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Overview
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have similar traditions and are deeply connected. The prevailing belief and practice of each is monotheistic, and all believe that God revealed Himself to Prophet Abraham, the cornerstone of the three faiths.
In Children of Abraham, author Tallal Alie Turfe, a champion for religious tolerance, explores the Scriptures, common histories, traditions, and similarities among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He is a strong advocate of interfaith dialogue that offers the chance for better understanding, collaboration, and partnership toward a safer and peaceful world. Children of Abraham offers solutions toward fostering a deeper sense of unity by bringing the followers of the three faiths together to bridge the gap and build connections across religious and cultural differences.
“The author has compiled a wonderful collection of data driven facts as well as thoughtful religious views to help 21st Century followers of Abrahamic religions understand and respect each other….”
Rabbi Emeritus Allen S. Maller, Temple Akiba
“A must read by those who are in a position of influence such as Rabbis, Pastors, Imams, and other religious leaders. Children of Abraham provides a period of dialogue without imposition or conversion….”
Father Dr. George H. Shalhoub, St. Mary Orthodox Church
“Professor Tallal Turfe has eloquently written and thoroughly portrayed the commonalities between the Abrahamic religions. Children of Abraham will inspire followers of these faiths toward the common cause of peace, tolerance, ethics, and mutual respect….”
Imam Abdul Latif Berry, Islamic Institute of Knowledge
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781475990478 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | iUniverse, Incorporated |
| Publication date: | 07/19/2013 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 282 |
| File size: | 564 KB |
Read an Excerpt
CHILDREN of Abraham
UNITED WE PREVAIL, DIVIDED WE FAIL
By Tallal Alie Turfe
iUniverse LLC
Copyright © 2013 Tallal Alie TurfeAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4759-9045-4
CHAPTER 1
Champions of Interfaith Trialogue
In the course of history, champions of peace and solidarity have risen to the occasion of speaking out in America. They have articulated a sense of understanding and compassion for the traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Following are excerpts of presentations or statements made by some of those champions, who have espoused tolerance and interfaith trialogue as they acknowledge the three Abrahamic faiths:
Champions of Interfaith Trialogue in America
Jewish Americans
• Congressman Howard L. Berman
• New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
• Rabbi Amy Eilberg
• Dr. Yehezkel Landau
• Rabbi Allen S. Maller
Christian Americans
• Joseph L. Cumming
• Cardinal William Henry Keeler
• Former Senator John Kerry
• Dr. Joseph V. Montville
• President Barack Obama
Muslim Americans
• Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf
• Dr. Mahmoud Ayoub
• Imam Yahya Hendi
• Imam Hassan Qazwini
• Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed
Rep. Howard L. Berman Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs 110th US Congress, Washington, DC
Rep. Howard L. Berman and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, offered an amendment to H. Con. Res. 374, sponsored by Rep. Zach Wamp and cosponsored by Rep. Keith Ellison et al. The amendment was supported by the Senate, and the following concurrent resolution passed the House of Representatives on September 23, 2008:
Supporting Christian, Jewish, and Muslim interfaith dialogue that promotes peace, understanding, unity, and religious freedom.
