Talking with Robi Damelin and Ali Abu Awwad

Yesterday I had the incredible privilege to sit with two modern-day heroes, Robi Damelin and Ali Abu Awwad (pictured above). Robi's son, David, was killed by a Palestinian sniper. Ali's brother was shot by an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint at the edge of his village in the occupied Palestinian territories. They are featured in the 2006 documentary, Encounter Point, which tells the story of the Parents Circle-Families Forum, where they are active leaders.

Before the meeting started I approached Robi and extended my hand. She greeted me warmly and said, "I'm Robi." I said something like, "Yes I recognize you," which seemed to surprise her (I'm not sure why. She's become quite famous). She asked me who I was and what Seventh-day Adventists were. After an awkward and stumbling explanation she smiled and said words I'll never forget, "I don't care what religion you are as long at it makes you into a human being." This seems exactly right to me. But I also realize that this is not an uncomplicated statement. Many would be quick to point out that it is naive in it's liberal idealism. This remark from Robi was juxtaposed against my recent reading of Carl Raschke's latest book, GloboChrist. I read more than half the book when it first came out at the beginning of the summer and then put it down for a variety of reasons. I just finished it a few minutes before heading over to Stephen S. Wise Temple for this meeting. Still ringing in my ears were these works of Raschke:

The only way Christianity can hope to succeed against Islam in today's global context is to put aside the secularist project altogether.... Christianity today must become far more radial than it has ever imagined (114).

Though we do not need to conceive of a Christian jihad, mainly because it would be instantly misconstrued, Augustine's point is something of which Christians need to remind themselves. The fulfillment of the Great Commission will not be without struggle. The struggle is ultimately a spiritual one, but it is real, it is contemporary, and it will become more intense as the years wear on. Through dialogue, Muslims and Christians may come come to agree on common points of their mutual Abrahamic faiths, but the differences will always outweigh the similarities. The differences make the difference. Islam is founded on an absolutely objectivist revelation that we either accept or reject. Christianity is founded on a revelation in the person of Jesus, to whom we give the whole of our life and being.... We are engaged not so much in a struggle for the doctrinal truth of our faith as in a struggle to manifest the presence of Christ in what we know as the radical relationality that is at the heart of our commitment to the One who gave his life for each of us and for others (115).

In these statements, and in the next chapter, Raschke depicts an inevitable "collision of eschatologies." I am troubled by these things. Why does Christianity have to succeed AGAINST Islam? Why must religion be a zero-sum game? I am not suggesting a relativism in which every belief and every practice is equally valid. There are genuine problems with both the Christian Bible and the Qur'an. But Raschke himself admits that the Mahdist tradition upon which much of militant Islamism is based is not even a part of the Qur'an.

As I sat with Robi and Ali in a small, intimate setting with 20 other religious leaders from Jewish, Christian, Muslim and B'ahai faiths, talking about religious and political conflict, and as I thought about Robi's definition of good religion as that which makes you into a human being, I wondered again about the value of our various exclusive truth claims. Must the other "lose" in order for me to "win?" Why do we persist in talking about our faith in terms of winning and losing?

Toward the end of our time together Ali said, "It's so easy to be right. Everyone is right. What is difficult is to be honest." The Parents Circle believes that honesty and conversation is the way to peace in their war torn country. Even for me, their honesty was shocking and refreshing.

Huge thanks to my friend, Rabbi Ron Stern, for making this possible and hosting this conversation at his congregation, Stephen S. Wise Temple.

MORE:

• I first heard of Robi and Ali and the Parents Circle from the amazing radio show, Speaking of Faith, with Krista Tippett. You can hear that remarkable interview for yourself and read more about their story here. THIS IS THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO TO UNDERSTAND THEIR STORY!
• Check out the website for the documentary, Encounter Point, and watch the trailer. The doc is available on Netflix.com.

Comments

[David Hamstra]

It seems to me that certain aspects of the spiritual life are zero sum. There is genuine evil in the world to be overcome with good. Peoples' religion is either making them more or less human.

The problem comes in when I want to fight evil in the other rather than in me. I try to save the Adventist church; the Adventist church tries to save Christianity; Christianity tries to save the Muslims. The attitude is the same: We are the solution; they are the problem.

The solution, as it see it, it to realize that, even if they are the problem, so are we. So if I want to fight evil in the Adventist church, I must do it as an Adventist, in Christianity as a Christian, in Islam as a person of faith. We must address these problems from what we have in common, not as warring institutions.

[Ryan Bell]

Thanks, David. I totally agree. As Miroslav Volf says so well in his book, Exclusion and Embrace, exclusion, in some sense, is necessary for there to be a genuine embrace. I probably didn't express myself very well, but you have expressed quite nicely what I was feeling. I also discovered that over at The Church in Postmodern Culture blog they did a chapter by chapter discussion of this book which includes lengthy responses with the author, so I'm working through these postings now. However, in the short term, I think Amos Yong (http://churchandpomo.typepad.com/conversation/2008/09/globochrist-c-1.html) captures quite nicely what I am feeling about this somewhat harsh rhetoric that doesn't jive with the rest of what Raschke has written.

[Neeta]

Hi, im glad i read this blog. Just today we saw the film, "encounter poin." Extremely moving & overwhelming the experience was. I'm a journalist fm India & currently doing a course in chulalongkorn Univ for International Peace & conflict resolution. I would request you if you could pl pass on my email to Ali or if you could pl provide me with his. It will be extremely fruitful, because altough we do NOT have war in India our society has definitely got polarised due to the various conflicts & a lot of mistrust, suspicion is being generated between the Hindus & Muslims.

The reason i want to get in touch, is he makes a point about the non violence movement originating in India & would like to communicate.

thanks so much....neeta

neetakolhatkar@gmail.com