As a result of the recent shooting at Fort Hood Army Base the topic of Islam is frequently heard in the coffee shops and meeting places around town. And often I find myself holding the unpopular opinion that Islam is not the cause of the tragedy.
It’s important for us to remember that we fear most what we understand least. With that in mind, I encourage those who are tempted to direct their anger at Islam, to consider undertaking a bit of investigation into the spiritual principles of this amazing religion. I recommend The World’s Religions by Huston Smith.
On my visits to local Mosques during my seminary studies, I was always welcomed by warm and caring women and men, eager to demonstrate the vast tenderness of their beliefs, something that is not often seen on the evening news.
It is good for our humanity to remember to hold each other as individuals sharing a common experience here in this lifetime … vulnerability, desire for love & acceptance, seeking meaning in situations that make us feel insecure and fragile.
The Charter for Compassion below was born as the wish of Karen Armstrong when she won the TED Prize in 2008. The Charter was officially launched into the world on November 12, 2009 and is being enthusiastically adopted by Interfaith Councils around the world.
Please, read it and consider adopting it as your personal Charter for meeting others in life. If you are fortunate, they will be looking at you through the same compassionate eyes.
CHARTER for COMPASSION
The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.
It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and emphatically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others – even our enemies – is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.
We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings-even those regarded as enemies.
We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.
For more information, or to affirm the charter, go to http://charterforcompassion.org/share/about
