wfn.org | Archbishop of Canterbury hosta Holy Land Talks (more)

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ACNS 3178 - LAMBETH PALACE - 24 OCTOBER 2002

Archbishop hosts Holy Land talks

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, is hosting a meeting of
religious leaders from the Holy Land. Delegates from the Christian, Jewish
and Muslim communities of the Holy Land will be at Lambeth Palace in London
today and tomorrow for a meeting of the Permanent Committee for the
Implementation of the Alexandria Declaration.

The two-day consultation comes out of a process which saw a major agreement
signed in Alexandria in January this year. The First Alexandria Declaration
came about as a result of Dr Carey's invitation to faith leaders to meet in
Alexandria and the result was an historic, seven-point declaration which
pledged them to use their religious and moral authority to work for an end
to violence and the resumption of the peace process. It also envisaged the
establishment of the Permanent Committee of leaders from the three religions
in the Holy Land, to pursue the implementation of the declaration. The
accord also calls on Israeli and Palestinian political leaders to implement
the Mitchell and Tenet recommendations.

Permanent Committee for the Implementation of the Alexandria Declaration:

Palestinian:

Dr Emil Jarjoui, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council
Dr Ramzi Khoury, General Director of the Palestinian President's Office
Dr Ali El Samman, Adviser to the Grand Imam of al-Azhar al-Sharif
Sheikh Tal El Sider, Minister for Religious Dialogue of the Palestinian
Authority
Sheikh Tasir Tamimi, Chief Justice of the Sharia Courts
Dr Hamad Tamimi, Palestinian Adviser on Inter-Religious Dialogue
Sheikh Mustafa Taweel, Mufti of Bethlehem

Jewish:

Rabbi David Brodman, Rabbi of Savyon
Rabbi Menachem Fromen, Rabbi of Tekoa
Rabbi Michael Melchior, Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel
Rabbi Yitzak Ralbag, Rabbi of Maalot Dafna
Rabbi David Rosen, President of the World Conference on Religion and Peace
Rabbi Beni Lehmann

Christian:

Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal, Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem
His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain (for
Patriarch Irenaios)
Bishop Nathan Hovhannisian (for Patriarch Torkom)
Archbishop Boutros Mouallem, Greek Melkite Archbishop of Akka, Haifa,
Nazareth and all Galilee
HB Mgr Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
Bishop Munib Younan, Evangelical Lutheran Bishop in Jerusalem
Metropolitan Mar Severius Malki Murad, Syrian Orthodox Vicar Patriarchal of
Jerusalem and Jordan

The First Alexandria Declaration of the Religious Leaders of the Holy Land

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 to
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 neighbours, respecting the integrity
of each other's historical and religious inheritance. We call upon all to
oppose incitement, hatred and the 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 parties 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 a 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.

_________________________________________________________
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