On Tuesday November 5, 2024, the Centre hosted a Christian-Muslim ‘Scripture reasoning’ roundtable discussion with scholars from Al-Azhar University. Participation on the Muslim side was led by Dr. Iman Ayad, lecturer at the Faculty of Islamic Studies within the German Language department, in Al-Azhar University and Dr. Ismail Abdallah, head of the Department of Islamic Studies in Foreign Languages, within the Faculty of Languages & Translation at Al-Azhar University, and the Christian scholars side was led by Archbishop Mouneer and Dr. Matthew Anderson of the Centre.
The topic of the roundtable centered on the treatment of neighbors as called for by both faith traditions, with a reading of relevant scriptural texts and discussions amongst attendees with time allotted for open questions as well.
Scriptural reasoning provides the chance for friendly and open interfaith dialogue, and was a fruitful and insightful endeavor. The method is a tool developed to facilitate and deepen interfaith understanding, typically also including a Jewish perspective in the full inclusion of all Abrahamic religions, in which time is spent discussing scriptural texts from each side followed by a discussion on what the passages mean both for the faith traditions and the individuals participating.
This tool aims to promote a culture that values genuine active listening to truly understand and appreciate “the other”, to build genuine sustainable and inclusive peace, effectively combating exclusion, prejudice and hatred of the “other”.
