Many Muslims will rightfully remember Pope John Paul II as an advocate of justice, a bridge builder and a visionary leader.

As the world bid goodbye to one of its most beloved citizens, Pope John Paul II, it is natural to reflect on his legacy. That the Pope is loved by Catholics is of no surprise. What is remarkable is the respect he earned from other faiths as he took unprecedented steps to build bridges of understanding.

Pope John Paul II was the first leader of the Catholic Church to set foot inside a mosque. In May 2001, the Pope visited the Ummayad Mosque - one of the oldest mosques in the world - situated in the Syrian capital of Damascus. Of further significance, the mosque contains the tomb of John the Baptist. According to the Vatican, this was the first time Muslims and Christians prayed together in an organised way.

Commenting on this visit, John Wilkins editor of the Catholic newspaper The Tablet said, “Traditionally, Islam has been tolerant of Christianity - more tolerant than Christianity has been of Islam.” However, the continued occupation of Muslim lands, the authoritarian rule in most of Middle East and the accompanying rise of militancy in some Muslim societies threatens to derail the historic tolerance of Islam towards people of other faiths.

Muslims will do enormous good by reflecting on some of their great traditions such as the Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) standing up to pay respect as the funeral procession of a Jewish man passed or his visiting the sick regardless of their faith. Also remarkable was Salahuddin Ayubi, the great Muslim General, sending his personal physician to treat King Richard at a time when they were warring during the crusades.

Pope John Paul II writing in his 1994 book, “Crossing the Threshold of Hope,” quite understandably disagreed with the theology of Islam but went on to say: “Nevertheless, the religiosity of Muslims deserves respect. It is impossible not to admire, for example, their fidelity to prayer. The image of believers in Allah who, without caring about time or place, fall to their knees and immerse themselves in prayer remains a model for all those who invoke the true God, in particular for those Christians who, having deserted their magnificent cathedrals, pray only a little or not at all. The Council has also called for the Church to have a dialogue with followers of the “Prophet,” and the Church has proceeded to do so.”

In 1994, under Pope Paul II, the Vatican normalized relations with Israel yet he continued to speak of the “natural rights” of the Palestinian people to their homeland.

In 2004, the Pope expressing his disagreement with the Iraq war, warned of the damaging effects of this war in further polarizing religions. The pontiff urged Washington to have better understanding of the Islamic world.

Many Muslims will rightfully remember Pope John Paul II as an advocate of justice, a bridge builder and a visionary leader. The Pope promoted his own faith without appearing condescending of others. Public figures who have espoused Islamophobic views in the past could borrow a page of tolerance from this great Christian leader. Our faith is not any stronger when we ridicule or denigrate the beliefs of others. At a time when misunderstandings between faiths threaten world peace, we must all appropriately reflect upon the legacy of this Pope and work to continue his crusade of building bridges of understanding.

Parvez Ahmed, is a board member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and can be reached at pahmed@cairfl.org

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