Mediator?

Walking around Aston a few days after Christmas I got a bit of a scare. A group of four guys were having a row, shouting at each other and gesticulating wildly. Getting a bit nearer I saw that two of them really wanted to have a go at each other and that the others were trying to restrain them. What scared me was that one of the guys who stepped in beween and tried to keep the two protagonists apart, received some blows in the process himself and lost his cool as well. This could become an uneven fight with serious consequences, but fortunately the shouting had alarmed some more people and together they tried to pacify the hotheads. It took some time for the shouting to go down but in the end the two opponents, still glaring angrily at each other, parted ways.

Hopefully this was the end of the row, but it is by no means sure. Newspapers regularly carry stories about knife crimes, in which an initial fight that ended in a draw was decided at a later stage by more violent means. It all depends on how humiliated the aggrieved parties feel and whether the initial problem can be solved. I for one had no idea what the row was all about. The shouting contained some English words but most of it was in, what I suppose, an Asian language from Pakistan or Bangladesh.

Mediation needs true insiders. As long as these are around and willing to commit themselves, escalation of a conflict can be prevented and the peace maintained. The whole incident brought forecefully home to me that I do not belong to that category. I felt very much the outsider, present, but unable to understand and to act.

Ton

The limits of dialogue

Dialogue may be an exciting thing to do: it is venturing into an unfamiliar world and reaching out to others who are different from ourselves. On the other hand it is hard and demanding work. It is not easy to understand someone who grew up in another culture and has a different outlook on life. When religion is involved it becomes even more difficult: then areas of life are touched which go deep and the deeper they go the more sensitive they become.

Aston is a place where many cultures and many religions are in evidence. Churches and mosques abound and people in all kinds of dress are visible in the streets, from Western style clothes to the Muslim woman in full burqa. The differences are enormous and it is clear that observation does not get one very far. You may register the diversity but in order to enter the mindset of somebody else much more is needed than the look of an outsider.

One way of gaining some understanding is study, reading books and articles preferably written by representatives of the other cultures and religions. Let them talk about themselves and give them a chance to express who they are and how they live. Study is reaching out to them but not yet that close as that they are right in front of you and a perhaps uneasy face-to-face encounter becomes inevitable.

I have been studying Islam for months now and slowly I have gotten some inkling of what the Islam stands for. Time, I thought, to share what I have learned with my fellow members of the Catholic parish in Aston. They too live with Muslims all around them and they too may wonder what goes on in the Muslim world. A basic course on Islam might help them to deepen their contacts with their neighbours and understand both them and themselves better.

The course took place in five sessions. Material was gratefully borrowed from the Church of England and it covered five themes: The Origins of Islam; the Qur'an; Islamic Belief and Practice; Evangelism or Dialogue and Extremism. Attendance varied from 15 to over 20 people, both from Aston and neighbouring parishes. On the whole it went well with the exception of one highly confrontational session. The problem was that some of those present did not want dialogue, they wanted clear pronouncements against Islam and its teachings. They were not after understanding another faith but after proclamation of the Catholic truth in all its clarity.
Anything less would be relativity.

True dialogue does not mean that one gives up one's own convictions. On the contrary these will be brought in into the discussion, but what is definitely needed for dialogue is the willingness to understand the other in his or her faith and appreciate what that faith means to him or her. In the end persons are more important than doctrine and love is of a higher order than truth. When this awareness is absent, dialogue has reached its limits.

Ton

Dogs

A radio newsitem on October 6 caught my attention. It said that for the first time a guide dog was allowed to enter a mosque in Leicester at prayer time together with its owner. The decision or fatwa was heralded by a mosque leader as a breakthrough and he hoped that many mosques all-over the United Kingdom would follow this example: guide dogs are no longer to be considered as unclean when they take their blind owners to say their prayers in the mosque. He added by way of assurance that guide dogs are well-trained and well-behaving dogs that do not disturb the praying service in any way.

The newsitem brought home to me that indeed in the predominantly Muslim neighbourhood of Aston one hardly sees a dog. I am in the habit of making daily tours through the neighbourhood on foot and it is only rarely that I see dog-owners walking their dogs and they, the dog-owners that is, are mostly white. In a garden not far at the back of our house a large dog can be seen and heard occasionally, jumping and barking around, but its owner is distinctly West-Indian. The Muslim population of mostly Pakistani and Bangladeshi do not seem to take to dogs. Cats is a different story, we see them daily in a balancing act crossing the wooden fence of our garden.

So I was utterly surprised while reading the reminiscences of Dr. Mohammed Naseem, the chairman of the Birmingham Central Mosque since 1975. His piece was first published in the Birmingham Mail of 15th July 2006. He recalls his visits to a park as a child and how he loved the roses on display. The part that suprised me said: "I love dogs too, they are beautiful creatures, so loyal, so devoted. They have only one mission in their lives - to serve and please their masters. They have a total commitment that we humans can learn from. They also come in different colours - white, brown, black, grey and even spotted. It is a joy to visit the annual dog show. The display of colours and quality takes me back to my days of the visits to the park."

