{*deposited*} him in a feeding dish, because there was no place for them in hosts' room. There was in the same country of the herdsmen who lived in fields and went{*took*} up the nurse during the night with their crowd. An angel of the Lord appeared in front of them, the glory of the Lord wrapped{*surrounded*} them with light and they were seized with a big fear. The angel says to them: " Be without fear, because Here we are, I come to announce you a good news, which will be a big enjoyment for all the people: he was born to you, in the city of David, a Rescuer today who is the Christ Lord; and here is the sign which is given to you: you will find a newborn child wrapped up and slept in a feeding dish. " Suddenly there was with the angel a heavenly army en masse which sang God's praises and said: " glory to God in the highest of heavens and on the earth{*ground*} peace for his beloved. " Now, when the angels had left them for the sky, the herdsmen said themselves between them: " thus let us go to Bethlehem and let us see what arrived, what the Lord made us known. " They went there hurriedly and found Marie, Joseph and the newborn child slept in the feeding dish. 17 having seen, they made known what had been said to them about this child. And all those who heard{*understood*} them were amazed at what said to them the herdsmen. As for Marie, she held{*retained*} all these events by looking for the sense{*direction*}. Then the herdsmen turned around, singing the glory and God's praises for all that they had heard{*understood*} and seen, in agreement with what had been announced to them.

The visit of the witches (Matthieu 2, 1-12)

Jesus having been born in Bethlehem of Judée, in the time of king Hérode, and witches come from East arrived to Jerusalem and asked: " where is king of Jews who has been born? We saw his celestial body in the East and we came to honour him. " In this short story, king Hérode was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. He assembled all the high priests and the scribes of the people, and asked with them of the place where the Messiah had to be born. " In Bethlehem of Judée, they said to him, because it is what what is written by the seer: and you, Bethlehem, Juda's earth{*ground*}, you are not certainly the smallest Juda's administrative centres: because it is of you that will go out the leader who will make graze Israel, my people. " Then Hérode made, secretly, the witches call up, was clarified by them the time to which the celestial body appeared, 8 and sent them in Bethlehem by saying: " Go to inquire exactly about the child; and, when you will have found him, warn me so that, I too, go to honour him. " On these words of king, they are mirrored on the way; and the celestial body, which they had seen in the East, advanced{*moved*} in front of them until it came to stop{*arrest*} over the place where was the child. In the sight of the celestial body, they tried{*felt*} a very big enjoyment. Entering the house, they saw the child with Marie, his mother, and, prostrating itself, they honoured him; opening their caskets, they offered him in present of the gold, some incense and the myrrhe. Then, divinely warn in dream not to return with Hérode, they withdrew in their country by another road.

Birth of Jesus in the Koran

Sura 19, 16-35 (translation Blachère)

" And, in the Writing, mention Marie when she withdrew from her family with an oriental place and when she arranged a veil below them. We sent her Our Spirit and it offered itself to her [under the shape] of mortal one accomplished{*carried out*}. " I take refuge with the Benefactor, against you ", says [Marie]. " You Can be pious! "-" I am ", he answered, " that the emissary of your Lord, [come] so that I give you a pure boy. "-" how would I have a boy ", she did ask, " while no useless mortal did not get{*touch*} me and that I am not a woman? "-" so it will be ", says [ the Angel]. " Your Lord said: it is for Me easy and We shall make certainly of him a sign for people and grace{*favour*} (rahma ) [coming] of Us: it is decreed affair. " She became encircled with the child and withdrew with him in a remote place. The pains surprised her near the stipe of the palm tree. " Plût in the sky ", she exclaimed, " that I had died before this moment and that I was totally forgotten! " [But] the child who was in her feet spoke to her: " do not sadden! Your Lord put in your feet a brook. Shake towards you the stipe of the palm tree: you will bring down on you fresh and ripe dates. Eat and drink and what your eye dries itself! As soon as you will see about mortal, say: " I dedicate to the Lord a fast and shall speak to no human being today! " She thus came to his, carrying{*wearing*} [ the child].

" O Marie! ", they said, " you carried out a monstrous thing! O sister of Aaron! Your father was not a despicable father nor your mother a prostitute! " Marie made a sign towards [the Child].

"How", did they say, we would speak to an little child which is in the cradle? " But [the child] says: " I am a servant of Allah. He gave me the Writing and made me Seer! He blessed me wherever whom I am and recommended me the Prayer and the Charity as long as I shall remain alive, as well as the kindness to my mother. He made for me neither violent nor unfortunate. That the safety is on me when I was born, when I shall die and when I shall be called back{*reminded*} alive! " That one is a Jesus son of Marie. Word of the truth which they revoke in doubt! It was not séant to Allah to take some child. Glory to Him! When He decides on something, He says only: " be! " And it is. "

Sura 3, 42-51 (translation Blachère)

And [call back] when the Angels said: " O Marie! Allah chose you and cleansed. He chose you on (all) the women of this world. O Marie! Be in prayer in front of your Lord! Prostrate yourself and bow with those who bow! " This is a part of stories (' anbâ ') of the Unknowable which We reveal you because you were not among them [Seer!], when they threw{*cast*} their calames [to know] which of them would take care of Marie; you were not among them when they quarrelled. [Call back] when the Angels said: " O Marie! Allah announces you a Verb [emanating] from Him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus son of Marie, [who will be] illustrates in the Immediate and last [Life] and among the Close relations [of the Lord]. He will speak to the Men{*People*}, to the cradle, as an old man, and he will be among the Saints. "

" Lord! ", answered [Marie], " how would I have a child while no useless mortal did not get{*touch*} me? "

"So", he answered (sic), " Allah creates what He wants. When He decrees an affair, He says only in his comment: " be! " And it is. " [ Allah] will teach him the Writing, the Wisdom, the Thora and the Gospel. “... And [I was sent] as Apostle to the Sons of Israel, saying: " I come to you with a sign of your Lord. I go, for you, create of clay a way of birds; I shall breathe into it [ the life] and they will be birds, with the permission of Allah. I shall cure the mute and the leper. I shall make the deaths live again, with the permission of Allah. I shall inform you about what you eat and of what you amass in your houses. Really, in it, is certainly a sign for you, if you are religious. [I am sent] declaring sincere what was given before me, of Torah, to declare for you licit a part{*party*} of what had been for you declared illicit. I came to you with a sign of your Lord. Be pious to Allah and obey me! Allah is my Lord and your Lord. Thus like him! It is a straight{*right*} way. "

Message of the Orthodoxes on the occasion of Ramadan

Bartholomée Ier, spiritual leader of the orthodox Christians, made public on September 21st, 2006 a call{*appeal*} to strengthen the links with the Moslems, in a message written on the occasion of the next beginning of the holy month of Ramadan:

" In the name of the orthodox community, I congratulate our Moslem brothers on the occasion of Ramadan, and I wish that we maintain and deepen{*fathom*} the brotherly relations which we have for a long time ", declared the oecumenical patriarch Bartholomée Ier, who sits in Istanbul, in a communiqué spread{*diffused*} by the agency Anatolie.

" I ask God so that Ramadan brings the serenity to the Moslems of the whole world, and I bring them my wishes, my love and my greetings ", he said.

The oecumenical patriarchy of Istanbul dates the orthodox Greek Byzantine Empire, which collapsed in 1453 when the Turks Ottomans conquered the city of Istanbul, then called Constantinople.

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Open letter of 138 Savants Moslems to the Pope and to all the Christian responsibles:

Link : http://www.acommonword.com/index.php?lang=en&page=downloads

It is imperative that you consult the first two sites of this link!!!

The first site concerns the translation of this Open letter in 9 different languages!!

The second site concerns certain explanations concerning this letter by 138 very scholars!!

Furthermore, it is necessary to consult to the left the various columns and so you can see the answers of the Jewish spiritual responsibles, the Christian responsibles, and the other Christian organizations, and all the forums and the meetings foreseen there to allow the interreligious dialogue, on base of god's AMUR, AND CHARITY! 2 bigger commands of the Bible, Alive Word of the God of Israel, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Jesus Christ and of Mohammad!!

ALL THIS CONSTITUTE HISTORIC MOMENTS!!

Here is how, in the interview which he{*it*} granted{*tuned*} on July 16th in " Osservatore Romano ", the cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, who represents the pope to the conference of Madrid, commented the initiative of king of Saudi Arabia to promote the dialogue between Islam, Judaism and Christianity:

" I think that his{*her;its*} meeting with Benoît XVI in Vatican strengthened its determination. I was able to notice on numerous occasions that he{*it*} was profoundly touched by the humanity of our pope. In it, it is necessary to add that it is aware{*conscious*} that certain extremist fringes of the Moslem world, in fact a small part{*party*}, however darkened the real image of the Islam. He ardently wishes to restore the true face in the Islam, different from the one that show certain extremism. In brief, he wishes to get back all the purity of his faith. He especially wants to show that she can do good to the humanity if she begins having a dialogue with the other faiths “.

During this interview, Tauran especially gave a big importance for the document published on June 6th, 2008 in Mecca in the term of the Islamic international conference for the dialogue summoned{*convened*} by Saudi king and organized by the world Moslem League. King Abdallah had announced the meeting of Madrid there:

" I read it and studied with a lot of interest because it is about an important document. I would say that the most significant image which stands out{*goes out again*} from it is that of an Islam avid to appear in front of the world public opinion with a face different from that marked by the extremist terrorism. An Islam ready to meet the other religions, by giving up criticizing the other one to arrive finally at a more detailed mutual knowledge, based on common essential values. There is then a common will to see out the man to the knowledge of God, to cooperate for the protection of the environment, the systematic destruction of which by the hand of the man is recognized by all as a grave sin. Finally, it is necessary to add to all this the will to defend{*forbid*} the ethical values of the life, those who concern above all the life of the man, and the family “.

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ROMA, on July 17th, 2008 - Benoît XVI was too invited. But he could not certainly give up in the World Days of the Youth, registered for a long time in his diary.

So, on the place of the pope, which{*who*} is in Australia, it is the cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of council for the interreligious dialogue, which went{*surrendered*} to Madrid.

From 16 till 18 July, in Madrid, is held a conference on the dialogue between three religions - the Islam, the Judaism and the Christianity - at instigation of al-Saoud, sovereign king Abdallah Bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and guard of the most sacred Moslem places, the mosques of Mecca and Medina.

King Abdallah had evoked this meeting between three religions in the term of the Islamic international conference which took place in Mecca from 4 till 6 June of this year. In Madrid, it is him who opened the works of this meeting which is going to end with Abdullah Ibn Abdul Mohsin's interventions al-Turki, General Secretary of the world Moslem League, and the cardinal Tauran.

Before its departure, Tauran declared to " Osservatore Romano " which the conference has for objective to offer to the world an image of three religions as peace religions, “ in the service of the man and not against the man “. It costs in particular for the Islam, generally associated to the violence and to the terrorism, notably because of many of his{*her*} followers. “ Indeed, while king of Saudi Arabia carries out this act of courage with wisdom, he can arrive - added the cardinal - that quite other speech is held in certain mosques “.

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ROMA, on April 25th, 2008 - One month ago, king Abdallah of Saudi Arabia had thrown{*launched*} the idea to organize meetings between Moslems, Christians and Jews. This proposition was put into practice in a surprising way in France.

