By Roy Sanford, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
FORMER HEAD of The Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches Reverend John Mbiti has said that the war in Iraq is expected to have little effect on the international religious landscape.
There have been concerns among some religious leaders that the war could have devastating effects between the largely Moslem Middle East and the largely Christian west. In a press release dated February 27, 2003, the East Jerusalem YMCA likened the war to the Crusades, which had a great impact on the relationship between Christians and Moslems. "The war, God forbid, if it happens will be viewed as but another Crusade," the press release said. "The Crusade of 1,000 years ago caused greater harm to the Christian communities than the Moslems. This war (Crusade) will bring an end to the Christian presence in the birthplace of our faith."
The Council of Churches of the Middle East and Europe also warned against the effect of the war on the relationship between Christians and Moslems. "We caution against the potential social, cultural, and religious as well as diplomatic long-term consequences of such a war," the organisation said in a release dated February 5, 2003. "Further fuelling the fires of violence that are already consuming the region will only exacerbate intense (religious) hatred, strengthening extremist ideologies and breeding further global instability and insecurity."
FRAMEWORKS
However, Rev. Mbiti disagreed saying that Christianity and Islam do not have the necessary instruments and institutions in place to turn the conflict into a religious one. "I don't think the world's major religions have the necessary instruments in place to turn this conflict into a religious one," he told The Gleaner in an interview. He added that there are no institutional structures within Christianity and Islam for such an occurrence. "There are no institutional structures or frameworks within these religions for major religious conflicts," he noted. Drawing on his experience of working with diverse religion Rev. Mbiti, who is Professor of Extra-European Theology at the University of Berne in Switzerland and who was in Jamaica last month for a series of lectures, said that the similarities between the two religions are too great for religious conflict. "When I speak to people, who are Moslems and Christians on a personal level I don't see any major tensions that would cause any problems between them," he noted. He pointed out that since it is the nature of religion to work for peace the likelihood of a major conflict is non-existence. "I think it is the duty or nature of religion to work for peace rather than for war," he remarked. "If anything the major religions are attempting to find peace despite difference between them and that alone is an indication that we won't see any major religious conflict."
Rev. Mbiti did point out however that there is a possibility that religious fanatics might take advantage of the conflict and attempt to use to their advantage. "It takes only one person to do something stupid," he said. "But I repeat that such actions won't result in any major conflicts."
Rev. Mbiti has been an Anglican priest for 40 years. He was born in Kenya and has ministered in his homeland, Uganda, England, the United States, Germany and Switzerland. He was the Director of the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches for six years. He has also worked for almost 20 years promoting dialogue between the Reformed Church of Switzerland and the Anglican Church.
