By Jana Blazek
Presbyterians and Muslims in the greater Chicago recently sat down to dinner together in celebration of a new relationship and a new covenant.
Although preparatory discussions have been percolating for a few years, the convening dinner to celebrate the covenant officially marked the beginning of the journey for the Presbytery with the Muslim community at the grassroots level.
The covenant between the Presbytery of Chicago and the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago is a single-paged document that outlines common values between both faith communities (including care of the earth and the pursuit of justice for all), recognizes that both faiths do not agree on all things and commits to model respect, deepen understanding of the other faith and work together on issues consistent with our religious values.
Of note, both communities of faith unanimously endorsed the covenant.
Christine Hong, interfaith associate in the office of theology and worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), attended the gathering and remarked of its significance not only as a starting point for Chicago, but for the denomination itself. In her knowledge, this is the first covenant of its kind to exist in the PC(USA).
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Wasn’t there a way to get the same result without signing a “covenant”? I wonder if the Presbyterian official who signed the document has ever read a copy of the Koran. Here are just a few passages that probably should have been considered:
Qur’an 9:7-9-Don’t make treaties with non-Muslims. They are all evildoers and should not be trusted.
Qur’an (5:51) – ”O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.”
Ishaq:364 “Muslims, take not Jews and Christians as friends. Whoever protects them becomes one of them, they become diseased, and will earn a similar fate.”
Qur’an 9:5 Kill the nonbelievers wherever you find them.
Remember, that the above was taken from the ISLAMIC scripture, the Koran (Quran). If I was a member with the Presbytery that signed this covenant, I would immediately dissociate myself from them, and quietly walk away.