As the national conversation over the appropriateness of building a mosque near the former World Trade Center continues to unfold during this year’s Islamic season of Ramadan, some interesting observations concerning Roman Catholic history of discrimination and a Vatican statement on how Muslims and Catholics can help overcome violence in the world have come to the fore.
One of the important issues arising from the controversy over the construction of the mosque is the view of many, epitomized by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s description that the attempt of the “radicals to triumphantly prove that they can build a mosque right next to a place where 3,000 Americans were killed” touches upon both issues of prejudice and violence.
Others contend that religious communities have a constitutional right to build their houses of worship here in the United States without interference from any interest group. It should be mentioned that there is also a middle group who supports the right of religious groups to build houses of worship but who oppose the placement of this particular mosque near the “ground zero” spot in New York City. To which supporters counter that the proposed building will not be built within view of the former World Trade Center but is to be built six blocks from the nearest of the two towers destroyed in 2001.
Georgetown University theology professor Chester Gillis contends this controversy mirrors some of the opposition that Roman Catholics experienced for more than 100 years here in the United States. Professor Gillis is the dean of Georgetown College and the founding director of the program on the Church and Interreligious Dialogue within the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs. Putting the issues of political, philosophical and even zoning arguments aside, Gillis contends that the core of the problem is an anti-Muslim sentiment coursing throughout the country based in misconceptions and xenophobia.
In 1853 an angry mob viciously attacked the cathedral in Cincinnati, and churches right here in New Jersey and other states were attacked the following year. A priest from Maine was dragged from his church, robbed, tarred and feathered. Some churches in Ohio were blown up and convents burned in Massachusetts and Texas.
“The neophytes in society are always on the outside,” Gillis said. “With Catholics, people feared they would have loyalty to a foreign power, the Holy See.” With Muslims, he added, people fear a possible connection to an Islamic government or to a terrorist organization. Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York noted that “as Catholics, we ourselves are somewhat touchy about this issue because in the past we have been discriminated against.”
Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, released a message last week to mark the end of Ramadan on or around Sept. 20. He made note of the problem of violence plaguing people of different religions throughout the world. He said that some of the root causes of this violence comes from “the manipulation of religion for political or other ends; discrimination based on ethnicity or religious identity; and divisions and social tensions; as well as ignorance, poverty and underdevelopment.”
He said that Muslims and Catholics must work to promote “mutual forgiveness and reconciliation for a peaceful and fruitful coexistence; to recognize what we have in common and to respect difference as a basis for a culture of dialogue; and to recognize and respect the dignity and rights of each human being without any bias related to ethnicity or religious affiliation.”
Countries should seek to enact laws that guarantee the fundamental equality of all people and a philosophy of education in homes, schools, churches and mosques that promote respect, dialogue and fraternity, Cardinal Tauran wrote. “Thus we will be able to oppose violence among followers of different religions and promote peace and harmony among the various religious communities,” he said.
Let us reach out to our Muslim friends in this country to learn more about them and their religious teachings, so that we can as the cardinal says live together as Catholics and Muslims in “peaceful and fruitful coexistence,” and stand against senseless bigotry and violence.
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”