The imam Hassan Chalghoumi, the leader of the Islamic community of Drancy ( Seine-Saint-Denis), near Paris, engaged{*opened*} as responsible for foreign affairs a Jew, Bernard Koch, who is one of the founders of the " Judeo-Moslem Friendship of France ". The appointment took place in the mosque of Drancy in the presence of the other representatives of the French Judaism. " Osservatore Romano " of April 23rd gave a lot of importance for this short story{*piece of news*}.

Besides, the Moslem theologian Aref Ali Nayed - major signature of the famous letter sent to Benoît XVI and to the other Christian leaders by 138 Moslem personalities - announced in an interview appeared in the number of April of the Italian monthly magazine "Jesus":

“ We work at present on a document intended for our Jewish brothers and sisters. We would like to produce a significant text in the theological and spiritual points of view, to help to improve reports{*connections*} between our two communities which, in past not so distant, for example during the Spanish inquisition, prospered and suffered together “.

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Letter of 138 Moslem dignitaries

Links

The patriarch Alexis answers literally Moslem theologians and wishes to strengthen the dialogue with the Islam

On April 14th, 2008, lesite official of the Russian Greek Orthodox Church published the long dupatriarche answer Alexis of Moscow and all Russia literally Moslem 138théologiens, sent in October, 2007 to 28 primacies of Egliseschrétiennes. The letter called the Christian responsibles to strengthen ledialogue between the Christianity and the Islam.

" The Christians and lesmusulmans have many common objectives, writes the patriarch Alexis in saréponse, and we can unite our efforts to reach{*affect*} them. However, unetelle union of efforts is made possible only by the reconnaissancemutuelle of the religious value of others. That is why, I greet the desire dela Moslem community to have a dialogue sincere and opened with lesreprésentants of the Christian Churches to a high intellectual level ".

" Today, lechristianisme and the Islam carry out an extremely important mission dansle world. They call back{*remind*} the humanity God's presence and dimensionspirituelle of the man and the universe. We testify of the link enter the etla peace justice, between the morality and the law, between the truth and the love ", pursues lepatriarche before exposing{*explaining*} for a long time the orthodox vision of the religious community entrel' man and God.

In conclusion, the primacy of the Russian Church calls to àpromouvoir by all the means as well a doctrinal dialogue enters lechristianisme and the Islam that a collaboration practises between the Christians Moslem etles in different spheres of the public life. " On the doctrinal plan, our dialogue could approach so important questions that laconnaissance of God, the man and the universe. At the same time, on the planpratique, the cooperation between the Christians and the Moslems could allerdans the sense{*direction*} of the defence of the role of the religion in the public life, in the lalutte against the defamation, the intolerance and the xenophobia ".

French complete Latraduction of the letter of the patriarch Alexis in théologiensmusulmans will be published in the number 9 (in May-June, 2008) of " Messagerde Russian Egliseorthodoxe ".

On Tuesday, 15 Avril2008

As regards the dialogue with the Christians, the letter of 138 Moslems received two answers making authority, after that of the Church of Rome.

The first answer came on March 20th of the Oecumenical council of Churches, the oecumenical body based in Geneva which groups together{*includes*} about 349 Churches and Christian namings of 110 countries, orthodoxes and Protestants.

The COE answered literally 138 “ A common word between us and you “ by an entitled document “ to Learn to investigate the love together “.

This document asks for the creation of a mixed group “ for organize a series of consultations between leaders, researchers and faithful Moslems and Christians. They will reflect about points of mutual understanding, will work on a theological and ethical platform for future common initiatives and will establish new means to investigate more the questions of faith and life in both communities “.

The second answer came, in mid-April, from Alexis II, orthodox patriarch of Moscow and all Russia.

The patriarch asks from now on that the interreligious dialogue respects the identity of every interlocutor, to avoid arriving at a dangerous syncretism. According to him, to be fruitful the dialogue has to be established on two plans: “ at the doctrinal level, on questions important as God, the man, the world “; at a more practical level, on “ the defence of the role of the religion in the social life, the fight against the xenophobia and the intolerance and the promotion of common peace initiatives “.

Among the challenges which Moslems and Christians have to raise{*find*} together, Alexis II gives the priority in “ the antireligious vision of the world, which aims at dominating all the spheres of the social life and at establishing a new morality, against the traditional morality of the religions “

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Besides, on April 18th, an entitled meeting “ a common call{*appeal*}: Moslems and Christians “ gathered{*reunited*} representatives of both religions to Dhaka, in Bangladesh.

The meeting, during which the letter 138 and the message of answer of the Church of Rome were examined, was organized by the professor Kazi Nurul Islam, the professor at the university of Dhaka, in association with the conference of the catholic bishops of Bangladesh.

At the university, the professor Islam created and rules a department dedicated to the religions of the whole world. The main religions are taught by professors who practise the faith which they teach. A catholic priest awarded a diploma in theology teaches the Christianity. It's the same for the Islam, the Hinduism, the Buddhism and the Judaism. A unique event in the Moslem world.

The day before the meeting, Kazi Nurul Islam granted{*tuned*} the following interview to " Osservatore Romano " dated April 17th, 2008:

Q. - professor Islam, how was born this initiative?

R. - the Christians and the Moslems belong, as the Jews, to Abraham's family. But regrettably, for historic reasons, our relations were often very cold. He{*it*} is time maintaining that the Christians and the Moslems begin to work together. The believers{*regular customers*} of these two big religions form more than 50 % of the world population. Us, the believers, have all the historic responsibility for making our contribution to the peace in the world. Personally, I think that we cannot certainly erase the past or modify the history, but we can model the future and create a better future, a more brotherly world for the future generations. From there, I began to think about the way the Christians and the Moslems can work together for the peace. It is clear that at least here, in Bangladesh, we have no big problems in reports{*connections*} between Christians and Moslems. During centuries, we lived in harmony. Today, we have to protect and protect this relation and try to understand{*include*} us better to send to the world a common message. Here is the true reason for which we work all together on the success of this meeting.

Q. - what is the program of the meeting between Christians and Moslems to Dhaka?

R. - two Moslem intellectuals will pronounce keynote speeches in front of the participants on this meeting. They will be followed by two Christian intellectuals. These speeches serve for exposing{*explaining*} clearly each of the positions. The plenary session is then divided into ten equal mixed groups. They will discuss theses of the Roman Church and those of 138 Moslem intellectuals. The final syntheses of the discussions will come then. Two meetings have already taken place to prepare the plenary session of April 18th. March 7th, 35 Moslem representatives met and discussed the means to improve the relations with the Christians; they reviewed the main problems between the believers of both religions and reasons for which the Moslems are often not understood in the Christian countries. On March 8th, our Christian brothers, gathered{*reunited*} in equal number, discussed between them means to improve reports{*connections*} with the Moslems. During the elaboration of this meeting, we had envisaged a final statement{*declaration*} common. Today, we realize that we need more time. It is necessary to organize in Bangladesh a forum where the Christians and the Moslems can continue to meet and to discuss to end afterward in a common statement{*declaration*}. I hope that this objective will be reached{*affected*} by the end of this year. This common statement{*declaration*} will be the base of the peace between Christians and Moslems in Bangladesh and all over the world.

Q. - how the common Bengaleses perceive{*collect*} this meeting between Christians and Moslems?

R. - a great majority of the inhabitants have no necessary culture to understand{*include*} the real meaning of this meeting. But they well realize that something is occurring. The media spread{*diffuse*} the information above all thanks to the new technologies - Internet and mobile phones - henceforth within the reach of an increasing number of persons. So, a lot of people learnt the existence of this meeting between Christians and Moslems. Abstraction made by the way the short story{*piece of news*} is interpreted, I can say to you that a lot of people thinks that we are at the beginning of new time in reports{*connections*} between Christians and Moslems. Naturally, there are many those who hope that these reports{*connections*} become more friendly.

Q. - do 35 Moslem representatives all belong to the moderate tendency and to the classes the most cultivated by the company{*society*} of Bengladesh?

R. - when we suggested to Moslem and Christian representatives participating in the meeting, we took into account various age brackets, occupations and convictions, so that the dialogue is not unbalanced. We thus chose also some representatives of radical groups. Deliberately. He{*it*} is of our duty to know their mode of thought and to offer them, to them too, the possibility of expressing himself in a context of meeting and dialogue.

Q. - why did you choose, as first subject of discussion, the document of 138 Moslem intellectuals and the answer of the Church of Rome?

R. - we keep{*guard*} a very good recollection of the pope Jean-Paul II. He{*it*} established the interreligious dialogue in a very serious way. With Benoît XVI, on the other hand, there was an initial misunderstanding. Numerous Moslems of the whole world raised{*brought up*} the voice{*vote*} to protest against certain assertions. Afterward, a stake in the light calmed the spirits. We wish that there are not any more, in the future, misunderstandings between Christians and Moslems because of the words. I hope that we shall understand that there are many more common points than true differences between the Christians and the Moslems.

Q. - the Christian communities which live in countries mainly Moslem are sometimes the object of attacks which, in the most extreme cases, can degenerate into episodes of violence. What do you feel when you hear{*understand*} this type of news?

R. - often, the Moslems have no big respect for the Christian communities. Personally, I try{*feel*} a big sadness when I hear{*understand*} brothers and sisters Moslem to speak against the Christians. It is not well our part. As it indeed is not to forget the past. While the seer Mahomet was still alive, the Moslems began to be persecuted by the unfaithful, which killed a big number of new converts. Then, the seer sent a big number of converts to Ethiopia which, already in this time, was a Christian country. The emperor of Ethiopia proposed them his protection and the converts were not any more massacred by the unfaithful. The Moslems should never forget these events. Naturally, many aspects of our common history were not positive but we have to remember especially what ourselves there was of positive to be able to continue to have good relations even in this difficult period.

Q. - the terrorism on behalf of Moslem extremist groups did not disappear. In front of this violence, do you feel so personally worried?

R. - yes, I feel personally worried because of the terrorists. No terrorism can say to itself Moslem, because for me the education of the Islam can encourage no shape of terrorism. According to the Koran, the murder of an innocent amounts to kill all the human race. Also, to save a human being amounts to the safety of the whole humanity. The one who follows the real education of the Islam cannot be a terrorist. However, it is necessary to recognize that certain terrorist groups are supported by circles which define themselves as Moslems. I do not say it to please the Christians. I also say it during my classes{*courses*} to the university and in seminars with Moslem students. I also write it in my goods{*articles*} which appear in the press. The terrorists are only terrorists and I think that they do not deserve to belong to the human race. We cannot justify the violence by the religion.

Finally, a committee gathering{*reuniting*} Catholics and Protestants of the council of the Conferences of the bishops of Europe ( CCEE) and the Conference of the European Churches ( KEK) met Moslem representatives from 17 till 20 April to Esztergom, in Hungary, to prepare an European conference between Christians and Moslems which will take place from 20 till 23 October 2008 to Malines and Brussels. Subject: “ be European and religious citizen. Chrétien and Moslems active partners in the European companies{*societies*} “.

The conference of Malines-Bruxelles will open on the presentation of the Christian and Moslem points of view on the subject. Then, the participants will work in seminars on the following points:

- The role of the religions in the secular companies{*societies*};

- The religion between institution and personal faith;

- How Christians and Moslems see each other some the others; how to promote the mutual respect and the understanding by the education;

- Build bridges; the challenges which appear at our communities.

