The JCEAO Consultation on Islam, held in Yogyakarta, July 21-22, gathered six Jesuits active in the study of Islam and engaged in solidarity actions with Muslims: Heru Prakosa and Greg Soetomo (Indonesia Province) hosted, Aloysius Mowe (Malaysia), Albert Alejo and Rene Oliveros (Philippines), Dan Madigan (Chair in Islamic Studies at Georgetown U) and Mark Raper, President of JCEAO.
The consultation proposed to build a network that will help Jesuits and companions of Asia Pacific gain a better understanding for Muslims and of the role of Islam in our region. Other goals include: engaging in dialogue with Muslims in ways that enhance our own faith and challenge our theological understanding; gaining greater understanding of religious fundamentalism and its strength in Asia Pacific; and supporting solidarity with Muslim brothers and sisters in Asia Pacific on behalf of human rights, peace and good governance.
The orientation of this group is to encourage systematic study of Islam by some Jesuits and companions, and to encourage many other Jesuits and those who share our mission, even if they have not undertaken formal study of Islam, to engage in fruitful relationships with Muslims. We value our networks of friendship among Muslim people. We hope to open channels of dialogue and friendship with a broader spectrum of Muslim brothers and sisters. We encourage projects of cooperation wherever possible, eg in agriculture, in education institutions, in advocacy on behalf of human rights. We recognise that corruption challenges the vitality of Christianity in the Philippines, as it challenges the vitality of Islam in Indonesia. The challenge is, while sharing our ideals, to include a dialogue of mutual repentance.
To know our own network better JCEAO will develop a list of Jesuits and companions engaged directly or indirectly in dialogue and collaboration with Muslims. Secondly we will develop an electronic guidebook on useful Church and Jesuit documents relating with Islam.
Responding to a request of the Major Superiors, Sanata Dharma University is asked to plan an annual study program (seminars and insertion) on Islam in Southeast Asia of 4 to 6 weeks for a dozen or more Jesuits in formation. The working group is available to assist the scholastics and brothers meeting for 2010-2011 e on the theme of dialogue with Islam. The working group also offers to run seminars for the study of Islam, for example at the EAPI for priests, religious and lay persons from the Church in Asia.
In future years, possibly in conjunction with an annual seminar, this circle should be enlarged. The electronic newsletter of JCEAO will carry regular items. An electronic exchange among interested persons in the Jesuit network will share articles being published, or on which we seek comment, exchanging information about activities or proposals, and offering an inventory of accessible pedagogical materials.
Seeking the encouragement of our universities, we ask that interdisciplinary research, publishing and communications centres cooperate in giving greater emphasis to interreligious dialogue. A request will also be taken to those involved in communications for help in producing new films, DVDs, publications that promote greater understanding of Islam, and in re-packaging existing pedagogical materials for this purpose.
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