“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Our world has always been plagued with the darkness of prejudice. This seemingly unescapable intolerance is passed down from generation to generation and manifests itself in many different forms. Currently, the most prominent forms of prejudice are racial and religious. It is easy to see how these two types of hatred came about when one considers that prejudice is simply a “preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience” (New Oxford American Dictionary). It is human nature to fear the unknown; however, this fear becomes a bias when one fails to shed light on what is unfamiliar and continues to live in darkness. Simply put, prejudice is fueled by ignorance and the only solution is to gain understanding through knowledge.
In “A Common Word Between Us and You,” the Muslim authors take steps to gain knowledge about Christian ideas in order to better understand the people that they have been at odds with. The information these authors collected and organized reveals similarities within the core beliefs of these two major religions; as it turns out, Muslims and Christians are not so different. In fact, the document states: “The Unity of God, the necessity of love for Him, and the necessity of love of the neighbor is thus the common ground between Islam and Christianity” (“A Common Word Between Us and You”).
The writers motive for this work is clearly stated within the first paragraph: “The future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians” (“A Common Word Between Us and You”). They argue that peace is possible if people are willing to learn about the common ground between them and through this gain a mutual respect for one another will be acquired. The authors reenforce their argument through corresponding quotes from both the Holy Qur’an and the Bible; and simultaneously deal with any of the reader’s preconceptions by following each quote with an explanation of what the words actually mean to the people of each faith.
The explanations provide accurate information to bridge the gap of uncertainty between the two religions. The Muslim authors reveal to their Christian readers the true meaning of some of the words of the Qur’an in order to illuminate their understanding of the Islamic faith. The authors also made their own attempt to understand the main ideas of Christianity. Through this dual enlightenment, the document begins to bring both Christians and Muslims out of the darkness and into a state of mutual respect and better understanding of one another.
Considering that the common word between Islam and Christianity is Love, unjustified hatred should not be the driving force that tears their people apart; love is the key and the only way to end the hatred. Both religions are commanded by their one God to love Him and to love their neighbors. Due to the understanding gained through the knowledge of these shared commandments, there is hope that the hatred and prejudice, that afflicts the two great religions of Islam and Christianity, will one day be extinguished.
I completely agree with you! I think that most hatred comes from ignorance. People make way too many assumptions about others and base their opinions about what they hear. Many religions have a common belief to love their neighbors. In my experience that is the first rule that people forget. I believe both of these letters are making huge steps in the right direction and have pulled really great evidence to back their claim. I hope the conversation stemming from these letters continues and I hope other religions continue to get involved. Knowledge and conversation are the most effective ways to achieve peace.
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