InterfaithNews.Net

UN News Service – 12 September 2006 – Observing that universal religious values animate the work of the United Nations, Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said that men and women of faith are crucial to the world body.

Newly Launched Interfaith Commission Will Guide Africa’s Religious Leaders’ Action for Peace Rwandan President Kagame Hails Interfaith Approach for “Removing Ambiguities”

With the latest tragedies in Israel and Palestine threatening to shatter
the uneasy truce of the past year, it feels heartening to read stories of
Muslims, Jews, and Christians engaging in constructive face-to-face dialogue
and action. The Interfaith Encounter Association is a network of a dozen or
so "encounter" groups in Israel, including the Jerusalem Youth
Interfaith Encounter. This spring, these youth struck upon a unique service
project: gathering leaven from Jewish households that would otherwise go
unused during Pesach and distributing it to Arab families.

"Edgar expresses thanks for release of Christian Peacemakers, and
thanks Council on American Islamic Relations for support"

I did not at first follow at all the kidnapping of a Christian Peacemakers
Team (CPT) in Iraq, nor the execution of journalist Tom Fox. My immediate,
unfounded assumption was that this was a missionary group who shouldn't
have gotten in the middle of an Islamic civil war. I couldn't have been
more wrong. Quoting from the Mission of the CPT, "Christian
Peacemaker Teams (CPT) offers an organized, nonviolent alternative to war and
other forms of lethal inter-group conflict. CPT provides organizational
support to persons committed to faith-based nonviolent alternatives in
situations where lethal conflict is an immediate reality or is supported by
public policy." I am humbled by the devotion to religious principle
that lead these four into Iraq. Truly Mr. Fox's passing is a martyr's
death.

Meeting from March 20 through 22nd, a group of 150 Jewish Rabbis and Islamic Imams gathered in Seville, Spain for dialogue and collaborative action planning, with the theme of "Islam and Judaism as instruments of peace - recognition and respect of others." Two of the participants, Co-Executive Directors of Children of Abraham, share their personal experiences of the conference, its conflicts, means, and results.

The need for a continuing dialogue between Jews and Muslims is all too
apparent in the world's news. Professors Judea Pearl, father of slain
journalist Daniel Pearl, and Akbar Ahmed share some of the findings from
their three-nation tour of "The Daniel Pearl Dialogue for Muslim-Jewish
Understanding," which show a path ahead for productive and meaningful
dialogue between members of these two great religions.

Professor Mohammed Abu-Nimer of the American University in Washington, DC writes about the important, though as yet largely potential, role for interfaith dialogue in the continuing Middle East peace process. One interfaith organization making real strides in bringing together the region’s religions is the Interfaith Encounter Assocation, as recognized in their receipt of the Immortal Chaplains Foundation’s Prize for Humanity (also covered this month).

URI Executive Director Charles Gibbs offers his reflections on the recent victory of Hamas in Palestinian Parliament elections—beginning with despair and ending in hope.

“Liberian Vice President Boakai Tells Monrovia Conference, Peace Depends On People Seeing Improvement in Their Lives

At the turn of the new year, Mussie Hailu, Vice Chair of the United Religions Initiative’s (URI) Global Council, wrote a touching and inspiring letter to URI members worldwide. Though written specifically to the URI, its content is broad and I commend it to all participants in the global interfaith movement.