Politics, prejudice and polarisation have all taken a toll on the dialogue between
Catholics and Muslims in recent years: that’s according to the former head of the
Islam desk at the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Fr Tom Michel. He
also served as the Jesuit’s secretary for Interreligious Dialogue and is currently
teaching theology and interfaith relations at a number of Turkish universities. He
told Philippa Hitchen that despite the difficulties, the patient work of “building
trust” between believers of the two faiths continues, not just in high profile meetings
between the Pope and Muslim leaders, but also at the grass roots in countries across
the globe….