“Christians and Muslims: Promoters of Love and Friendship”

The headline “Christians and Muslims: Promoters of Love and Friendship” has been chosen by the Holy See Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue as a title of a message intended to convey well wishes to Muslim brethren worldwide marking the advent of the Holy month of Ramadan.

The message begins by referring to the month of Ramadan stating that it is important for Muslims, but also for their friends, neighbors and fellow believers of other religions, in particular Christians. In this month" the existing friendships are reinforced and others are built, paving the way for more peaceful, harmonious and joyful common living. This corresponds to the divine will for our communities, and indeed for all the members and communities of the one human family."

The message stresses that "the peaceful and friendly common living faces many challenges and threats, namely extremism, radicalism, polemics, disputes, and religiously motivated violence, and that 'these threats are fueled by a culture of hate,' then the Christians and Muslims need to find the most appropriate ways of countering and overcoming such a culture by enhancing love and friendship, in particular between Muslims and Christians, due to the bonds that unite us."

It adds, "All begins with our attitude towards each other, in particular when there are differences between us in religion, ethnicity, culture, language, or politics. Differences can be perceived as a threat, but everyone has the right to his or her specific identity with its diverse components, yet without ignoring or forgetting what we have in common… negative attitudes and behaviors towards those who are different from us are unfortunately numerous, namely suspicion, fear, rivalry, discrimination, exclusion, persecution, polemics, insults, and backbiting, to name a few. The message notes that "the social media platforms are common spaces for such harmful behaviors, perverting their role from being means for communication and friendship to being instruments for enmity and fighting."

The message indicates that "the opposites of the above-mentioned negative behaviors are respect, goodness, charity, friendship, mutual care for all, forgiveness, cooperation for the common good, help to all those who are in any kind of need and care for the environment, in order to keep our 'common home' a safe and pleasant place where we can live together in peace and joy." It also stresses that "we cannot prevent and counter the culture of hatred and, instead promote a culture of love and friendship, without a sound education for future generations in all the spaces where they are formed: in the family, at school, in places of worship, and on social media."

In the end, while quoting this Ramadan Vatican message which expresses the feelings of the global Catholic Church's feelings, I have the pleasure to convey sincere well wishes to all Muslim brethren in the world marking the advent of the month of Ramadan, with particular reference to the extended Jordanian family, as well as to the Hashemite family led by His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein and to His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al-Hussein Ibn Abdullah II hoping that all the fasting Christians who observe the Lenten Season and the Muslims who observe Ramadan fasting garner the best fruits in their spiritual lives by deepening brotherhood and friendship between believers in the One God, and by extending a helping hand to the poor and needy.