Of course, Dr. Naseem does not say that he ever owned a dog himself. He may be simply talking about a love from afar. Still, it is remarkable that he publicly declares his love for dogs, while other Muslims consider them as unclean. I have not yet been able to figure out how this incongruity is possible, but the one conclusion I felt safe to draw for myself is, that caution is needed in approaching the belief system of another religion. It may be more complicated than it seems at first sight.

Ton

Mosques

Aston has plenty of mosques, big and small. I have not yet counted them all but surely they number over ten. In addition you have Islamic centres that are not connected with a mosque. Both mosques and Islamic centres make the presence of Islam very pronounced in Aston. Without doubt it is the religion of the majority of the population. On Fridays this fact shows itself in another way. The mosques are crowded by the faithful and the streets around them by their cars.

It is not so easy to chart what particular strand of Islam each mosque represents. As a start it would be needed to go around, paper and pencil in hand, and list down all the names that are written on the mosques, hopefully they are in English as well as in Arabic or other scripts. So far I have been hesitant to do so, as if I felt exposing myself to accusations of spying on other people's lives and sacred beliefs. Perhaps I am too sensitive, for I was told that nothing more may be involved than people from the same village in Pakistan or Bangladesh putting up theitr own mosque and having their own imam.

So far I have been in only two mosques, one in Aston and one in the city centre, both were rather large mosques that catered to Muslims of various countries of origin and used several languages in their Friday services. Some time ago a Muslim youth leader told us that only one mosque in Aston had an English speaking imam, but since then we found out that at least one other mosque should be added to this short list.

The question of language is a sensitive issue. The Qur'an is written in Arabic and Muslims believe that only the Arabic version is the true word of God. Any preacher should be able to read the Qur'an in the original language and explain the meaning of it to the congregation in a language they understand. Imams cannot do so without study and it is still the case that most opportunities for studying the Qur'an are found in Muslim countries. Also many of the mosque-goers, in particular the older men who are most faithful in going to the prayer services, have a poor command of the English language. They get by in the ordinary matters of daily life, but for more intricate discussions about issues of faith their knowledge of English falls short. Then for them the word of God becomes more important than the language of this country.

Ton

Aston Heritage Day

It was a splendid idea to declare the 21st of June Aston Heritage Day. Aston does not have an enviable reputation being rather associated with gangs and violence, so a move to put the neighbourhood in a positive light is only to be applauded. After all, gangs and violence cause anxiety once in a while but they are definitely not the order of the day.

The occasion was announced by banners and a lot of flyers in public spaces: "Take the Aston Challenge and let Aston amaze you". It is indeed amazing that a deprived, innercity neighbourhood lists no less than 12 sites of memorable distinction. Part of the explanation lies in the fact that up to 1911 Aston had a political standing of its own, not yet being incorporated in the expanding City of Birmingham. The old magistrates' court from that period is now a training centre for youth with emphasis on the arts and the old Council House, while continuing to be the home of the Aston Library, now contains the offices of Aston pride, the regeneration programme for the neighbourhood.

The Heritage Day lasted from 11:30am to 4:00pm, a total of 4 hours and 30 minutes or 270 minutes altogether. The flyer announced that all adults who visited all 12 venues on that day would be entered in a Prize Draw, the prize being a stadium tour of Aston Villa followed by a lunch for two at the nearby Holte Hotel. I wonder whether anyone went for that! They would have had only 22.5 minutes per venue including moving from one site to another. The only way to have a chance was by not lingering at places at all, just get your sticker and jump in your car again.

I myself went around on foot and saw half of the venues. What struck me was the big difference in historical awareness. At some of the places those receiving the visitors gave an overview of what went on in their particular building from the time of its construction up to now. Aston Hall was a good example of that. Others seemed only interested in the present, in the activities as they are going on today without any sense of how much has changed over the years.

One nice aspect of a heritage day is that you have access to parts of buildings which are normally closed to the public. One instance of this is that you are allowed below ground level and that you can see for yourself how much space is unused or used for so-called storage. There has been a proposal in Aston to convert part of Mansfield Green into a community centre. It seems to me that before any scarse green space is taken up by yet another building, refurbishing of underused parts of already existing buildings deserves to be looked into. It may turn out to be better for the heritage of Aston and better for the environment.

Ton

Bridging

A bridge connects two riverbanks running from one side to the other. I like bridges with an arch, not just because they are more pleasing to the eye, but because they make it more difficult for a walking person to reach the other side. You have to put in an effort first and only when you have reached the highest point does it become easier to complete the crossing. At the same time the upward slant of the bridge no longer blocks your view and you can see what lies ahead of you without restriction.

After seven months in Aston our Cordate Community is still trying to make its way up the bridge and we have not yet reached the easing-off point. We never thought we would in such a short time. In our planning we have given ourselves at least one year to immerse ourselves in the neighbourhood.

