Charter for Compassion Unveiled | Affirming from a Muslim's Perspective
1.
Ethical Alchemy
Religion isn’t about believing things.
It’s about what you do.
It’s ethical alchemy.
It’s about behaving in a way that changes you,
that gives you intimations of holiness and sacredness.
~ Karen Armstrong
It’s about what you do.
It’s ethical alchemy.
It’s about behaving in a way that changes you,
that gives you intimations of holiness and sacredness.
~ Karen Armstrong
2.
Background
12th November 2009 will be marked in history as a red letter day for this generation and generations to come, for today the Charter for Compassion was unveiled. Charter for Compassion is a document based on the core shared value of every world religion and moral code, the “Golden Rule”, the basis of universal justice and respect.
In February 2008, Karen Armstrong, considered as one of the most provocative, original thinkers on the role of religion in the modern world, won the prestigious TED prize, awarded annually to three exceptional individuals who each receive $100,000, and more importantly, the granting of “One Wish to Change the World”.
At her TED Prize Wish Karen Armstrong said, “I wish that you would help with the creation, launch and propagation of a Charter for Compassion, crafted by a group of leading inspirational thinkers from the three Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and based on the fundamental principles of universal justice and respect.”
This morning at 10am, Karen Armstrong unveiled the powerful text of the Charter for Compassion -- the culmination of her 2008 TED Prize wish. Read about the History of How this Charter was born.
Also I posted an article in Global Voices Online "A Quest to Unite Religious Communities: The Charter for Compassion" summarizing some of the conversations from the blogsphere about the Charter.
The Charter seeks to change the conversation so that compassion becomes a key word in public and private discourse, making it clear that any ideology that breeds hatred or contempt - be it religious or secular - has failed the test of our time. Bringing together voices from all cultures and religions, the Charter seeks to remind the world we already share the core principles of compassion. Charter for Compassion has the potential to become one of the revolutionary document of our generation.
At her TED Prize Wish Karen Armstrong said, “I wish that you would help with the creation, launch and propagation of a Charter for Compassion, crafted by a group of leading inspirational thinkers from the three Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and based on the fundamental principles of universal justice and respect.”This morning at 10am, Karen Armstrong unveiled the powerful text of the Charter for Compassion -- the culmination of her 2008 TED Prize wish. Read about the History of How this Charter was born.
Also I posted an article in Global Voices Online "A Quest to Unite Religious Communities: The Charter for Compassion" summarizing some of the conversations from the blogsphere about the Charter.
The Charter seeks to change the conversation so that compassion becomes a key word in public and private discourse, making it clear that any ideology that breeds hatred or contempt - be it religious or secular - has failed the test of our time. Bringing together voices from all cultures and religions, the Charter seeks to remind the world we already share the core principles of compassion. Charter for Compassion has the potential to become one of the revolutionary document of our generation.
3.
Full Text of 'Charter for Compassion'
The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.
We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings - even those regarded as enemies.
We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.
- from Charter for Compassion Official Site
4.
Affirmation and a Muslim Perspective
[>] Watch Imam Faisal Rauf giving a heart warming talk, Lose your ego, find your compassion on TED on Charter of Compassion that speaks about the central place of the attribute of Compassion from a Muslim perspective.
As I was reading the brilliantly crafted texts of the Charter it reminded me few teachings of the Quran and Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace that reaffirm the message of the charter.
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
In the Name of the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
A. Common Ground
Quran calls to three Abrahamic faiths in an unequivocal open invitation to come to common ground, which is a spirit embodied in the charter.
Say: "O People of Scripture! come to common terms as between us and you.." - Quran, 3.64
For, every community, faces a direction of its own, of which He is the focal point. Vie with one another in doing good works. Wherever you may be, God will gather you all unto Himself: for, verily, God has power over all things. - 2:148
Reflection of the second section of the Charter is wonderfully captured in the Quranic message that reads:
Say: "O People of Scripture! exceed not in your religion the bounds (of what is proper), trespassing beyond the truth, nor follow the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by, who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the balanced Way. - Quran 5.77
B. Compassion at the Heart of it All
Your Lord has ordained Compassion (Rahma) upon Himself.
- The Quran 6:54
When God decreed the Creation He pledged Himself by inscribing: "My mercy prevails over my wrath." - Hadith Qudsi
Most Merciful shows mercy to those who have mercy on others. Show mercy to those on earth, and the One in the heaven will show mercy to you. - Prophet Mohammad
C. The Golden Rule in Islam
No one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself. - Hadith
Do you love your creator? Love your fellow-beings first.
~ Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace
D. The deepest Sunnah
Muslims believe Quran as words of God speaking to humanity and in many places it address directly to Prophet Muhammad and at the same time by extension to all of humanity. The emulation of the Prophet is called Sunnah and the deepest Sunnah is to merge one's purpose with the purpose of the Prophetic model itself (and by extension Prophet himself), whom Quran affirms as 'sent to be mercy to all creations, all worlds.'
And we have not sent you but as a mercy for all the worlds.
- The Quran 21:107
E. Justice and Equity
O you who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity; and never let hatred of any one lead you into the sin of deviating from justice Be just ('adl): this is the closest to being God-conscious. - The Quran 5:8
O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for God can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye serve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily God is well-acquainted with all that ye do. - The Quran 4:13
The most honoured of you in the sight of God is (one who is) the most righteous of you. - The Quran 19:13
F. The inviolable sanctity of every single human being
Verily we have honored the Children of Adam - The Quran 17:70
..do not take any human being's life, (the life) which God has sanctified.. - 6:151
And whoever saves a single life it is as though he had saved the lives of all mankind - 5:32
G. Cultivating an Informed Empathy for All, A positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity
O people! Behold, we have created you from a male and a female and have made you into nations and tribes to that you might come to know one another. Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him. Behold, God is all-knowing, all-aware. - The Quran 49:13
Unto every one of you have We appointed a [different] law and way of life. And if God had so willed, He could surely have made you all one single community: but [He willed it otherwise] in order to test you by means of what He has vouchsafed unto you ... - 5:48
And had thy Sustainer so willed, He could surely have made all humanity one single community: but [he willed it otherwise, and so] they continue to hold diverse point of views. - 11:118
As I was reading the brilliantly crafted texts of the Charter it reminded me few teachings of the Quran and Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace that reaffirm the message of the charter.
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
In the Name of the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
A. Common Ground
Quran calls to three Abrahamic faiths in an unequivocal open invitation to come to common ground, which is a spirit embodied in the charter.
Say: "O People of Scripture! come to common terms as between us and you.." - Quran, 3.64
For, every community, faces a direction of its own, of which He is the focal point. Vie with one another in doing good works. Wherever you may be, God will gather you all unto Himself: for, verily, God has power over all things. - 2:148
Reflection of the second section of the Charter is wonderfully captured in the Quranic message that reads:
Say: "O People of Scripture! exceed not in your religion the bounds (of what is proper), trespassing beyond the truth, nor follow the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by, who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the balanced Way. - Quran 5.77
B. Compassion at the Heart of it All
Your Lord has ordained Compassion (Rahma) upon Himself.
- The Quran 6:54
When God decreed the Creation He pledged Himself by inscribing: "My mercy prevails over my wrath." - Hadith Qudsi
Most Merciful shows mercy to those who have mercy on others. Show mercy to those on earth, and the One in the heaven will show mercy to you. - Prophet Mohammad
C. The Golden Rule in Islam
No one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself. - Hadith
Do you love your creator? Love your fellow-beings first.
~ Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace
D. The deepest Sunnah
Muslims believe Quran as words of God speaking to humanity and in many places it address directly to Prophet Muhammad and at the same time by extension to all of humanity. The emulation of the Prophet is called Sunnah and the deepest Sunnah is to merge one's purpose with the purpose of the Prophetic model itself (and by extension Prophet himself), whom Quran affirms as 'sent to be mercy to all creations, all worlds.'
And we have not sent you but as a mercy for all the worlds.
- The Quran 21:107
E. Justice and Equity
O you who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity; and never let hatred of any one lead you into the sin of deviating from justice Be just ('adl): this is the closest to being God-conscious. - The Quran 5:8
O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for God can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye serve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily God is well-acquainted with all that ye do. - The Quran 4:13
The most honoured of you in the sight of God is (one who is) the most righteous of you. - The Quran 19:13
F. The inviolable sanctity of every single human being
Verily we have honored the Children of Adam - The Quran 17:70
..do not take any human being's life, (the life) which God has sanctified.. - 6:151
And whoever saves a single life it is as though he had saved the lives of all mankind - 5:32
G. Cultivating an Informed Empathy for All, A positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity
O people! Behold, we have created you from a male and a female and have made you into nations and tribes to that you might come to know one another. Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him. Behold, God is all-knowing, all-aware. - The Quran 49:13
Unto every one of you have We appointed a [different] law and way of life. And if God had so willed, He could surely have made you all one single community: but [He willed it otherwise] in order to test you by means of what He has vouchsafed unto you ... - 5:48
And had thy Sustainer so willed, He could surely have made all humanity one single community: but [he willed it otherwise, and so] they continue to hold diverse point of views. - 11:118
Unto every community have We appointed [different] ways of worship, which they ought to observe. Hence, do not let those draw you into disputes on this score.. - 22:67
5.
