Category: Interfaith

Interfaith

Prophet Muhammad’s Covenant with Christians to be Destroyed with Destruction of St. Catherine’s Monastery

Dr. Craig Considine12 Comments

In the ancient monastery of Saint Catherine’s at Mount Sinai in Egypt, there is a covenant of Prophet Muhammad’s in which he guarantees protection and other rights to the Christian communities of his realm. But a retired Egyptian army general says he has filed a court case pushing for Saint Catherine’s to be demolished, thus…… Continue reading Prophet Muhammad’s Covenant with Christians to be Destroyed with Destruction of St. Catherine’s Monastery

Interfaith

Pope Francis and King of Jordan Oppose “Clash of Civilizations,” Call For “Culture of Dialogue”

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His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday held talks with Pope Francis at the Vatican, focusing on bilateral relations, peace efforts and issues relating to dialogue and Islamic-Christian coexistence, according to a Royal Court statement. During the meeting, the King voiced Jordan’s keenness on enhancing its relations with the Vatican as both sides are partners in…… Continue reading Pope Francis and King of Jordan Oppose “Clash of Civilizations,” Call For “Culture of Dialogue”

Interfaith

Christians & Muslims Stand Together Against New Forces of Extremism & Destruction

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Source: Catholic News Agency The Holy Land’s bishops have said that Christians and Muslims need to unite against extremism, stressing that people of all beliefs are at risk. “Christians and Muslims need to stand together against the new forces of extremism and destruction,” the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land said in an…… Continue reading Christians & Muslims Stand Together Against New Forces of Extremism & Destruction

Interfaith · Politics · Religion

John Andrew Morrow’s Spiritual Journey into Islam and the Life of Prophet Muhammad

Dr. Craig Considine10 Comments

This interview with Dr. John Andrew Morrow, Islamic scholar and author of the new book The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World (Angelico Press, 2013), is a follow-up to my review “New Book Sheds Light on Prophet Muhammad’s Interfaith Views.” In his response, Dr. Morrow brings us on his journey…… Continue reading John Andrew Morrow’s Spiritual Journey into Islam and the Life of Prophet Muhammad

Interfaith · Politics

The Pope: Christian and Muslim Refugees Must Share Their Belief in God

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

Just days after I wrote about Pope Francis’ speech on ending the “culture of indifference” towards Muslim refugees, the Holy Father emerged today with an equally powerful comment on how Christians and Muslims should lean on each other and share their belief in the “One God.” Vatican Insider reports that during a gathering at the…… Continue reading The Pope: Christian and Muslim Refugees Must Share Their Belief in God

Interfaith

What Studying Muhammad Taught Me About Islam

Dr. Craig Considine7 Comments

Published on Huffington Post Religion Muslims worldwide have recently joined together to celebrate Mawlid al-Nabi, the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. This day is an opportunity for Muslims and non-Muslims, such as myself – a Catholic – to reflect upon the life and legacy of the prophet of Islam. In this short essay, I want…… Continue reading What Studying Muhammad Taught Me About Islam

Interfaith

The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad

Dr. Craig Considine3 Comments

The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World by Dr. John Andrew Morrow claims that although there are theological differences between Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, Muslims are nonetheless advised by Muhammad to respect and embrace Christians and Jews. The covenants of the Prophet of Allah, as Morrow notes, paint a clear picture…… Continue reading The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad

Commentary · Interfaith

A Refutation of Robert Spencer’s Post on Professor Akbar Ahmed

Dr. Craig Considine22 Comments

Published on Loon Watch Robert Spencer, the administrator of the blog JihadWatch, is known for painting all Muslims as extremists. In a recent post titled “Akbar Ahmed, advocate of ‘dialogue,’ claims ‘Islamophobes’ are ‘linking Islam to violence, terrorism and intolerance,” Spencer argues that Professor Ahmed, the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University…… Continue reading A Refutation of Robert Spencer’s Post on Professor Akbar Ahmed

Interfaith

On Christmas, Christians and Muslims can unite under religious similarities

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

Source: USA Today By Ibrahim Hooper “Behold! The angels said: ‘O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him. His name will be Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and in (the company of) those nearest to God.'” Before searching for this quote…… Continue reading On Christmas, Christians and Muslims can unite under religious similarities

Interfaith · Religion

New Book Sheds Light on Prophet Muhammad’s Interfaith Views

Dr. Craig Considine24 Comments

No other leader in world history has been more scrutinized and ridiculed than Prophet Muhammad. Since the founding of Islam in 632 AD, Christians and Jews have described the Prophet of Allah as a blasphemer, bigot, terrorist, and pedophile, among other slurs. However, according to a new book The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the…… Continue reading New Book Sheds Light on Prophet Muhammad’s Interfaith Views

