Ijtihad Network Being Wise and Faithful Muslim in the Contemporary World
This publication presents case studies on interreligious action, highlighting specific approaches and tools that Catholic Relief Services staff members created and the networks they helped forge.
They address shortcomings as well as successes and delineate lessons garnered from everyday experience. They also point to the many challenges on the horizon, such as finding ways to better employ religious resources in the pursuit of peace; linking community-level attitudinal and behavioral changes to broader social and religious transformation; effectively addressing personal traumas and prejudices; and fostering women’s and young people’s leadership in and through their religious communities.
On April 26, 2017, Catholic Relief Services released a book examining Muslim-Christian peacemaking around the world. The publication looks at case studies from six countries including Serbia, Kenya, Egypt, and Philippines. Introducing the panel discussion at the event for the release of the book, Dr. Tom Bamat reminded attendees that Muslim-Christian relations have not simply been defined by conflict, but also by cooperation. In a number of the contexts examined in the book, Muslims and Christians have positive relationships and regularly interact in their daily lives; they don’t perceive themselves as separate communities. Dr. Atalia Omer and Dr. Ayse Kadayifci-Orellana both highlighted the ways that Islamophobia and Orientalism often figure into discussions of ‘religion and peacemaking’ or ‘religion and violence’ in Washington, D.C. They also questioned the notion that religion alone is the source of conflict or peace. All the panelists, including Andreas Hipple, emphasized the importance of broadening perceptions of religious leadership to include young people and women in peacebuilding efforts.
Bibliographic Information
Title: Interreligious Action for Peace: Studies in Muslim-Christian Cooperation
Editor: Tom Bamat, Myla Leguro, Neil Bolton and Atalia Omer
Publisher: Catholic Relief Services
Language: English
Length: 112
Pub. Date: April 2017
Click Here to Download the Book
