Alternatives
Lasting peace between religious and non-religious groups can be achieved by ___________________ [fill this in yourself].
Muhammad
Even as the fingers of the two hands are equal, so are human beings equal to one another. No one has any right, nor any preference to claim over another. You are brothers.
--Final Sermon of Muhammad
Do not turn away a poor man...even if all you can give is half a date. If you love the poor and bring them near you...God will bring you near Him on the Day of Resurrection.
--Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1376
Shared steps toward the peace agenda in Western Mindanao
There is a culture of violence on the island of Mindanao, with continuing conflict between Muslims and Christians. The global specter of violence and fear has assumed personal dimensions in our city. Terrorism has become the buzzword.
We began by asking: Who is the enemy? Who/ What ARE we? What can we do? Would cries for peace still make sense? Through it all, as both groups tried to keep their heads above the water, many lessons have emerged.
1. The common ground is where there is faith in and a living experience of a God of life, justice and love. Peace involves: Respect for human rights; Dynamic interest in current “burning” issues; The option for vulnerable / marginalized sectors; and Sharing in the proactive search for solutions
2. There is value in having a core of members whose passions for peace remain on high gear and whose continued presence and work lead both groups to keep afloat.
3. The dialogue moves into the non-verbal, even psychic. The partnership has not had to be limited to theological or philosophical conversations about Islam or Christianity. Investing in the friendship and being able to nurture the good relationships has become the antidote to the loss of confidence and interest.
4. Respect and sensitivity to the other, openness, appreciation for work, and having the opportunity of sharing in the overall peace effort become the rule when suspicions of being “used” passed away.
5. There is power in a call to peace that is seen in Muslim-Christian cooperative work. This has really been nurtured by the meetings of little groups where - in the lake of freedom and intimacy - people have bared themselves without fear of ostracism, and even in joy.
The island of Mindanao, population 2.8 million, was granted autonomy form the Philippines in 1975. It is a “vast green crab in tropic waters, stretching out an irritated claw after a school of minnows skipping off in the direction of Borneo."
Ecumenism: “A movement seeking to achieve worldwide unity among religions through greater cooperation and improved understanding.”
“This messenger of peace must have equal regard for all the principal religions of the earth....He must, therefore, possess a knowledge of the general principles of the different faiths professed in the country.” Mohandas Gandhi, Harijan, 1938.
Parliament of World Religions
The Parliament of World Religions is an interfaith conference first held in Chicago in 1893, and held in 2004 in Barcelona, Spain. The next conference is planned for 2009.
The mission of the Council is to cultivate harmony between the world’s religious and spiritual communities and foster their engagement with the world and its other guiding institutions in order to achieve a peaceful, just, and sustainable world.
Join at http://www.cpwrglobal.net. Members are asked to make a ‘simple and profound commitment’ to perform an act of social justice.
Sufism
Fasting is only the saving of bread. Formal prayer is for old men and women. Pilgrimage is a worldly pleasure. Conquer the heart-its mastery is conquest indeed. The Sufi Law of Life requires:
Kindness to the young
Generosity to the poor
Good counsel to friends
Forbearance with enemies
Indifference to fools
Respect to the learned.
--Sheikh Abdullah Ansari
Elements of spiritual practice
Remember your glimpses of the eternal
“In every man’s life there are moments when there is a lifting of the veil at the horizon of the known, opening a sight of the eternal. Each of us has at least once in his life experienced the momentous reality of God. Each of us has once caught a glimpse of the beauty, peace and power that flow through the souls of those who are devoted to Him.. To some people they are like shooting stars, passing and unremembered. In others they kindle a light that is never quenched. The remembrance of that experience and the loyalty to the response of that moment are the forces that sustain our faith.” Abraham Heschel
Self-suffering
“If you want to help, give not from your abundance but until it hurts. Make a sacrifice.” Mother Theresa
Attention to minute activity
“Learn to bake bread with that quality and you will be a spiritual being. It is part of the most minute activity. When God made time, he made plenty of it-an infinite amount. You’re trying to limit something which is infinite, and to spend something which is finite.” Satish Kumar
Overcome the ‘strange lethargy’
“I tell you truly that, as I strive more with this strange lethargy and trance in myself, and awake to the meaning and power of life, it seems daily more amazing to me that men such as these should dare to play with the most precious truths.” John Ruskin
The core of religions
“There are some of God’s servants who approach God via the Koran. There are others, the more elite, who come from God only to find the Koran here and realize that it is God who has sent it.” Rumi, Signs of the Unseen, chap. 26, page 119
Religions belong to us all. All religions are our heritage and birthright. We should have access to these common storehouses of wisdom, whether or not we accept the traditions and dogmas that are associated with them. There can be no exclusive possession of matters that are fundamental and universal. Wisdom cannot be possessed and should not be hoarded.
We stand on crutches, afraid to take a single step on our own. The truth is pouring into us, but immediately dilutes and freezes. We do not need these crutches. We can view the whole panorama: the trivial and the harmful, the bigoted and the violent. Unencumbered, with direct access to reality, we can perceive things as they are.
The core of religion contains no authority, tradition, ritual, leaders, idolatry, exclusivity, or rewards. It is the opposite of all these. It is possible to disavow all of these dogmatic elements, without rejecting the central truths which we can find in an existing religion. By fearlessly renouncing all of these inessential and sometimes divisive beliefs, we reach the starting point of understanding. Understanding begins with humility.
See http://www.huzanity.org for more info
Peacemaker Community
“The purpose of the Peacemaker Community is to create a more peaceful world in which all beings sense with joy the underlying mystery and unity of life, acting with compassion toward each other and all life; see with open hearts and minds when there is suffering, and act with compassion to heal that suffering. To accomplish this purpose, our mission is to create a global, multi-faith community of peacemakers committed to the integration of spiritual practice and social action....” http://www.peacemakercommunity.org
See Interestingevents.org for resources on classes, retreats and events on spiritual issues.