During the preparatory meeting to Esztergom, who was welcomed by the cardinal Péter Erd ö, primacy of Hungary and president of the CCEE, two documents in phase of elaboration were also discussed. The first one concerns the phenomena of violence in the name of the religion. The second, on the consequences of the Moslem presence on the life of Churches in Europe and on the forming{*training*} of the clergy and the pastoral responsibles. It is foreseen that these documents will be made public at the beginning of 2009.

Furthermore, four seminars on " Islam, Christianity and Europe " - also organized by the CCEE and the KEK, as well as by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and by Moslem representatives - appear on the diary of the European Parliament.

The first one took place in Brussels on April 17th. The imam Tareq Oubrou, the vice-chancellor of the al-Houda mosque of Bordeaux, spoke, among others. He declared that the Moslems have to learn some Christianity as regards the sécularisme and the modernity a lot and that they should rely on the experience{*experiment*} of the Christians on this subject.

One of the Christian speakers was the father Ignace Berten, a Dominican, a founder of the association " Espaces " of Brussels. He indicated that the Christianity has the advantage to have known how to interpret its religious texts in their historic context, what allows him{*her*} to distinguish the thorough faith and what is bound{*connected*} to the culture: a distinction which the Moslems have difficulty in making.

The second of four seminars will take place on May 29th and two others by the end of the year.

__________

During his journey in the United States, from 15 till 21 April, Benoît XVI went{*surrendered*} in a synagogue to New York and met, in Washington, about 200 representatives of the other religions, of which the Islam.

To these last ones, he explained that the interreligious dialogue “ looks more that a consensus to make progress the peace “. The main objective of the dialogue is “ that to discover the truth “ and to make live in the heart of all the men{*people*} the deepest and the most essential questions.

Benoît XVI then continued:

“ Confronted with these deepest questions about the origin and about the fate of the human race, the Christians propose Jesus de Nazareth. He{*it*} is - it is our faith - Logos eternal, who{*which*} was embodied to reconcile the man with God and reveal the reason which is on the base of all the things. It is Him whom we carry{*wear*} in the forum of the interreligious dialogue. The burning desire to follow its tracks urges the Christians to open their spirits and their hearts to the dialogue “.

And to add:

“ Dear friends, by trying to discover our common points, we maybe neglected the responsibility which we have to discuss our differences calmly and light. [] the most important objective of the interreligious dialogue asks for a clear statement of our respective religious doctrines “.

It is us who underline. The pope could not say more clearly how he conceives the interreligious dialogue.

India: Catholics thank the Moslems opened to the dialogue

After the letter to the pope and to the Christian religious leaders

ROME, Tuesday, January 29th, 2008 (ZENIT.org < http://www.zenit.org/ >) - As the pope Benoît XVI gets ready to receive in Vatican a delegation of Moslem religious authorities signers of an open letter in the dialogue, in India, catholic intellectuals thank the Moslems of this initiative of dialogue, indicate today « Churches of Asia » (EDA < http://eglasie.mepasie.org/ >), the agency of the foreign Missions of Paris.

These Indian Catholics indeed formulate an answer literally sent by 138 theologians and religious Moslems to the pope and to the leaders of the Christian Churches.

On January 20th of this year, in New Delhi, about 80 catholic intellectuals drafted a project of answer literally sent by 138 theologians and religious Moslems to the leaders of the Christian Churches, of which the pope Benoît XVI ( 1 ). Gathered{*reunited*} by the Islamic Studies Association ( Isa), group based in 1979 at instigation of the Committee{*Commission*} for the ecumenism and the interreligious dialogue of the Conference of the catholic bishops of India, the researchers, mainly experts of the Christianity and the Islam, wished to bring to this letter « a Christian answer in an Indian perspective », as well as explained it P. George Gispert-Sauch, Jesuit of Spanish origin, installed{*settled*} in India since 1949.

80 catholic intellectuals began by discussing the contents of the letter of 138 theologians and religious Moslems, underlining that this text advanced the resemblances which could be found between both religions, as well as necessity for the Christians and the Moslems - which{*who*} represent more half of the population of the globe - to work together for the peace. In the project of answer which they drafted, the catholic researchers say their gratitude{*recognition*} to 138 Moslems who took the initiative to write this letter, « a magnificent present [which] encourages us to look for what he{*it*} of common there in our faith in a unique{*only*} God ». « Our faith shared in God the Creator brings us to feel connected some with the others in the depths of our being », we can read in this text. The " evident differences " in the faiths and the religious practices between Moslems and Christians are not hidden, but they are perceived{*collected*} as that must be « challenges rather than obstacles to an appreciation of some by the others ».

It is on the ground of the concrete life which Moslems and Christians can meet themselves. In a country where the believers{*regular customers*} of these two religions form a little less of 15 % of a population of more than a billion persons, very mainly Indians, the catholic researchers write: « by subjecting us to a transcending God who is also a God of love, we assert that we cannot subject our freedom to a created reality, whatever it is. » It is in the name of this love, they pursue, that we are "brought" to work in the prosperity « of communities and individuals varied to build an Indian company{*society*} really opened to all ».

So that this message of "brotherhood" between Christianity and Islam does not remain quartered in the only academic plan, the project of answer drafted January 20th insists on the importance to implement{*operate*} " concrete projects " and exchanges on the occasion of the big dates of the liturgical year, in both religion. Drafted in English, the project of answer should be translated there ourdou, the most usual language by the Indian Moslems. The idea is to favor its traffic, as well among the Moslems as among the Catholics, notably in the educational institutions. In New Delhi, Indian Social Institute, animated{*stimulated*} by the Jesuits, saw confiding{*entrusting*} the responsibility of his distribution{*broadcasting*}, notably with all the imams of the city.

(1) We remember that, on October 11th of this year, at the end of the Ramadan, 138 theologians and religious Moslems sent an open letter, entitled: « A common word between you and us », to the pope Benoît XVI, to the orthodox patriarch Bartholomée Ier of Constantinople, to Mgr. Rowan William, the primacy of the Anglican Religious community as well as to around thirty the other leaders of Protestant and orthodox Churches. She{*it*} joined following the open letter sent to Benoît XVI in October, 2006 by 138 Moslem responsibles, written after the debate lifted{*raised*} by the speech of the pope to Ratisbonne, in Germany, on reports{*connections*} between faith and reason. On November 29th, 2007, the pope answered these letters, in a mail{*courier*} sent to prince Ghazi of Jordan, one of the most prestigious signers among 138 Moslems. Benoît XVI expresses there « his{*her;its*} profound appreciation for the gesture, and the positive spirit which inspires the letter of the Moslems ». He invites the signers to come to meet him{*it*} in Rome, but a more deepened{*fathomed*} answer to the call{*appeal*} to the dialogue formulated by these theologians and religious Moslems remains to write.

The new letter 138 provoked remarkable signs of satisfaction

The Moslems wait for an answer adapted by the sanctimonious pope XVI

How the Church of Rome answers literally <http://eucharistiemisericor.free.fr/fichier_livres/lettre_au_pape.pdf> 138 Moslems

For the moment, only the experts express themselves, whereas the official answer is in the course of elaboration. But at the same time, an exchange of messages is in progress between the cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and the Libyan theologian Aref Ali Nayed.

By Sandro Magister

At first, one year ago, they were 38 Moslems who sent an open letter to Benoît XVI one month after its speech of Ratisbonne. Then the number of signers is quickly spent in 100.

On October 11th of this year, they were 138 to write the second letter to the pope and to the other leaders of the Christian Churches (The Moslems send a letter to Benoît XVI < http: // to eucharistiemisericor.free.fr / index.php? Page=1310073_lettre_a_benoit_xvi >).

At the moment, one account 144 signers resulting from 44 countries and belonging to the various currents and schools of the Moslem thought: Sunnites, Shiites, ismaélites, jaafarites, ibadhites.

The last signature (New Signatories < http: // www.acommonword.com / index.php? Lang=en*page=new >), which{*who*} dates October 26th, is that of Tariq Ramadan, the most controversial Moslem intellectual of West. Living in Geneva, he is a president of the European Muslim Network in Brussels, the professor in Oxford, but also the nephew and the follower of the founder of the Brothers Moslems, historic home{*foyer*} of the fundamentalism.

Among the Moslem intellectuals who signed the second letter to the pope, Tariq Ramadan is not the only one to arouse the anxiety. We also count the vice-chancellor of Al Azhar's university in Cairo, Ahmed Mohamed Al Tayeb, the founder of the University of United Arab Emirates, the sheik Izz Al Din Ibrahim and the others who, as them, raise{*bring up*} to the rank of "martyrs" the terrorists who blow up on a market, in a bus or a school.

The contrast is blatant with a letter which wants to make some love of God and the fellow man the " common word " between Moslems and Christians.

In Rome, nevertheless, the order{*deposit*} of the authorities of the Church is to concentrate on the real novelties and on the positive elements of the initiative of the Moslems, as well as to prepare an answer to the height.

While after the letter 38 in October, 2006 (Open letter in its holiness Benoît XVI < http: // to eucharistiemisericor.free.fr / index.php? Page=0406079_magister >), no signal had been sent by Vatican - in the great disappointment of the Moslems who had written it - the new letter 138 provoked at once remarkable signs of satisfaction.

The first one came from the cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran < http: // to eucharistiemisericor.free.fr / index.php? Page=2510071_card_tauran >, papal president of council for the interreligious dialogue.

Then, it was in the tour of the cardinal Angelo Scola, the patriarch of Venice and founder of a centre of studies and the review "Oasis", translated into several languages, among which Arabic and ourdou. The centre of studies as the review are exactly dedicated to the Christian Churches in countries mainly Moslem.

The cardinal Tauran announced on Radio Vatican where " there would be certainly an answer " literally.

By waiting for the official answer, which will come in some months, not from Benoît XVI personally but from the service ad hoc in Vatican, chaired by the cardinal Tauran, the experts already went into action.

The Papal Institute of Arabic Studies and Islamologie, the P.I.S.A.I. <http://www.pisai.it/>, threw{*launched*} the construction site of a conference in which will participate Moslem, Christian and Jewish researchers. Besides, he{*it*} published on October 25th, 2007 his{*its*} own comment on the letter 138, signed by his president, the father Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot and by four professors of the Institute, the fathers Etienne Renaud, Michel Lagarde, Valentino Cottini and Felix Phiri.

Two Jesuits islamologues very appreciated and listened to by Benoît XVI produced, each from his part, a detailed comment of the letter. It is about the Égyptien Samir Khalil Samir (L B XVI < http://www.cedrac.usj.edu.lb/benoitxvi/sks60918fr.pdf >) (The project proposed by Benoît XVI < http://www.oumma.com/Le-projet-propose-par-Benoit-XVI >) and of the German Christian W. Troll.

The note of the father Troll and the comment of the professors of the PISAI both distinguished, among the merits and the novelties of the letter, its positive reference to the Jews. In particular when it is written that God's love is the first command not only in the Koran and in Gospel, but also " in the Former{*Ancient*} Will and in the Jewish liturgy ".

But especially the novelties while coming from the Moslem side which{*who*} draw most the attention of the authorities of the Church. Until now, never Moslems of tendencies so different had agreed, besides on the mined{*undermined*} ground which establishes{*constitutes*} the report with the Christians.

