Question numer one is for those coming from a Christian tradition!
1) The Muslim era begins in the year 622 (C.E.) with the
birth of the prophet Muhammad
the first revelation the prophet received from the angel Gabriel
the emigration from Mecca to Medina
Muslim –Christian relations in Europe have traditionally
been strained, to say the least. This is partly due to the fact that Christians
and Muslims know little about each other’s faith, traditions and everyday
life, and perceptions of each other are often built on stereotypes. Welcome
to the quiz! Test
how much you know!
Research Task
Find out, whether there is a (Christian)-Muslim women’s group in your
town/region/country. Go and find out about them: What they do, what they want
to achieve, how they work together. Write a short report about your findings
– you will need it for your participation in the EWEC module on interreligious
dialogue.
QUIZ INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE MC
Sorry ... Try again!
Congratulations!
The Islamic Charta was drafted by the German Central Council of Muslims in
2002. Certain of its articles (art. 10 – 14) affirm the German constitution,
respect for human rights and the European tradition of enlightenment. Muslims
in Germany seek to live within this framework of a European Islam while practicing
their faith. The process of drafting the Charta was prompted by the events
of September 11, 2001 in the USA and by the fact that some Islamistic cells
in Germany had seemingly been involved in these. The full text can be read
on http://www.islam.de
Congratulations!
The four gospels (narratives of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
of Nazareth) were written approximately two to three generations after the
events, and are based on earlier materials. They reflect the theological views
and spiritual practices of the early Christian church and differ in certain
aspects, especially the gospel of John. The authors of the gospels cannot
be known with certainty.
For basic information on Christianity see the following:
Justo Gonzales, The Story of Christianity, Harper, San Francisco, 1984
Or: Peter B. Clarke, The World’s Religions, Marshall Editions, London
1993
Congratulations!
B and E Desert and mountain play a role as places
where human beings encounter the Divine. The extreme conditions of these landscapes
seem to make possible borderline experiences: Moses receives the ten commandments
on Mount Sinai, the divine nature of Jesus is revealed on a mountain, and
Muhammad withdraws to the caves of Mount Hira near Mecca, where he receives
his revelations.
Congratulations!
Ramon Llull (1232 – 1315) was a Catalan/Mallorcan theologian, scholar
and mystic. He taught at universities all over Europe. At times he lived in
the caves of the table mountain of Randa on the island of Mallorca. He wrote
extensively and attempted to develop an almost mathematical method by which
Christian, Jews and Muslims (all of who had strong roots on the island) could
be in dialogue.
For further information consult:
Anthony Bonner, Doctor Illuminatus, A Ramon Llull reader, Princeton 1993
Congratulations!
W.A. Mozart’s German opera “Die Entführung aus dem Serail”
is staged in a harem, where a Christian noblewoman, Constance, is held captive
against her will. The seraglio (from Persian saray, women’s palace)
is a word used for a (Turkish) harem. In Mozart’s opera the ruler of
the house, Bassa Selim, is portrayed as a magnanimous and enlightened person,
while the more negative perceptions of Islam are projected unto a servant,
Osmin. Bassa Selim can be seen in the same literary tradition as the Jew Nathan
in Lessing’s drama “Nathan der Weise”.
Congratulations!
Fatima Mernissi is a Marroccan sociologist and author, who attempts a synthesis
between Islam and feminist positions on women’s rights and related issues.
Mernissi teaches sociology at the Mohammad V University in Rabat and was awarded
the Erasmus Award 2004. Her most famous books include:
Fatima Mernissi, Beyond the Veil – Male/Female Dynamics in a modern
Muslim society, Midland Books, 1984
Islam and Democracy, Perseus Publishing 1992, revised edition 2002
Congratulations!
France cited its strictly laicistic policy as the reason for prohibiting the
wearing of a scarf or symbols of any religion in public schools. The decision
generated a heated public debate, before and after it was taken.
The law text and details about the process can be found at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_law_on_secularity_and_conspicuous_religious_symbols_in_schools
Congratulations!
The Muslim era is counted from the date of the prophet Muhammad’s emigration
from Mecca to Medina (then Yathrib). By this move (the so called hijra) Muhammad
sought to escape the animosities of certain groups in Mecca and to establish
a community of well meaning and supportive followers in Medina.
For basic information on Islam see the following:
Jonathan Bloom and Sheila Blair, Islam – a thousand years of faith and
power, Yale University Press, 2002
Or: Peter B. Clarke, The World’s Religions, Marshall Editions, London
1993
Question number two is for those coming from a Muslim tradition!
2) The four gospels of the Christian (New) Testament were written by
Jesus of Nazareth himself
The four evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John immediately after the death
and resurrection of Jesus Christ
By several authors two to three generations after the event
Congratulations!
The dialogue
method is based on a practice of changing perspective and of suspending judgement
on “the other”. For more information consult:
W. Isaacs, Dialogue and the art of thinking together, Doubleday, New York
1999
3) In the three monotheistic religions two particular landscapes play a central role as places of encounter with the Divine
a. the sea
b. the desert
c. the forest
d. the lake
e. the mountain
4) Interfaith dialogue already played a role in the Middle Ages. In Spain, a scholar and religious person developed a special method for dialogue among Christians, Jews and Muslims, taking into account the specificities of these monotheistic religions. His name was:
Ramon Llull
Averroes
Maimonides
5) Since the late 18th century there has been a renewed interest in Islam in Europe. For the first time Islam was portrayed not simply as the religion of warriors and conquerors. In art, literature and music a new type of enlightened Muslim ruler emerged, and a first critical re-reading of the crusades was attempted. An opera of the following composer is set in a harem:
G. Bizet
W. A. Mozart
W. Gluck
6) Mernissi is the name of a feminist writer, who raised human rights issues of Muslim women in her novels and documentaries. Her first name is:
Oriana
Fatima
Aysa
7) In 2004 the following country passed a law, prohibiting religious symbols/attire/dress in the classroom of public schools, and provoking a heated “scarf debate”:
Austria
France
Germany
8) The Islamic Charter is a document
drafted by Islamic states, outlining the Muslim understanding of human rights
written by Muhammad’s son in law Ali to regulate the succession of the
prophet
drafted by the German Central Council of Muslims to place Muslim faith in
the context of the German state and its constitution.
9) A modern dialogue method was developed by David Bohm and Bill Isaacs at the MIT in Cambridge, Mass. It is based on
a culture of argumentation, whereby partners in dialogue learn to persuade
each other with well prepared arguments
a practice of changing perspective, whereby partners in dialogue learn to
change their perspective and thus to enrich their view on an issue
d. an effort to develop good feelings for all partners in dialogue