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Closing Religious Chasms
By Victoria Morphy, Missouri
One of the first things you see when you enter Reverend Brian Cox's study is a lithograph by Israeli artist Abel Pann of Cain slaying Abel. Cain is looking at his brother lying on the ground and the expression on his face seems to say - ‘what have I done?' "Every time I look at that lithograph, it reminds me why I do what I do," said Cox.
Cox is the Senior Vice President for Dispute Resolution Training for the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy in Washington D.C. Needless to say, he has seen vestiges of the Cain and Abel story all over the world - most especially in the world's toughest neighborhoods where he works reconciling hostilities between all nationalities of 'brothers and sisters' who have carried out vengeful violence against each other.
"Bridging the chasm between Muslim and Judeo-Christian cultures has been a huge challenge since Sept. 11th when many in the United States and the West were introduced to Islam for the very first time. This first impression caused many Americans to believe that Islam is a violent religion, and that Muslims are violent people. While that is not true, Sept. 11th posed significant barriers to reconciliation." -Victoria Morphy
Perhaps Pann's litho has been Cox's God-directed inspiration - for he has done what few politicians, diplomats and wars have been able to do - change people's hearts and minds. Bringing people of disparate religious faiths together in hot-zones like Kashmir where intractable conflicts such as the one between Kashmiri Muslims and Kashmiri Hindu Pandits, has been the core of Cox's work.
When over 400,000 Pandits were driven out of Kashmir in 1989 by Kashimiri Muslims, deep resentment and brutal revenge set in. Through faith-based reconciliation, Cox got Muslim leaders to meet with Pandit leaders and ultimately guided both camps to become reconcilers.
"It's a very powerful witness when you realize these were men who carried guns across the Pakistani-Indian line of control and were now committed to working for reconciliation in the community."
But bridging the chasm between Muslim and Judeo-Christian cultures has been a huge challenge since Sept. 11th when many in the United States and the West were introduced to Islam for the very first time. This first impression caused many Americans to believe that Islam is a violent religion, and that Muslims are violent people. While that is not true, Sept. 11th posed significant barriers to reconciliation. "[Culturally] Muslims are seen as an alien presence on American soil," said Cox.
But an attitudinal barrier also exists, Cox said, which hampers assimilation between Muslims and non-Muslims even amongst religious leaders. Indeed, Cox has run into stiff resistance from religious groups, like Christian-Evangelicals, which were not interested in taking the time to relate to Muslims. "Many said, unless I can convert them, I'm not interested in really spending the time," he said.
On the other hand, the Muslim community hasn't helped itself become part of the American fabric. "Many [Muslims] cluster in communities and wear garb that would definitely set them off in terms of their identity which puts them outside mainstream culture," said Cox. "People have to be willing to assimilate into the predominate mainstream or they're not regarded as one of us."
And while America might offer the best opportunity for religious Muslims to assimilate into mainstream culture, Cox believes it is incumbent upon them to learn about how best to live in the country of their choice. This will not be easy for a variety of reasons.
Muslim leaders must work to help eradicate a growing stigma and Cox suggests three options: "They can complain and not change anything. They can conduct a public relations campaign in an attempt to present a more positive Islamic image or they can actively work towards reconciliation." That kind of reconciliation, according to Cox, would come from some sort of demonstration that they want to join American culture and be loyal citizens. To date, many Americans remain unconvinced.
Real progress also hinges on American leaders assuming responsibility by implementing a paradigm shift. "Reconciliation doesn't happen because you talk about it," he said. "You have to translate ideas and principles into actual programs. As a former Kashmiri militant leader once told me - ‘It's not enough to take the gun out of a man's hands you have to change the ideas that are behind the gun.'" The best way to do that, Cox said, is to provide a more compelling alternative.
That compelling alternative is faith-based reconciliation which is grounded in the idea of the sovereignty of God - which is what militant Islam is grounded in. And although Muslim extremists use faith as a tool for global conquest, faith based reconciliation can transform that faith into a force for healing. "If you're focusing on transforming hearts and minds, I don't think that any military option is going to ultimately be effective"
Currently Cox is working on initiatives that will help change the paradigm in the US. One such program is to be conducted on American college campuses between Christian and Muslim students. By demonstrating the younger generation's intolerance with intolerance he hopes that religions leaders will begin to recognize that reconciliation is very possible. Students will be able to ask each other questions about faith and resolution. The eight step process has yet to be implemented but Cox is confident that this new focus will help create change.
The question remains, however, what if there is another terrorist attack on American soil? For many this might cause a new president to become trigger happy to prove his toughness. Cox believes if this occurs it will only trigger a heightened need for reconciliation and a more serious focus on opening hearts and minds.
