USD Forum Discusses How Religions Can Fight Extremism

Can conversation help to contract extreme rhetoric and fear? That is the hope and goal of tonight interreligious dialogue at the University of San Diego -- University of San Diego's Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Institute Theatre, 5998 Alcala Park. Bishop Robert W. McElroy, Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego and Sayyid Syeed, founding member,Islamic Society of North America will lead a discussion. Earlier today I talked with Bishop McElroy and doctor Syeed . Bishop McElroy, what good can conversation to do when confronted with news of terror attacks and violent? I think conversations, Pope Francis has told us, are really the first elements of a moment of encounter one of the great problems of relationships between Catholics and Muslims come from ignorant. Partly because of social patterns and how we live in the United States. Most Catholics don't have closed friendship with Muslims. Bus, they don't understand in terms of the life of faith the Muslim community what it means to be mothers, fathers, workers, and members of our society and that is. So the more conversations we have and can come to understand the ways in which Catholic faith and Muslim faith lead men and women to lead lives of righteousness in our society, the better the relationship will be. That is the greatest antidote to fear and violence. Doctor Syeed, this is an initiative. Both Frank just -- Pope Francis wants to open this dialogue. Why did you want to take part in this dialogue? I am representing the Muslim community. This is not just a one-time even. This is our 20th annual dialogue with the U.S. conference of bishops. We decided 20 years ago that we should build ridges and promote understanding. You can imagine during these 20 years we have done things which would not have been done if we were not on that same page on these issues. What are some of those things? We have published several books together for our audience here and overseas. We started our Islamic community in America from 1963 in the sense that we started building the Islamic centers and Islamic schools, organizing communities from city to city and state to state. We did not have that before. And that coincides with something that took place in 1963. Thousands of bishops converged in the Vatican to revisit their theology. Because the last millennium between mold slams -- Muslims and Catholics in particular, the second Vatican was then produced by these bishops and that defined relationships of people by their faith. I want to bring this conversation to the events of our times. That is what it is, yes. What we are trying to address and you are trying to address in this dialogue. Doctor Syeed what is it like for you when a brutal attack is in made in the name of Islam. Those events are not isolated. It is a mentality of an understanding of and interpretation. So if you analyze the statements of those extremists, you will see that they are using a language which was left far behind. They are using the language of the Crusades. And from the Christian side, the Crusaders were prompted in the name of religion to kill the others. So we have left that far behind. Catholics have historically renounced that and that news has not gone to the Muslim world. That is way we are together, to give it that strength, that publicity that the world has changed. Catholic and mother slims -- Muslims are recognized and living together in their understanding of each other but unfortunately there are some who think that we still have the same conflict. The Catholics and Christians are still after our souls and to colonize us. So if you hear the language of these brutal killers and they hold these innocent Christian hostages they don't call them Christians. They are called the people of the book. It is very respectful. It comes from the religion of the book from the teachings that came from God. That they do not use when they are killing someone or brutalizing someone. If the person happens to be Christian, they call it a crusader and say we killed so many Crusaders. So they are trying to build this on the basis of thousands of years of hate and presentment. Now Bishop McElroy , Dr. Syeed says Catholics in the United States have moved past that idea of Muslins being the other. Know everyone hasn't moved past that. there are extremists on both sides. The extremists within Islam work carrying out these acts and particularly against the Catholics in the Middle East. And the Muslims in the United States and the Catholics United to resist and try to win. So the extremism in his lawn remains. I believe we are living in an anti--Islamic moment in American society. For example, the proposal to cut off immigration. That is something we have to ask ourselves why are we motivated by that? The other question is -- I'm a descended from northern island -- Ireland. Christians fought each other with violence and terror in Ireland for so many years in the name of Christ. So there are extremists in all religions. Extremism of -- in Islam is strong. And in the United States we have a strong inclination to ostracize it and condemn it. They will often come to me as a Catholic Bishop and say we want to put out the statement condemning the violence in Paris or sand Bernadino. And it is hard for them to get the traction to even have it publicized. The moderate are trying to do that. For instance, there has been criticism of this dialogue in some kind conservative circles. Are you aware of that criticism? And what you make of that? Yes. Within our society now, American society, it is a terrible thing that civil discourse is distorted on all sides. On all elements of the ideological spectrum by extremist who have a desire to distort. It is true in the very liberal side of our discussion and American politics and on the conservative side. Those condemning this dialogue within the Catholic community are extremists who do not represent the life of the Catholic church or Catholic theology. And they are distorting this. They do it by guilt by association. For example this person is related to that person who spoke to this person at a conference. And then they will label them all together as extremists or terrorist. And it occurs within the Muslim world as well. The same thing. We have to reject that as a way of discourse not only with our relationship with the Muslim community but society as a whole and we really need to move beyond that in all sides of the spectrum. Because there is no part of the political process which is not distorted now in the country by this. Dr. Syeed I would like to give -- get your response to that as well. Whitey think these allegations persist? Because it is easy to demonize the other. To destroy these bridges of understanding. These people have lived for centuries with a wall in between. Christians understanding Muslims by what they were told by their extremists and Muslims going about Christians as invaders and occupiers is and so one. So that is there. we don't deny that. that is why we have an opportunity here where we are living so close to each other, you have a Catholic professor with Muslim students, for example. In every walk of life it is there. so we are actively, for the first time, bringing down this wall brick by brick. This is our major collective mission in that sense. Part of the goal of this dialogue is, as I understand it, to be able to keep communities resilient. I think that is the word that is used. In face of threats from extremism. Bishop, what role do you see religion playing in keeping communities resilient when faced with fear and anger? And face with terrorist threats? I think a couple of things. The first thing is we need truth. We need to resist characters as Dr. Syeed said on both sides. Because people need to have a genuine dialogue. Secondly we need to understand within the United States we have a wonderful constitutional structure in our society. It was the basis for changing Catholic theology. Up until the second Council Catholics said Catholicism is the official state religion. In the United States there was an experiment in religious freedom and the United States was cited as an example for Catholic teaching to change and embrace what we know as religious freedom within our society. That same transition is taking place within the Muslim community. I think the key is to Muslim men and women and families, Catholic women and families, all coming together and in light of their faith, understanding through the eyes of the others how the very problems that each of us face in our daily lives are shared problems. In our basic impulses on how to approach them is the same, and our faith points us in the same direction in many important levels. There still will be fear because the will still be extremists in the world. It is not foolish Christians to be fearful, particularly in the Middle East, because there is tremendous violence there. and the same weight for Muslims because it they face terrorism as well. Fear is not foolish. But we need to make sure the character which extremism brings about is banished from our society. Dr. Syeed , Bishop McElroy spoke that he believes we are living in an anti--Muslim moment in America. On the campaign trail you have politicians who are calling for a halt to Muslim integration. Many say they are speaking for thousand of Americans who are afraid of Muslims and don't want to take the chance of another terror attack here. Can you understand their feelings? We do. Definitely. I was telling you earlier how over a linea this mentality has been created on both sides. At the beginning of the millennium the Pope declared that the prophet Mohammed was the end take Christ -- was the anti--Christ. So this is going on on both sides. They don't recognize it as a religion and still believe in that. but now Catholics have totally changed. There are doesn't and doesn't of books by Catholics in honor of prophet Mohammed. They need to know that and understand that. So similarly, on this site, the president of Muslims in America and what we do everyday needs to be reported and experienced how we connect with people of other faiths in this country. How we have departed from that kind of alienation. And finally this dialogue tonight between Catholics and Muslims comes at the same time Pope Francis is engaged in a dialogue in Mexico with leaders, and the people of Mexico, asking for and to corruption, and to social -- asking for social justice, and asking for peace in that nation. Do you see a link? Is this the public push by the Vatican and by the Catholic church to become more involved in conflicts are trying to end conflict like this? I think it is a continuation of what has been the church's effort. It is personified by this visit by Pope Francis who is seeking to build up dialogue. It is a pastoral visit to Mexico which is one of the great vibrant Catholic communities in the world. It is also a visit to Mexico at a time Mexican society faces tremendous challenge in terms of corruption, justice, the drug that is Creek aided and violence there. so it calls people of all faiths, the Catholic community, Muslim community, Orthodox communities, people of all faiths because our common faith lead us to a direction of building society in which those values of justice, freedom, respect for one another and care for those who are poor and those on the margins of society. That is part of who we are of people of faith no matter which faith. Tonight dialogue will take place at University of San Diego's Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Institute Theatre, 5998 Alcala Park . It starts at seven clock -- 7:00.