English version
By Shamsi Ali Al-Nuyorki
Perhaps among the many Muslim figures involved in interfaith dialogue, I might be one of those at the forefront. Interfaith dialogue wasn't very popular or developed before the 9/11 tragedy. However, that humanitarian tragedy changed the way we view and interact with different religious communities. Everyone realized the need to build harmonious relationships among people of different faiths. I'm one of those who experienced that transformation.
I still remember the first time I approached a church, Sunnyside Queens New York, a church located not far from Al-Hikmah Mosque, a mosque built and managed by Indonesian Muslims in New York City. The relationship I built with this church was the initial step in all my interfaith movement. Simple, but it opened my eyes and reshaped my old perspective on human relations.
My approach to Sunnyside Church was driven by the realization that we now live in an open and connected world. Most of our neighbors are friends who are different from us, including in terms of religion and beliefs. This made me more aware of the need to re-read verse 13 of Surah Al-Hujurat about "ta'aruf" or mutual understanding. It emphasizes that ta'aruf should not only be among Muslims but among all people, which is why the verse starts with the call "an-naas" (O mankind).
The peak of the change in my perspective and many others was when the 9/11 tragedy occurred. That painful event exposed a reality that human "ignorance" towards each other is so deep. Therefore, efforts are needed to reduce this ignorance and even eliminate it if possible. That's when I rose up and made various efforts to improve and strengthen interfaith relations.
When the 9/11 incident happened, perhaps because of the perception that the perpetrators were Muslims from the Middle East and South Asia, my office was actually involved in many major events post-9/11. One of them was accompanying President GW Bush on his first visit to Ground Zero. Only one Imam was invited: Imam Pasha from Harlem and myself.
I also represented the Muslim community at the interfaith prayer service for America at Yankee Stadium. That's where I started introducing myself to major religious figures, including Christians, Catholics, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs. Many were interested, partly because I looked different as a Muslim and Imam. The general perception in the West is that Muslims are from the Middle East or South Asia. However, I was different from what they perceived.
That did not discourage me from my commitment to building relationships with various religious communities, including Christians, Catholics, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs. Some were open and receptive, while others responded with skepticism. There are two reasons why they were skeptical. The first was a doubt in their minds if Muslims could build good relationships with others. And the second reason was that I was still seen as not representing mainstream Muslim communities.
Gradually, acceptance improved and expanded. I've built dialogue and relationships with almost all segments of the Christian community. However, with Catholics, there were challenges due to hierarchy in leadership. With the Jewish community, the Palestine-Israel issue cast a shadow. But continued my efforts and succeeded in opening wider doors, including with Catholic and Jewish communities.
Early on, as an Imam at the Islamic Center of New York, I was involved in many interfaith engagements, two of such are most prestigious. First, I served on the board of NYC Partnership of Faith, an organization of senior religious leaders in New York City. Second, I represented Islam in a trialogue (Islam, Christianity, Judaism) every Thanksgiving Day at Marble Collegiate Church on Fifth Avenue. Three religious leaders - Pastor Arthur Caliandro, Rabbi Peter Rubinstein, and I - would dialogue publicly on a variety of issues.
Interestingly, in my journey to build relationships and dialogue with Jewish leaders in New York City, I was accepted by almost all Jewish sects: Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox. Meanwhile, they can't build dialogue or religious relations among themselves. The only thing that can unite almost all segments of the Jewish community is Israel. This reminds me of Zohran, who can be a unifying factor for the Muslim community with all its diversity in New York City.
At the end of 2004, when Pope John Paul II passed away, I was invited by CBS News for an interview about the relationship between the Islamic and Catholic communities. That's where I met Rabbi Marc Schneier, a prominent Rabbi in New York City. We weren't close due to mutual suspicion, but eventually, we met again and agreed to build dialogue and cooperation in combating Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism. That's the foundation of our dialogue and cooperation. Regarding Palestine-Israel, we agreed to "disagree without being disagreeable".
In short, Rabbi Schneier and I traveled the world, including Europe and Asia, promoting the importance of dialogue and cooperation to combat Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. We even co-authored a book titled "Children of Abraham: Issues that Unite and Divide Jews and Muslims". Former President Clinton wrote the introduction, and it's been translated into seven languages.
With this, I just want to remind all my interfaith dialogue partners that my commitment to dialogue and cooperation is not superficial or arbitrary. This dialogue and cooperation are built on the foundation of love, humanity, and universal justice. But when humanity and justice are undermined or trampled, I will rather distant myself from any dialogue.
Therefore, let's build honest and open dialogue and cooperation to jointly foster humanity and compassion, and uphold the dignity and justice for all people. All humans, with all their diversity, are one universal family. Let's leave behind racial arrogance, and even arrogance in the name of religion. Only then will dialogue and cooperation happen for a safer and more peaceful world.
Director of Jamaica Muslim Center & President of Nusantara Foundation.