India: Course on Christian-Muslim relations includes visits to historic mosques

Jenith Xavier SJ

Arul Kadal, a Jesuit theological centre for formation located in Chennai, organized a two-week course focused on Islam and Christian-Muslim relations conducted by Joseph Victor Edwin SJ. This program included visits to two historic mosques in the city: the Walajah Mosque in Triplicane and the Thousand Lights Mosque in Royapettah. Further we engaged with Kombai Anwar, a documentary filmmaker, as well as Janab Asrar and his colleagues from the Centre for Peace and Spirituality, Chennai branch. These experiences provided significant opportunities for profound learning, dialogue, and reflection.

At the Walajah Mosque, a Sunni mosque, we participated in iftar, the evening meal that breaks the fast during Ramadan. The spiritual ambiance during iftar, coupled with the communal prayers that followed, fostered a sense of religiosity and a shared humanity within me. This sentiment was further enriched by the knowledge that a group of Hindus from the Sufidar Trust has been serving iftar meals to approximately 2,500 attendees for the past 40 years. I found great solace in the wisdom of those who strive to cultivate fraternal relationships in the face of narratives filled with hatred, intolerance, and division.

At the Thousand Lights Mosque, a Shia mosque, we had the opportunity to meet Agha Shabir, a Shia Imam, who shared insights into the beliefs and practices of Shia Muslims, who constitute about 15% of the global Muslim population. Despite observing the fast himself, Agha Shabir exhibited remarkable hospitality towards the visitors. In addition to learning about Shia beliefs and practices, I observed that Shia adherents approach their faith with a deep conviction and their readiness to suffer for faith and justice.

We had the opportunity to view Kombai S Anwar's insightful documentary, 'Yadhum,' which explores the culture of Tamil Muslims. Engaging in a focused discussion with Anwar regarding the lessons conveyed in the film, I came to understand that Islam can coexist harmoniously with various religions and cultures without compromising its core tenets, thereby enhancing the unity of humanity.

My discussions with Janab Asar and his colleagues from the Centre for Peace and Spirituality (CPS) allowed me to appreciate the narrative framework established by Maulana Waheeduddin Khan, the founder of CPS. This organization diligently strives to present Islam in a peaceful light while maintaining its fundamental truths about God and the human experience.

This course has led me to a clear conclusion: in our contemporary post-truth context, intensified by populism and societal polarization, there is a pressing need for a theological framework to guide our mission today. This mission must be firmly anchored in the belief in one Triune God and it should encompass the wisdom to acknowledge the divine presence within the sacred traditions of Islam, Hinduism, and other belief systems.