By Raj Irudaya
Chennai: A webinar organized by the Indian Theological Association (ITA) presented the latest papal encyclical as the Christian response to the fear of the other.
Panelists Jesuit Father Victor Edwin and Fransalian Father Jacob Parappally addressed the theme “Fear of the Other: Fratelli Tutti as a Christian Response” during the one-hour online seminar at 6 pm on December 6.
While Father Edwin addressed estrangement in Christian-Muslim relation, Father Parapally highlighted Pope Francis’ third encyclical as a Christian response to the fear of the other.
Father Edwin pointed out that Christians faced harassment in several Muslim-majority countries because of sociopolitical and religious reasons whereas Muslims have become the targets of systematic oppression for cultural, political and demographic reasons in countries such as China, Myanmar, India and Israel
According to him, “Islamophobia or dislike or prejudice’ against Islam or Muslims leads to exclusion, violence, discrimination and prejudice. Muslims are framed as objects of suspicion in the West and as a result, Islam is seen as ‘strange other,’ not having any values in common with Western cultural values, the Jesuit priest explained.
He also pointed out how orientalism, a study of cultural and religious texts and the languages of the Asian civilizations, has contributed to Islamophobia from 12th century.
Father Edwin cited the book on Orientalism of late Edward W Said, a professor of literature at Columbia University. The Palestinian American founder of the academic field of postcolonial studies underscored orientalism as an ideological discourse inextricably involved with European power, an ideology based on the relationship between the West and the East.
W. Said argued that orientalism was a western political vision of reality that differentiated humanity into two confronting realities, the familiar West and the East, which was strange and unfamiliar.
In the western perspective Islam remains as an inadequate religion and its culture inferior to the Western cultures and incompatible to Western standards of freedom and democracy. Such thinking not only delays the integration of Muslim populations in Europe but encourages prejudices against Muslims that eventually help the right-wing politics to take deeper roots in Europe, Father explained
Father Parappally, in highlighting the encyclical “Fratelli Tutti” (All Brothers) as a Christian response to the fear of the other, said Pope Francis writes about fraternity and social friendship as the actualization of true communion for which humans are created. Fear of the other and the consequent attitudes, systems and actions go against this true communion.
The Fransalian priest explained that the fear of the other originates within individuals and social groups when they see others not as their brothers and sisters but as a threat to their various identities, a threat to their power structures, even to their religious and national identities. When the fear of the other deepens prejudices against the other grow and ways and people devise means to subdue, oppress and even eliminate others.
“The encyclical shows us the way out of this dark cloud is to discover our authentic identity as brothers and sisters,” the theologian added.
Father Parappally says the encyclical gives the theological foundations for a true communion among humans. “Our Christian faith-experience reveals to us that we, humans, are brothers and sisters because of our Trinitarian and Christic Identity. We are created in the image and likeness of God, the Trinity or of the absolute communion.”
This helps every human to share in the humanity of Christ and accept the other his brother or sister, he said. He also cited from the encyclical the example of Good Samaritan, who actualizes this value.
The webinar December started with a prayer led by Jesuit Father Sahayaraj, incorporating the prayer to the Creator, given at the end of the encyclical.
ITA vice president Kochurani Abraham welcomed the participants and highlighted the theological role and service of the association in the past 42 years. ITA president Father Vincent Kundukulam introduced the topic and the panelists, besides moderating the session.
The participants sought clarifications from the panelists and shared their reflections that helped deepen the topic.
They expressed concern over the present dark cloud of fear and hatred of the other, generated by the vested interests in India and the challenges to overcome them.
The participants also addressed the gender perspective of the encyclical, looking at the theological foundation also from the perspectives of the Gospels, understanding the Muslim-Christian relations in a better light.
Edward Said could criticise the West because he was a Christian, educated in a British school and living in New York, not in Karachi or Teheran.
Did he mention the resistance of Muslim countries to abolish slavery and polygamy as such measures were against Islam?
Islamophobia is a tricky concept, because it merges xenophobia with any criticism of Islam. Therefore, if you are against the criminalisation of those who leave Islam or try to reform Islam, and you advocate for the fredom of religion in Muslim countries, and the rights of Muslim women to marry non-Muslims and to have the same rights of Muslim men, then you are considered an Islamophobe.
In the meantime, how many Muslim men feel they have a sacred right to rape or beat their wives in the name of Islam?