Shafaqna English– The International Journal of Advanced Academic Studies has published the paper “Interfaith dialogue: Its need, importance and merits in the contemporary world” written by Dr Abroo Aman Andrabi in 2020.
According to Shafaqna, the world is the place of origin of many faiths and has accommodated and nourished various religions. Today, when the world has achieved great technological progress and scientific achievements, it is shocking to state that people are making disputes in the name of religion. The only solution would be interfaith dialogue, which is mandatory if not dynamic, for everyone to have an understanding of different religions or belief systems.
The definition of interfaith dialogue, the need and importance for it are mentioned below.
- The history of interfaith dialogue is as ancient as the religions, since men and women have always tried to understand them. History records many instances of interfaith initiatives and dialogue throughout the ages.
- The interfaith dialogue, refers to an exchange among religious communities on issues of mutual concern, determines the ‘engagement of the world’s religious traditions around theological questions and their attempts to collaborate on questions of peace, human rights, economic and social development.
- The purpose of interfaith dialogue is to increase our understanding and respect for other religious systems and institutions, thereby increasing our appreciation of their values. Dialogue should increase our sensitivity to the feelings of all professing religious people in their relationship with God. Good dialogue should result in deepening of the faith of each participant.
- Interfaith dialogue is possible only when two convictions pre-exist in the participants. No participant is seeking to convert any other participant. The participants are persuaded of the inherent validity and integrity of all the faith groups involved in the dialogue and are persuaded that no group possesses total and absolute knowledge concerning the nature and works of God and human involvement with the Divine.
- Interfaith dialogue can be a great way to heal divisions in society. Social science research demonstrates that having a positive and meaningful relationship with someone of a different background and learning about their identity correlates to viewing that person’s entire group more favorably. The same logic applies with interfaith conversations. Interfaith dialogue is needed to strengthen the citizenship rights.
- Interfaith dialogue is becoming usual nowadays and several organizations are pursuing it considering inter-religious tensions in several countries. Increasingly, international governments have witnessed the need to understand religious sensitivities as a way to maintain international relations and cooperation with different states.
- Interfaith dialogue is an exercise of learning about those that are radically different from me and my community and learning to coexist with those who subscribe to different beliefs, customs, and perspectives besides my own. It also serves to reinforce my own faith identity. It is one thing to describe my beliefs to another person that already comes pre-wired with a set of similar vocabulary and understanding of social constructs to interpret what I am saying within similar parameters to how I myself perceive it.
- In spite of the differences in worship and theology, all religions share a common teaching that is peace. The interfaith dialogue provides strong foundations for a greater understanding of different religions in an effort to promote peace. Given the increasing influence of non-state actors in international relations, and their interpretations—or misinterpretations—of religion, it seems logical that through continuous and unified calls for peaceful coexistence, society can guarantee that acts of violence will not be misrepresented under the guise of religion.
- Interfaith dialogue demonstrates to the public how different faiths can live together in harmony without hurting or insulting each other’s instincts.
- Interfaith dialogue can be useful in removing the fear from the minds of the minorities who are oppressed and help them cooperate with the majority community in the field of development and prosperity of the nation.
Source: researchgate