Inter Faith Questionnaire

I decided to make a little research on how does the interfaith dialogue influence Muslims in their views about other believers. I spent my last three years in studying and writing a doctoral thesis on the Christian-Muslim dialogue in Europe and I witnessed many changed minds and hearts vis a vis the differences between two religions. I was thinking about if this is limited only to Christian and Muslims. Of course, I supposed it is not, but I had no proof. The interfaith dialogue in the Czech republic is still in its beginnings. There are not many believers of world religions in the country and majority of these are not really interested in any contacts with people outside their community. Still, we are rather a transfer or temporary migrant destination. We established our first Interfaith Society only in January 2012!

I have read many books and testimonies from people already partaking on the dialogue for some time, that the encounter with difference had changed them, enriched their view of humanity and religious faith as a phenomenon and enriched their own personal faith. They bore witness, that meeting a deep and true faith of person of other religion forced them to reconsider the broadness of God’s love. Of course, we all believe God loves all His creation, but not always are we ready to admit this in our real lives. So I decided to find out more, what the impact of the dialogue really is.

I focused this research on Muslims, since this religion is very close to me and I study it for more than 10 years. I have also many Muslim friends, with whom I have experienced a lot of God’s love in mutual sharing. In the same time I was invited to international conference held in Pilsen, a city in southern Bohemia, famous with beer, but also having a university and one of the largest immigrant student communities, Muslims included. Local Department of Near East Studies has started a set of such conferences a year ago, where I already spoke about the contribution of the interfaith dialogue to integration of Muslim migrants in Europe. This year’s topic is “Muslims and the Others”, so my research idea was perfect to be presented right there. With the help of my friends, sociologists, I chose the questions and started the process.

From my own experience I believe those testimonies I heard or read in the past were true. But I wish to know how exactly it “works”. Which differences between distinct people may cause a different impact of the dialogue? Many people say only the theologians, priests and imams may fully experience the dialogue. But seeing the dialogue between ordinary people, without special religious education, makes one think also these must have some benefit from it. People also say that monotheists can find common speech only with other monotheists. But in many European countries we can find interfaith cooperation also between monotheists and polytheists.

So this is why I’m doing this research – to know the possible impacts of the dialogue; the reasons, why people get engaged in it; if the dialogue brings friendship only or also makes a deeper change, or even makes one to reconsider one’s understanding of his or her own religious tradition and it’s interpretations of different religions. I believe for further study for the dialogue, but especially for leading it such questions are vital. Because do we lead dialogue just for good image or to find something so far hidden? I stand for the latter.

Katerina Dekanovska, Prague, Czech Republic

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