The Qur’an insists that the world’s beauty lies in its racial and religious pluralism, otherwise God would not have created it so (10:99 and 5:48).
He also believed in mutual trust between different faith communities, evidenced by the fact that in 615 CE he sent Muslims fleeing persecution from the Meccans to find refuge with the Christian king of Abyssinia, current-day Ethiopia.ĭialogue is not about trying to defeat others, but about understanding and learning about them. For example, the Prophet Muhammad advocated reconciliation with other religions, as evidenced by his peace treaty with Jewish tribes in Medina. All religions, including Islam, emphasise common values such as interfaith harmony and cooperation.
These fears, however, are largely unfounded. Certain individuals and communities fear the loss or weakening of their religious identities as a result of engaging in dialogue and interacting with followers of other faiths. Interfaith dialogue is criticised by some religious leaders as a conspiracy designed to merge all religions into one.
