4^th International Inter-Religious

ABRAHAM CONFERENCE

Sydney
5^th June 2005

 “Beyond Dialogue: Interfaith Cooperation in Action”  

By Zeena Lateef

The 4^th International Inter-religious Abraham Conference was attended by more than 220 people on Sunday June 5 at Sydney University and was a collaborative effort by Affinity Intercultural Foundation, Sydney Catholic Archdiocese, Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations, Uniting Church Sydney Synod and the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies.

In building on the work and discourse of previous years, the theme of this year’s conference was ‘Beyond Dialogue: Interfaith Cooperation in Action’. In his opening remarks, conference Chairman and the President of Affinity Intercultural Foundation Mehmet Ozalp said, “This year’s conference aims at focusing on the tangible actions that can be achieved on issues of common concern and interest. In the process taking the level of understanding and relationship built to cooperation.”

Abraham Lecture

The Abraham Lecture, which is the main conference keynote address, was delivered by Father Dr Francis V Tiso, Associate Director, Secretariat for Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs in the United States. He delivered an enlightening address that explored the role of inter-faith dialogue as an integral aspect of the development of a society. [view keynote address]

He stated that one should listen to and profess the doctrine of others and extend beyond the base level of tolerance of other beliefs and embrace a much deeper level of interaction.  He also professed that if society fails to do this then we are directly going against the teachings of our Prophets who so ardently promoted that as human beings we must show compassion and tolerance towards other beliefs.

“We have in fact begun to recognize a common - or rather uncommon - understanding of our human condition, uncommon values, and uncommon aspirations.  Even in the aftermath of shock and fear in America after the attacks of 9/11/01, another voice began to be heard.  It is a voice that had hardly ever appeared on the front pages of newspapers and magazines… Though it was a voice empowered by faith, it was a strange voice even to many people of faith. It is the voice of cooperation, the voice of understanding, the voice of reason, the voice of interreligious dialogue.” Father Tiso remarked.

Father Tiso also said, “had Muslims and Christians attempted or inspired inter-faith dialogue and moral reasoning and the transformation of the human soul we might be able to see the light in ourselves instead of wounding the souls of future generations before they are born.  We are oblivious to the damage we do and we mock and kill the Messengers (Prophets) of truth.” Furthermore, he continued, “through inter-fait dialogue we can develop unimagined ways of co-operating for the good of humanity”. 

He shared some of the initiatives taken in the United States post September 11 to achieve cultural and religious harmony as a common vision that is being realised by religious leaders and communities. Father Tiso also explained that inter-faith dialogue cannot flourish without trust and used recent examples in the United States where Christians and Muslims worked together to rebuild a community after a natural disaster, coming together for the sake of a common cause. The introduction of various communications models such as newsletters and magazines are also pivotal to enhance community awareness and participation.

Father Tiso concluded his presentation by highlighting that for inter-faith dialogue to be successful it must be realistic and operate between the existing boundaries of the community.

Main Conference Panel

The highlight of the conference was the Main Conference Panel comprising three prominent religious leaders – Cardinal George Pell, respectable Australian Rabbi John Levi and venerable Sheikh Fehmi Naji El-Imam from Victoria. Panellists elaborated on the theme of the conference and issues raised by Father Tiso. 

The first speaker, Cardinal George Pell, Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney emphasised that “we must all build bridges to improve relations among religions”. Cardinal Pell also spoke of recognising the similarities between religions stating that “we worship one God, believe our actions in this life will be judged, the importance of prayer and resurrection.” “We share a common identity and we can have disagreements but we must remember that we all belong to the same monotheist family… We must embrace the richness of our traditions in all their fullness and it is our responsibility to ensure that our friendships are not strangled by violence” Cardinal Pell said.

He also reiterated that we must work together to protect truth, family and religious freedom and that harmony is co-dependant on social justice, education, welfare and stability. Respect and practice of civil rights are common in Christianity, Judaism and Islam and this should be displayed more strongly in society through faith based schools to endorse harmony at an early age.

Cardinal Pell also believes that developing a strong foundation within the home that mirrors these aspects will help communities counteract problems stemming from drugs and alcohol abuse. [Cardinal Pell's remarks to the 4th Intenational Inter-religious ABraham Conference]

Emeritus Rabbi John Levi from the Temple Beth Israel, represented the Jewish Community and addressed the conference by stating that “let no one say that the possible is impossible”. He also stated that Christianity, Judaism and Islam are three faiths that are like the sons of the same father, “The three faiths are inter-related, we all believe in the one God and we are all children of Abraham”.

