Muslim, Catholic leaders reaffirm stand vs terror

Muslim and Roman Catholic Church leaders have reaffirmed their joint stand against terrorism following an interfaith dialogue held in Manila.

They also agreed there is a need to address social injustices to prevent further aggression in some Muslim regions.

The meeting was a result of efforts of Islamic and Catholic leaders to promote deeper understanding between the two religions through dialogues.

It was led by Dr. Mohammad Javad Vaziri Far, deputy head of Islamic Culture Relations Organization of the Republic of Iran, and Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME).

Representatives from both sides agreed to classify terrorism as "a form of aggression that is not similar to Jihad or holy war, which in some cases is justifiable."

"Terrorism and random violence that target non-combatants and the innocent are not allowed by Islam. It was acknowledged, however, that in every tradition some people may become fanatics when they perceive that justice cannot be achieved by peaceful means. They are misguided and must be educated, even if the situation is complex. Still, we should address the injustice and strive against violence," the panel said in a statement at the end of the dialogue.

During the dialogue, Muslim representatives presented a clear distinction between war and aggression as they pushed for better understanding of jihad, which literally means "to struggle for God" in Islam.

"Aggression is always wrong. War in order to impose ones religion upon another by force is wrong. A war of conquest is wrong. War as legitimate self-defense is correct, but should be regulated. Atrocities are not allowed by Islamic teaching," the Muslim panel stressed.

The Muslim representatives also noted that the Koran advocates forgiveness: "But if the systematic evil continues, forgiveness is not possible."

They also blamed some media organizations, saying they "unwittingly favor radicalism and fundamentalism when they equate Islam with automatic fanaticism."

The Christian panelists, for their part, lamented how the concept of a just war has become "untenable" in contemporary times.

Other panelists included Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali, interfaith dialogue expert from London; and Sister Lilian Curaming, of Stella Maris College in Quezon City.

The dialogue was also attended by some leaders of the country’s Catholic hierarchy: Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, vice president of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines; and Archbishop Fernando Capalla, former CBCP president. They were joined by House Speaker Jose de Venecia.

"We are all united in the fight against violence, terrorism and that we would like to make that known especially to members of our own religious communities," Ledesma told reporters.

Ledesma said they hope to make people around the world understand that conflicts in some Muslim regions and war-torn areas are not caused by differences in religion.

"These conflicts are really created by some people who use religion as convenient excuse to pursue their own selfish, or even political interests," he emphasized.