Daring to Embrace the Other:: Franciscans and Muslims in Dialogue

Preface

Preface The events of September 11, 2001 are but one tumultuous signpost of an ongoing and troubled relationship between Islam and the Western world (and, more recently, the United States) that has been one of the sad hallmarks of the last century. These complex tensions are very much related to the colonial interference of the West in the Middle East, the heightened economic value of the region since the discovery of oil, the support by the West for corrupt and oppressive indigenous ruling elites and the defensive reactions within Islam to certain aspects of western modernity – to say nothing of the residual effects of that historical encounter – the crusades – whose specter continues to haunt Muslims and Christians alike. But another encounter offers a different way forward. The Franciscan tradition has a uniquely privileged voice to add to this dialogue. The presence of Francis of Assisi and Illuminato at the siege of Damietta on August 20, 1219 and their encounter with the sultan, al-Kamil, the following September, stands as one of the most evocative images available to contemporary men and women who are striving to find common ground for dialogue rather than military engagement as the proper and more fruitful avenue for living together on this planet. Last year, between June 7-10, fifty-five men and women, most (but not all) of them members of the Franciscan Family, gathered in Colorado Springs, Colorado for the Seventh Franciscan Forum to begin a serious exploration of the questions involved in using this paradigmatic image of Francis and Malik al-Kamil engaged in respectful conversation as a hopeful avenue for the way forward. The theme of the various presentations was the same as the title of this volume of essays: “Daring to Embrace the Other: Franciscans and Muslims in Dialogue.” In many ways, these presentations merely scratch the surface of this complex relationship . Indeed, an Eighth Forum was immediately planned for the following June 2008. It is the prayer of all the presenters, whose work has been gathered here, that these essays will provide not only fruitful reflection but also a ray of hope for our troubled and turbulent times. Michael F. Cusato, O.F.M. March 10, 2008 ...