“We must focus on these commonalities and remember that we can still shape the future in an infinite number of ways” Rabbi Levi said. He also stated that inter-faith dialogue should be a regular practice within communities and between neighbours rather than the subject of discussion only between theologians and professionals. Rabbi Levi continued to expand on the importance of dialogue stating that we must “share life if we are to fulfil God’s desire because dialogue is the communion of the spirit”.

Sheikh Fehmi Naji El-Iman was the final panellists representing the Islamic faith.  The Sheikh began his presentation by translating an Arabic prayer and stated that despite our differences there are positive and common themes in our religions that are brought out by inter-faith dialogue.  He also underlined the profound duty of every Muslim to live peacefully through equality, love and respect and that the Quran, the Islamic holy book is a strong advocate of inter-faith dialogue and to engage with our Christian and Jewish brothers and sisters. Sheikh El-Iman also stated that to encourage inter-faith dialogue is to secure and protect peace and that God has asked that we all believe in Him, ourselves and each other.

“In spite of serious instances of abuse of various religions by some of their claimed followers, so as to justify or instigate acts of brutality and bloodshed, there are positive and common themes in these religions” he said.

Exploration Panels and Discussion Forums

The main intellectual explorations and audience participation took part in the Panels followed by Discussion Forums. Three panels were run in parallel with the following themes.

§         Panel A: Religious and Moral Values in a consumer society

§         Panel B: Well being of the individual in our society

§         Panel C: Interfaith Cooperation in Education: Dynamics of understanding the ‘other’

Panel A - Religious and Moral Values in a Consumer Society

This panel focused on the role and influence of religion and morality in a consumer society and the influence of materialism in society. The workshop was chaired by Mr Joseph Payne. 

Rabbi John Levi presented the topic from a Jewish perspective and spoke about moral values in consumer Society drawing on quotes and studies from BRW (Business Review Weekly) which commercialised and fed on money and financial prosperity.  He spoke about the downfalls of a society that is focused solely on acquiring material possessions and ascertaining status purely based on wealth. He also referred to the power of advertising in a capitalist society and the weakness of human beings to get caught up in this cycle and losing the true meaning of life.

Representing the Christian perspective Dr. Clive Pearson then spoke about the need for theological and biblical literacy. He said that there is a serious need for Christian identity and explained that globalisation could in fact create psychic-numbing.

Mr Haset Sali represented the Islamic view and explored the idea that Islam has the ability to strive beyond all cultures, fashion or race and that is was the Divine Revelation of God who communicated His message and inspired prophets with positive worldly conduct.  It is by these high standards that we are to live our lives so that we may mirror those of Prophets who were not guided by the desires of wealth and material possessions but motivated by their will to do good and act on a higher moral ground.  He also stated that Islam approves of a borderless commercial world so we are able to appreciate each other and interact peacefully as long as we are able to share our profits to prevent a world where the wealth is so obviously unbalanced.

The ensuing discussion generated the following recommendations from this Panel A.

§         We recognise that consumer society is not really incompatible with religious/moral values; but what we need to do is try to guide it.

§         Therefore we recommend there should be more critical analysis of the consumer society amongst interfaith dialogue group

§         Precise issues relating to our communities – advertising media, social policies, family – need to be addressed further amongst interfaith groups

Panel B – Well Being of the Individual in our Society

Panel B explored different aspects of an individual’s well being to encompass all areas including spiritual, mental and physical health. The panel was interesting because each of the panellists tackled the subject matter quite differently. The panel was chaired by Mrs Peta Pellach.

Mrs Hanan Dover, the Muslim speaker and registered psychologist talked about the importance of personal faith and commitment to a faith system for individual well being. Mrs Dover also pointed out that the study of psychology today neglects spirituality, an integral part of the holistic well being of an individual.  She recognised that this fact is in need of change in order to contribute to the development of every aspect of a human being. 

Maurice Eisenbruch, founding Professor of Multicultural Health and Director of the Centre for Culture and Health at the University of New South Wales presented the topic from a Jewish perspective. He stated that the emphasis should not be on which understanding of the well-being is the correct one. The focus should be on the fact that we do not know enough about the similarities and the differences as yet to be able to make that decision.

Reverend Dr Gerard Hall, Head of the School of Theology, Australian Catholic University, Queensland focused on the role of inter-faith dialogue and its contribution to well being in society.  He gave many practical examples of inter-faith dialogue, explaining what has worked and what has not from his personal experiences.      

The ensuing discussion generated the following recommendations from Panel B.

§         We recognise that one should look for solace within one’s own faith tradition and see it as a source of strength and a tool to enhance our individual well being.

