'Islam in the Year of Mercy' allows Catholic-Muslim dialogue

80 religious, laity attend day-long ‘Islam in the Year of Mercy’ program

Published: September 22, 2016

By Aprille Hanson
Associate Editor

Aprille Hanson

Imam Mahmoud Al-Denawy answers questions at the Islamic Center of Little Rock Sept. 17 during the “Islam in the Year of Mercy” program honoring jubiliarians. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor (second from right) also attended.

Aprille Hanson

Catholics gathered Sept. 17 to hear speakers talk about their reverence and love for Jesus, how the Virgin Mary influences the lives of women and how prayer and devotion to God is more than just a religion — it’s a way of life.

The speakers were not Christian. They were Muslim.

The day-long program at Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock, under the banner “Islam in the Year of Mercy” included speakers Imam Mahmoud Al-Denawy of the Islamic Center of Little Rock, Rania Elbahey and Sophia Said, program director of the Interfaith Center at St. Margaret Episcopal Church in Little Rock. More than 80 religious and lay people gathered to listen and discuss one of the most polarizing topics in the United States today: Islam.

In a recent poll released by Georgetown University’s The Bridge Initiative revealed that 30 percent of Catholics had unfavorable views of Muslims and 45 percent believe Islam encourages more violence than other faiths. It also stated 45 percent had no favorable or unfavorable views — showing a lack of education when it comes to a faith that is most often seen associated with terrorism in the news.

In addition to the speakers, this year’s program included a tour of the Islamic Center in Little Rock. The program was hosted by the Diocese of Little Rock for religious and honored those marking 25 to 70 years of service.

“You hear a lot, sometimes Catholics, I’ve even gotten reports of priests who have said things that were just very hateful and that is not what we believe,” in regard to Islam, Bishop Taylor said during a question and answer session on various topics. While it’s clear the faiths cannot agree on everything, dialogue is important.

“I think behind a lot of that is fear, fear of the unknown. A lot of our work, by having dialogue, interaction with people, you see the humanity of the person you’re dealing with and it changes everything.”

Jubilarian Sister Lucia Ellender, OCD, said she welcomed the program on Islam because of all the negativity surrounding the religion in the United States.

“I’m more afraid of some of the Christian sects than any other religion because the truth gets distorted. I love hearing about Islam,” she said.

Sister Joan Pytlik, DC, diocesan minister for religious, said this year’s program had an increase in registrants, but she said people also have contacted her to complain that the Church should instead be “evangelizing” Muslims.

“Without understanding that Muslims are holy people who worship the same God, we can either be hateful toward them, afraid of them or disregard them and we can’t do any of that in the world we now live in. We’re one global community and we have to learn to live together.”

Imam Al-Denawy, who presented “Islam 101,” shared details of activities and the meanings behind activities in the Islamic faith and how words like “jihad” have been “hijacked” by individuals who do not follow Islam, he said.

“God calls for peace,” Al-Denawy said, adding that the world jihad means struggle or effort, which refers to a believers’ internal struggles to live out their Islamic faith. “It doesn’t have anything to do with fighting or killing innocents or causing any kind of harm or any kind of damage to anyone.”

Rania Elbahey, who spoke about women in Islam, said there’s nothing in the Quran that encourages the “dehumanization of the woman.”

“Our faith actually celebrates education, learning,” Elbahey said.

Wearing a hijab is also not mandated for women and is not a sign of submission toward a man, but to God. Elbahey said Muslim women look to the Virgin Mary as the model, as many religious sisters do.

“I surrender to God because he is the God of Jesus and Muhammad and Abraham and a lot of ladies, not only in Islam, have embraced modesty,” she said. “Lady Mary is always before our eyes, we treasure Lady Mary in our religion … I can never speak enough of her, I can never give her enough credit because this is one lady that taught us how to wear hijab, how to wear this headscarf and how to walk with dignity, how to walk with confidence.”

Sophia Said, program director of the Interfaith Center at St. Margaret Episcopal Church in Little Rock, has organized many interfaith meetings and programs, including Arkansas Peace Week activities, which is being held Sept. 18-25.

“Nowadays one in every two Americans believes the Islamic way of living is not consistent with American ideals. And one in every three Americans believes that Muslims civil liberties and rights should be curtailed in America. Can you believe it?” she said.

Said explained that people must move past their fears to understand one another.

“When you start working with people of different faiths, it’s not easy. It gives you anxiety, it makes you fearful, that’s what it did to me,” Said added. “But slowly that fear starts translating into hope and inspiration and finally love. That’s how we heal one heart at a time.”

Several laity and religious took a tour of the Islamic Center and asked questions for an hour to Al-Denawy, Said and other members of the Islamic Center who were present. Haroon Khan, a political science professor at Henderson State University, said referring to the terrorist group ISIS as Islamic is unfair.

“As far as I’m concerned, I think many will agree, it is neither Islamic nor a state,” Khan said, adding they should instead be referred to as “barbarics.” “… We have more stake in preventing terrorism. Believe me, each Muslim prays whenever any incident happens, we pray that it doesn’t happen in the first place and then hopefully it’s not a Muslim name because what happens when terrorism occurs, they think we’re all terrorists.”

While many lay people came to learn more about Islam, it was a personal learning experience for Kelly McClintock, secretary at St. John Church in Hot Springs, and her future daughter-in-law Yolie Aziza Osean, who is Muslim.

“We all worship one God; we may approach him differently, but if we can all focus on the similarities, that’s what Jude and I do,” Osean said of her Catholic fiance. “Any kind of faith is fine with me as long as you believe.”

McClintock said she was excited to attend the program.

“We’re converts to the Catholic faith so we’re used to being a big melting pot,” McClintock said of her and her husband.

While the program was enlightening, McClintock encouraged those that were not there to educate themselves.

“To not accept every meme on the internet or talking head on television is speaking the truth. Do your own research and love first.”

Those interested in organizing an interfaith prayer service or other activity at a parish can contact Said at .