Whereas interfaith dialogue among Christians, Jews, and Muslims is a powerful way to bridge the chasms of mistrust and misunderstanding that can divide adherents to the three Abrahamic faiths;
Whereas a number of important initiatives to enhance interfaith dialogue have been launched in recent years;
Whereas in 1997, the Three Faiths Forum was founded in London and has focused on "improving understanding between the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities";
Whereas in 1998, the Foundation for the Three Cultures of the Mediterranean was founded in Seville, Spain, by former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, and King Hassan II of Morocco, with the objective of promoting cooperation between Christians, Jews, and Muslims;
Whereas in 2005, King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan launched the "Amman Interfaith Message" in order to "establish full acceptance and goodwill" between Christians, Jews, and Muslims;
Whereas in 2007, 138 Muslim scholars, leaders, and activists sent a letter to numerous Christian leaders expressing their support for peace, harmony, and goodwill between Christians, Jews, and Muslims;
Whereas in 2007, the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land was founded "to advance [the] sacred values [of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism], to prevent religion from being used as a source of conflict, and instead serve the goals of just and comprehensive peace and reconciliation";
Whereas the Vatican has announced that the Pope intends to address a Catholic-Muslim summit of religious leaders in November 2008;
Whereas interfaith dialogue has the potential to inspire men and women around the world to appreciate the common values shared by adherents of different religions, thereby strengthening the bonds of respect, cooperation, and tolerance against the forces of radicalism, extremism, and hatred;
Whereas these initiatives provide an opportunity to elevate the voices of people of faith who, often at risk to themselves, advocate for peace and understanding, courageous positions too often drowned out by radical extremists; and
Whereas unity among leaders of different faiths is a powerful weapon to fight intolerance, marginalize extremism, and defeat the agents of terrorism: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that—
(1) the United States supports the spirit of peace and desire for unity displayed in initiatives of interfaith dialogue among leaders of the three Abrahamic faiths;
(2) the United States further supports additional meetings of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religious leaders aimed at greater dialogue between the religions;
(3) the United States encourages the many people of faith around the world who reject terrorism, radicalism, and extremism to join these and similar efforts in order to build a common bond based on peace, reconciliation, and a commitment to tolerance; and
(4) the United States appreciates those voices around the world who condemn terrorism, intolerance, genocide, and ethnic and religious hatred, and instead commit themselves to a global peace anchored in respect and understanding among adherents of the three Abrahamic faiths.
Amend the title so as to read: A resolution supporting Christian, Jewish, and Muslim interfaith dialogue that promotes peace, understanding, unity, and religious freedom.
New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Remarks Delivered at Governors Island, August 3, 2010 New York, NY
"Defending Religious Tolerance: Remarks on the Mosque near Ground Zero"
... New York City was built by immigrants, and it is sustained by immigrants—by people from more than a hundred different countries speaking more than two hundred different languages and professing every faith.
We may not always agree with every one of our neighbors. That's life and it's part of living in such a diverse and dense city. But we also recognize that part of being a New Yorker is living with your neighbors in mutual respect and tolerance. It was exactly that spirit of openness and acceptance that was attacked on 9/11.
On that day, 3,000 people were killed because some murderous fanatics didn't want us to enjoy the freedom to profess our own faiths, to speak our own minds, to follow our own dreams and to live our own lives.
Of all our precious freedoms, the most important may be the freedom to worship as we wish ...
This morning, the City's Landmark Preservation Commission unanimously voted not to extend landmark status to the building on Park Place where the mosque and community center are planned ... The simple fact is this building is private property, and the owners have a right to use the building as a house of worship.
The government has no right whatsoever to deny that right—and if it were tried, the courts would almost certainly strike it down as a violation of the US Constitution. Whatever you may think of the proposed mosque and community center, lost in the heat of the debate has been a basic question—should government attempt to deny private citizens the right to build a house of worship on private property based on their particular religion? That may happen in other countries, but we should never allow it to happen here. This nation was founded on the principle that the government must never choose between religions, or favor one over another.
The World Trade Center Site will forever hold a special place in our City, in our hearts. But we would be untrue to the best part of ourselves—and who we are as New Yorkers and Americans—if we said "no" to a mosque in Lower Manhattan.
Let us not forget that Muslims were among those murdered on 9/11 and that our Muslim neighbors grieved with us as New Yorkers and as Americans. We would betray our values—and play into our enemies' hands—if we were to treat Muslims differently than anyone else. In fact, to cave to popular sentiment would be to hand a victory to the terrorists—and we should not stand for that ...
On September 11, 2001, thousands of first responders heroically rushed to the scene and saved tens of thousands of lives. More than 400 of those first responders did not make it out alive. In rushing into those burning buildings, not one of them asked "What God do you pray to?" "What beliefs do you hold?"