The initiative left Amman, king Abdallah of Jordan but especially prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad Bin Talal, who chairs the Royal Al Al-Bayt institute for the Islamic Thought. The Jesuit father Samir defines this Moslem intellectual, married with one Hindu, " as that it exists of better today in the Islam ".

Jordanian also, Sohail Nakhooda, the director of "Islamica Magazine”, the periodical the most read by the Moslem teachers in the English and American universities.

Two other personalities get loose in this brain trust: the sheik Hamza Yusuf Hanson, director of Zaytuna Institute, situated in California, and the Libyan theologian Aref Ali Nayed, holder of a pulpit to Cambridge and former{*ancient*} teacher in the PISAI.

Yahya Sergio Yahe Pallavicini, finally, is only Italian to have signed the letter 138. This researcher and Aref Ali Nayed act as intermediaries with the authorities of Vatican.

At first, the objective of the committee of Amman is to strengthen the doctrinal and practical consensus within the Moslem world, particularly between Shiites and Sunnites. In 2004, an agreement in three points was signed by more than 500 Islamic leaders, sometimes set tendencies. Among them represent the ayatollah anti-khomeyniste big Ali al-Sistani, the sheik of the university of al-Azhar, Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi, the ideological leader of the Brothers Moslems Yusuf Al Qaradawi and even the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Then, on September 12th, 2006, it is the lightning talk about Benoît XVI to Ratisbonne < http: // eucharistiemisericor.free.fr / index.php? Page=1609063_coran >. The committee takes the risk of holding out a friendly hand to the pope and to its theses on the faith and the reason. (The debate on the speech of Ratisbonne < http: // to eucharistiemisericor.free.fr / index.php? Page=table_polemique > - goods{*articles*})

The signatures of the intolerant will be lost along the way. But with the letter 38 and that 138, the committee opened a new and audacious way, still never borrowed{*taken*} during the history and the developments of which are unpredictable.

The answer of the pope literally 138 Moslems

Letter of the cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, State Secretary of the Holy Seat, in its royal Highness, Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Tahal.

In His royal Highness

Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Tahal

Royal palace

Amman

Jordan

Of Vatican, November 19th, 2007

On October 13th, 2007, an open letter, sent to its Holiness the pope Benoît XVI as well as to the other religious leaders, was signed by hundred and thirty eight Moslem religious leaders, of whom your royal Highness. You had had the kindness to put back{*to hand*} her{*it*} to Mgr. Salim Sayegh, patriarchal vicar of Latin Patriarchat from Jerusalem to Jordan, with the demand to pass on her{*it*} in its Holiness.

The pope asked me to express his gratitude between your royal Highness, as well as between all the signers of the letter. He{*it*} expressly expressed his{*its*} profound gratitude{*recognition*} in front of this gesture, for the positive spirit which inspired this text and for the call{*appeal*} in a common commitment to promote the peace in the world.

Without ignoring or minimizing our differences between Christians and Moslems, we can, and even we have to look what unites us: the faith in a single God, a friendly Creator and an universal judge who, at the end of times, will look at every person according to its actions. We are all called to undertake totally to him and to obey his{*her;its*} will.

Keeping{*Guarding*} for the spirit its encyclique letter Deus is Caritas (« God is love »), his Holiness was particularly marked by the attention given in the letter to the double command of the love of God and the fellow man.

As you know him{*it*}, at the beginning of his{*her;its*} pontificate, the pope Benoît XVI said: « I am profoundly convinced that we do not have to give up to the negative pervading pressures, but assert the values of the mutual respect, the solidarity and the peace. The life of every human being is crowned, for the Christians as for the Moslems. There is of numerous things to be together made in the service of the fundamental moral values » (Text sent to a delegation of the Moslem communities in Cologne on August 20th, 2005). Such a common bottom urges us to base the dialogue on an actual respect for the dignity of every person, on an objective knowledge of the religion of the other one, on a division{*sharing*} of the religious experience{*experiment*}, and finally on a common commitment to promote a respect and a mutual acceptance among the youngest generations. The pope is on that, it will make possible a productive cooperation in the cultural and social domain, and for the promotion of the justice and the peace in the company{*society*} and worldwide.

By encouraging your initiative deserving of respect, I am happy to let you know that his Holiness would be avid to receive your royal Highness and a small group of signers which you will choose. At the same time, a working meeting could be organized by your delegation and the Papal council for the interreligious Dialogue, with the cooperation of certain specialized institutes (as the Papal Institute of Arabic Studies and islamologie, or the Papal University of the Gregorian). The precise detail of the organization of these meetings could be later decided, if you accepted the principle.

I take advantage myself of this occasion to renew in your royal Highness the assurance of my highest consideration.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone Secrétaire d’Etat

Translation: Henri de La Hougue

Original text

His Royal Highness

Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal

The Royal Palace

Amman

Jordan

From the Vatican, November 19, 2007

Your Royal Highness,

One 13 October on 2007 the open letter addressed to year His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and to other Christian leaders was signed by one hundred and thirty-eight Muslim religious leaders, including Your Royal Highness. You, in turn, were kind enough to present it to Bishop Salim Sayegh, Latin Vicar of the Patriarch of Jerusalem in Jordan, with the request that it be forwarded to His Holiness.

The Pope has asked me to convey his gratitude to Your Royal Highness and to all who signed the letter. He also wishes to express his deep appreciation for this gesture, for the positive spirit which inspired the text and for the call for has common commitment to promoting peace in the world.

Without ignoring now downplaying our differences have Christian and Muslims, we can and therefore should look to what unites us, namely, belief in the one God, the provident Creator and universal Judge who at the end of time will golden deal with each person according to his her actions. We are all called to committed ourselves totally to him and to obey his sacred will.

Mindful of the tells of his Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est (" God is Coils "), His Holiness was particularly impressed by the given attention in the letter to the twofold commandment to coils God and of one to neighbour.

Have you know may, at the beginning of his Pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI stated: " I am profoundly convinced that we must not yield to the negative press in our midst, drank must affirm the been worth of mutual respect, solidarity and peace. The life of every human being is sacred, both for Christian and for Muslims. There is plenty of scope for us to act together in the service of fundamental moral been worth " (Address to Representatives of Some Muslim Communities, Cologne, 20 August 2005). Such common ground allows us to bases dialogue one actual respect for the dignity of every human person, we objectivize knowledge of the religion of the other, one the sharing of religious experience and, finally, one common commitment to promoting mutual respect and acceptance among the younger generation. The Pope is confidant that, ounce this is achieved, it will be possible to cooperate in has productive way in the areas of culture and society, and for the promotion of justice and peace in society and throughout the world.

With has view to encouraging your praiseworthy initiative, I am pleased to communicate that His Holiness would be most willing to receive Your Royal Highness and has restricted group of signatories of the open letter, chosen by you. At the same time, has working meeting could be organized between your delegation and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, with the cooperation of some specialized Pontifical Institutes (such have the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies and the Pontifical Gregorian University). The precise details of these meetings was be decided later, was this proposal prove acceptable to you in principle.

I avail myself of the occasion to renew to Your Royal Highness the assurance of my highest consideration.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone

Secretary of State

[01704-02.01] [Original text: English]

[ B0636-XX.01]

*************************************** *********

Learn together to investigate the love (Answer of the Oecumenical council of Churches literally 138)

The charity is " an essential element and an integral part of the faith in God and God's love " for the Islam as for the Christianity. The way Christian and Moslem can think together about this love establishes{*constitutes*} the central subject of a comment published by the oecumenical council of Churches ( COE) on Thursday, March 20th, 2008. Drafted by Christian experts of the dialogue with the Islam, he{*it*} suggests to the Churches of possible answers literally entitled " A common word ", signed by 138 Moslem responsibles in October, 2007. This comment, entitled " to Learn to deepen{*fathom*} the love together ", joins within the framework of the current consultations which the COE threw{*launched*} with its member Churches and oecumenical partners in November, 2007 by inviting them " to deepen{*fathom*} with the Moslems God's love and charity in their respective contexts ".

Learn together to investigate the love

Answer literally " A common word " - Propositions sent to Churches

Introduction

On October 13th, 2007, a group of 138 Moslem intellectuals sent an open letter to the Christian responsibles. The General Secretary of the oecumenical council of Churches was one of the addressees. By basing itself on the first reactions emanating from member Churches, the COE engaged{*opened*} a process of answer literally. Since November, 2007, the COE threw{*launched*} consultations with its member Churches and his{*her*} oecumenical partners, among whom some people answered enthusiastically. Then, theologians and experts stemming from Churches engaged{*opened*} in the field of the islamo-Christian relations, met. At the conclusion of their considerations, they drafted the text which follows, comment literally received and entitled " to Learn together to investigate the love ". This comment is intended to help Churches in their reading and their reactions towards the letter " A common word ". This document contains suggestions aiming at encouraging Churches and oecumenical partners in their reflection on the letter and an invitation to investigate with Moslem companions the sense{*direction*} of the love of God and the charity in their respective contexts. Churches and oecumenical partners are then invited to communicate their reflections with the COE, to make their contribution to a conception and to an answer municipalities in front of this initiative. The process of current reflection and the desire to give a common answer literally through a dialogue is exposed{*explained*} in what follows.

A letter emanating from 138 learned Moslems

This entitled letter A common word between us and you (which is inspired by the invitation in the common conversation between Christians and Moslems appearing in the Koran) exposes{*explains*} essential aspects of the faith and the action which, according to the authors, the believers of both religions have in common. They summarize them in the double command of the love expressed in the Bible: " you will love the Lord your God of all your heart, all your soul and all your thought, and your fellow man as yourself. " For that purpose, by quoting verses of the Bible, the Koran and the Hadith (Words of the seer Muhammad), the letter demonstrates briefly how the Christians and the Moslems have in common similar educations on the love towards God and towards the fellow man. On the basis of these common educations, the authors invite the Christians to agree with them " on what is common to us and what also establishes{*constitutes*} the main part of our faith and our practice ". They say so clearly that there are differences between the Christianity and the Islam and add " that some of their formal differences cannot be minimized ". But they remind that Christians and Moslems establish{*constitute*} 55 % of the world population, " what makes of the relation between these two monastic communities the biggest factor contributing to a significant peace in the world ". If the Moslems and the Christians do not live in peace between them, the world cannot be in peace ".

This invitation marks a new encouraging stage in the Moslem thought concerning the relations between Moslems and Christians. Throughout their common history, the believers of both religions were too often mistaken some towards the others. Recently, a new mode of thought the other one was born; Churches began thinking of new expenses of the relation between the Christianity and the other religions, notably the Islam - we shall raise{*find*} among fruits of this reflection the Statement{*Declaration*} on the Church and the not Christian religions ( 1965 ), of the Roman Roman Catholic Church, and Guidelines on the dialogue with the religions and the ideologies of our time ( 1979 ) of the oecumenical council of Churches. In A common word it seems clearly that intellectuals and leading Moslem religious responsibles undertook in a new reflection on the relations between the Islam and the Christianity. It is necessary to applaud the courage of which shows their step{*method*} - since then, hundred of the other intellectuals signed the letter - and to greet the sincerity of their gesture in a warmest way.

