Die orthodoxen Kirchen im interreligiösen Dialog mit dem Islam

Dietmar Schon

• Verlag: De Gruyter
• Jahr: 2017
• eBook-ISBN: 9783110545180
• Auflage: 1
• Thema: Theology & Religion
• Thema: Christian Church

Interreligiöser Dialog mit dem Islam gilt in einer globalisierten Welt als unverzichtbar, um friedliche Koexistenz von Menschen unterschiedlicher Religion zu sichern. Auch die orthodoxe Kirche hat sich im interreligiösen Dialog engagiert und zu einem Miteinander der Religionen beigetragen. Die Studie beleuchtet unmittelbar die in ökumenischem Kontext entstandenen Beiträge der autokephalen orthodoxen Kirchen seit den 1980er Jahren bis heute.

Anhang 1
Schlusserklärungen

1Das Dokument der Konferenz 21.–23. 11.1996 (Teheran)1961

Communiqué of the Symposium on Religion and the Contemporary World Issued in Teheran, Islamic Republic of Iran, 21–23 November 1996.

Representatives of Islam and Christianity, two religions which share the Abrahamic tradition of faith, found new points of commonality during a three-day, high level symposium of scholars and spiritual leaders in Teheran, and explored further areas of cooperation for peace and justice in a world which they described as being in severe socio-economic and spiritual crisis.
This jointly-sponsored Symposium, held on the invitation of the Organization of Islamic Culture and Communication, was a continuation of a dialogue between Iranian Muslims and Christians related to the World Council of Churches (WCC) which began nearly two years ago. Participants from the WCC included eleven Christian scholars from Africa, Europe, North America and the Middle East. From Iran, participants included some twenty prominent scholars and religious leaders from Qum and Teheran. Representatives of WCC member churches in Iran also accompanied the dialogue.

The three-day symposium was opened in a televised formal public session presided over by Ayatollah Mohammed Ali Taskhiri, head of the Organization for Islamic Culture and Communication, and jointly chaired by the Rev. Dwain Epps, Coordinator for International Affairs of the WCC, Dr. Tarek Mitri, WCC Executive Secretary for Christian-Muslim Dialogue, Iranian Islamic scholar Allame Ja’affari, and Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammed Khamene’i, Head of the Committee of Scholars for Inter-religious Dialogue. In attendance were some 250 invited guests who included a range of Islamic scholars, Iranian Christian clergy and lay persons.
In the following days, the Symposium discussed papers presented by Christian and Islamic scholars on human rights, peace and peaceful coexistence between the followers of both religions, the role of religion in the modern world, religious anthropology, ecology and the threat to the ecosystem, moral welfare, the place of the family in society, education, economic and social justice, and the role of religion in international relations. (…).1962

The dialogue reached agreements in the following areas:

The contemporary world was described as one which suffers deeply from consequences of secularism, modernism and post-modernism, and from a profound spiritual crisis. Religion has a responsibility to help human beings suffering as a result of this, to offer positive alternatives, to meet spiritual needs and to guide people in their daily life.
It was a matter of deep concern to the Symposium that powers are involved in open conflicts in the name of religion. Christians and Muslims agreed that true religion is always opposed to war, and that religions must do all in their power to demonstrate their common commitment to overcoming conflict. This includes challenging powers when they misuse the name of either Christianity or Islam to justify war or the use of violence to resolve conflict.
Peace must be based on justice, and Christians and Muslims have a shared responsibility for achieving such a peace in international relations. Peace without justice can only lead to further atrocities, as has been seen recently in places like Bosnia, Rwanda and the Middle East.

Religions, as guardians of moral values and ethical standards for humankind, can play an important role in a time of proliferation of ethnic and national conflicts. They can also counter the process of globalization, which renders states powerless to defend huge parts of humanity against its onslaught. The Symposium has seen the role of religions as universal forces at the service of one humankind created by God. It called on religions to strengthen the capacity of nations and peoples to defend their economies, cultures and traditions.

Muslims and Christians agree that God created humankind with inherent value and dignity. The Symposium agreed to do further work together on human rights: to consider them from the perspective of religion, to deepen mutual understanding, and, while recognizing and respecting differences of approach, to develop cooperation in their implementation. In their discussions on human rights, Muslims and Christians were in accord that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was an achievement. They shared concern about the ways human rights – intended to further the cause of peace and justice – are misused by some states as a political weapon against others. The Symposium denounced the application of double standards in the field of human rights.

