Imam and Pastor

Sessions with DVD in UK schools, Autumn 2007 For the Autumn of 2007 Howard Grace was joined by Musa Aliyu from Nigeria to facilitate sessions in over 30 Sixth Forms, mostly in Berkshire, London and Nottingham. We showed the students a 12-minute excerpt from the film The Imam and the Pastor. Students’ questions to Musa led to lively and searching discussions.

Musa has been researching for a PhD in London on, “The role of the media in the inter-religious conflict in Northern Nigeria.” During this conflict, in which over 50,000 people were killed, he worked as a journalist with one of the strongest Nigerian national newspapers. At one point, as he covered a story, a Muslim mob attacked a Christian girl. It looked like she would be killed. Musa, a Muslim, abandoned his camera and notepad and intervened. The girl was saved but in the process Musa’s arm was fractured and he was nearly beheaded. For the following year he felt traumatised. These experiences led to his deep conviction to play a part in reconciliation and building community, and to do his PhD exploring the role of the media in this.

The students we met (often in groups of 100 – 150) were struck and challenged by what Musa shared. This helped to give context to what they saw in the film about the deep change, reconciliation and partnership of Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye.

The best interchanges were when we started by quoting a student who in an earlier school said, “Deep down we all long to make a difference.” We asked the students whether they agreed with this. We also quoted a boy who said, “I just want to have an easy life and make lots of money.” It became clear that we all have both sentiments acting inside us to different degrees.

At first, after showing the film, we asked, “What were the key steps that led to Imam Ashafa’s change of heart?” Most answers focussed on the challenge he felt from the Qur’an and the example of forgiveness the Prophet Mohammed had shown when people had attacked and stoned him. It was an eye opener to most of the students in our sessions that this was the true message of Muslim teaching. They were also struck by the fact that both the men had to radically move out of their comfort zones to begin their reconciling work together.

However we found that a better approach after the film was to simply ask,” What struck you most about what you have just seen?” We also asked whether you need to be religious in order to forgive such deep wounds. Most students felt that anyone could do so but being religious would probably help to focus the process.

In schools we visited we were left with the sense that, if any issues come up in the future which involve Muslim/Western conflict, the students will have a much more constructive reaction. What also made a real impression is the fact that we, Muslim and Christian, were going beyond understanding and tolerance, to deliberately work together in common cause to address this important issue. At the end of one session a girl stood up and said with conviction that she was struck by our launching out together. “You are actually doing something about the situation.” She then said that she wanted to do something in her setting.

Howard Grace & Musa Aliyu, November 2007

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