Towards an answer

Having consulted its member Churches and his{*her*} oecumenical and taken partners the opinion of specialists, the oecumenical council of Churches suggests throwing{*launching*} a process which, makes of patient reflection and mutual investigation of the believers{*regular customers*} of Churches and those mosques, can end in a new awareness of some and the others, for the desolation of stubborn prejudices and for the news advanced{*moved*} in the respect and the cooperation.

Here are in brief the foreseen stages:

The oecumenical council of Churches encourages its member Churches and his{*her*} oecumenical partners to recognize and to greet the seriousness of the letter A common word and to consider in the prayer its invitation in the dialogue and in the cooperation. He also invites them to think in an oecumenical frame about the contents of the letter, in their respective particular contexts. While noting that certain Churches already undertook on this way, the present document aims at facilitating and at deepening{*fathoming*} such steps{*methods*}.

The council will address his{*her*} Moslem partners - notably to the signers of the letter - to create a group of economic planning which will prepare the stages that must lead{*drive*} to a concerted action, and it will look for joint initiatives of dialogue and cooperation of Moslems and Christians at the regional and world levels.

The council will suggest to this group organizing a series of colloquiums between responsibles, intellectuals and Moslem and Christian practitioners who, seizing this new occasion, will think about the points of mutual understanding, will work to elaborate a theological and ethical frame for future joint initiatives and to find new means to deepen{*fathom*} the search{*research*} on questions relative to the faith and to the life.

These steps{*methods*} are begun by knowing that the invitation contained in the letter is thrown{*launched*} in full knowledge of the difficulties which accompanied efforts made in the past, and that it gives the signal of the firm desire of a new start.

Investigate together the love towards God and towards the fellow man

The letter underlines with eloquence the similarity which exist on the decisive questions of the love to God and to the fellow man, which Christians and Moslems also respect. However, we would not know how to ignore the differences in the way of including these imperatives and of putting into practice them.

The testimony of former{*ancient*} and recent papers, drafted by Moslems and Christians about the other one and against him, remind us that misunderstandings can appear when the followers of each of these religions try to examine the faiths of the others without dedicating it the care and the necessary attention. That is why it is necessary to say without ambigüité that the Christians should be inclined to educate itself on the Islam by listening to attentively what the Moslems teach themselves, and the Moslems should be inclined to educate itself on the Christianity by putting itself in the attentive listening of what the Christians teach themselves. The presuppositions must be put aside and the believers of both religions must be ready to look for the knowledge and the wisdom of the other one in the terms where this one teaches them according to the particular perceptions.

To investigate together the love towards God will certainly allow the Christians and the Moslems to make surprising and instructive discoveries. In the same way, fact to investigate together the love towards the fellow man will reveal numerous points about which Moslem and Christian will recognize principles and actions which are common to them. But these signs of similarity must be put in tension with the real differences and the differences which it is difficult to reconcile.

So, for example, while so much the Christians whom the Moslems say that they perceive{*collect*} God as unique{*only*}, that really means in the Islam the doctrine of Tawhid (God's uniqueness), and that really means in the Christianity the doctrine of the Trinity? Is it about contradictory doctrines, of what gives evidence the history of the confrontations between both religions, or is there a possibility of considering them as additional perceptions of God's mystery?

Also, while both the Moslems and the Christians assert having received God's revelation, while means the fact that the Moslems declare to discern God's will in the Koran - that they call God's Word become book{*pound*} - and what means the fact that the Christians declare to find God himself revealed in Jesus Christ - whom they call God's Word made flesh-coloured?

Of even also, the charity is a part integral and essential of the faith in God and the love towards God in both religions. For the Christians as well as for the Moslems, the obedience to God consists in trying to answer needs of the company{*society*}. In the Islam, practise the charity consist in acting with generosity and in a responsible way towards the poor men of the community. In the Christianity, the charity is considered as the reflection of God's love for the humanity by Jesus Christ. This love transcends the geographic and religious borders and thus understands{*includes*} all the constituents of the humanity, without exception, as expresses him{*it*} the parabola of the good Samaritan.

The concept of the love towards God and for the fellow man is only a bridge, a place of dialogue with the aim of the action and, simultaneously, the dialogue and the cooperation between Moslems and Christians should look for a common ground for the search{*research*} for the justice and for the peace.

Agree and diverge in the respect and in the love

If Christians and Moslems can often wonder to recognize in the comments and the explanations of other what can seem to reflect what they believe themselves, they will see however also important differences in the points which we emphasize and some evident differences which resist to any effort of conciliation. The difficulty which try{*feel*} the Christians to recognize by Muhammad seer's quality, and the one that have the Moslems to admit that Jesus is embodied God are not the slightest example. These differences have their source in sincere positions which were defended{*forbidden*} with doggedness during centuries, and questioned and thrown back with the same doggedness.

It is thus absolutely necessary that, if Christians and Moslems have to find means to strengthen what they have in common, they also have to try hard to recognize and to respect the differences which exist between them, to try to understand{*include*} them and not to allow them to feed the hostility. The confrontation degenerating into recriminations and into mutual condemnations establishes{*constitutes*} a recurring model in past, for the misfortune of the persons of willingness who also regret the abuse which we made of the religion. It could indeed continue in the future if we do not take care of taking measures allowing to prevent{*warn*} this phenomenon.

By trying hard to understand{*include*} the plurality and the complexity of their common history, both the Christians and the Moslems have to try hard to give evidence of respect there where the understanding is difficult, and of confidence there where the differences resist to the search{*research*}. By assuming completely their long common history, and by calling back{*by reminding*} the examples of mutual respect and humanity, both have to admit that it is necessary to work actively on the cure of wounds, both on the level local and world, and in the change of attitudes and stereotypes. The member Churches are invited to make memory{*report*} of the lived of some and the others and learn from it, and to examine in which measure this lived can serve for deciding and for examining in a criticize way their future actions.

Furthermore, even when Christians and Moslems continue to diverge in creeds, they should try hard to reach the point where they can recognize what they have in common and to subscribe to it with enough integrity to be able to work together in the world. So, they should first and foremost try to understand{*include*} how the invaluable inheritance of each can direct them and even instruct them to cooperate with the aim of the justice and of the peace, discerning what are their common purposes, in the obedience in the One that they like and serve and who calls them to join their efforts in a concerted action, for the biggest glory of God and the good of all.

Reflections of Gric of Paris literally 138

About the signers of the letter:

Everybody underlines the variety of the signers (of West and East, Shiites and Sunnites) and their commitment in their respective community. It already gives a big value to this letter. Such an initiative is really a sign of the will to advance together the dialogue. The difficulty which results from this variety is that the letter is very consensual and stays at a rather general level there, what is a little pity. On the vertical axis of the relation with God, we would have been able to develop the other elements: the spiritual life, the sense{*direction*} of the worship, the meeting with God … On the horizontal axis from the relation to the others, the letter insisted on the general frame which is the charity and of the other one. But he{*it*} would have been interesting to enter more the detail: what it can mean in the plan of the relations in the family, with the close relations, with the neighbours, the relations between the members of various religions …

Tackled issues in the letter:

God's love and charity are two basic subjects of the dialogue. And it indeed is to call back{*to remind*} it here. Rather than of his{*her;its*} refer to the hadîth of the love of the brother (who traditionally relates rather to the Moslem) he{*it*} would have been interesting to call back{*to remind*} the Koranic verses on the respect and the love of the Christians. The subject of the letter suggests even to go even farther:

You would not should go as far as speaking to the other who is not close: to love the close relations is obvious, but to love the one who is different is not obvious...

Being capable of redefining the term of "close" or to "brother", to be able to apply him{*it*} to every man. NB: in the Christianity, there is a difference between the close and the fellow man. The fellow man it is every man who approaches the others with love, even when they are foreign, of another religion or when they does not think as us. It is a question of being made the fellow man of every man (Cf. The parabola of the good Samaritan, Lc 10, 36-37), so that this one becomes his "brother".

Such an invitation 138 invites to look concretely at what can mean the love of the other one in the company{*society*}: the social commitment, the construction together of the company{*society*}, the commitment in the family. It is important also to pass on this message of the love of the other one to our children: do we really educate them in this love of the other one, whatever it is?

The subject of the peace is important, because for a lot of people the religions are sources of violence. The fact of being able to say together that the big religions are strong of peace is a step mattering towards the company{*society*}. The religions have things to be said. And the Islam particularly has to give to the West another image than the one who is conveyed there: the respect for all, the value of the family.

The reference to gospel is touch many the Christians, it is a mark{*brand*} of respect. There is always a temptation to reduce the other one to a part{*party*} of itself, in a sense{*direction*} or in the other one: for example, when a Christian thinks that « the Moslem it is as a Christian less the faith in Jesus Son{*Sons;Thread*} of God » or when a Moslem thinks that the Christians it is men{*people*} who falsified the gospel … Now there, the fact of quoting gospel such as the Christians read them is an important mark{*brand*} of respect. In any authentic dialogue, the respect for the other one such as it is and such as he says himself is fundamental (it is not a question of making his the thought of the other one or of putting in perspective the differences, but of accepting simply that the other one is the other what does not prevent from walking together and from growing rich mutually).

Published on Monday, March 17th, 2008

Roman Catholic Church of France

« The Letter 138 »

Return to the contents < http: // www.eglise.catholique.fr/eglise-et-soci ete/relations-avec-lislam/relations-ave c-lislam.html >

Council for the interreligious relations

Reunion of work about the Letter of 138 Moslem responsibles,

June 4th, 2008

On the initiative of the Jordanian Academy for the searches{*researches*} on the Islamic civilization, which undertook in the islamo-Christian dialogue since about twenty years, 138 representatives of the contemporary Islam sent October 13th, 2007 a "Open letter" to the responsibles for the Christian Churches of the whole world, to begin with the pope Benoît XVI, by quoting them by their name and their function{*office*}. The occasion was the holiday of the Break of the fast < http: // www.eglise.catholique.fr/ressources-ann uaires / lexicon / definition.html? LexiqueID=64*Expression=Jeûne > of Ramadân, as well as the first anniversary{*birthday*} of a Letter sent by 38 learned Moslems to the pope Benoît XVI, further to the theological conference of Ratisbonne of September 12th, 2006. These developed briefly their reflection on a tone rather apologétique. The present " Letter 138 » thus wants the expression of a consensus widened as for the signers and a substantial development of certain essential passages of the " Letter 38 ».

138 signers, joined by the others next weeks, represent 43 nations. They are ulemas, muftis, theologians, jurists and intellectuals, mainly Sunni world, but also world shi' ite. We know the importance that the expression of their consensus (ijmâ '), the third principle of the Islamic orthodoxy after the very Koran and Sunna, that is the prophetic Tradition has for the Moslems. We can observe nevertheless that this consensus is relative in a religion which has no magistérielle hierarchy and which is crossed by more fireproof traditional currents in the perspective of the islamo-Christian dialogue.

Having said that, we shall join gladly the appreciation of the Father Maurice Borrmans, emeritus professor of the PISAI (Papal Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies). The novelty of this Open letter, he writes, « lives{*lies*} in a redefining of the monotheism that assert, in varied forms, Moslem, Jewish and Christian, with for essential subject the same confession of the alive God, one and the unique{*only*}, within the framework of the double command of God's love and of next, dear{*expensive*} to the Judeo-Christian tradition ».

