Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Freetown (Agenzia Fides)- “Christians and Muslims share a history of good as well as bitter memories. The Christian-Muslim dialogue is one way of recalling together times when communities lived in peace with each other, but it also offers space for listening to stories and experiences replete with painful memories of controversy and rift that have conditioned the present” the Association of the Bishops' Conferences of Anglophone West Africa (AECAWA) said in a statement issued at the end of the 11th AECAWA plenary held in Freetown, Sierra Leone (see Fides 10/10/2007). A copy of the statement was sent to Fides.
The participants affirm “We want to deepen our dialogue so that we can enter into the heart of the matter: the promotion of peace in our West African sub-region.”.
“For this reason, - the statement continues - we find it providential that this Plenary Assembly on the theme, The Church and Christian-Muslim Collaboration in West Africa takes place in Sierra Leone, a country where Christians and Muslims have been living in harmony and love for centuries. We note with gratitude to God that the collaboration between the two religions in this country remains a major factor that hastened the peace process during the recent turbulent past of their history and contributed in no small measure to the peaceful elections that have just taken place. We note with satisfaction that similar harmony exists between Christians and Muslims in other countries of our sub-region, even if on a smaller scale”.
AECAWA Bishops say that collaboration between the two religious communities is possible thanks to similar values: monotheism, the value of prayer, almsgiving and fasting, and the importance of pilgrimage. Furthermore, Christians and Muslims take more or less the same position on issues of sexual morality They extol the dignity of family life and reject promiscuity, homosexuality, prostitution, and abortion.
However there are sources of conflict “bigotry, intolerance, militarism and fundamentalism of some tiny minority Christians and Muslims”.
Christians and Muslims must overcome tension and work together to solve the problems affecting the people of West Africa. One major problem identified by AECAWA, is corruption. “Christians and Muslim should be able to work together on concrete, practical anti-corruption programme…Collectively, we should be able to do something about unemployment, crime, vendetta, indiscipline and ignorance”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 16/10/2007 righe 32 parole 398)
