Muslim, Jewish leaders open peace congress

[sonz]

Jewish and Muslim leaders are attending the Second World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace, that opened Sunday in the Spanish city of Seville, BBC reported.

The four-day congress, sponsored by Hommes de Parole, a Paris-based foundation, is aimed at educating young people on religious tolerance and encouraging faith in an increasingly secular society.

The first World Congress of Imams and Rabbis took place last year in Brussels, Belgium. Organizers say the current event attracted 72 rabbis and 72 imams from 34 countries.

"I want to break the convention that religion creates problems," Hommes de Parole founder Allain Michel said at Sunday‘s opening ceremony. "Our object is to liberate religion from its abductors."

The Imams and Rabbis at the conference said the world is in crisis and it is time they acted to restore peace, justice and respect. The delegates also expressed their strong opposition to any killing in the name of religion.

The rabbis’ delegation includes Israel’s chief rabbi Yona Metzger, whose speech at the inaugural ceremony recalled Spain's Golden Age, when relations between Judaism and Islam blossomed.

"Here in Spain, of all places, we should conclude that Jews and Muslims must not be enemies," he said. "We have more common elements than elements which pull us apart.”

Metzger also said that Judaism has fanatics, too. He recalled an attack last August in which an Israeli soldier opposed to the Gaza withdrawal opened fire on a bus in the town of Shfaram, killing four Israeli Arabs.

The Rabbi said he strongly denounced the attack and visited the families of those killed to mourn with them.

Ahmad Taoufiq, the religious affairs minister of Morocco, also condemned terrorist attacks on civilians. "We have to separate ourselves from trends which are dividing the world into darkness and light," he said.

Metzger also called for the creation of a world body with representatives from the major religious groups.

He said his idea of a "United Nations of religious groups" could "bring a bridge between religions to help the bridge of the diplomatic way".

At the end of the opening ceremony, the attendees agreed to establish an interfaith task force to prevent the hatred of Muslims and Jews.

The proposal was formulated by conference organizers along with Sheikh Imad al-Falouji, the chief Imam of Gaza and Labor Party MK Rabbi Michael Melchior.

[abdul Majid]

well thats nice of them, i hope they succeed

[north_malaysian]

Muslims and Jews should realize that no other religion that have close resemblance to Islam except Judaism and vice versa. Jews should recognizes Islam as extended version of Judaism because we Muslims recognized them as People of the Book.:happy: