a Roman Catholic bishop in the
Netherlands says Christians should start
calling God Allah pretty controversial
but is this a good way to bridge a
connection to Muslims around the world
or a dangerous game of appeasement with
us right now from Rome Fox News
contributor father Jonathan Morris and
here in New York City Imam shami Ali as
well father Morris we're going to start
with you what do you think about this uh
you've got this Roman Catholic bishop
saying we should call Christians should
call
God Allah well I don't think he speaks
for Catholics on this point and I don't
think he speaks for Christians in
general let me put it this way first of
all I'm very happy to be on the set here
talking with with Imam Ali and with you
Steve but I think any road to Unity must
be based on truth and we need to have
the courage to speak the truth and not
to give into appeasement there are
differences between Islam and
Christianity and if I'm speaking in
English I am going to use the English
word to speak about the Supreme Being
and that word is God now Steve let me
jump in here just say that if I'm going
to use an Arabic word and to refer to
the Supreme Being I'm trying to make
some sort of Point sure and that point I
would assume is that somehow I have the
same understanding as God as Muslims do
and the fact is we don't um Imam there
are 20 million Arab Christians who
already call God Allah right yes that's
true it's um um I I agree in in certain
point with the with the father father
Morris um that each person calls God or
Allah for certain for certain meanings
but when Muslims call God Allah what do
we mean is our creator and he is the
creator of the Christians in the Jewish
in fact not only 20 million Christians
in the in in the Middle East called God
Allah but also some Jewish even in the
in Yemen for instance called God so if
you see the word Allah itself is it is
come from a lot
and that isim is similar to the Hebrew
and also if you remember the aramite
language OFA it is also so all Semitic
religions basically call Allah God is
Allah all right Imam and father we want
to continue the conversation on the
other side of a break as Fox and Friends
first rolls on from for the top there
we're back with us from Rome Fox News
contributor father Jonathan Morris and
here in New York Imam shami Ali uh what
we're talking about is a u a Roman
Catholic bishop over in the Netherlands
has suggested that Christians refer to
God as Allah now U father Morris let me
ask you this uh I I read a quote from
somebody who says it reinforces the fact
that Muslims Christians and Jews all
worship the same
God well let me let me put it this way
uh Steve um I have no other no reason
whatsoever to think that Ali here
doesn't worship the same God I don't
know if he does or not but let's be very
clear here there's people all over the
world right now and I know uh Mr Ali
would would agree with this who are
using the word Allah in order to refer
to a Supreme Being who supposedly
invites them or commands them to kill
the innocent in his name if we're
looking for a universal word that we can
all agree upon I would suggest we do not
use Allah so as not to confuse with
what's going on maybe we could use for
example Deus which is Latin or really
any other thing of people who are
looking to talk to the one God but the
God of Peace father moris I I I think we
have to be um uh very careful in in in
stating like that because uh even all
terrorists using the name of Allah in
justifying their terrorism I think it's
not the reason to avoid the name of
Allah being the God of all Creator uh I
think you're trying to uh impos on more
than 20 million Christians Arabs in the
Middle East to avoid Allah and in in in
the Bible you read that uh God says in
Arabic
language and in the beginning God
created Heavens heavens and the Earth so
I think I think it's something not to
beeding I think it's not not something
to be avoided simply because terrorists
are using the name Allah in justifying
their terrorism I think we Muslims will
take back this word in in the right way
all right uh father excellent I agree
you know what I would say Steve real
quickly is that if we're going to speak
Arabic use the word Allah if I'm going
to speak English and I'm Christian I'm
going to use the word God I think it's
very simple all right Imam shami Ali we
thank you very much for joining us here
in New York and father Jonathan Morris
live from a blustery Rome thank you
Father