Let us come to the structure of this Open letter there

His{*Her;Its*} title « a common word between you and us » is pulled{*fired*} by a Koranic known well verse (sura 3,64).

Two pages of introduction send back{*dismiss*} Moslems, Christians and Jews in their common monotheism, on the basis of the sura 112 where he{*it*} is said: « him, God, is ONE », and of the Jewish declaration of principles resumed by Jesus at the head of both commands of the love, in the Gospel < http: // www.eglise.catholique.fr/ressources-ann uaires / lexicon / definition.html? LexiqueID=47*Expression=Evangile > of Marc ( 12,29-31 ). The " Letter 138 » assert so frankly: « according to the Koran, we, as Moslems, invite the Christians to agree with us on what is common to us and what also establishes{*constitutes*} the main part of our faith and our practice: both commands of the love ».

This pressing and new invitation in the dialogue joins the perspective of the important speech of the pope Jean-Paul II in the Moslem youth (Casablanca, in August 19th, 1985), calling Christians and Moslems to « a common testimony on God's sense{*direction*} and on dignity of the man ».

The " Letter 138 » develop his{*her;its*} sales leaflet in three parts{*parties*}.

1.-The love of the unique{*only*} God

Leaving the Moslem declaration of principles ( the shahâda), the text develops for a long time the subject of the monotheism by commenting on a word attributed{*awarded*} to Mohammed: « the best thing{*matter*} which we said, me and the seers < http: // www.eglise.catholique.fr/ressources-ann uaires / lexicon / definition.html? LexiqueID=95*Expression=Prophète > which{*who*} preceded me, is the word: there is a God only God, only Him, without partner; to Him the power and praise; he{*it*} is powerful more than anything else ».

On the divine Unity, the text quotes the sura 112 of the Koran, entitled " the pure cult ". This brief and concise sura closes doctrinalement the Koranic collection. The absolute divine uniqueness is strongly asserted there. In Islam, all which strikes a blow at this uniqueness is denounced{*cancelled*} as " the associationnisme " shirk ). Historically, this reproach concerns the polytheists of Mecca, but also the "doubtful" monotheism of the Christians.

On God's love, the said Koran: « call ceaselessly upon the Name of your Lord and communes{*receives Communition*} intensely with Him » (sura 73,8). To love God, in Islam, it is Him totally devoted being. Not only like the only God, but like only God the Only one. In the Arabic language, the word mahhaba (love) is used{*employed*} by the Bible < http: // www.eglise.catholique.fr/ressources-ann uaires / lexicon / definition.html? LexiqueID=12*Expression=Bible > to name{*appoint*} God (God is love, St Jean 4,8). The Koran uses{*employs*} another Arabic word to which the sense{*direction*} is close: Al-Wadûd, him{*it*} Very Liking{*Loving*}.

On the love of the unique{*only*} God in the Bible < http: // www.eglise.catholique.fr/ressources-ann uaires / lexicon / definition.html? LexiqueID=12*Expression=Bible >, the " Letter 138 », as we saw him{*it*}, likes to quote the Gospel < http: // www.eglise.catholique.fr/ressources-ann uaires / lexicon / definition.html? LexiqueID=47*Expression=Evangile > of Marc ( 12,29-31 ) who makes precede Both commands of the love by the big Jewish declaration of principles: " listening Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is ONE ". The Letter is anxious to clarify the respective senses{*directions*} of the Greek words "heart", "the soul", "the intelligence" and "the force" used{*employed*} on this passage of the Gospel < http: // www.eglise.catholique.fr/ressources-ann uaires / lexicon / definition.html? LexiqueID=47*Expression=Evangile >.

2.-The charity

Much more brief, this part{*party*} observes that, in the education of Jesus, the love of the fellow man is inseparable of God's love: « there is no command bigger than those », with reference to Lévitique which already speaks about the charity as itself (about 19,17-18).

It is a word attributed{*awarded*} to Mohammed who quote the " Letter 138 » to express the charity: « nobody of you is religious as long as will not like us for your fellow man what like for yourselves », where from the instigation on the devotion which consists, according to the verse 177 of the sura 2, in looking of its good to the close relations, to the orphans, to the needy, to the travelers and to the beggars.

Consequently, the " Letter 138 » declare: « the justice and the freedom of religion are central aspects of the charity ».

Before approaching the third part{*party*} of the Letter, some important remarks are imperative{*lead*} here:

- According to the " Letter 138 », Torah, the Gospel < http: // www.eglise.catholique.fr/ressources-ann uaires / lexicon / definition.html? LexiqueID=47*Expression=Evangile > and the Koran join in the faith in the divine Unity revealed by very God. It is not about a philosophic, but theological approach. The notion of revelation and God's appointment are here questions to discuss and to deepen{*fathom*}.

- The Koranic and traditional reproach of trithéisme and associationnisme against the Christians is crossed{*spent*} under silence. A whole polemical literature seems so abandoned.

- The holy Writings (Jew and Christian) are rehabilitated{*discharged*}. They are abundantly quoted and commented, with a concern of exemplary exactness. Here still, the traditional theory of the forgery of Writings previous to the Koran is actually abandoned. One of 23 notes of the document (4 °) makes the same appeal to a text of Holy Paul (1 Co. 17,12).

- The Islam is presented as a reminder of the revelation judéochrétienne, not as a novelty which would bring « one more » to this revelation.

We can see in all this a qualitative jump, an important stage on the road of the meeting and the islamochrétien dialogue

3.-Come to a common word between you and us

This Koranic invitation ( 3,64 ), resumed by the " Letter 138 », leaves a report: no world peace without peace between the religions, especially since Christians and Moslems establish{*constitute*} more half of the world population. A requirement is clearly formulated: Moslems, Christians and Jews should be free to follow their respective religion, according to what is written in the Koran: « no constraint in religion » « 2,256). Justice and freedom of religion, we saw him{*it*}, is included in the charity.

Jesus declares: « which{*who*} is not against us is for us » (Marc 9,40). Now, assert the " Letter 138 », the Moslems believe in Jesus « sent by God, His verb put down{*deposited*} in Marie's breast, a spirit emanating from Him » (the Koran 4,171). There would be thus there a " common faith ", even if the faith of the Christians about Jesus is very different.

And the Letter to quote in conclusion the Koranic verse of the religious pluralism: « if God had wanted him{*it*}, He{*It*} would have made of you a single community; but He wanted to try{*feel*} you by the gift{*donation*} which He made you. Try to surpass yourselves some the others in the good actions. Your return, in all, will be made towards God; it will shine you, then, about your disputes » (the Koran 5,48).

The answer of Benoît XVI

Through the cardinal < http: // www.eglise.catholique.fr/ressources-ann uaires / lexicon / definition.html? LexiqueID=13*Expression=Cardinal > Bertone, State Secretary, the pope Benoît XVI answered this Letter on November 19th, 2007, sending his{*her*} answer to the prince of Jordan Ghazi bin Mohamed bin Your - lal. The pope expresses all his gratitude in front of this "gesture", and asserts being available to receive prince Ghazi and a delegation of the signers of the Letter.

Benoît XVI sees in the Letter 138 " a common bottom " which urges Christians and Moslems to base the dialogue around four points:

- An actual respect for the dignity of every person,

- A knowledge objectivizes of the religion of the other one,

- The division{*sharing*} of the religious experience{*experiment*},

- A common commitment to promote a respect and a mutual acceptance among the youngest generations.

He insists on an ethics to be together promoted: « the life of every human being is crowned, for the Christians as for the Moslems. There is numerous things to be together made in the service of the fundamental moral values ».

The pope also declares: « without ignoring or minimizing our differences between Christians and Moslems, we can, and even we have to look what unites us: the faith in a single God, a friendly Creator and universal Judge who, at the end of times, will look at every person according to its actions ». In this statement{*declaration*} is the foundation of a possible theological dialogue between Christians and Moslems. We know that God's uniqueness, faith in the Last Judgment, the action as the measure of the human merit are the dogmae the main things which make the heart of the Islamic faith.

Benoît XVI underlines finally the attention given in the " Letter 138 » to the double command of the love, as in echo in its encyclique Deus caritas is.

In conclusion

No doubt that this "Open letter" establishes{*constitutes*} a beacon which will allow to advance{*move*} on the road of the meeting and some dialogue all around the world.

Actually, a delegation of the signers of this Letter was received in Vatican in April, 2008. The creation of a " catholic-Moslem forum " followed itself the first session of which will take place at the beginning of next November.

Let us notice however that if this Letter was received in the Christian world, the press macaw-bomusulmane was more than discreet. In France, our Moslem interlocutors did not feel concerned by the Jordanian initiative.

Question: in the continuation of all this, we can wonder where to place the difference between Moslem faith and Christian faith?

In Islam as in Christianity, an explicit declaration of principles characterizes the islamo-Christian difference. In a case as in the other one, this declaration of principles has the same literary structure, as analyze rhetoric indicate{*appoint*} under the term of an additional symmetry.

1 - The shahâda

This declaration of principles is the indispensable condition to be Moslem. She{*it*} is so formulated:

A) I show that there is no divinity otherwise God

B) And I show that Mohammed is the messenger of God.

According to this statement, the Moslem defines himself as witness of the absolute divine uniqueness. Mohammed is only the transmitter of the Koranic message considered as God's word.

2 - The gospel of Jean 17,3

This gospel contains a verse which expresses the Christian faith, formulated, too, in term of an additional symmetry

A) The eternal life, it is to know you, you, the only true God

B) And to know the one that you sent, Jesus Christ.

According to this statement, the Christian enters the knowledge of God which is eternal life from here low, grace to the Christ. In his speech in Casablanca, the pope Jean-Paul II so clarifies this statement: « the loyalty also requires{*demands*} that we recognize and respect our differences. The most fundamental are obviously the glance which we concern the person and Jesus de Na-zareth's work. You know that, for the Christians, this Jesus makes them enter an intimate knowledge of the mystery of God and in a filial religious community in its gifts{*donations*}, so that they recognize him{*it*} and proclaim him Lord and Rescuer ".

We can conclude that from it the difference between Moslem faith and Christian faith concerns the status granted{*tuned*} to the Messenger of God and the relation which it establishes between God and the believer. As a result the way the Christians and the Moslems speak about God is very different. I send back{*dismiss*} to you here to the recent note of the doctrinal Committee{*Commission*} signed by Mgr. Pierre-Marie Carré. An Imam expresses him{*it*} in these tarnished: « for us, Moslems, the birth of Jesus is a very important event which is repeatedly underlined in the Koran. We have a big respect for Jesus, but we do not celebrate his{*her;its*} birth, in the same way as we do not celebrate that of Mahomet. For us, Jesus and Mahomet has the same status, it is two big seers who revealed the word of Allah ».

We touch here what makes the peculiarity of the Moslem faith and the Christian faith. In Islam, we could say, it is the divine Message which counts, and not the messenger; on the other hand, in Christianity, the divine message is identical to the Messenger.

Chrétien and Moslems doubtless have many things to be said himself on this chapter which concerns the prophétologie and the Christology.

Roger MICHEL

ISTR of Marseille Rédemptoriste-

Forum Islamo-Chrétien

Rome, November 4-5-6th, 2008.

On Thursday, November 13th, 2008 by G.Verbist, mafr. <http://www.lavigerie.be/spip.php?auteur3>

October 11th, 2007, since Amman (Jordan),

138 theologians and religious Moslems sent

A LETTER to the pope Benoît XVI and

To around thirty the other leaders of Churches and Christian communities of the world.

