Dr Ameer Ali said yesterday that he tells his friends overseas that he lives in a Muslim country - Australia. The Muslim leader who has just finished his term as head of John Howard’s Muslim Advisory board, said to the National Civil Society Dialogue in Canberra that he sees Australians practicing the values that his religion preaches, compassion, charity and respect for the rule of law, even if they are not confessed Muslims.
On ABC talkback radio in Brisbane this morning, Ali told Madonna King that he saw in Australia a common belief and worship of the one God, creator of all. He suggested that it’s time to move beyond the phrase “Judaeo-Christian values” to “Abrahamic values”.
Good on him, I say. Ameer Ali is challenging the Anglo-Saxon blindness so prevalent in Australia. The name “God” is derived from “Gott”, a German name from the region where the Angles and Saxons lived before many of them moved into Britain. The word “Allah”, is a Semitic name for the creator of the universe that was used by Christians in the Middle East long before Muhammad was born.
The French worship Dieu. The Italians worship Dio. The Greeks worship Theos. The Jews worship YHWH. Arabs worship Allah. Different names. Same God.
Jim Wallis, here in Australia to promote his book, “God’s Politics”, was interviewed on ABC Radio Brisbane this morning, in the conversation hour. Richard Fidler. The conversation is available on the ABC web site in ASX, RAM and MP3 formats.
Also in the conversation is Michael Franti, a musician with band Spearhead, who engages with issues such as media monopolisation, corporate globalisation and incarceration.
From the ABC summary of the interview:
Jim Wallis is a Christian leader campaigning for social change. Thirty years ago he founded ‘Sojourners’ - Christians for justice and peace - and he continues to serve as the editor for Sojourners magazine, covering faith, politics and culture. He’s also the best-selling author of God’s Politics: why the right gets it wrong and the left doesn’t get it.
Jim believes there a few different reasons the ‘religious right’ is ‘getting it wrong’. “I don’t think God is an American,” he says. “I know that’s a shock!… The right reduce everything to one or two hot social issues… I insist that fighting poverty, protecting the environment, the ethics of war are fundamental religious and moral issues as well.”
Other groups are starting to demand answers, however. “The monologue of the religious right is finally over,” says Jim. “A new discourse has become a moral discourse on politics that we all need, and we’re all needed for. A new generation want an agenda for the rest of their lives… We’re talking about taking back the faith - how did Jesus become pro-rich, pro-war and pro-American?”
Jim was part of a group of religious leaders who met with President Bush after he was elected, to talk about these issues. “We had a frank conversation. We said, ‘Surprise us - be a Republican who leads on the issue of poverty.’ He said, ‘I don’t get it. I haven’t been around poor people… How do I get it?’ I said ‘You’ve got to listen to poor people and those who work with poor people.’
“His inaugural address talked more about poverty than anyone for a long time - a good start - but then it turned the other way. Poverty has risen every year for the last five years.”
Steve Austin, an ABC radio presenter in Brisbane, hosts a regular podcast review by Jo Leutton on his Thursday night show after 8.30 pm. Just recently the focus was on religion, philosophy and ethics. Jo reviewed six podcasts:
The reviews are online in a shortened form at ABC Brisbane, including XML feeds for the podcasts. It’s a pity the show wasn’t made available as a podcast!
Dr Ameer Ali said yesterday that he tells his friends overseas that he lives in a Muslim country - Australia. The Muslim leader who has just finished his term as head of John Howard’s Muslim Advisory board, said to the National Civil Society Dialogue in Canberra that he sees Australians practicing the values that his religion preaches, compassion, charity and respect for the rule of law, even if they are not confessed Muslims.
ABC summary of the interview:
