Universal common good

Mohamad Bashar Arafat, the president of the Islamic Affairs Council of Maryland, has said he believes Pope Francis acts as all truly religious leaders should: reaching out with respect for the human person and being open to dialogue.

Arafat, a Syrian who has lived in America for more than 20 years, compared the Pontiff to Islam’s Sufi mystic theologians and poets, “trying to do good for the sake of the Good One, motivated by love and compassion.” Read more »

PAS leader Mujahid Yusof Rawa today vowed to continue with the Christian-Muslim dialogue that he has initiated, saying the Quran encourages such engagement.

He told reporters he had no qualms about defying individuals or groups opposed to the initiative, even though some of them were claiming to be from PAS.

Mujahid is a member of the PAS Central Committee and the MP for Parit Buntar. Read more »

An Episcopalian priest has made headlines in the UK and India by opening the doors of his Scottish church to Muslims for prayer.

The Rev Isaac Poobalan allowed Muslims to use St John’s church in Aberdeen for prayer after he saw worshippers praying “on a bitterly cold day” outside a nearby mosque because it was too small to accommodate them.

Up to 100 Muslims now pray in the main chapel at St John’s every Friday – and the church hall is being converted for the exclusive use of Muslims. Read more »

Worldwide, more than eight-in-ten people identify with a religious group.

A comprehensive demographic study of more than 230 countries and territories conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life estimates that there are 5.8 billion religiously affiliated adults and children around the globe, representing 84% of the 2010 world population of 6.9 billion. Read more »

The Malaysian Bar Council was today conferred with the United Nations (UN) Malaysia Award, during ceremonies marking the UN’s 67th anniversary.

The UN Malaysia Award was presented in recognition of the Malaysian Bar Council’s many years of invaluable, courageous and creative work in advancing the cause of democracy and human rights in Malaysia. Read more »

The XIII Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelisation began its second week of deliberations on the Transmission of the Christian Faith in today’s world.

On Saturday, the synod fathers were treated to another short film from YouTube, a four year old, fear-mongering presentation of statistics attempting to show how Islam is conquering Europe and the rest of the world. Read more »

A delegation of about a dozen Pas representatives made a courtesy call to new Penang Diocese Bishop Sebastian Francis at his office at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit yesterday to congratulate him on his recent appointment.

The Pas delegation comprising mainly Penang Pas representatives was led by Parit Buntar MP Mujahid Yusof Rawa.

Also present were College General seminary rector Fr Gerard Theraviam and Cathedral parish priest Fr Bernard Paul. Read more »

The man who handles the Vatican’s relations with other religions, especially Islam, is French cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran.

This great diplomat who was advisor to the Apostolic Nunciature in Beirut during the war and more importantly, Secretary for Relations with States, returned from the Pope’s recent visit to Lebanon enthusiastic about Benedict XVI’s words on relations with Muslims. Read more »

Al-Azhar University has expressed its gratitude to the Vatican for its appeal for respect of the faith, sacred texts and important symbolic figures of all religions.

The prestigious Cairo-based Sunni centre of Islamic learning made this response through an interview with Mahmoud Azab, the advisor to the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Interfaith Dialogue. Read more »

The Chinese authorities have retaliated against and punished the courageous new bishop of Shanghai, Thaddeus Ma Daqin, hours after he declared publicly, during the July 7 ordination ceremony, that he would no longer hold any position in the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA).

The CCPA was created by the Beijing Government in the late 1950s to control the Catholic Church in the mainland, but Benedict XVI stated clearly in his 2007 letter to Catholics in China that this association is “incompatible” with Catholic doctrine. Read more »