ISNA WORKS FOR PEACE IN PALESTINE

The Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land,  a group of senior Israeli and Palestinian religious leaders, who have made a “commitment to ending the violence and bloodshed that denies the right to life and dignity,” in the Holy Land met the week of November 5th in Washington DC.    Among the many events scheduled, the Council held meetings with members of the U.S. Congress, the Bush administration and important religious leaders in the U. S. to discuss peace building initiatives designed to decrease violence in the region and create an open dialogue for peace.

The Council was supported by grants from the U.S. Agency for International Development and USAID which was commenced in an attempt to construct reliance and reinforce respect among communities in the region. ISNA was instrumental in sponsorship and organization for this event and assisted in identification of Muslim leaders in the community.  These community members were invited to a dinner with hopes of creating bonds between the local and international community leaders.

The Islamic Society of North America also arranged for a meeting for the Chief Justice of Palestine and his delegation to have a private meeting with Congressmen Keith Ellison and Congressmen John Lewis. 

Cardinal McCarrick,  one of the hosts of the Council’s visit, stated, “We are extremely pleased to provide an opportunity for these courageous, dedicated leaders to present their initiatives to members of Congress, the administration and the American public.”

Jewish members of the council comprise of Rabbi Shlomo Amar – Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yonah Metzger – Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen – Chief Rabbi of Haifa, Rabbi David Rosen and Oded Wiener – Director General of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

Christian members of the Council comprise of Patriarch Theophilos III – Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, Patriarch Michel Sabah – Latin Patriarchate, Bishop Suheil Dawani – The Angelican Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, Bishop Munib Younan – Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Holy Land and Jordan

Muslim members of the Council comprised of Shaykh Tayseer Rajab Hamed Bayoud Tamini – Supreme Judge of Sharia Courts in the Palestine Department, Sheik Jamal Bawatnah – Minister of Awqaf, Salah Zuhayka – Assistant Secretary of the Waqf, Sheikh Hatem Hilmi Bakri and Sheikh Abdel Salam Mraish.

The Council members released a statement to the public stating, “It is our responsibility to find the right way to live together in peace rather than to fight and kill one other. Palestinians yearn for the end to occupation and for what they see as their inalienable rights. Israelis long for the day when they can live in personal and national security. Together we must find way of reaching these goals.”  The Council has also released a communique in response to the event that focuses on their continued efforts to end the violence in Israel and Palestine.  Through the work of the Council and continued persistence there is hope that the Abrahamic faiths will be brought together and the hostility of the region will cease.

Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land
Communiqué  November, 2007
 

All of us believe in one Creator and Guide of the Universe. We believe that the essence of religion is to worship Him and respect the life and dignity of all human beings, regardless of religion, nationality and gender.

We accordingly commit ourselves to using our positions of leadership, and the influence of our good offices, to advance these sacred values, to prevent religion from being used as a source of conflict, and instead serve the goals of just and comprehensive peace and reconciliation.

Our respective Holy Places have become a major element in our conflict. We lament that this is the case, as our respective attachments to our holy places should not be a cause of bloodshed, let alone be sites of violence or other expressions of hatred. Holy places must remain dedicated to prayer and worship only, places where believers have free access and put themselves in the presence of the Creator. Holy places are there for believers to draw inspiration to strengthen their acceptance and love of Almighty and all His creatures, from all religions and all nationalities.

Accordingly each religious community should treat the Holy Sites of the other faiths in a manner that respects their integrity and independence and avoids any act of desecration, aggression or harm.

We, believers from three religions, have been placed in this land, Jews, Christians and Muslims. It is our responsibility to find the right way to live together in peace rather than to fight and kill one other. Palestinians yearn for the end to occupation and for what they see as their inalienable rights. Israelis long for the day when they can live in personal and national security. Together we must find ways of reaching these goals.

Towards these ends we are actively working to:

• Establish “hot line” procedures of rapid communication among ourselves in order to address and advise government officials regarding issues of protection of and access to Holy Sites before such issues become cause for conflict.
• Establish mechanisms to monitor media for derogatory representations of any religion, and issue statements in response to such representations.
• Together reflect on the future of Jerusalem, support the designation of the Old City of Jerusalem as a World Heritage Site, work to secure open access to the Old City for all communities, and seek a common vision for this city which all of us regard as holy.
• Promote education for mutual respect and acceptance in schools and in the media. We will sponsor a conference for Israeli and Palestinian educators, academics and Ministers of Education on “The Role of Religion in Educating for Peace: Principles and Practices.”
• Demonstrate through our relations that differences can and should be addressed through dialogue rather than through violence, and strive to bring this message to our respective communities and political leaders that they may embrace this approach accordingly.
• Provide ongoing consultation to our government leaders, and through the example of our work together remind them that the interests of one community can only be served by also respecting and valuing the humanity and interests of all other communities.