DIALOGUE AND CONVERSION

DIALOGUE AND CONVERSION

Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua

The ritual of conversion for Muslims I saw on the internet is very attractive. It is an external expression of the transformation that must have taken place in the heart of the convert. According to the ritual:

• For a Muslim, every action begins with your intention. Quietly, to yourself, make the intention to embrace Islam as your faith.
• Say the following words with clarity of intention, firm faith and belief:
• Say: “Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill Allah.” (I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah.)
• Say: “Wa ash-hadu ana Muhammad ar-rasullallah.” (And I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.)
• Take a shower, symbolically cleansing yourself of your past life.

• For a Christian, the ritual of conversion is through the sacrament of initiation: Baptism, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation. The Christian professes faith by reciting the Nicene Creed.
• I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven. By the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen”.

In dialogue however, the aim and goal is not to convert a person from one religion to the other. It is rather aimed at intra personal and intra-religious conversion. Intra-personal conversion is a rediscovery of oneself in the context of peace after an encounter with a partner in dialogue. A Christian for instance may be converted to a more sublime and rigorous way of meditation and contemplation because of an encounter with a Hindu or a Buddhist to enjoy interior peace. One can be converted to a more sincere act of honesty by encountering a Muslim who is honest to enjoy inter-personal peace. I met a sincere Hausa Muslim in New Benin Market, Edo State, Nigeria in 1992 to change dollars. Three months later, I went to the same man to change dollars. The man said: “God is great, wa la hi, father, I have been praying that you come back here again. The last time you came here to change money; I discovered that I did not give you everything, I kept the money for you.” The man gave me the balance. 

There are people who have confessed at different times why they were converted to Islam. Liam Neeson, an Irish, considered converting to Islam after a trip to Istanbul. According to the Sun Magazine, Neeson admitted that Islamic prayer ‘got into his spirit’ while he was filming in Turkey. This 59-year-old actor discovered that the Turkish Muslim put into practice their five times prayer a day. Neeson was raised in Northern Ireland as a devout Roman Catholic due to his parent’s beliefs.

I understand what Neeson is saying because I have been to Istanbul in July 1-7, 2012.  I used to think that everything about Turkey is Islam. It was amazing that Turkey is a secular state even though the Muslims form 98% of their population. I traversed the ancient Christian places of Constantinople, Smyrna, Asia Minor and Ephesus. The people I encountered were simply wonderful in terms of human relations and openness to science and religion. In Egypt we saw the old pyramids but what was more interesting was the position of the new president of Egypt on religious freedom. My experience in Manado, Indonesia on October 4-7, 2011, also confirms how dialogue can lead to conversion of ideas and world view. Manado has a Christian population of about 90% while Jakata has about 90% Muslims. A lady, who was a renowned professor of Islam, came all the way from Jakata to address us at the Global Christian Forum in Manado. The way she was received and the way she presented her paper to a group of Christians showed that there is religious harmony and peaceful coexistence in Indonesia. 

In dialogue therefore, persuasion and narrative of our religious experience can lead to conviction and transformation of rigid and conservative ideas. The sword and the bomb can not attract any body to conversion of heart. An encounter with a Christian who believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ and put them into practice can convert the world to more love, patience, forgiveness and supreme sacrifice. The Christian virtues and values can be practiced in any religion since religion is a total way of life. The world wants to see us practice dialogue of action where we respect the dignity and value of each other and one another. The Muslims can persuade the whole world to practice Islam (peace) if they live in peace and harmony with others. Thus we can propose the following syllogism:

• Islam means peace
• Whoever practices peace is a Muslim.
• Every one practices peace.
• Therefore every one is a Muslim

If every Muslim can affirm this syllogism as valid and logical, then every body can practice peace in the Church and all the prayer houses. Consequently, the Mosque becomes only one house out of the many houses of prayer where peace is preached and practiced. Let us remember that no religion preaches violence, every religion talks about peace.  The question is whether the adherents of the different religions are ready and willing to respect this teaching by promoting peace instead of war. There will never be a time when every body will practice “peace” in one religious house. In other words, there will never be a time where everybody will belong to a single religion no matter how fast we kill one another. Shalom is God’s gift to the world hence some religions greet with the expression: PEACE BE WITH YOU! This greeting deserves absolute respect so as to be converted to PEACE and say goodbye to religious fanaticism. Conversion to God is what is common to everyone.  

Fr. Prof. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua is the Director of Mission and Dialogue of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja; and Consultor of the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims (C.R.R.M), Vatican City (comonokhua@hotmail.com).