Your Affirmation, Action and ConnectingYou may support and affirm the Charter by adding your name to the growing list of affirmers.
Act | Share the Message | Across the world more than 170 events are planned to celebrated the launch of the Charter and you can host your own too | Participate Online | Connect on Facebook | Follow on Tweeter
:: Further
. Golden Rule in Various Religions / Faith Traditions
. Human Rights in Quran
. Human Rights according to Quran
. Universal Islamic Declaration of Human Rights
. So that you may know one another
# Articles of Karen Armstrong on Charter of Compassion via Guardian UK
. Charter for Compassion: At one with our ignorance
. Heed the Call of Compassion
# Listen to Social Media Conversations, what people are talking about the Charter
Labels: activism, event, inspiration, islam, pluralism, religion
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| posted by Sadiq Alam @ 11:58 PM
13 comments
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13 Comments:
Keep the three R’s in mind: Respect, Responsibilities, and Rights.
Keep this equation in balance: R (rights) = R (responsibilities). You have rights, but you also have responsibility to your Creator, to yourself, to your family, to your community, to your country, to the world, and to the whole universe.
When you reflect on your responsibilities, you become aware and realize that you have tremendous power within you to make the world a better place for all. To someone, you are a hero. Don’t let him/her down.
Respect is a two way street. If you want respect, you must give respect too.
AV
AV is hanging on Quran 18:65
AV for AQM-Sufism/Against Sufism w/o AQM
Sufism w/o AQM = Suffocationism (Death/
Spiritual Death)
Dear Sadiq,
Thank you so much for sharing this about the Charter for Compassion!
Very nice...
Kindest wishes,
mo'in
Compassion is the very quality of a fully transformed enlightened human being. Compassion cannot be imposed by outside rules, "musts and must nots". Compassion is the natural outcome, the blossoming of the truly religious heart. Compassion cannot be found in the superficial mind understanding of the religious scriptures. Compassion can only be found in a human heart. Compassion arises when ego ceases, when one dissolves into the infinite ocean of godliness.
"These three things are to be taken note of: the lowest love is sex - it is physical - and the highest refinement of love is compassion. Sex is below love, compassion is above love; love is exactly in the middle.
Very few people know what love is. Ninety-nine percent of people, unfortunately, think sexuality is love - it is not. Sexuality is very animal; it certainly has the potential of growing into love, but it is not actual love, only a potential....
If you become aware and alert, meditative, then sex can be transformed into love. And if your meditativeness becomes total, absolute, love can be transformed into compassion. Sex is the seed, love is the flower, compassion is the fragrance.
Buddha has defined compassion as love plus meditation. When your love is not just a desire for the other, when your love is not only a need, when your love is a sharing, when your love is not that of a beggar but an emperor, when your love is not asking for something in return but is ready only to give - to give for the sheer joy of giving - then add meditation to it and the pure fragrance is released. That is compassion; compassion is the highest phenomenon." - Osho
"The principle of compassion ... calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves." No, that is not the true compassion. The true compassion is not a bargain, so that "I will treat you well in order you to treat me the same". Compassion is not "I will give you so that I receive the same from you as well". Compassion is a simple act of giving, of sheer generosity without any expectations for return and further receiving. Compassion means you are so full of bliss, of ecstasy, of happiness, of the divine nectar, that you simply give out of abundance. You give the same way the cloud heavy of rains gives blessed rain showers on the thirsty earth, without expecting anything in return. Compassion has no purpose, compassion is the purpose, the goal itself. Compassion is the ultimate religious achievement. The religious path you have followed is not of importance. What is important is that this path leads you to the ultimate peak of self realization. The ultimate peak is important, not the path - every path will do if followed by an authentic sincere human being.
Assalamu alaykum. Help me share Islam to the world. link my article to your blog. May Allah reward you.
Compassion...something we all need so desperately and yet often struggle to give others. I pray That Ms. Armstrong's vision become a vision within all faith traditions.
I could not resist to share the below. I highly recommend the book. Let me be silent now.
