On May 31, 2016 Pacifica Institute and South Coast Interfaith Council partnered for a panel discussion on religious extremism.
Millia Islam Majeed of South Coast Interfaith Council introduced the panelists and the topic “Combatting cancer of extremism” thanked the host St John the Fisher Church and partner of the panel Pacifica Institute.
Millia and Father Alexei spoke about Islam in America in the previous panel before this one. Millia added that saying that St John the Fisher church is a member of the South Coast Interfaith Council.
Millia began introducing Father Alexei and said that Father Alexei served as the president of many interfaith councils in Southern California. Then Millia introduced Nirinjan Singh. Nirinjan served as the Vice President of many interfaith councils. The third speaker, Dr Pandya is a professor of religion in California State Long Beach.
Dr Pandya began her speech by thanking the organizers. She gave the example of Martin Luther King where Jesus was extremist for love and compassion so is St Paul. Martin Luther King was an extremist for social justice.
The term extremist, Dr Pandya says is usually perceived for Muslims. And people usually ask who these bad Muslims are. Muhammad pbuh says “You can’t be a good man if you don’t feed your neighbor ” no matter what faith one’s neighbor is, so we can say Muhammad pbuh was an extremist in protecting his neighbor. Quran is ardent in extremist in mercy al Rahman and al rahim meaning the merciful and the compassionate which is printed more than 50 times across Quran.
Dr Pandya says It is not to deny that there are Muslims who are extremists. Coptic community enduring humiliation in Egypt and Sophia added that herself escaped the massacre in Paris by three days
“The community must offer a sense of belonging for Muslim American youths” Dr Pandya commented.
“Most religious terrorists view the world as dark and white.” Dr Pandya gave examples of progressive Islamic movements and Isis is the biggest enemy of these progressive movements in Turkey, Egypt and other Muslim nations.
“No gain in keeping and no loss in weeding out” quoted by Cambiodian dictator Pol Pot. His idelogy was Marxist but it was a form of terrorism Dr Pandya added.
Dr Pandya also said that without discipline everyone has a small terrorist in themselves. “We have to take charge of our own being, fear and etc. We have to be in charge of ourselves. Islam calls for greater jihad to take care and discipline ourselves.”
Father Alexei began his speech by saying that he and a jewish friend were at Jaffe gate then two young men came up to them and asked how come they were together. Those two young men turned out it be Muslim and they said we need to be together this is exactly what we need.
I saw Christian, Muslim and Jewish kids doing projects together in Jerusalem. There is a Catholic school and Muslim and Christian teens together unfortunately no jewish kids.
“As Catholics, Jews and Muslims, we need to study together and we need to learn each other’s religions” Father Alexei said.
“One morning We went to Temple Mount or to the dome of the rock. Jewish guide referred to it as Temple Mount and some Muslims heard it and said no this is not Temple Mount this is dome of the rock they protested.” Father Alexei said.
Six Christian denominations there are in Jerusalem because of jewish government external influence they were able to bring the renovation of the old church to reality. There is a lot of work to be done there.” Father Alexei said.
Nirinjan says there are certain biases in some places. Right now Nirinjan added that there is a hospital that was bombed in Syria a couple days back but nobody was talking about it. “After 9-11 images broadcasted on major TV networks a thousand times actually this was an invitation to kill Sikhs who wore headgear like some Muslims.” Nirinjan said.
The panel came to an end with an extensive Q&A section.