Religion Peace and Conflict Multi-Faith dialogue in the Middle East

“Is it possible to achieve peace through a multi-faith dialogue?”

The past: some defining moments: Christians, Muslims and Jews originated in the Middle East, (Bethlehem,Jerusalem and Mecca) Whole range of encounters between the three creeds: Constitution of Medina (622 CE) Crusades (from 1099 to 1291) Caliphate of Cordoba (756-1031) Ottoman Empire (1299-1923)

20th-21st Centuries: Historic antagonisms previously suppressed by the bipolar confrontation of the Cold war remerged as ethnic conflicts: Balkans, Radicalization of the conflicts in the Middle East, Increasing interaction of people through: Migration, Technology, West has not the capability to deal with religion differences, 11th September 2001.

Unwelcome truths: At various times in history, within Christian, Muslim and Jews religion has been a source of sectarian strife, In the three scriptures and traditions one can find passages that have often been interpreted to support truth claims and a sense of “exclusivism” and “inclusivism”, In practice each religion has been notably self-centered, claiming for itself a superior position and unique authority.

Welcome truths: They are Abrahamic faiths and monotheistic (Unity of one God), They share same ethical code of values, They inherit a broad and rich religious tradition within which many different views can coexist.

Center for Religion and Diplomacy (1999): Serving bridge between the political and religious communities in support of peace-making, Deploying inter-religious action teams to trouble spots where conflicts threatens or has already broke out, Training religious clergy and laity in the task of peacemaking, Providing feedbacks to theologians and clergy on the interpretation of their teachings.

Christian-Muslim relations: Theological issues: Different vision of salvation, Different interpretation of the revelation, Different understanding of the law (Divine Law -Shari’a- versus Secular law) Problem over propagation and mission, Challenge of modernity,

Achievements: 1910 Protestant World Missionary Conference (Edinburgh), 1948 World Council of Churches, 1964 Second Vatican Council (Pope John XXIII), Regular conferences on the subject organized in Jordan, Turkey, Egypt and Iran, 1994 U.N. conference on family in Cairo, Pope John Paul II, Louis Massignon, Mohammed Khatami, Muhammed Talbi.

Population: Christians in the Middle East: 10 million, 6 million in Egypt, (Coptic) Over 1 million both in Lebanon and Syria with smaller communities in Iraq, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Turkey and Iran. Muslims in the Christian world: More than 1 billion of American Muslim, 5-6 million in France, 3 million in Germany, 1.6 million in UK,

Jewish-Muslim relations: Problem of monolithic exclusivism (Chosen People, Mawdudi’s interpretation of Islam), Muslim and Jewish communities have both experienced Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia (looking inwards rather than outwards), Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Politics and religion are intertwined.

Achievements: Interfaith dialogue among diaspora Jewish and Muslim communities, (Jonathan Magonet, Mohammed Talbi, Hossein Nasr) Creation of several interfaith organizations in Israel providing a framework for spiritual reflection on issues at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Neve Shalom - Wahat al-Salam; Re’ut-Sadaka)

Jewish population in the Middle East: Outside Israel the biggest community is that of Iran: 25,000 Jews, Morocco: around 4,000 Jews, Less that 2,500 live in Egypt, Few representatives are in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, Libya: Jewish community almost disappeared.

“ “Religion is a system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic.” (Geertz 1973:90)