“Sufism asks its followers to ponder the meaning of compassion. The English word often used to translate rahmah, that is, compassion, reveals through its etymology some of the profoundest meanings of this concept. The term implies coming together and sharing of passion in the sense of ardent love. It also implies sharing the suffering and pain of others as our own. A famous poem of Sa’di states:
The children of Adam are members of a single body,
For from the moment of creation they were made of one substance.
When fate causes pain in any member,
The other members cannot remain still.
O thou who hath no sorrow in seeing the sorrow of others,
Thou are not worthy of being called a human being.
Although Sa’di speaks only of the human family in this poem, the virtue of compassion is not to be limited to humanity. Since all of the cosmos was existentiated by the “Breath of the Compassionate”, our compassion must also extend to all beings, to animals and plants as well as to air and water and also to mountains, deserts, streams, and oceans all of which have their own mode of life. We need not be compassionate toward the stars because fortunately our actions cannot reach them, at least for now, to pollute and disfigure the heavens as we have done the earth. A partial compassion, which would limit itself to the human species with total disregard for other creatures, is not real compassion, based as it is on the ignorance rather than knowledge of the interconnection of all beings. This partial compassion can in fact lead in the long run to much greater suffering, as the environmental crisis demonstrates so amply. In the same way, a sentimental charity devoid of the truth has led to some of the most ruthless social and political upheavals of the past century, as one sees in Communism, which is based on charity toward the poor and compassion for the working class while denying the reality of God, whose love and compassion for His creatures make possible our compassion toward others. On the level of action there must be both knowledge and love combined with compassion in order for the action to be efficacious, while conversely righteous action itself prepares the soul for ascent to the realms of love and knowledge and access to the Garden of Truth by freeing its wings from the fetters of this world and selfish actions". (1, pp. 94-95).
AV
AV is hanging on Quran 18:65
AV for AQM-Sufism/Against Sufism w/o AQM
Sufism w/o AQM = Suffocationism (Death/
Spiritual Death)
1. THE GARDEN OF TRUTH: The Vision and Promise of Sufism, Islam’s Mystical Tradition by Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Copyright
I just read half the post and I feel I must comment; I find your view point quite profound. Thanks for sharing with the world.
For the future, there will be a necessity for a new religiousness, not a new
religion...
All circumstances have changed. In these changed circumstances, an absolutely newly conceived
concept is needed. This new concept has not been experimented upon so far. It is a concept of
a new religiousness in which all religions, as they are, are right. Our eyes are to be fixed on the
goal, and the insistence should be to keep on walking. One can walk on any path, but the proximity
of all paths will be such that one can cross over to another path easily. The distance between the
paths will not be so great that one will have to first come to the entrance of a new path if he wants to
change paths. Things should be so that if he leaves one path he can cross over to the other through
linking paths that join one path to another.
The goal is always connected with all of the paths, but linking paths were never there. There is no
difficulty in reaching the goal through any one path, but now the times are such that one will not be
able to walk on only one path. Life is becoming more and more disrupted every day, inwardly as well
as outwardly.
A man born and raised in a Hindu family may have to pass his whole remaining life in Europe.
Another born in America may pass his life in an Indian forest. A person brought up in London may
pass the rest of his life in Vietnam. This will happen repeatedly now. The atmosphere will change
daily both materially and psychologically. These changes will be so fast that we will have to construct
paths that link together the highways.
The Koran and the Gita are not one, but a link can be made joining the two. So I would like to
spread a network of sannyasins who are such that would form the links. These sannyasins will do
namaj in a mosque, say prayers in a church and do kirtan in a temple also. They will walk on the
path of Mahavira, meditate as Buddha did, and even experiment with the Sikh tradition, thus making
connecting links – a living chain of human links. All will be struck by the one religious feeling – that all religions, though separate, are one. Not that all religions are one and inseparable, but that though
they are separate, they are one in their inner harmonious march toward the goal. They are one in
the sense that they lead you toward one superconsciousness. - Osho
Dear Alyia,
As an ordained Interfaith Minister and Nondenominational Spiritual Counsellor/Mentor, I find Osho's statement herein profoundly inspirational and affirming. Thank you for posting.
Dear Cailean,
I would love to know more about your being "an ordained Interfaith Minister and Nondenominational Spiritual Counsellor/Mentor". Can you please write something more about? You can also use my e-mail address: office@yanadel.com, in case you decide to share. Thank you.
Dear Aliya,
I have just received your request (as presently I do not have frequent internet access). Thank you for your interest herein. I will write to you sometime within the next few days accordingly ~ okay sweetheart?
It would be nice. Thank you, Cailean.
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