Calls for Interfaith Dialogue: News Roundup |

When Islam is in the headlines, unfortunately it often involves discrimination, bullying or just general Islamophobia. But last week gave us some promising steps in the right direction with an interfaith convention in Geneva, Obama’s visit to Indonesia and rulings in Oklahoma and Georgia.

Read on for last week’s news roundup.

Interfaith convention

Following the Oct. 31 attack on a Catholic church in Baghdad that killed 58 Christians, 64 Christian and Muslim leaders convened in Geneva last week for a high-level interfaith dialogue on transforming their communities and building peace between the two groups.

After the 4-day convention, the group announced its plans to form a “joint anti-crisis response working group” that will be mobilized “whenever a crisis threatens to arise in which Christians and Muslims find themselves in conflict” (Christian Post).

They said:

“Religion is often invoked in conflict creation, even when other factors, such as unfair resource allocation, oppression, occupation and injustice, are the real roots of conflict…The basis of our faiths, as expressed in the call to get to know each other and the two commandments to love God and to love the neighbor, provide a solid ground for our common responsibility to act and address common concerns" (Religion News Service).

Obama in Indonesia

President Obama visited Indonesia and renewed his call for improved relations between Muslims and the west, emphasizing the need to focus on “expanded cooperation across a broad range of areas, from science to education” (New York Times).

Sharia law in Oklahoma

A federal judge temporarily barred the Oklahoma Election Board from certifying a voter-approved amendment that would prohibit state courts from considering Sharia law when making decisions. Muneer Awad, the Executive Director of the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations filed the suit saying the amendment was unconstitutional and publicly condemned Islam as a “threat to Oklahoma.” The judge will review the case again after both parties have time to file briefs (NewsOK).

Cemetery for a Georgia mosque

A City Council in Lilburn, Georgia voted to amend its zoning laws so a local mosque could build a cemetery. 70 people filled City Hall for the vote, many of them to oppose the change. This ruling came a year after the mosque’s congregation applied for rezoning to build the cemetery and was denied, and then filled a religious discrimination suit (AJC).

And a few more stories from around the web:

Religious Accommodation Makes Waves Inside Higher ED

Atheist Groups Promote a Holiday Message: Join Us NYTimes

Holy healers and the polio campaign Washington Post/On Faith

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