Through Force or Faith? — Page 104
?— A Reply to Pope Benedict XVI 104 further apart instead of coming closer. Therefore, maligning each other’s deities has been forbidden. The practical lesson given in these teachings has profound wisdom in it. If one offends the religious sensibility of a person, the latter gets the right to reciprocate. And when he did so in retaliation, it would be irrelevant whether the religion he is deni- grating is right or wrong. Both parties have an equal right to retal- iate. ( Islam and Contemporary Issues, p. 47; Mirza Tahir Ahmad, 2005). ْمَا ْمُكَل ٌنٰطْلُس ٌنْيِبُّم اْوُتْاَف ْمُكِبٰتِكِب ْنِا ْمُتْنُك َنْيِقِدٰص Or, have you a clear authority? Then produce your book, if you are truthful. ( S u rah a s - Sa ff a t, 37:157–158) Another principle enunciated is that during a dialogue, the fol- lower of each religion should present the argument to support his claim from his respective religious book. This is a sound princi- ple for inter-religious dialogue that is spelled out here. Whereas a follower of a religion asserts that his religious holy scripture is a ‘revealed book,’ he ought to substantiate his beliefs from his own scripture. By doing so, the Holy Quran elevates the interfaith dia- logue to an intellectual level by providing a scientific basis for it. َو اْوُنَواَعَت ىَلَع ِّرِبْلا َو ىٰوْقَّتلا ١۪ َو اَل اْوُنَواَعَت ىَلَع ِمْثِاْلا َو ِناَوْدُعْلا١۪ … And help one another in righteousness and in piety; but help not one another in sin and transgression… ( S u rah al-M a ’idah, 5:3) Earlier cooperation on common issues was advised. Here it is