How can we move past racism and religious intolerance and move toward the promotion of peace and solidarity?

Why Islamophobia is so dangerous

What is the issue?

In this article, it states as to how Islamophobia has become a worldwide issue that has only gotten worse. It gives multiple examples in which articles and news reports give negative light to those of Islamic belief. This article focuses on how Islamophobia is being promoted more and is creating a mindset of them vs us. This can be very toxic for today's society when it comes to community relations. Nearing the end of the article, it states how we must start the trend of understanding and put a stop to the hating and demonizing of Muslims.

Dialogue of Everyday Life

What message are you trying to get across?

At this conference, I am trying to focus on how racism first started long ago, around the 15th century, and has still remained a major issue in today's world. Usually, major issues such as racism and discrimination are able to get solved over the years. However, with this issue specifically, it has only gotten worse. I am trying to spread the idea of interreligious dialogue and incorporating ground rules within one's everyday life in order to solve this worldwide phenomenon. Not only can ground rules and interreligious help with this but moral upbringings can also help with solving this issue.

Incorporation of the 4 Ground Rules

To ensure that we do not let this worldwide conflict get any worse, we must live our life by incorporating the 4 Ground Rules for living together.

#1: Respect the faith and religion of others- We must be able to understand the different roles that faith plays in an individual's life. We must be able to appreciate the sacredness of faith that is not our own and be able to develop an understanding as to why it is important as well. By doing so, we are spreading the idea of understanding and appreciation, not hate or judgement. By living by this rule, we are able to bring the phobia of other religions to a halt.

#2: There is no neutral stance- We also must be able to learn and understand that everyone has a starting point and a personal stance on faith. Even if they are not the same to ours, we must not hate and discriminate them for it. Having this stance affect how we view the faith of others. By enforcing this stand upon ourselves and future generations, we will be able to stop the racism and racial discrimination against the cultures and religions of others.

#3: The truth in other religions- By understanding that religions hold sacred truth for each of their followers then we will be able to put a stop to this never ending conflict. For example, each of the Abrahamic faiths believe in a different founder of their truth. The Muslims have Allah and the Christians have Jesus. We cannot simply force the truth of other religions to change because we do not believe in the same truth. All 7.6 billion people on this earth have different truths and we must learn to accept and cherish that. These differences are what makes us special and unique; not something meant to be hate on until it disappears.

#4: Accept the importance of religion- The hatred and discrimination of races have gone from harsh words to mass events of violence. We see different forms of violence around the world everyday and we must learn that this is not a result of faith and religion but people. This means that if a war involves two certain faiths and religion, it wasn't the cause of the faith and religion but the thoughtless thoughts and actions of human beings. The most basic teaching for all religions is the promotion of peace and social justice. If we understand this and live by it, the growing of hate and discrimination will surely stop.

Conclusion: By using these 4 ground rules, the act of Islamophobia will decrease greatly. The reason why Islamophobia has become such a large issue is because certain people are unable to understand and enforce these rules in their lives. They live off the hatred and discrimination and believe that only their beliefs and actions are right and everything even remotely different is wrong.

Solidarity, mutual understanding, and respect

If we come together with other religions and faiths and take the time to truly converse with one another about our differences, we will be able build a deeper understanding about why we should appreciate them instead of hating them. This is very alike the meeting that Pope John II held with the different religious leaders around the world. Involving ourselves with different dialogues, it will allow us to appreciate not only our cultural and religious differences but identification differences as well (what you identify as). In the article, not a single type of dialogue was used except for dialogue of action. This is evident because a reporter is expressing how continuing to promote Islamophobia can be very dangerous. This will create a large division society and make it a lot more difficult to create and cherish community relations. The article is expressing the importance to such hatred as it will eventually lead to a very dangerous society and end

Quotes

This negativity is framed within the construct that Muslims are dangerous people and creates a "them vs. us" mentality that can be highly damaging for community relations.

Now is the time for action to reverse this trend, and as Mehdi Hasan suggests, "sanctions for dishonest and demonizing press coverage of Muslims" might be one way to ensure that we start to see a balanced coverage that does not demonize or stereotype Muslims.


Multiculturalism, Acceptance, Tolerance and Ecumenism

M: the presence and/or support of various cultures and ethnic group within a society

A: the action of being suitable to be submitted within a group

T: the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behaviour that two parties may not necessarily agree on

E: the principle or aim of promoting unity among the world's Christian churches

Dialogue of Theological Exchange

How can religious leaders take part in serious intellectual dialogue in order to understand each others religious traditions, way of life and spiritual values?

Religious leaders around the world taking part in serious intellectual dialogue would influence religious followers all around the world to do the same with others. If they are able to see how the religious leaders (considered to be the closest relationship with their God) are willing to appreciate and understand other religions, then this will influence them to do the same. Doing so will put a halt to the growing hatred against other religions such as Islamophobia.

Similarities between religions

  1. all abrahamic religions are monotheistic, show devotion through prayer, essential pairing of male and female, adultery is forbidden, forbids premarital sex, masturbation, and homosexual acts, promotion of peace, promotion of social justice, promotion of love, compassion, and acceptance

The 7 dimension that Ninian Smart created had the purpose of focusing on how these dimensions of religion vary in importance. These dimensions all play a major role in religion in general. Ninian Smart created these dimensions to avoid defining religion all together as a way to emphasize the aspects that will always be present in religion. For example, rituals will always be a part of all religions. Rituals are a way for the followers to show their devotion and love to their God.

All of these aspects explained below show how there should be no reason to discriminate other religions because they all promote the same basic teaching of peace, social justice, and respect. Not only that, these similarities are what should unite us and unify us as a whole community; not what divides us.

  1. there are also the "10 Commandments" in which are listed in the Holy scriptures. Though they may not be listed under those specific names, they all have the same essential teachings.

The New Testament: 10 Commandments

The Old Testament: The Beatitudes

The Quran: The 5 Pillars of Islam

Verses

1 Peter 3:9-11: Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.*

2:193: You may also fight them to eliminate oppression, and to worship GOD freely. If they refrain, you shall not aggress; aggression is permitted only against the aggressors.”

*Psalm 34:15: Shun evil and do good, seek amity and pursue it.*

Dialogue of Religious Experience

How can people from different religious traditions come together to share in their spiritual rituals and activities to develop a deep appreciation of other religions and a deeper appreciation of our own faith?

Followers from different religions can participate in meetings organized by their religious leaders and engage in dialogue with one another to gain a deep understanding and appreciation of other religions as well as their own faith. When participating in dialogue, they should feel content and understanding that the different religion of the opposite party allows the individual to happily lead their life by following the teaching of their religion. Knowing that a religion other then their own can have the same effect on others as it does on themselves. This is a blessing that should be appreciated, not hate on. To be able to have a wide variety of religions to believe is a beautiful thing that we are able to choose from birth. Being able to follow that specific religion without being discriminated against and hated on is something even more beautiful that we as the human race has yet to achieve.

The Bible

The Quran

The Torah

Ninian Smart's Dimensions

As mentioned before, the dimensions of religion that Smart came up with was not made to define religion as a whole but rather focus on the dimensions that it's made up of and the importance that they each hold.

Doctrine: this dimension shows how each religion has a system of doctrines. This is a belief about the nature of the divinity and relationship that humans have with this reality. It also holds the central belief and creed that originated from a certain experience.

Example: the Holy Trinity for Christians

Ethical: the set of rules of guidelines that each tradition has. they are moral teachings that specify what is good and what is evil. These rules stem from moral teachings that guide us on our behavior in the living world.

Example: the 10 commandments in the Bible

Material: These are physical things such as architecture, statues, and locations that hold religious and spiritual meaning because they represent or manifest the sacred or supernatural.

Examples: The Catholics have the crucifix and the Ganges River in India holds special and spiritual meaning to Hindus

Examples of Events that they can go to:

The World Day of Prayer for Peace

WE Day

Dialogue of Action

What do I do now to promote peace in the world with members of other religions for the well-being of humanity?

We as a family on earth can promote peace in the world with followers of other religions by engaging in dialogue with one another. By doing so, we are letting down our wall of ignorance and allowing newfound appreciation and understanding to fill our minds. We are able to introduce ourselves to the beautiful differences that allow us to develop love and compassion instead of hatred and violence. We will be able to understand that these differences are not hideous aspects of others but instead beautiful aspects that make each and every one of us unique. By constantly hating and discriminating against other religions and races, we are slowly diminishing the wonderful world that our ancestors built up for us. For the well-being of humanity, we must set aside our hateful beliefs and start turning them into reasons as to why we should love one another.

Like the article about Islamophobia, by constantly sending hatred towards a religious group, we are turning the current society into a more and more dangerous place to reside in. We must stop labeling our articles and newscasts with words that send hate and instead, promote ways that we can create and send peace. The mindset of labeling and judging is a mindset that we must crush because it is clearly turning the world into a terrible place to live.

Relating back to the article, by gathering the individuals of different religions together, we can crush the hate against religious groups. Something such as Islamophobia will no longer be an issue and will also put a stop to the spreading of hatred and start a journey towards peace.