Reports

Religious Leaders Convene Interfaith Summit, Agree on Joint Statement

From January 20-21, 2002, a group of 17 prominent Muslim, Christian, and Jewish religious leaders convened in Alexandria, Egypt, for a landmark conference co-hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, and the most senior Islamic figure in Egypt, the Grand Imam of al-Azhar al-Sharif, Dr. Mohammed Sayed Tantawi.

The interfaith meeting resulted in a seven-point declaration addressing tolerance, co-existence, and peace for the Holy Land’’s religions. It also calls for a "religiously sanctioned cease-fire," affirms the sanctity of the Holy Land, and urges that all should be afforded the freedom to worship there.

Although the declaration was a concerted attempt by the Holy Land’’s religious leaders to call for peace and freedom of worship, it did not deal with certain contentious issues such as Jewish access to the Temple Mount and the construction of a mosque in Nazareth.

Nevertheless, with this statement the representatives of the three largest religions in the region have maintained the importance of facilitating interfaith dialogue and seeking religious harmony in an area shaped by conflict.

Following is the text of the declaration:

The First Alexandria Declaration of the Religious Leaders of the Holy Land
Alexandria, Egypt - January 21, 2002

The first Middle East Interfaith Summit with the participation of the leaders of the three monotheistic faiths, held in Alexandria, Egypt, issued the following statement:

In the name of God who is Almighty, Merciful and Compassionate, we, who have gathered as religious leaders from the Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities, pray for true peace in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and declare our commitment to ending the violence and bloodshed that denies the right of life and dignity.

According to our faith traditions, killing innocents in the name of God is a desecration of His Holy Name, and defames religion in the world. The violence in the Holy Land is an evil which must be opposed by all people of good faith. We seek to live together as neighbors respecting the integrity of each other’’s historical and religious inheritance. We call upon all to oppose incitement, hatred and misrepresentation of the other.

1. The Holy Land is holy to all three of our faiths. Therefore, followers of the divine religions must respect its sanctity, and bloodshed must not be allowed to pollute it. The sanctity and integrity of the holy places must be preserved, and freedom of religious worship must be ensured for all.

2. Palestinians and Israelis must respect the divinely ordained purposes of the Creator by whose grace they live in the same land that is called holy.

3. We call on the political leaders of both peoples to work for a just, secure and durable solution in the spirit of the words of the Almighty and the Prophets.

4. As a first step now, we call for a religiously sanctioned cease-fire, respected and observed on all sides, and for the implementation of the Mitchell and Tenet recommendations, including the lifting of restrictions and return to negotiations.

5. We seek to help create an atmosphere where present and future generations will co-exist with mutual respect and trust in the other. We call on all to refrain from incitement and demonization, and to educate our future generations accordingly.

6. As religious leaders, we pledge ourselves to continue a joint quest for a just peace that leads to reconciliation in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, for the common good of all our peoples.

7. We announce the establishment of a permanent joint committee to carry out the recommendations of this declaration, and to engage with our respective political leadership accordingly.

Delegates:
His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey
His Eminence Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawy
The Sephardi Chief Rabbi Bakshi-Doron
The Deputy Foreign Minister, Rabbi Michael Melchior
The Rabbi of Tekoa, Rabbi Menachem Fromen
Rabbi David Rosen, President of the WCRP
The Rabbi of Savyon, Rabbi David Brodman
Rabbi Yitzak Ralbag, Rabbi of Maalot Dafna
Chief Justice of the Sharia Courts, Sheikh Taisir Tamimi
Minister of State for the PA, Sheikh Tal El Sider
Mufti of the Armed Forces, Sheikh Abdulsalam Abu Schkedem
The Mufti of Bethlehem, Sheikh Taweel
Representative of the Greek Patriarch, Archbishop Aristichos
The Latin Patriarch, His Beatitude Michel Sabbah
The Melkite Archbishop, Archbishop Boutrous Mu’’alem
Representative of the Armenian Patriarch, Archbishop Chinchinian
The Bishop of Jerusalem, the Rt Revd Riah Abu El Assal

Bulletin of Regional Cooperation in the Middle East Winter 2001-2002
Copyright 2004 Search for Common Ground