Muslims and Christians sharing common values and living together in friendship' was the theme of a public meeting in Sydney, Australia.

250 people filled the main hall of the Cromer Community Centre on May 23 for a “dialogue between faiths”, as a sign in Arabic described it. The food for the afternoon team was cooked and given by the Muslim and Catholic communities.

The gathering had been planned by three groups: the Manly Catholic Social Justice group, the Islamic Association of Manly-Warringah (based at the Dee Why mosque), and the Sydney team of MRA-Initiatives of Change. It was chaired by the Mayor of Manly, prominent Independent politician Dr Peter Macdonald, who welcomed the occasion to “build bridges not walls”.

The Manly Daily printed a special four-page advance feature by writer Marj Belessis publicising the event with photos and interviews. It quoted one of the initiators, Abdalla Eissa, an information manager with the Australia Council: “A few extremists are highjacking the agenda but the majority (whether Muslim, Christian, or Jewish) are desperate to talk to each other. The trouble is, they haven't had the venues to allow them to do so. We are trying to change that.”

Addressing the community dialogue, Abdalla Eissa spoke of the veneration of Muslims for Jesus as one of Allah's Messengers, and for his mother Mary, “chosen by God Almighty to be the most honorable among women.” She is mentioned 31 times in the Qur'an, more than Jesus himself who is mentioned 25 times.

“Islam opposes any form of indiscriminate violence,” he said, quoting passages from the Qur'an. Terrorism and the killing of innocent civilians has been repeatedly condemned by leading scholars across the Muslim world. “Fanatics and extremists exist in every nation and in the followers of every religion. Usually it is related to non-religious factors,” he said. “To have a unified stance in facing unjust powers and fanatics is a public duty where all of us have to co-operate.”

Catholic Bishop Kevin Manning expanded a theme of the afternoon: “Open minds, open doors”, to include “open hearts”. “Much Christian-Muslim dialogue in the English speaking world has been galvanised by the events of September 11, 2001. The fact that we are gathered here at all may be the product of terrorism, but it is also a defeat for terrorism. Instead of closing minds and closing doors, your presence here today moves our communities towards opening minds, doors and indeed hearts.” He referred to the late Cardinal König of Vienna, mourned as a friend by Muslims and Jews as well as Christians. “For him every meeting with an individual was an authentic human encounter.” König's successor, Cardinal Schönborn, also says that in inter-religious dialogue “friendship is the key”.

“In a world in which communication was never technically easier, we have fewer and fewer true encounters with our fellow human beings. We can never know people if we do not talk to them,” said Bishop Manning. He suggested that it was important to talk about the differences as well as the similarities between religions as part of increasing understanding and mutual respect.

Majdolin Khatib, an Optometry student from the University of NSW who wears the hijab, described being a young Muslim woman in a non-Muslim society. She asked the audience not to judge a book by its cover but to read what is inside. “Muslim women are not oppressed and ignorant.” Wendie Wilkie of the Uniting Church National Assembly suggested that Islam often honours and protects women better than the Western culture does. She spoke of her work with the Journey of Promise program in which young Jews, Christians and Muslims work together.

Barbara Lawler, working in human resources at the ABC, told of the anger she had felt against Muslims after the 11 September attacks, and apologised to the Muslims present for this “generalisation”. She had given up that anger and started instead to get to know people at the Muslim centre in her neighbourhood.

Youth worker Ahmed Khodr (also on the panel), a former school captain at Condell Park High, responded later: “As the sister said, we start from ourselves. Am I living the way I am meant to live, or just doing what everyone else does?”

During the discussion at the end some in the audience questioned the Muslims about perceived discrimination against women, including the practice of female circumcision. This in fact is not required in Islam. As Abdalla Eissa explained, it is important to distinguish between the religion and local traditional cultures, especially when many Islamic countries still belong to the third world.

People eagerly took copies of the 2003 Collaroy Conference report and one man quoted Cornelio Sommaruga's keynote address during the discussion. Donations covered expenses and made it possible to contribute to two orphanages in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Preparations for the dialogue began several months ago with a few individuals who had been inspired by other such actions: the large meeting in Greystanes last October, and before that the IofC International conference in Collaroy in April 2003. Another occasion is being planned in Sydney's north-west Hills district on 30 July.

Many people gave their names to participate in an ongoing inter-faith friendship group in Manly-Warringah.

David Mills and Peter Thwaites