Put collective faith into action
ON April 27, the day when as a nation we celebrated 27 years of liberation from centuries of colonial rule and apartheid oppression, the Ahlulbait Mosque in Ottery collaborated with the Roman Catholic Church in Cape Town in launching the Platform for Theological Dialogue and Practical Ethics.
This initiative stemmed from the historic meeting between the leaders of two great faiths, His Holiness Pope Francis and Grand Ayatollah Sistani in Najaf, Iraq, earlier this year.
The meeting and the launch of the platform are significant in emphasising peaceful co-existence between people of different faiths, backgrounds and traditions.
At the launch of the platform, those in attendance were addressed by various faith leaders. Dr Rashied Omar, Imam of the Claremont Mosque – which is well known for its valiant efforts during the anti-apartheid struggle, and more recently its strong stance on issues of social justice – addressed those assembled regarding the nature of interfaith dialogue.
He referred to the dialogue of life, of action, of theology and of spirituality. The latter two dialogues are in a sense the reserve of religious leaders and scholars, as they involve comparing and contrasting concepts of each particular faith on the one hand, and experience of the divine on the other.
Imam Rashied said that it was in respect of the dialogue of life and action that South Africans had a rich history. He used an example of a Muslim person taking some food to non-Muslim neighbours during the month of Ramadaan, as well as the united efforts by leaders and members of different faith traditions in the struggle against apartheid.
While recognising the history of members of different faiths in the dialogue of faith and action, it is in this area, too, where the greatest potential lies for our various religious communities to play a critical role.
This role envisages faith communities acting as catalysts in building social cohesion in a more united South African society, as well as making significant inroads in tackling the many challenges which we face as a nation. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the deep divide which exists between those who live in abject poverty and the very wealthy. Also, the economy of the country is not in a healthy state, and as a result any attempt by the government to extend social relief programmes will result in it having to cut spending in other critical areas.
While most faith traditions have exemplary track records in providing social relief, this is generally unco-ordinated at best and parochial at worst. Interfaith dialogue has great potential to assist in this regard. Most major faiths have networks of churches, mosques, temples, synagogues and other places of worship which span the country. Harnessing these networks would result in a considerable contribution to assisting in providing for basic needs. Various religious communities co-operating with each other could, for example, quite easily result in them collectively providing for one warm meal a day in a particular geographical region.
This is but one example of myriad opportunities which interfaith dialogue may provide. Interfaith dialogue can play a central role in combating the many new challenges which continue to beset our society.
Faith communities ought to be at the forefront of crime-fighting initiatives and providing input into policy formulation. There is no doubt that corruption at all levels of society has become the new enemy. Faith communities are uniquely placed to make a meaningful contribution here, too.
Interfaith dialogue, if taken seriously will not only allow the religious sector to reclaim its rightful place in society, but contribute meaningfully to nation building, social cohesion and a realisation of the dreams and aspirations of all our people.