It was a CALL{*APPEAL*} to the DIALOGUE.

Reactions to this letter of Churches and Christian communities

1/Pisai of Rome told immediately « to be struck by the width of the horizons of the text and by the fundamental character of the comment: God and the man ».

2/During the interreligious MEETING (organized by Saint Egidio) in Naples 21, 22,23 in October, 2007, the present Christian responsibles studied the possibility of an answer common to this letter.

3/On November 19th, 2007 the Pope answered by inviting a delegation to come to meet him{*it*} in Rome and for a working meeting with the papal council for the interreligious dialogue.

4/In February, 2008 the oecumenical council of the Churches of Geneva (COE who collects 349 Churches of 110 countries) drafted an answer « to Learn together to investigate the love ».

5/In April, 2008, the orthodox patriarch Alexis of Moscow answers literally. « The Christians and the Moslems have many common objectives and we can unite our efforts to reach{*affect*} them … They call back{*remind*} the humanity God's presence and spiritual dimension of the man and the universe … »

6/There was a meeting in July, 2008 in Yale (USA) steered by the theologian protesting Miroslav Volf.

7/The Conference of Madrid on the dialogue between religions from 16 till 18 July, an initiative of the world Moslem League.

8/A Conference from 12 till 15 October 2008 to Cambridge ( United Kingdom) at the invitation of the Dr. William Rouvan (anglican).

9/The COE, the world evangelic Alliance and the Roman Roman Catholic Church, organized a colloquium from 18 till 20 October 2008 to Chavannes-de-Bogis ( Geneva-Switzerland). The purpose: envisage means to define a Christian theological conception of the dialogue with the Islam and to determine what are the theological subjects relating to the Christian identity towards the Islam.

10/Islamo-Christian conference held Malines-Bruxelles from 20 till 23 October 2008. Subject: be European and religious citizens: Christians and Moslems as partners in the European companies{*societies*}. Final common statement{*declaration*}: Christians and Moslems recognize « levies to be worked hand in hand with the State to which we belong according to the most appropriate modalities ». They say themselves convinced that monastic communities and the State have to build together the common good ».

The number of meetings organized by the Christians, but each from his part (COE, the KEK, the Catholics, the Anglicans, etc.) Which dispersal! A single meeting organized by the very Moslems, in Madrid, in July, 2008.

The FORUM Catholico-Musulman, in Rome,

November 4-5-6th, 2008.

Subject: « God's Amur and charity »

This Forum was create by the papal council for the interreligious Dialogue and by the Moslem authorities, following the letter of 138 personalities of the Islam. The subject was chosen by both delegations.

Place: Gregorian papal University of Rome.

Participants: 29 representatives of every religion.

Delegations:

Among the Catholics: the cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran ( papal president of council ); the father Miguel Ayuso (director of the PISAI); father Félix Körner (Univ. Gregorian); two white fathers: father Jean-Marie Gaudeul (Paris) and father Richard Nyombi ( Uganda); father Christian Troll, sj.; father Samir Khalil, sj. (Lebanon); a Chaldean bishop of Iraq; the vicar apostolic of Saudi Arabia, three women, and the others...

Father Jean-Marie Gaudeul and Father Richard Nnyombi

Among the Moslems: Mustafa Ceric, big mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina; English Abdal Murad Winter; Libyan Aref Ali Nayed; the Turkish Ibrahim Kalin; professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Shiite (Washington); the ayatollah Shiite Seyyed Mostafa Damad (Teheran, Iran); Tariq Ramadan, intellectual (Switzerland){*(Swiss)*}; two Moslem women and the others...

Program:

· 4: proposed by the Moslems: theological and spiritual Foundations.

· 5: proposed by the catholic part{*party*}: the human dignity and the mutual respect.

· 6: audience at the pope; big public colloquium; common statement{*declaration*}.

The rule{*ruler*} of the silence, imposed by the cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran on all the participants for all week was really respected.

The catholic part{*party*} opened the session: presentation of the spiritual foundations of the love of God and the fellow man for the Christians, by Luis Ferrer, sj. Of the Moslem side, it is the doctor Aref Ali Nayed (Libyan, the former{*ancient*} Prof. of the PISAI) who spoke in the name of the Moslems. Then there was a dialogue.

All the speakers agreed to recognize the exceptional seriousness of the debates. “ We observed well a true convergence between us on the relations between faith and reason ” (Seyyed Hossein Nasr). “ There was a true listening. We spoke to each other openly{*frankly*}, with charity, or, as we say, mercy. ” (A Moslem)

The points which irritate

The question was put by the lack of freedoms of religion in Arabic world. The intervention of the archbishop of Alep in Syria was very hard.

From their part, the Moslems evoked their difficulty with a Christian proselytism considered too aggressive.

The freedom of religion

One of the main knots in the relations today between Catholics and Moslems is it. The Pope called back{*reminded*} the "golden rule" in the Koran: “ do not make to the other one it you would not want that we made you ”. Benoît XVI so reflects the concerns{*preoccupations*} of the Church towards his{*her*} minorities in Moslem world.

Both religions have no same report in the modernity, said Seyyed Hossein Nasr. ” We cannot authorize an aggressive proselytism in our regions, which is going to destroy{*annul*} our faith in the name of the freedom ” answered the Pope Seyyed Nasr. The big mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina spoke in painful terms of the extermination of a part{*party*} of his{*her*} people (by Christian Serbs!)

The freedom of cult

A point discussed until the last minute. Thanks to the mufti of Bosnia, which explained that it was also necessary to make him{*it*} for the Moslems who live in Europe, the Catholics were proved.

Talk about Benoît XVI (extracts)

“ God's name can be only a name of peace and brotherhood, justice and love. We have to show, with our own words and above all by our actions, that the message of our religions is infallibly a message of harmony and mutual understanding. It is essential that we did him{*it*} because should the opposite occur, we shall reduce not only the credibility and the efficiency of our dialogue, but also our religions. ”

“ The subject of the Forum ’ The love for God, the love for his{*her*} fellow man ’ underline all the more the theological and spiritual foundations of a central education in our respective religions. ”

“ God calls us to help the victims of the disease, the famine, the poverty, the injustice and the violence. ”

“ We should cooperate within the framework of the respect for the human dignity and of its fundamental rights, especially since our anthropological visions and our theologies justify him{*it*} under various forms let us work together at the defence and the promotion of the moral values which are a part of our common inheritance. ”

“ Let us join our efforts to surmount all our misunderstandings and our discords. We have to decide to surmount the past prejudices and to correct the perception, often deformed, of others, susceptible to engender even today difficulties in our reports{*connections*}. Let us work together to educate all the persons, especially the young people, to build a common future. ”

Final statement{*declaration*} (text synthesis)

1 - For the Christians, the source and the example of the love d God and of the fellow man is the love of the Christ for his Father, for the humanity and for every person.

For the Moslems, the love is a power timeless transcendante which drives{*guides*} and transforms mutually the human glance.

2 - The human life must be protected and honored in all its stages.

3 - The person is entitled to a full gratitude{*recognition*} of its identity and its freedom, on behalf of communities and governments, rested{*supported*} by a civil legislation.

4 - The commitment to guarantee the human dignity on a base of equality to the men{*people*} and to the women.

5 - The right to practise its religion in private and in public.

6 - The religious minorities are entitled to places of cult and their symbols do not have to be the object of mockery.

7 - Necessity of a spirituality fed by the prayer.

8 - No religion and no his{*her*} followers can be excluded from the company{*society*}.

10 - Promote an exact information about the religion of the other one.

11 - Give up any oppression, aggressive violence, any terrorism (specially committed in the name of the religion).

12 - Work on an ethical system and work together to relieve the suffering of those who are hungry.

13 - Required to form the young people in their own religious traditions and on the other cultures and the religions.

14-15 - Establish a permanent catholico-Moslem committee. A second forum will take place in 2010 in a country with Moslem majority.

* * * * * *

ALL THE PARTICIPANTS tried{*felt*} of the gratitude to God for the gift{*donation*} of this time together and for their enriching exchange.

“ On the bottom, no novelty. We tried to see concretely how the world needs the monk in a deconsecrated company{*society*}, to weave the social peace. ”

FILE - December, 2008

For the GROUP MEET, < http: // www.lavigerie.org / fr / contained / bdia.html >

By G.Verbist, mafr.

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Statement{*Declaration*} of the Executive committee of “ Religions for the Peace ”

On the letter of 138 Moslem responsibles on October 11th, 2007

Alexandria ¦ December 6th, 2007

Executive committee of “ Religions for the Peace ”, gathered{*reunited*} in Alexandria on December 5th and 6th, 2007, congratulates itself on the open letter to the Christian responsibles entitled “ A common word between you and us ” which was published on October 11th under the signature of 138 Moslem responsibles. This letter arrives at a crucial moment of the islamo-Christian relations and testifies of a positive and constructive spirit.

Executive committee notices that the signers of the letter represent all the regions of the world and all the main traditions existing in the Islam. Among them are many high-level responsibles and of recognized intellectuals. They give together a precious luck{*chance*} to deepen{*fathom*} the understanding between the Christians and the Moslems.

Executive committee also congratulates itself on numerous positive reactions to this letter comings of different Christian responsibles, oecumenical institutions and establishments of Christian theology.

Their answers demonstrate that she{*it*} made progress the dialogue, and this should continue thanks to the pursuit of the study of the letter, the answers which were made for him{*her*} and of the central pit{*core*} of his{*her*} contents, God's love and the charity. We have the hope that these reflections will also drive to common expressions of service in the humanity.

The letter of the Moslem responsibles is of theological nature. She{*it*} reviews the holy Writings of the Islam and the Christianity to highlight the resemblances in the understanding of the love of God and the charity. These convictions are at the origin of values profoundly steady and widely spread in many of the other big religious traditions: the duty to take care of all and to work in the peace, in has justice, in the righteousness and in the environmental protection. That our religions remain really different do not prevent that they can and have to meet and cooperate on the basis of this convergent moral commitment.

The interreligious dialogue progresses when us, men{*people*} of religion, become aware of values and of commitments which are common to us. Simultaneously, the dialogue also has to take considering an opened and honest way the points on which we do not agree and even those who can be the cause of conflicts between us. When we study these questions, we have to understand{*include*} also how and why the religions can be wrongly used to feed the conflicts and even the violence. We undertake to take clearly position against such a custom{*usage*} misdirected by our own religious tradition.

Aware{*Conscious*} of the fact that the call{*appeal*} to the dialogue contained in the letter addresses at first the Christian and Moslem responsibles, the Executive committee of “ Religions for the Peace ” proposes as being able to facilitate the processes, based on this letter and the reactions which she{*it*} provoked, susceptible to make the dialogue progress and the concerted action.

The Executive committee also encourages the Moslem and Christian responsibles to see to it that the letter is carried{*worn*} in the knowledge of the believers{*regular customers*} in churches and mosques of the whole world.