The attack was an act of war—and our first responders defended not only our City but also our country and our Constitution. We do not honor their lives by denying the very Constitutional rights they died protecting. We honor their lives by defending those rights—and the freedoms that the terrorists attacked ...
Muslims are as much a part of our City and our country as the people of any faith and they are as welcome to worship in Lower Manhattan as any other group. In fact, they have been worshipping at the site for the better part of a year, as is their right.
The local community board in Lower Manhattan voted overwhelming to support the proposal and if it moves forward, I expect the community center and mosque will add to the life and vitality of the neighborhood and the entire City.
Political controversies come and go, but our values and our traditions endure—and there is no neighborhood in this City that is off limits to God's love and mercy, as the religious leaders here with us today can attest.
Rabbi Amy Eilberg Cofounder of the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center San Francisco, CA
"Awake to Life's Pain, How Could We Hate?" Posted on StarTribune, June 1, 2011
Fifty-some religious leaders gathered last night at Masjid Al-Rahman, the Muslim Community Center in Bloomington, to cultivate relationships with one another across religious divides ...
The event was convened by a remarkable coalition: the MN [Minnesota] Council of Churches, the Greater MN Evangelical Association, the MN Rabbinical Association, the Jewish Community Relations Council, the Islamic Center of MN and the Islamic Civic Society of America. The goal was to bring religious leaders together to deepen relationships with one another, to contemplate the upcoming tenth anniversary of September 11th, and to consider the role of religious leaders as the anniversary approaches.
There were many beautiful moments: colleagues of different religions and races greeting one another as old friends, others engaging in spirited and full-hearted communication with new friends, and many scenes of small groups of people leaning toward one another in engrossed and lively conversation. The spirit of openness to learning and gracious desire to know "the other" was palpable. We were of the whole world, and what a world it would be if it were characterized by such deep desire to connect, to learn, and to grow.
The imam and the host mosque taught that the diversity of Creation reflects God's desire that people of different "nations and tribes," religious and ethnic communities, come to "know another," to compete with one another only in righteousness (Qur'an 49:13). One rabbi shared that his memory of the Nazi Holocaust moved him to vow that he would not stand idly by as Muslims were targeted for discrimination and hate. We all received many eloquent blessings and moments of inspiration from around the room, from across the religious spectrum ...
After months of planning, it was my deep joy and pleasure to co-lead the gathering with my colleague and friend, Rev. Dr. Tom Duke, of SPIN, the Saint Paul Interfaith Network. But just before the event was to begin, I received a text message ... that my friend had lost his 25-year-old daughter to suicide. I had listened to my friend talk for years about his gifted daughter's struggle with depression, keenly aware that she was roughly my daughter's age.
The news took my breath away. I felt weak and disoriented, wondering how I would recover my focus and do my job as coleader of an important gathering. As people began to arrive, my energy returned, and the evening's many moments of joy and hope nourished my spirit ...
It was wonderful to spend the evening in such a powerful circle of good will and hope before descending fully into the reality of my friend's pain. I asked myself once again what the world might look like if we could more often remember the pain and fragility of those around us, and allow human compassion to direct our words and our actions. What would it take for us to ground our lives in the truth of human frailty ...
Dr. Yehezkel Landau Faculty Associate in Interfaith Relations Hartford Seminary, Hartford, CT
"Jewish-Muslim Relations in the 21st Century" Posted on State of Formation, March 5, 2012
... Following the traumatic events of September 11, 2001, the outbreak of the second Intifada, and the war in Iraq that began in 2003, I coauthored a public statement with my Palestinian-American friend and colleague, Imam Yahya Hendi, who serves as the Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University. We called on "our fellow Jews and Muslims to join forces with concerned Christians to transcend this cycle of death and destruction." In our joint statement, we asserted:
Jews and Muslims should be spiritual allies, not adversaries. Any student of comparative religion knows that Judaism and Islam are as close to one another as any two faith traditions can be ... It is only in the past hundred years that the conflict over the Holy Land, whether called Israel or Palestine, has engendered competing nationalisms and the violation of basic human rights affirmed as sacred by all three faith traditions. The conflict has also undermined the historic cross-fertilization of these traditions ...