Muslim and Christian scholars agreed on the importance of women’s rights in society, and decided to pursue this question in greater depth by organizing a future consultation based on a religious perspective.

The family is understood by both Islam and Christianity to be the basis of society in the created order. In this time when the society is threatened by corruption and all forms of moral degradation, the family is especially at risk. Religion calls the world to respect the family and authentic family values essential to the well-being of the whole society. To this end, the Symposium agreed to pursue the development of education from a religious perspective on family life and values.

The Symposium condemned those forces operating in the contemporary world, which are driving ever greater numbers of human beings into absolute poverty. The causes of poverty today are certainly to be found in the proliferation of the uncontrolled free market economy. But the roots of the problem lie deeper in the moral weakness of society and of individual human beings, manifest in such things as corruption, consumerism, egotistical exploitation of the earth’s non-renewable resources, over-consumption, and loss of a sense of responsibility for the weak, deprived and vulnerable members of society. Here religion has a central role to play. Muslims and Christians agreed on the need for a deep spiritual renewal of human society. Secularist politics or ideology cannot correct the situation. People of faith bear mutual responsibility before God for the welfare of humankind, and the Symposium agreed to work further on joint Christian-Muslim approaches to the global economic and social crisis.

The Symposium also condemned the rise of numbers of the uprooted and refugees in the world fleeing from conflict and economic misery, and called for joint Muslim-Christian efforts to meet the human need of these beloved of God.

Conclusions

The Symposium agreed that its conclusions and experience of dialogue should not be confined to the level of scholars and spiritual leaders, but should be brought into the everyday life of believing communities, wherever they may be. In order to pursue this goal, it was agreed:

–To publish the results of this Symposium in Farsi and English, in order that others could share its ideas.

–To cooperate in research and publication on culture and religion in each other’s societies.

–To undertake joint research and publication projects, such as the preparation of a dictionary of terms, which will help Christians and Muslims in dialogues at all levels.

–To continue discussions in the field of human rights, and explore ways in which Muslims and Christians could collaborate in overcoming the current stalemate encountered in the United Nations with regard to international cooperation for the proper implementation of these rights.

–To cooperate in the resolution of conflicts everywhere, particularly in the Caucasus and in Africa, and to contribute to the building of understanding between Christians and Muslims to strengthen their efforts to find non-violent solutions to conflicts;

To continue this dialogue begun nearly two years ago with a further meeting in mid-1997 (1376 on the Iranic calendar) whose agenda will be drawn up in a way to identify specific areas of future cooperation.1963

2Das Dokument des 9. Jugendseminars “Young Peace Makers” 5.–9. 8.2009 (Kairo)1964

Final Communiqué

The Christian Muslim Dialogue program of the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches held its 9th Christian Muslim youth encounter under the theme: “Young Peace Makers” from 5–9 August 2009.

Thirty males and females from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan participated in the youth encounter that was held at the Evangelical Faculty of Theology in Cairo. The Dean of the Faculty Dr. Atef Mehanni was the first speaker at the opening session and he was followed by: Mr. Guiguis Saleh the MECC General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Safwat El-Bayadi the Head of the Evangelical Church in Egypt and one of the presidents of MECC, Bishop Yohanna Kolta the patriarchal assistant of the Coptic Catholic Church and the President Emeritus of MECC, Dr. Taysir Mandur the member of Al-Azhar committee for dialogue, Bishop Markos of Shubra Al-Khema Coptic Orthodox diocese and Bishop Nikola Antonio of Tanta Greek Orthodox diocese.

Mr. Saleh chaired the first session on: ‘Common Grounds between Christianity and Islam in the Context of Peace building’ where Bishop Kolta, Counselor Ahmad El-Fadali and Engineer Nabil Samuel were the main speakers. The Second day was dedicated to visit the Christian and Muslim institutions in Cairo. In the third day, Miss Samah Halawani facilitated a workshop on ‘The Components of Conflicts and their Resolution’. In the Fourth day, Mr. Elias El-Halabi facilitated a workshop on: ‘The Foundations of Joint Endeavors & Conditions for Success’.

During the four day encounter the participants have discussed many issues in small groups and plenary. They came up with the following recommendations:

1. To appreciate the studious and perseverant work of the MECC General Secretariat and its role in organizing these Christian and Muslim encounters and to urge the secretariat to organize more of such activities that aim at deepening the values of coexistence in our Arab society in addition to holding periodical encounters at the national levels as a follow up.

2. To stress on the importance of dialogue and to adopt it as a culture of life and a way to guarantee personal freedom of expression and belief in an atmosphere of democracy and based on love, tolerance and mutual respect.

3. To underline the role of the religious leaders in supporting the spheres of constructive dialogue and condemning fanaticism thus spreading concept of understanding the other and opening up to his/ her culture.

4. To emphasize on the peaceful resolution of conflicts based on accepting the other as he/she is and keeping in mind that what is common between us is much more that separates us.

5. To support the joint initiatives that will spread the rapprochement, the social solidarity and the creative and sincere struggle for all humanbeings and every human being.

6. To tackle the points of divergence and resolve them in an effective manner that will preserve peace and strengthen social justice.

7. To highlight the youth commitment to peace building and to embrace the other because peace is build on the common grounds between Christianity and Islam and represents the transcendent value in both religions.

8. To condemn all the aggressive actions that are targeting the Iraqi and Palestinian populations and are aiming at uprooting them from their homelands and to support the process of reconciliation and national unity in Lebanon.

Finally, the participants expressed their gratitude to the president, the government and the people of the Arab republic of Egypt for their hospitality and for all the facilities that was provided by the Evangelical Faculty of theology in Cairo and have contributed to the success of the encounter.

Guirguis Saleh MECC General Secretary Cairo on 10/8/2009.1965

3Die Schlusserklärung des Symposiums 21./22. 3.2006 (Kairo)1966

SYMPOSIUM: LES DROITS DE L’HOMME ET SES DEVOIRS DANS LE CHRISTIANISME ET L’ISLAM

Le deuxième symposium de dialogue islamo-chrétien qui a réuni deux délégations: celle du ‘Forum Islamique International pour le Dialogue’, présidée par le Prof. Dr. Hamid Bin Ahmed Al-Rifaie, et celle du « Conseil des Églises du Moyen-Orient », présidée par M. Guirguis I. Saleh, Secrétaire Général du CEMO, s’est tenu au Caire (Egypte) du 21 au 22 mars 2006.

Le thème de ce symposium était: « La Religion, les Droits de l’Homme et ses Devoirs ». Deux études sur ce thème ont été présentées, l’une par le Prof. Dr. Hamid Al-Rifaie (point de vue de l’Islam – voir le texte dans la rubrique « Etude »), l’autre par M. Georges Nassif (point de vue du Christianisme) ont constitué la matière principale pour les échanges et le dialogue entre les participants. Soulignons que la séance d’ouverture du symposium a été présidée par S.S. le Pape de l’Église Copte Orthodoxe Shenouda III et le Grand Imâm Cheikh d’Al-Azhar Dr. Mohammad Sayed Tantawi.

Cette rencontre s’est terminée par la rédaction d’un communiqué final dont voici les points les plus importants:

1- La vie de l’homme et sa dignité sont un don de Dieu et non une faveur de quiconque.

2- Le respect de la vie de l’homme et de sa dignité, et l’inviolabilité de ses biens, en temps de paix comme en temps de guerre, car cela est un critère essentiel pour la sauvegarde des droits de l’homme et pour inciter celui-ci à accomplir ...

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• Cover
• Titelseite
• Impressum
• Inhalt
• Kapitel A: Die orthodoxen Kirchen im Dialog mit dem Islam – Koordinaten des Themas und dieser Untersuchung
• Kapitel B: Grundlagen für den interreligiösen Dialog der Orthodoxie mit dem Islam
• Kapitel C: Dialogereignisse unter Beteiligung der Orthodoxie und des Islam
• Kapitel D: Themen und Inhalte des interreligiösen Dialogs unter Beteiligung der Orthodoxie und des Islam
• Kapitel E: Zusammenfassung und Auswertung
• Verzeichnis der abgekürzt zitierten Literatur
• Verzeichnis mehrfach verwendeter Internetquellen
• Abkürzungsverzeichnis
• Anhang 1: Schlusserklärungen
• Anhang 2: Verzeichnis der wichtigsten interreligiösen Konferenzen
• Personenverzeichnis
• Sachverzeichnis