From the editor’s desk

Two faiths, one challenge

The symbolism of next week's inaugural meeting of the Catholic-Muslim Forum at the Vatican is likely to be as important as what is actually said. The public perception of religion is that it leads to trouble, especially between one religious or ethnic group and another. Indeed, in Iraq and Pakistan, Christians have had reason to fear for their lives from extremist Muslims who are, it must be stressed, acting in defiance of the teachings of their own faith. In Western Europe many Muslims have experienced discrimination and prejudice, and occasionally violence, not so much from anti-Islamic ideology as from sheer bigotry and racism. Yet in the Vatican next week leaders of the two faiths will stand side by side in mutual respect. One of them will be Pope Benedict XVI.

The theme of this first meeting, which was agreed last March, is "the Common Word", a reference to the fact that the scripture of both faiths place great emphasis on duty to God and duty to one's neighbour. This is the subject of discussion on the first day of the three-day encounter, which is to be attended by 24 scholars on each side. At first the Catholic side seemed resistant to the idea that the discussions should be theologically based. But once the emphasis shifted to the way faith has practical consequences, agreement on the agenda was reached.

The Muslim side has expressed the hope that the meeting would not be over-concerned with specific grievances, for instance the refusal to allow freedom of worship to Christians in some majority Muslim countries. That is of course a genuine issue, but a solution cannot be imposed. Nevertheless a climate of goodwill between Muslims and Christians worldwide could go a long way to ease this discrimination. It would demonstrate that Christianity is not per se a threat to the Muslim faith, and if different lessons are drawn from history, they are out of date. Many Christians, on the other hand, still see Islam as threatening; and have good reason to. The plight of Christians in some parts of the world is shocking. But the fact that so many leading Muslim scholars signed the so-called Common Word declaration, appealing to the Vatican to engage in dialogue in a spirit of peace and mutual respect, suggests that there is nowadays nothing to fear from mainstream Sunni Muslims who know their faith. The declaration was a response to Pope Benedict XVI's Regensburg lecture in 2006, where he seemed to link Islam with violence. The fact that it caused such a reaction is itself significant: if violence was at the heart of Islam its spokesmen would hardly deny it, let alone resent the insinuation.

Both Christianity and Islam have at times been ambiguous about violence, given that many parts of the world are Islamic, or indeed Christian, as a result of armed invasion and victory in battle. But expansion by force of arms has ceased to be acceptable in a civilised world. One step forward would be an exchange of apologies and a common declaration of commitment to peace and the common good. And a joint body to keep the relationship between the two faiths under review, intervening when difficulties arose, would be an enduring benefit. In Iraq and Pakistan especially, it would have its work cut out.