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Reaction of WCRP to the appeal of king of Saudi Arabia, in the interreligious dialogue < http: // www.religionspourlapaix.org / modules.php? Op=modload*name=News*file=article*sid=3 97*mode=thread*order=0*thold=0 >

Press release

Contact:

Mr. Andrea Louie, Religions for Peace

New York, the USA

Such: +1 ) 212-687-2163

alouie@wcrp.org *-

Responsibles for various religions greet the call{*appeal*} to the interreligious dialogue thrown{*launched*} by king of Saudi Arabia

- A striking call{*appeal*} which contributes to make progress the pluri-religious cooperation with the aim of the peace in the Middle East and all over the world.-

( New York, in March 26th, 2008) responsibles for different religions gathered{*reunited*} within Religions for the Peace, the widest pluri-religious assembling of the world and the most representative, greeted the powerful call{*appeal*} to the dialogue between Moslems, Chrétien and Jews thrown{*launched*} by king Abdullah of Saudi Arabia today. This call{*appeal*} is all the more remarkable as Saudi Arabia does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.

The call{*appeal*} of king follows upon its historic meeting with the pope Benoît XVI in November, 2007, recognized by Vatican as a progress in the way of a wide discussion about the necessity of a pluri-religious and pluri-cultural dialogue “ for the promotion of the peace, the justice and the moral and spiritual values ”. King Abdullah clarified that his call{*appeal*} to the dialogue extended in the whole world.

The Dr. William F. Vendley, General Secretary of Religions for the Peace declared: “ the pluri-religious cooperation is one of the keys of the construction of the peace in the Middle East and in the world. It is tragic that the political initiatives often closed the door in the positive role which the cooperation between the religions can play for the construction of the peace. King Abdullah opens this door. ”

Saudi Arabia supplied a contribution important for the direction{*management*} of Religions for the Peace in the person of the former{*ancient*} two General Secretaries of the world Islamic League, the Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Ali and the Dr. Abdullah bin Omar Nasseef. This one is one of the honorary presidents of Religions for the Peace. S E. the Sheik Nasser Almutawa Alotaibi, CEO of the group Samama is one of the international trustees of Religions for the Peace.

Rév. Léonide Kishkovsky, moderator of Religions for the Peace, made observe that the call{*appeal*} to the dialogue and to the cooperation of king of Arabia based itself on widely admitted principles which allowed believers' communities to obtain tangible results of solution of the conflicts and the development. “ An authentic pluri-religious cooperation requires participants that they recognize honestly their religious differences and that they undertake to collaborate on the basis of shared moral concerns{*preoccupations*}. The respect for these principles returned Religions for the Peace capable of facing directly the conflict and the misery while developing the confidence between believers' different communities. ”

The Great rabbin David Rosen, the world member of council of Religions for the Peace and the president of the international Jewish Committee for the interreligious consultations, declared: “ the meaning of the call{*appeal*} to the multi-religious dialogue thrown{*launched*} by king Abdullah cannot be overestimated. Such a dialogue could have an impact of a big reach in the region of the Middle East by helping the religions to undertake in the construction of the peace. ”

S E. the Dr. Mustafa Ceric, Big Mufti of Bosnia Herzegovina and the world member of council of Religions for the Peace joined its voice{*vote*} to that of the other religious responsibles by greeting the call{*appeal*} of King to the dialogue. “ Too much of us, he said, know only too much the pains, the sufferings and the devastations which the war and the conflicts impose to the innocents. That us, believers, collaborate for the peace. ”

Religions for the Peace work since 1970 on the pluri-religious cooperation with the aim of the peace. In December, his{*her*} responsibles in the Middle East threw{*cast*} the bases of a council of religious Responsibles for the Middle East of Religions for the Peace and for the interreligious council of Palestine. Religions for the Peace is present in Israel through the Israeli interreligious council of coordination.

Passed on on March, 29, on 2008

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The intermonk seen by the GIP 93

The religion is not the faith of a clan.

The religion is not the illusion of the weak.

The religion is not the imagination of the powerful.

As a guard waits for the dawn Philippe Leclercq L' HARMATTAN

The religion is in interface enter the " world of the man » and " God's world ».

To see there « the thing{*matter*} of the man », we could consider our earth{*ground*} as crossing horizontally by a series of superimposed parallels which would bound symbolically each of the religions of our world. The religions would be as human conglomerates which would mark their difference, would claim their identity, would impose their sights in a unambiguous, diverse way, otherwise even competitive and conflicting.

To see " God's work " there, we could consider our planet as crossing vertically by a unique{*only*} reference meridian which would decide in the daytime of the night. On the brilliant face of the earth{*ground*} lit{*enlightened*} by the sun, the believers{*regular customers*} of every religion would live their report to God in the dynamism of an always new future. The interreligious borders, marked by the parallels{*parallel lines*}, would be then relative with regard to this dynamics founder, creator and unifiante. But at night of the other dark face of our humanity, the members of every religion would live their faith firstly in the fear and the greediness. By living secretly this fear in themselves, they would reduce God to the compensation worshipped by their abyss, and the religion, to the certainties indispensable to their imbalance of life. Then the God of the other one can only carry{*wear*} shade, and the practice of the other one can only be threatening. The risk is big to make of God an idol, of the religion, a sect, the believer, the slave, and of every man, an enemy.

The GIP 93 gathers{*reunites*} persons who learn to live together and in their variety this relation in the foundation, in a intimate and existential way, according to the appropriate{*clean*} progress of each. All the flowers have their place in the sun. The daisy is worth a lily. The dandelion is worth a rose. It is not question of big or small, of checks or bad. Each sings in its appropriate{*clean*} register the big symphony of the world loved by God. We think that when it is about the fundamental report of each to God, the truth is not unambiguous but becomes on the contrary the appropriate{*clean*} good of each. The religion becomes this secret place of the division{*sharing*} of the life of each with God.

Naturally there are religious families. The members of the GIP learn to know and to recognize in families. Every family is different and it is the good. Every family has its place in the sun. But every family is also called to become aware that it is not the whole of the humanity.

That is why the inter-religious meeting is a school of humility, for the persons as for their communities. Because it is not a question of levelling everything, of saying that everything equals, to think that each says the same thing{*matter*}, to claim that everything is exchangeable, that each should lose the own identity to merge in a big everything. But it is not either a question of saying or of thinking that there is only a single religion which is true and what all the others make a mistake. We think that the syncretism as the ideological imperialism represent two forms of violence and more fundamentally still, two forms of lie.

The life of the group aims at the unity, but not at the uniformity. The peace does not come from the neglect or from the ignorance of the differences, but on the contrary, from the knowledge and from the acceptance of the differences. The effort which is to be made turns in the opposite sense{*direction*} of the spontaneous movement. Because it is about a work of self-control, rather than about a work of mastery of the other one or about outside things. But this work is essential because the will for power directed to the mastery of the other one is strictly contrary to any authentic religious step{*method*}.

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Food crisis and energetique:

Challenges to fight the pauvrete and protect the planete

July 11th, 2008

Us, members of World council of Religions for the Peace, invited on the occasion of the G8 summit held in Japan, expect from this Summit that he answers the main challenges which the Men{*People*} have to face.

As religious leaders, we are particularly concerned by the current food{*dietary*} crisis. We are regrettably aware{*conscious*} that this crisis gets{*touches*} essentially the poorest and the most vulnerable. Each of our religions re-knows about its own way inviolable dignity of every person, and obliges us to show solidarity with the victims of this food{*dietary*} scarcity.

We notice that the excesses of food intended for the consumption reached{*affected*} 20 billions dollars, and that the wasted quantity returns about 100 billions dollars in a single country. 30 billions dollars are necessary to face the current food{*dietary*} crisis which gets{*touches*} more than 862 million persons in the world. The planet has the capacity to feed the whole world population, it is thus an imperative morale to act quickly.

We are convinced that the food security is a fundamental element to reach{*affect*} the Objectives of the Millennium for the Development.

Furthermore, we notice numerous links existing between the energy and the food{*dietary*} scarcities. The use of the food to create biofuels profoundly contributed to the current scarcities, and the energy costs dug the ditch between the rich and the poor men.

Consequently, we call the governments, the intergovernmental bodies and the world of the company to act quickly to resolve this food{*dietary*} crisis.

Being given the urgency to act, Religions for the Peace calls up has:

· An immediate contribution to cover the 30 billions of necessary Dollars to protect from the food to 862 million persons in the world.

· Reconsider farm subsidies in the rich countries to avoid the dumping, strongly harmful to the zones of productions of developing countries.

· urgent partnerships to develop innovative methods allowing to increase the production of food in the poor countries, while maintaining the biovariety.

· Increase the production of bio-fuel oil without creating of conflicts with the food{*dietary*} production to assure{*insure*} an energy autosufficiency and of the work in the poor countries.

· Take measures to reduce the excessive wasting of food in the rich countries.

Every man, woman and child needs food to survive.

Our religions call us to unite us to work together to terminate this food{*dietary*} crisis. Let us build together a durable system in which every community has an assured{*insured*} food security.

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EDITORIAL < http: // www.religionspourlapaix.org / modules.php? Op=modload*name=News*file=article*sid=3 83*mode=thread*order=0*thold=0 >

Published on Fév 02, 2008 - 11:55 PM

of Ghaleb Bencheikh

" Within the framework of the CMRP, with humility and constancy, to educate the human soul... "

A big number of men{*people*} and women of willingness, been in love justice and peace, is involved in the sphere of influence of the interreligious dialogue and that of the cultures. Animated{*stimulated*} the best intentions, they have the firm conviction that it is necessary to make everything to twist the neck in the huntinctonienne thesis. They are convinced that they cannot be resolved in the theory of the shock of civilizations.

So they implement{*operate*} everything to promote the dialogue of the cultures and the meeting of civilizations. Simply we were afraid that, however sincere she{*it*} is, this step{*method*} cannot accredit a contrario what she wants to assail. We cannot, conceptually speaking, refute on one side the confrontation of civilizations and call up the other one to their meeting.

In the sense that civilizations and cultures contain alive, complex, dissimilar, mutant human mosaics and are not monolithic homogeneous blocks institutionalized with unambiguous thoughts. They do not embody condensed and coherent historic agents. They do not establish{*constitute*}, either, compact entities with official foreign policies and diplomacies contracting alliances. Patchworks of the peoples in constant evolution, civilizations have no pyramidal structure and no slightest centralized organization. Finally, we would gain{*win*} to know how to go out of the reducing essentialisme which nobody attaches to civilizations.

These never say "I". On the contrary, for many objective reasons, and the others subjective, recovering from the search{*research*} on behalf of legitimacy and of mystery which conceals the other one, with all that it contains as ambivalent attitude in front of the otherness, the antithétiques couples "fascination / aversion" and "charm / hostility" exercise simultaneously and naturally in every camp, for some and for the others. Moreover, generally, the most taken clashes are those who set the most close neighbours.

Really, the line of fracture passes between those who promote the human dignity and those who disdain the life whatever latitude it is. Of any times, the criterion discriminating in reports{*connections*} between beings distinguishes the opening and the care of the intolerance and the refusal{*discharge*} within the same civilisationnelle area.

We try within the framework of the world Conference of the religions for the peace, with humility but constancy, to educate the human soul so that she{*it*} is susceptible in the ethical education that the big religious traditions of the humanity conceal in profusion. Watchfully and difference, espéronsle, we shall watch that our spiritual patrimonies are not distorted{*altered*} nor warped. They will live so many references for the ressourcement and the moral rise in a humanist culture of love, justice and peace.

The President of the CMRP

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