I suppose that most of us have been pondering about the current situation of Islam in the world and its stance with regard to the widespread violence and acts of terrorism the world is experiencing. It would be of great interest to consult the site below which details different interventions from the Muslim perspective : 
https://serdargunes.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/muslimische-quellen-gegen-den-terrorismus/

It is here that I read about the Covenant of Prophet Mohammed with the Monks of Mt. Sinai that I will share with you below and as commented by Dr. John Andrew Morrow.

Mt. Sinai, which is also known as Mt. Horeb and Mt. Moses, is a 2,385-metre-high mountain located in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. At the foot of this mountain we find the St. Catherine’s Greek Orthodox monastery which has been in existence at this site for over 17 centuries, predating the divisions of the Christian world and positioning it as the oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery. It is listed as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. After the Vatican, St. Catherine’s possesses the biggest collection of Christian manuscripts and icons due to the fact that it has never been destroyed in all its history.

One of the most important and treasured manuscripts is the copy of a document, famously known as Ashtiname (Persian word meaning “Book of Peace”- Covenant), given to Christian monks by Prophet Mohammed in the year 628 AD after a delegation of monks approached him to seek protection considering the rising influence of Islam in Arabia.

This document and its historicity remains an academic debate that concerns both Christians and Muslims. But it is of interest to read the many arguments and proofs of its authenticity:

(http://www.lastprophet.info/covenant-of-the-prophet-muhammad-with-the-monks-of-mt-sinai).

Nonetheless, it is the spirit of this covenant that gives it importance in our contemporary circumstances and not so much the details. As missionaries, could this be a starting point to our initiatives of peaceful dialogue with our Muslim neighbours?

Let us read the Ashtiname below:

This is the certificate written by Mohammed son of ‘Abdallah, the Prophet of God, and His messenger unto all mankind, delivering both promises and threats, and having in his keeping the deposit of God unto His Creation, that men might have no plea after the coming of the Messengers. And God is mighty and wise. This he wrote unto the people of the Christian religion, and to such as profess the Christian religion in the East and West, near and far, clear-speaking and barbarous, known and unknown. He wrote it for them as a charter, and whosoever violates, alters, or transgresses the covenant that is therein, shall have violated the covenant of God, broken His promise, ridiculed his religion, and earned His curse, whether he be a sovereign or any other Moslem. If any monk or pilgrim entrench himself in mountain, valley, cave, township, level, sand or church, I shall be behind them defending them from any that shall envy them, by myself, my helpers, my people, my sect, and my followers, inasmuch as they are my subjects and the people of my covenant. And I exempt them from the vexation in victuals which is endured by the people of the Covenant in that they have to pay the tax, save so far as they themselves of their free will offer it, and there is to be no compulsion nor force employed. No Bishop is to be removed from his diocese, nor monk from his monkdom, nor ascetic from his cell, nor pilgrim from his pilgrimage, neither is any of their assembling-places or churches to be pulled down, neither shall any of the wealth of their churches be employed for the building of mosques or houses for the Moslems; and whoever doeth this shall have violated the charter of God and the charter of His Prophet; neither shall there be taken from monks, bishops, or ministers any poll-tax or fine. I shall maintain their security wheresoever they be, whether on land or sea, east, west, north, or south. They shall at all times and in all places be under my protection and within my covenant and immunity from all mischief. Likewise the hermits in the mountains and blessed places shall not have to pay land-tax nor tithe on that which they sow, nor shall a portion be taken from them seeing that it is only enough for their own mouths, nor shall they have to render assistance at harvest-time, nor shall they be forced to go out on service in time of war, neither shall more be demanded of them that pay the land-tax and the owners of property and estates and those that engage in merchandise than twelve dirhems altogether once a year. None of them shall be made to pay more than is due, neither shall they be striven with save in kindly dealing. They shall guard them under the wing of mercy by keeping off them the vexation of all mischief wherever they be and wherever they dwell. And if Christians dwell among Moslems, the Moslems shall satisfy them, and suffer them to pray in their churches, and shall not interfere in any way with the practice of their religion. And whoso violates the charter of God, and does the contrary thereof, shall be counted a rebel against His covenant and against His Apostle; further, the Moslems shall aid in repairing the Christian churches and places, which shall remain in keeping of the Christians on condition that they abide in their religion and act according to the charter. None of them shall be compelled to bear arms, for the Moslems shall protect them. And none shall violate this charter for all time, even unto the Day of Judgment and the end of the world. (qtd. Zaydan 123-124)

FR. ROBBIN KAMEMBA, SMA