The compatibility of Islam and Christianity was a subject of an expert’s discussion. Several deputies of different religious denominations have been invited by the Hanns Seidel Foundation on the 12th September 2011 in Munich.

Prof. Dr. Said Aqil Siroj, the chairman and Marsudi Syuhud, the secretary general of the Indonesian Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) – with 40 Million members one of the biggest Islamic Organizations of the world – commented on the current situation in Indonesia and responded to initiatives of boosting the interreligious dialogue. Afterwards Alois Glück, chairman of the central committee of the German Catholics and Dr. Günther Beckstein, deputy synod president of the Evangelical Church Germany engaged in a roundtable discussion. Dr. Peter Witterauf, the chief executive manager of the Hanns Seidel Foundation conducted the discussion as moderator. This roundtable discussion was part of the trip of Prof. Dr. Said Aqil Siroj and Marsudi Syuhud to the International Meeting for Peace by Comunita di Sant’Egidio in Munich and to the Parliament of the European Union in Brussels.

Until now the dialogue of cultures and religions is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century. Indonesia, which is repeatedly seen as a model country of interreligious tolerance, is the most populated Islamic country in the world and the third most populous democracy. However, the religious conflicts between the Christian and Islamic minorities are increasing in the predominant pluralistic archipelago. In Europe and Germany religion has also become a public issue.

Prof. Siroj recalled the history of origin of the NU and thus also the history of Islam in Indonesia. The NU took a stand for a peaceful state in line with the Islamic teachings, supported the Pancasila state ideology introduced in the 1945 constitution and has been opposed to a creation of an Islamic state since the establishment of the republic. However, the radicalization of some parts of the society isn’t deniable, so Prof. Siroj. This development is based on external influences from Arabic countries and the puristic form of Islam, the Wahhabism. The Nahdlatul Ulama, however, believes that this call is incompatible with the five principles of the Pancasila. The NU tries to counter prejudiced debates and bring the moderate interpretation of Islam to the society.

Dr. Günther Beckstein emphasized that Germany’s Christian shaped tradition does not oppose the principle of equal rights for all. This principle was supported by too few Islamic countries so far. Prudence and faith were to be brought back into accordance. With that said the NU should be supported as organization of Islamic intellectualism.

Alois Glück stated that the globalization and hence the associated ecological and economic dependency brought the people in many areas of life closer. However, in cultural and religious aspects an increase of fundamentalist trends was being observed. This increase is connected with the fear of an identity loss because of the effects of the globalization, which results in a defensive demeanor that often hits the wrong target group. Religious and political decision makers are invited to intensify furthermore the cultural dialogue. Glück stresses therewith the well-known statement of the theologian Hans Küng: “There can’t be a peace process within a nation without having the peace of the various religions”.