We are not the only ones negotiating the bridge of intercultural relationships. For seven years a regeneration project has been going on in Aston. It is a ten-year programme and by now it should have scaled the highest point of the bridge, but I wonder whether they have succeeded in doing so. Recently I attended a meeting called by the health coordinator of the programme in the area. The various faith groups were invited, meaning in fact representatives of the many churches and mosques in the neighbourhood. They did not show up in great numbers, in fact only a few mosques and churches were represented. More telling perhaps than the disappointing attendance was the topic of the meeting. It was all about seeking the cooperation of the faith groups in getting the health and family services of the programme delivered to the target groups. Apparently, they had reason to believe that the needs for health care and family assistance were there, but the services meant to answer those needs were not sufficiently availed of by the population.

The programme is not wanting in effort. They are willing to be flexible in time and place. If the people could only make it in the evenings or during weekends, so be it. They would adjust their schedules accordingly. If the people wanted them to go to the places where they feel at home, like their churches or mosques, no problem. They would rent space there, if possible, and so make themselves available right on the spot where the people want them.

It is not so easy to pinpoint why this bridge has not been crossed. Does the problem lie with the programme in spite of their great willingness to serve? Did they somehow make the wrong start having difficulty ever since in connecting with the people? Or does the problem lie with the people who prefer their own problem-solving, even if deficient, and rather keep to themselves? One suspects that cultural differences on both sides make it difficult to shuffle up the bridge. Running or walking is definitely out of the question.

Ton

Church and State

Carl, Mark and me are all from different countries: England, Belgium and the Netherlands respectively. Our countries are all part of Northwestern Europe, but even so they differ a lot among each other in their church-state relationships. In England the queen is the formal head of the Anglican Church and the archbishop of Canterbury for one has a seat in the House of Lords. Belgium is a Catholic country and it shows by the State taking responsibility for church buildings and paying parish priests a monthly salary. In the Netherlands Church and State are farther apart, but even there it is possible to receive state subsidies for sectarian schools, as long as they meet the educational standards set by the State.

The differences between the three countries are due to each going through its own historical development. I do not claim to understand what the particular experience of each country was and how in the course of time they arrived at their present arrangements. I do not even know what the precise present arrangements are! All that I know are a few elements of an intricate structure.

The complexity of church-state relationships has more than one cause. It is not just a matter of law and the legal language it uses. It has as much to do with religion and the way it looks at itself. Religion claims to be based on a divine revelation and that puts religion over against the State, unless of course the State itself is sanctioned by religion. What can be confusing at times are the actuations of governments. Governments are not the State, but they may try to change the political system and remodel the State.

I was in the Philippines during the reign of President Ferdinand Marcos. He declared Martial Law and used the armed forces to alter the system of government into a one-man rule. The Catholic Church reacted ambiguously at first. They gave him the benefit of the doubt and felt that Romans 13, 1 still applied: "Everyone is to obey the governing authorities, because there is no authority except from God and so whatever authorities exist have been appointed by God". Others quoted rather Peter and John before the Sanhedrin in Acts 4, 19: "You must judge whether in God's eyes it is right to listen to you and not to God". In the end the Church turned massively against Marcos because he had lost all legitimacy by making a mockery of the political process.

Religions have their own way of judging governments and ultimately the State. They do not accept governments and states automatically. They need to be persuaded that it is the best thing to do.

Church-state relationships are not fixed once and for all. They are susceptible to change. Secularists may try to ban religion from the public domain into the private sphere. Religions may strive hard in having their particular views prevail in legislation and government policies. In the end it is all about the common good and the common good is something of everyone and for everyone.

Ton

superiority

It should not have surprised me, but it did nevertheless: one of our Muslim visitors told us that Muslims feel generally superior to Christians. It should not have surprised me, because the other way around is true as well. Christians feel that Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life, so what more do you need?

The claim for Muslims' superiority is based on the fact that Muhammad is the last prophet. He was given the Qur'an, the final and ultimate revelation of Allah. It sums up and corrects everything that went before it and it cannot be outdone by anything which follows it. It is without equals.

Our visitor was at some pains to add that for some Muslims this meant that all people of other persuasions are unbelievers and should not be called brothers and sisters, but that he himself did not go as far as that. He felt that Muslims and Christians have enough in common to consider each other as members of an extended family.

On the other hand the claim to superiority has more to it than a doctrinal basis. In the minds of many Muslims it is also borne out by the fact that Christians on the whole are not as committed to their faith as the Muslims are. Obvious are the largely empty churches and the full mosques, and the practice of Ramadan compares very favourably with that of Lent. Muslims take their faith seriously and their impression is that Christians do not. It certainly means that for us, Christians, to merit their respect as a credible partner in dialogue we have to be much more than just Christians in name. Christ has to be the true centre of our lives.

Strangely enough our visitor felt somewhat lucky that Christians do not practice their faith as much now as before. He seemed to imply that English society would not be as liberal as it is regarding Muslims if the Christians would have remained true to their faith. This got me really thinking. Freedom of religion has been a difficult point in the history of our own Catholic Church. It was only proclaimed as a value at the Second Vatican Council, after nearly two thousand years of Christianity. Apparently, it will take a few more years before it is acknowledged as a universal value, at least the full version of it.

Ton