The answer, for Orthodox Christians, is not more "inter-religious dialogue," but to share the Orthodox Gospel of Jesus Christ with Muslims. There are many who are sincerely seeking God, seeking the Truth. Fr Daniil Sysoev converted over 80 Muslims to Christ in Moscow, including several hard-core Wahhabis.
From Robert Spencer at Jihad Watch — 8/19/2013:
...Islamic supremacists claim to represent the authentic interpretation of the Qur'an and Islam, that they make recruits among peaceful Muslims with this claim, that most reputedly "moderate" organizations in the U.S. are tied to the Muslim Brotherhood (as has been abundantly established by the Justice Department), and that genuinely peaceful and non-supremacist Muslims have not effectively countered the Islamic supremacist appeal among Muslims.
All these facts are established anew by the tiny turnout at the small number of Muslim anti-terror demonstrations that have taken place. This rally drew 20 people. Last June, a Muslim anti-terror rally drew 24 people. Several years ago a group called the Free Muslims Coalition held what it called a "Free Muslims March Against Terror," intending to "send a message to the terrorists and extremists that their days are numbered ... and to send a message to the people of the Middle East, the Muslim world and all people who seek freedom, democracy and peaceful coexistence that we support them." In the run-up to the event it got enthusiastic national and international publicity, but it ended up drawing about twenty-five people. And that is about as many as this demo in Toronto drew. Now the group appears to be defunct; its website hasn't been updated since December 2011.
Contrast those three to the thousands upon thousands who we have seen rally against cartoons of Muhammad, remarks by the Pope that they considered offensive to Islam, and the like, and it starts to look as if the "tiny minority of extremists" we hear so much about are not the terrorists, but those who reject terrorism.
Look also at the signs in the photo above. The sign reading "To save one/to save humanity - To kill one/to kill humanity" is a reference to Qur'an 5:32: "We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption in the land - it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one - it is as if he had saved mankind entirely." Note the exception: "unless for a soul or for corruption in the land." This is explained further in the immediately succeeding verse, 5:33: "Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth to cause corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment."
So while taking a life may be tantamount to killing all humanity, if one is spreading "corruption in the land" then one should be "killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land." And that is exactly the charge that Islamic jihadists often make to justify their violence against unbelievers: that their victims were spreading "corruption."
Also, why do we only see rallies like this in the West, and never in Saudi Arabia, or Pakistan, or Iran, or other Islamic states?
"Young Muslims try to show others Islam urges peace,"
by Gal Tziperman Lotan for the Boston Globe, August 19:
A group of Muslim youths held a peace rally Sunday on Boston Common to ask people to seek a better understanding of the peaceful aspects of their religion and culture.
About 25 young Muslims rallied in the Boston Common Sunday afternoon in an effort to protect their religion from what they said are misperceptions stemming from violent acts others have committed in the name of Islam.
“We’re just saying what Islam is and what Islam is not,” said Hanad Duale, one of six Muslims who organized the rally. “We’re trying to educate the public, that probably doesn’t know more that what they’ve heard from media and from propaganda.”
The rally was organized by four women and two men who wanted to respond to what they felt were attacks on their culture and religion after the Boston Marathon bombings, in which two Muslim brothers allegedly killed three people and injured more than 260 in April, and the killing in May of a British soldier, Lee Rigby, allegedly by two Muslim men, in London.
Duale said he and his friends gathered about $350 for a permit and audio equipment themselves, then spread the word to other friends and acquaintances.
During the rally, one man held up a copy of the Koran, the Muslim holy book. Others held signs with sayings such as, “Muslims for Peace, Muslims for Love,” and “Judge Others Not By Their Faith But By The Content Of Their Character.”
Najma Abdullahi, 24, a scientific recruiter who lives in Waltham, said she came to support her sister Naima Abdullahi, one of the organizers.
“It’s like a crash course for people who walk by, people who wouldn’t normally associate themselves with this [Islam],” said Najma Abdullahi, wearing a blue hijab, or headscarf, and bright yellow pants. “At this point in time, I feel like everyone has their own understanding or stereotype and whatnot. Maybe they can break those down or listen.”
Abdullahi said she doubted those with strong feelings against Islam would see the rally and change their minds, but hoped people could learn more about her religion.
As Najma Abdullahi stood in a line with about 20 other people, holding a sign that said “Islam Teaches Me Peace,” Naima Abdullihi, 23, of Cambridge, spoke about some of her favorite Koran verses that promote peacefulness....