Both communities, guided by wise leadership, need to overcome longstanding prejudices and resentments. Each tradition has sacred teachings that can be enlisted to build bridges of respect, reconciliation, and cooperation. Wise religious leadership consists of identifying those teachings and educating both peoples in that spirit. There will be no political peace in the Middle East without a spiritual underpinning reconciling Jews and Muslims. At this critical moment in our history, with heartbreaking suffering and loss on all sides, we need to be inspired by the Divine light that shines forth from the Qur'an and the Torah. They both affirm life, not death. They both teach compassion, not callousness or hatred. They both call for a richly diverse human family under the sovereignty of the One God.
Rabbi Allen S. Maller Former Spiritual Leader of Temple Akiba, Culver City, CA Past President of Southern California Association of Reform Rabbis
"A Jewish Rabbi Learns from Prophet Muhammad" Posted on Khutbah Bank, July 22, 2012
... God's Messenger is so well known for his sense of justice that a Jew can appeal to him even in a conflict with a Muslim who has attacked a Jew. It is only natural for Jews to think that Moses is the best and for Muslims to think that Muhammad is the best. Muhammad rebukes the Muslim, telling him not to claim that Muhammad is superior to Moses, because even on the day of resurrection, Muhammad himself will not know their relative merit ... Muhammad teaches us that claims of religious superiority are wrong ...
As a Reform Rabbi, I can state that all Reform Rabbis would applaud this teaching of Prophet Muhammad because we are all aware that during the Middle Ages all three religions claimed religious superiority over each other. If Jews, Christians, and Muslims had only followed this teaching of Prophet Muhammad, we could have avoided many centuries of bloodshed and massacres, three of the best known examples being the many Christian Crusades in Spain, Poland, and the Middle East; the Roman Catholic Inquisition in Spain and Portugal; and the thirty-year war between Catholics and Protestants in Germany and central Europe.
The Qur'an is the only book of revelation that includes within itself a theory of prophethood that includes other religions ... Of the twenty-five mentioned by name in the Qur'an only four (Moses, David, Jesus, and Muhammad) revealed books of sacred scripture that are the bases for three religions that still flourish today ... The Qur'an declares, "Mankind! We created you from a single male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other [and not despise each other]. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted" (49:13).
Most Americans would be amazed to hear such a liberal and tolerant statement coming from a religion that they think is rigid and fanatical, but the politicized Islam that has captured so much attention in the world today is not true Islam. It is the outgrowth of two recent factors. One is anti-Western reaction and scapegoating due to the great dislocations and upheavals occurring in Muslim societies as a result of the globalization taking place in all modernizing societies in the twentieth century. The second factor is the result of several previous centuries of socioeconomic decline in the Middle East. Jews and Christians have already had reforming and modernizing movements that have helped them break out of the narrow rigidity of the Middle Ages, but Muslims have not ...
(Continues...)
Excerpted from CHILDREN of Abraham by Tallal Alie Turfe. Copyright © 2013 Tallal Alie Turfe. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse LLC.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Tables and Figures.................... x
Preface.................... xi
Acknowledgments.................... xiii
Children of Abraham: A Poem.................... xv
Introduction.................... xvii
Part One: Children of Abraham: United We Prevail....................
1 Champions of Interfaith Trialogue.................... 3
2 Origins of the Abrahamic Faiths.................... 27
3 Beliefs.................... 35
4 Messages of the Prophets.................... 59
5 Principles and Practices.................... 81
6 Misunderstandings.................... 97
7 Virtues.................... 131
Part Two: Children of Abraham: Divided We Fail....................
8 Threats to the Abrahamic Faiths.................... 151
9 Implications of Losing the Faith.................... 173
Part Three: Children of Abraham: Prescription for Unity....................
10 Winning the Unity.................... 187
11 A Call for Interfaith Trialogue.................... 207
Epilogue.................... 217
References.................... 221
Subject and Name Index.................... 235
Scripture Index.................... 253