Program & Event Highlights: 2009

Students Descend upon the Centre
During December and January, Northwestern College returned to Oman with a group of thirteen students and their professor, Dr. Scott Monsma. They spent two weeks in Oman as the culmination of a course they had taken the previous semester. Therefore their cross-cultural experience had an academic edge. They had assignments that helped them learn about the social and religious customs of the country, and they attended lectures given by local business, political, and religious leaders.

Cross-cultural Program for Graduate Students
Western Theological Seminary sent its fifth group of graduate students to the Centre. The ten-day experience is to help them learn more about Arab culture and religion, and the dynamics of Christian-Muslim relations. The goal is to enable future religious leaders to better understand what it means to a person of faith in a multi-faith world.

Christians, Muslims, and the Common Good – Part I
The churches in the Gulf are expatriate communities, and this places the needs of low-income expatriates as a primary focus. The issue is usually addressed through local congregations on a case-by-case basis with little attention given to possibilities of cooperation—with other churches and Muslim society. In an attempt to stimulate greater interest in ecumenical and interfaith collaboration, the Centre has embarked on a research project to better define the needs and outline possibilities for greater collaboration. We are partnering with Kerk in Actie (Netherlands), the Middle East Council of Churches Gulf Liaisons and the World Council of Churches.

Christians, Muslims, and the Common Good – Part II
The Centre and the Middle East Council of Churches Gulf Liaisons hosted a gathering of key church leaders from the Arabian Peninsula to discuss the results of the research done earlier this year. The time together focused on developing a shared sense of vocation, and finding ways we can cooperate with each other and local society to benefit those in need. One of the highlights was a session with a Muslim leader who helped stimulate conversation about possibilities of working together on the issues that impact us all.

Pakistan & Islam--a View from a Youth
The Centre helped a Pakistani Muslim student from a local international school with a research project on Muslim-Christian relations. As part of her research, she surveyed the religious attitudes of her fellow students and she joined one of the Centre’s seminars with students from Northwestern College. Here is what she concluded from her research: “In today’s world, it is clear that Muslims and Christians should focus on their religious similarities to solve international conflicts, just like they did when the persecuted Muslims of Mecca took refuge in Abyssinia under a Christian ruler in 614 – 615 AD. However that is not possible in today’s world. The differences between the religions have been focused on by the non-believers of peace for this world, and they have made religion the basis and reason for conflicts…. We are all connected and that connectivity gives us the responsibility as God’s subjects to live peacefully among each other, which should be the political effect of the similarities between Muslims and Christians.” Her voice and vision give us all hope.

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