ASIA/INDONESIA - Islamic extremism can be fought with philosophy, says a Jesuit docent at Jakarta's Catholic University

Friday, 26 October 2007

Jakarta (Agenzia Fides) - Philosophy can help tackle Islamic extremism according to Jesuit Fr Franz Magnis-Suseno sj, docent in philosophy at the Catholic University in Jakarta. The priest, who was speaking at the office of the international Catholic aid association Aid to the Church in Need, said that the study of philosophy leads Christians and Muslims to adopt another vision of Islam.
Prof. Magnis-Suseno noted that many Muslims who study philosophy and history and humanistic subjects have a broader horizon of knowledge, whereas those who study natural sciences are often extremists: “We need philosophers!”, he said. This is why the Jesuit stigmatised the tendency in western universities to cut funds for humanistic studies, warning that this could lead to more Islamic extremism in the west.
Referring to the Indonesian context, Fr Magnis-Suseno said that Islamic doctrine taught in Muslim Universities in Indonesia is rather open and tolerant and includes hermeneutics and theology influenced to some degree by western thought. Whereas extremists tend to go to public universities and see in the new lines of interpretation of the Koran an attempt on the part of Christians to conquer Islam.
The religious re-launched the path of interreligious dialogue at every level: spiritual, intellectual and material for the good of Indonesia: “Working together we can solve all the country's problems”, he said adding that cooperation should affect all social fields, for example the fight against corruption, the institution of a rule of law and a fair economic order, in a country where half the population lives on less than a dollar a day.
He said it is important to build good relations with Muslims in a process of reciprocal knowledge which builds trust, recalling what a Muslim leader once said, “the secret weapon of Christians is love”. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 26/10/2007 righe 27 parole 275)


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