Places for the encounter of faiths

Since 2008 there have existed in Denmark a “Muslim-Christian Contact Group”, set up on the joint initiative of the National Council of Churches in Denmark and the Muslim Council of Denmark. The group has promoted a set of events and joint proposals. In 2012 the “Arab-Danish dialogue Conference” was created. Two conferences have been held since then and the initiative has been extended to 2015 thanks to the financing of Denmark’s Foreign Affairs ministry. An Internet forum will be set up for exchange of experiences and ideas. It will serve to “preserve and strengthen relations between participants in the organization of two new conferences, and to build a long-term partnership”, said Stine Høxbroe, recently appointed coordinator of the Group’s preparations for the upcoming dialogue meetings. The previous meetings were divided into two phases: in Beirut the delegates formulated a joint statement on themes related to faith in God, ethics, religious freedom and the role of religions, with the commitment to promote a culture of equality. Participants then analysed Muslim-Christian relations in various areas of life while in the final statement they pledged, inter alia, “to show solidarity when faith communities are oppressed or marginalized”, and “to support equal rights and opportunities for faith communities”. Sarah Numico for SIR Europe interviewed Høxbroe, a Muslim who lives in Denmark and has developed a broad, recognized experience in the field. Høxbroe completed a Master program in geography and international development.What does it mean to be Muslim in a Western European country such as Denmark?”A characterising feature of being a believer in a Western secularised society is the added dimension of spirituality in individual life, the contemplation on the meaning and wisdom of life and the feeling of being in harmony with all living beings. This is something that many people share and it thus serves as a common ground for encounter and understanding. In secularised societies there is a tendency to show scarce interest for spirituality and religion as sole humanistic positive forces. However, everyone has much to learn when the members of different faiths and cultures come together in a positive spirit and with good intentions”.What is the role of Danish-Arab dialogue in European society?”It provides a platform where people from different faiths and cultures can meet and exchange experiences. This contributes to a deeper understanding of the cultural and religious ‘other’, which in turn builds trust and fruitful relations. One of the best ways to understand and get to know one another is to meet, talk and cooperate. This is true also for people of different faiths”.What are the fruits of past dialogue meetings and what are your expectations for the future ones? “Inter-religious Danish-Arab conferences have shown how much we can learn from one another, both in terms of exchange of knowledge on our respective cultures and historical backgrounds, and in terms of how we can contribute to protecting religious minorities in the societies in which we live. The Conferences are the result of a three-stage process. First, to meet and identify common grounds; second: to discuss topics of mutual interests and concern in order to draw up joint statements. The purpose of the next Conferences is the sharing of experiences and good practices regarding interreligious cooperation with a view to jointly developing concrete projects”. Which are the possible areas of Muslim-Christian encounter?”A Muslim-Christian encounter that is often overlooked takes place through the daily interactions between Muslims and Christians, which pave the way to mutual understanding and cooperation on project of mutual interest and common good. When people get to know each other and mutually take care of one another they are more likely to help and protect one another also in times of crisis”.How do you view the role of Muslim women?”To me Muslim women are people committed in society, who use their skills for the good of society and its population as a whole”.