The Words of the Halsey Family
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The Words of the Halsey Family |
Dispassionate exegesis of the more sensational passages of the Islam's most holy book was the focus of a thinkers' conference on Dec. 5, 2010 in Dallas co-sponsored by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) and the American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC.)
The Qur'aan Conference was held from 3 -- 6 P.M., Sun., Dec. 5, 2010 at The Unity Church in Dallas. Its purpose was to demystify current myths about The Qur'aan and Islam that have caused suspicion, doubt, and malice toward Muslims. The event was organized and moderated by Mike Ghouse, founder of The Foundation for Pluralism and one of the most active Ambassadors for Peace in the Dallas area.
The session opened with prayer and the national anthem as well as the Pledge of Allegiance. There was a strong sense of inclusiveness and respect for all, as well as a sense of the importance of the United States as a nation of religious freedom and constitutional principle that supports all communities freely practicing their faith.
ACLC and UPF were only two of the five sponsors. In addition to about 150 attendees, the event featured a wide array of distinguished panelists, including the Reverend Michael Jenkins, president of the ACLC, two other Christian ministers, four Muslim Imams, a Sikh representative, a theology professor, an activist with an interfaith council, a Mormon, a spiritualist, and a Texas State representative.
The focus of the event was to discuss 14 so-called "evil passages" from The Qur'aan that have been used by the media and others to misrepresent Islam as an evil religion.
Time constraints only permitted the discussion of 7 of the 10 verses narrowed from nearly 30 problematic verses. They were the following:
1) "Slay the idolaters wherever you find them;"
2) "Don't let idolaters tend the sanctuaries. Their works are in vain and they will be burned in the fire;"
3) "Give tiding of a painful doom to Christians and Jews;"
4.) Fight the disbelievers and hypocrites. Be harsh with them;"
5) "don't make friends with Jews and Christians;"
6) "Beat your wife if she does not listen to you;" and
7) "not the path of those who went astray like Christians or those who earned your wrath like Jews".
Six panelists each read the three sentences preceding the so-called evil passage and the three sentences following it. With the help of the Imams, who provided the historical background and contextual framework, each panelist and members of the audience were able to understand the true meaning of the passages, and the result was that the implications of the passages were not what they are sometimes made out to be in the media and in the blogosphere. It makes a difference to see and read the passage rather than go by what is dished out in the market.
The consensus of the panel as to why the passages were considered evil was five-fold:
First, some of the passages were taken out of their historical context and incident specific and did not apply to current times.
Second, some of the translations have words inserted into them that are not in the actual Arabic version of The Qur'aan and had been purposely falsified to advance the agendas of right-wing Muslims and Christians to suit their political agendas.
Third, some of the passages had nothing to do with current "cultural" practices by Muslims, such as stoning adulterers, killing non-believers, and interfaith marriage. The fact is, there is no verse in the Qur'aan requiring stoning the adulterers or going on a killing spree. In addition, Muslims were given the permission to marry people of other faiths and without the requirement that the spouse convert.
Fourth some of the passages took on an "evil" connotation because of the inability of Muslims to understand the passages themselves and a reluctance to explain them to non-Muslims.
Fifth, some of the passages were given a pernicious interpretation and circulated by a few right-wing Muslims and right-wing Christians in order to spread chaos and fear and to thwart the building of a cohesive and peaceful society.
The conference demonstrated that there have been malicious insertions that have incited hatred of Christians and Jews, when in fact the original Arabic did not have such references. This was a startling fact and important to realize that the correct translations of the Quran must be promoted not only by the Muslim believers but by all who support interfaith.
Rev. Jenkins read a passage from Leviticus 20:9 which states "For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death." He said, "Clearly this scripture was calling for a punishment that was most severe, and Judaism has moved beyond this into a new age, How do Islamic leaders deal with the call for severe punishment of the adulterer?"
Imam Sheikh replied that the punishment described in the Qur'aan for adultery is flogging, not stoning, and requires four witnesses. "And we will not compromise or modernize this teaching," Imam Sheikh added. Rev. Jenkins then asked, "So how would it be applied in Dallas?" The Imam said that "We are guided by the Qur'aan to respect the law of the land and therefore this cannot be applied."
Rev. Jenkins observed, "I see that it is not being literally applied in many Islamic countries where the law of the land is linked to the Qur'aan. I think what we are seeing is that the interpretation of the Qur'aan by the Islamic scholars and religious leaders is critical. If one comes from Al Azar University in Egypt there is a much broader approach to respecting other faiths and engaging in dialogue, whereas the Wahhabi school would yield a more literalist approach. What I can see from today is the importance of religious dialogue and the broader interpretation of the Qur'aan based on Raqman or grace and understanding that I have seen in my travels in Jordan, Lebanon, Jerusalem and Ramallah, which are deeply engaged with the West."
The engagement of religious experts was magnificent. Rev. Petra Weldes explained that there is a "golden thread" that is common in all the scriptures and therefore when we focus there we can really strengthen our relationships. Pastor George Mason, of the Wilshire Baptist Church shared his opinion that "we as religious leaders are grappling with the application of scriptures today on all kinds of moral issues and I see our Islamic friends dealing with interpretation and application in the same way. This is very good to see and I'm encouraged by this discussion today."
Mike Ghouse's format of using an open forum of panelists and responses from the audience to discuss the most egregious complaints and criticisms of Islam proved to be an effective formula for bringing about understanding and hope. There was a discernible unity of mind and spirit among the attendees and panelists.
That's why in the view of several attendees this event was a resounding success.