"That which unites us is stronger than that which divides us."
This was the overarching message Tuesday night in a multi-faith panel discussion titled "Jihad and Crusade: Religious Perspectives on the War on Terror." The event, organized by Tze Yong Ng '05 and sponsored by 12 campus organizations, brought together religious leaders from the Protestant, Catholic and Muslim communities.
The three speakers - Bishop Ernest Boland, Imam Abdul Hameed and the Rev. John Holt - gave their views on how their religions interact with those of others.
Boland spoke of the 33 years he spent working alongside Muslims in Pakistan before his retirement and emphasized the common goals shared by Muslims and Christians during his time there. He recalled being asked to pray for Muslim patients in hospitals, and also a Muslim doctor who ministered to many of the area's poor Christians.
The practice of terrorism is antithetical to Islam, Hameed said, quoting the Quran's words that "there is no compulsion in religion." Islam means "to submit," he told the audience, and that submission must be willing. The best way to combat inter-religious tension is to know and take responsibility for one's own faith and acknowledge those of others, he said.
Holt addressed what he said were the underlying themes of both Christianity and Islam: the value of life, mercy, justice and peace. He stressed that too much attention is placed on differences and too little on similarities. If common goals and beliefs are the focus, he said, then people can come together and work harmoniously, rather than arguing over divisions between faiths.
Ng came up with the idea for the panel with the help of a local Muslim leader. Ng said he wanted to bring to campus Muslim and Christian perspectives other than the antagonistic view the mainstream media perpetuates.
His goal was to use the statements of the three leaders to make a powerful statement that Christians and Muslims are actually in agreement about a good many things and "don't need to fight," Ng said.
Tamilla Mamedova '07, the vice president of the Muslim Students Association, helped organize the event. She said she thought it would be powerful to see three leaders with the same message in spite of their differences.
Ng said he wanted to bring a more complicated understanding of religion to campus.
Nathan Schneider '06, who assisted in organizing the event as the Catholic representative, said he felt the most important message of the discussion was "the importance of knowing where you're coming from and taking responsibility for your own faith."
