by Adèle Brodeur

Adèle Brodeur is assistant director of the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism

Ce document est aussi disponible en français : Rencontre et dialogue.

Dialogue among individuals and groups of different ancestry, language, religion and culture is essential to the harmonious building and development of our multicultural society. This issue examines dialogue between people of the Christian faith and of the Muslim faith. It is called: "Encounter and Dialogue". It highlights one of the necessary conditions for a fruitful dialogue: the encounter of partners who choose to communicate as much by listening as by speaking in their quest to learn about the other, to learn with the other.

In this encounter, as brothers and sisters of the great human family, we take the time to be together, we can express the wrongs and pains we harbor, we feel welcomed by the other for who we are and not just who he or she would like us to be ... in his or her image.

We enter into this encounter courageous enough to admit our prejudices and so doing, to banish the unvoiced reticences which reveal not well thought-out positions, but more often, unfounded clichés.

This encounter between Christians and Muslims enables us, first of all, to discover the other in all his diversity and meaning, so that afterwards we may be reconciled and we may greet each other as brothers and sisters. Reconciliation opens us to a renewed understanding of each other. We, Christians and Muslims, become hope-bearers at the heart of our society.

In this issue, Gregory Baum's article on the Catholic Church's position of solidarity with other world religions, makes us aware of the theological questions that are central to interfaith dialogue.

In another vein, Sami Aoun considers our "multicommunity" society and the ensuing need of engaging in a dialogue that is both intrareligious and intracultural. Tariq Ramadan writes for the Muslim community. He analyses the identity question as well as the question of affiliation with the Muslim community, considering that this community is interactively involved with the society where it is established.

Samaa Elibyari explains a fundamental practice of Islam: the zakat, almsgiving. We learn what is meant by zakat and Samaa informs us of the current problems faced by our Muslim brothers and sisters living in Canada to observe their almsgiving obligation. Yamina Lakmache reacts to the negative perception of Muslims by Western society and insists on the importance of a true encounter between the two communities where we can openly discuss the values we hold dear.

In our regular columns, Alain Gignac, a Christian participant in the Christian service to commemorate the Yom Hashoah, writes of our need for conversion, for a change of attitude towards our Jewish brothers and sisters so that meetings between Jews and Christians become real signs of peace. The Temmermans give us an account of an official meeting of the Interchurch Families that was held in Rome this summer. These families exemplify both the joys of a living dialogue and the pains of belonging to churches not fully reconciled. Angelika Piché, in our pastoral chronicle, describes for us a model of an ecumenical celebration in honor of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Pamela Chrabieh has read and prepared a review of: Juifs, chrétiens, musulmans en dialogue, a collective work in which the authors share their experiences, testimonies, and calls to pray and to commit oneself to the search for peace and love for all and from all. This inspiring work reassures us that indeed, there are hope-bearers at the heart of our society.

May the reading of this issue prove to be a valuable encounter!