Interfaith · Quoted · Religion

The audacity of Pope

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Source: Huffington Post/Foreign Policy in Focus By John Feffer Pope Benedict caused a stir in 2006 when he quoted a Byzantine emperor’s unflattering description of Mohammed’s legacy as “evil and inhuman.” He subsequently apologized, but his views of Islam remained rather medieval. Pope Francis, by contrast, has immediately sought to repair ties with the world…… Continue reading The audacity of Pope

Interfaith · Religion

Guiding Jewish/Muslim Relations Through the Life of Maimonides, the 12th Century Jewish Scholar

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Maimonides did not think it was healthy for the soul to have “unbounded desires” which “is never stated with pursuing passions.” Referencing Jewish Holy Scripture (Koheles 5:9) he argued in The Guide that a person who has a covetous soul “will not be sated with all the wealth of the world.” Maimonides’ thought mirrors Rumi,…… Continue reading Guiding Jewish/Muslim Relations Through the Life of Maimonides, the 12th Century Jewish Scholar

Interfaith · Religion

Debating “Islam is a threat to the West”

Dr. Craig Considine3 Comments

As a proud Catholic American from Boston, Massachusetts, I recently participated in a debate hosted by the University College Dublin Law Society, one of the largest and most prestigious student societies in Europe. The proposition of the debate was “This House Believes That Islam is a Threat to the West.” Arguing against this proposition, I…… Continue reading Debating “Islam is a threat to the West”

Interfaith · Outreach · Religion

Salam and Salutation to Pope Francis

Dr. Craig Considine3 Comments

But Pope Francis was not taking a path outside his faith tradition. On the contrary he was reverting to its foundational principles. He is inspired by two figures above all – Jesus and Saint Francis; indeed taking the name of the latter after being elected pope. He has learned from them that Christianity in its…… Continue reading Salam and Salutation to Pope Francis

Interfaith

A thought on “the ink of the scholar…”

Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

“The ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr.” If you “like” this term, you are showing your appreciation for a core tenet found within Islam. The power of knowledge and the search for it must trump all violence and warfare. Jesus and all the prophets would agree with this…… Continue reading A thought on “the ink of the scholar…”

Interfaith

Powerful Passage on Interfaith Dialogue From Participant in PhD Thesis

Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

My PhD thesis, which explores the experiences of younger Pakistani men in Dublin, Ireland and Boston, USA, has several overarching themes which travel across both countries. One question I ask late in my interviews is “What do you think of interfaith dialogue?” In both cities, I have found that young Pakistani men are overwhelmingly proponents…… Continue reading Powerful Passage on Interfaith Dialogue From Participant in PhD Thesis

Film-work · Interfaith

Alternatives of “The Innocence of Islamic Jihad”

Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

Here we go again. The International Business Times reports: An anti-Muslim animated movie titled The Innocence of Islamic Jihad is set to be released on 4 July, US Independence Day. The film is being produced on the lines of earlier movies such as Innocence of Muslims and The Innocent Prophet, which created widespread unrest. The movie is directed by…… Continue reading Alternatives of “The Innocence of Islamic Jihad”

Interfaith · Religion

Christians Cannot Be Anti-Jewish or Anti-Muslim, Pope Francis Says

Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

Pope Francis continues to impress on the interfaith scene. His latest remarks on anti-Semitism among Christians should only strengthen the bonds between Christians and Jews. In a speech today in front of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, Pope Francis said that due to the common roots shared with Jews, “a Christian cannot be…… Continue reading Christians Cannot Be Anti-Jewish or Anti-Muslim, Pope Francis Says

Interfaith

Top Catholic American official calls Muslims “people of good-will”

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There’s a heart-warming story coming out of Rome about the head of a papal agency that gives help to Christians in the Middle East. According to Monsignor John E. Kozar, president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association and native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, “[t]he broad majority of Muslims are people of good-will.” Kozar claims that the…… Continue reading Top Catholic American official calls Muslims “people of good-will”

Interfaith

“The Golden Rule” is Central to the Teachings of Many Religions

Dr. Craig Considine3 Comments

If I missed a “golden rule” from another major religion, please leave it in the comment section so I can add it to the list. The picture above is Norman Rockwell’s “The Golden Rule,” which I also discussed in a post on a Pakistani Muslim friend of mine in Boston. Christianity: “All things whatsoever ye…… Continue reading “The Golden Rule” is Central to the Teachings of Many Religions

Interfaith

Finding Tolerance in Akbar, the Philosopher-King

Dr. Craig Considine4 Comments

By Craig Considine for Huffington Post Akbar the Great, ruler of most of South Asia in the 16th and early 17th century, rejected bigotry and made unprecedented moves to help non-Muslims feel at peace in his Mughal empire. In reflecting more closely upon his character and conduct, we can see how Akbar’s actions are antithetical…… Continue reading Finding Tolerance in Akbar, the Philosopher-King