Abstract

Religion is an indispensable prerequisite to sustain human life, a feature that has dominated our lives since time immemorial. It also plays an important role in shaping the cultural identity of individuals and communities, and constitutes a key component in the building of civilization. The teachings of Islam constitute the basic code of ethics that guide Muslims in their daily lives, as witnessed throughout the history of Islamic civilization. These teachings include: moral excellence, honor, virtue, justice, piety, equity, compassion, and human dignity. Christianity and Islam share a common monotheistic vision and these basic teachings. However, despite this closeness and the fact that our histories are tightly linked — offering compelling reasons to live together and cooperate — much of that history has, too often, been marked by mutual hostility, giving rise to an enduring tradition of distrust and animosity.

While Islam stresses on the unity of humanity, it also recognises human diversity and gives valuable principles to deal with ethnic, racial and religious differences in society.