§         We should encourage people to develop an ecological and cosmological relationship between others, nature and spirituality.

Panel C – Interfaith Cop-operation in Education: Dynamics Education of Understanding the ‘other’

Panel C focused on how interfaith education could be incorporated in the education system and the impact of education on the students’ understanding of the ‘other’. It was chaired by Mr Mehmet Ozalp.

Mrs Patricia Hindmarsh from the Australian Catholic University set the scene of this topic by stating that inter-faith dialogue and religious understanding can be fostered within educational settings through formal and informal environments. She further noted that educational institutions can promote and develop this level of understanding and build awareness with practical dialogue of life or shared experience through face to face contact.  She emphasised the importance and value of implementing formal social sciences and religious education curricular to develop knowledge and skills for students that are related to inter-faith understanding.  She believes that educational policies and institutions can offer credible opportunities to promote those human values and attitudes that underpin inter-faith understanding and sustain mutual respect and warmth.

Prof Suzanne Rutland from the University of Sydney and the representative of the Jewish perspective stressed the ongoing problem of racial and religious prejudice in the education centres including anti-Semitic notions and attitudes. Prof Rutland believes that minority religious groups including Jews and Muslims are a target to this ongoing religious prejudice and vilification. A key strategy in combating this is through ‘education’ she maintains. Therefore, it is through ‘understanding the other’ that we may be able to achieve this religious harmony and understanding. She identified two forms of pursuing this ongoing battle – first in-faith education which involves educating one self and community in own faith) and the second learning about other religious faiths.  Prof Rutland emphasised that “the implementation of changes to the Syllabus notably a change in the rationale and outcomes” will help develop awareness of the ‘other’.

Mrs Silma Ihram from the Noor Al Houda Islamic College Strathfield stated that faith based schools serve as a vital source for establishing the identity of children in faith based communities.  She recognised that Australia has become a secular society and faith based schools are often accused of being ghettos in isolating children of one faith from another. However, she believes that the role of these schools has changed dramatically and they serve to support a deeper understanding of faith within the framework of Australian citizenship. The duality of “understanding yourself encourages one to learn about the other” she argued. She acknowledged Australia’s liberal ideals, especially in preventing our multicultural and multi-faith nation to be trapped by the different segments of the society. Faith based schools she argued plays a key role and a vital function in educating the children about awareness and acceptance of the ‘other’. The values established and practised in faith based schools according are to teach the children about their own faith, to resolve their own dilemmas first, to understand the ‘other’ and the importance of dialogue.

The ensuing discussion generated the following recommendations from Panel C.

§         Collaborate amongst representatives of three faith traditions to develop professional development programs and resources for religious Education teachers

§         In order to create more interest in interfaith education, make the subject mater more compelling, cultural and social and work with Board of Studies to review content for greater participation.

§         Look at ‘interfaith in education’ subject matter broadly beyond the high schools and include tertiary and adult education

Interfaith in Action

One of the most notable features of the Abraham Conference is that it highlights real interfaith cooperation. In his introduction to this session, Mr Mehmet Saral said “It is important for us to be able to demonstrate that this flagship conference is not just a talkfest. It is a crucible where new ideas emerge followed by tangible action.” He then gave a presentation and showed examples from previous years’ recommendations which were implemented. This year’s conference showcased three key projects.

1.     Youth Encounters: This project involved 60 students. 20 students from each of the three Abrahamic faith traditions have volunteered to take part in an educational program about their own faith tradition and the faith of other students in an interfaith environment. At the end of the program they all met in a day-long event to discuss the theme, “My identity and place in Australia.” Ms Nurdan Cetin from Sule College, Ms Anne Mathews from Kincoppal Collage and Mr Brett Karney from Masada Collage gave short presentations on their experience through the program. They have shared the sentiment that this experience improved their respective identity and at the same time broadened their perspectives of the other.

2.     Growing-Peace Council Talks: Mrs Anne Lanyon of Columban Mission Institute and Mrs Zuleyha Keskin of Affinity Intercultural Foundation explained their cooperation and success of going to local municipalities and informing residents in town hall gatherings that Muslims and Christians unite in peace building. Eight of these programs were completed to date with more in the pipeline.

3.     Women Interfaith Network (WIN): Mrs Josie Lacey of NSW Jewish Board of Deputies gave a presentation on the WIN initiative where ladies from many faith traditions meet in a social gathering on a monthly basis. Recently, the group celebrated its success in a Parliament House lunch. Mrs Jacey gave the good news that parallel WIN networks were going to be established.