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THE FIRST ALEXANDRIAN DECLARATION
OF THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE HOLY LAND
FORUM - Znak - Christian Culture
Foundation
www.forum-znak-org.pl
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Delegates
His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury,
Dr. George Carey
His Eminence Sheikh Mohamed Sayed
Tantawi
The Sephardi Chief Rabbi Bakshi-Doron
The Deputy Foreign Minister,
Rabbi Michael Melchior
The Rabbi of Tekoa, Rabbi Menachem
Fromen
Rabbi David Rosen, President
of the WCRP
The Rabbi of Savyon, Rabbi David
Brodman
Rabbi Yitzak Ralbag, Rabbi of
Maalot Dafna
Chief Justice of the Sharia Courts, Sheikh Taisir Tamimi
Minister of State for the PA,
Sheikh Talal El Sider
Mufti of the Armed Forces, Sheikh
Abdulsalam Abu Schkedem
The Mufti of Bethlehem, Sheikh
Taweel
Representative of the Greek Patriarch, Archbishop Anastasios
The Latin Patriarch, His Beatitude
Michel Sabbah
The Melkite Archbishop, Archbishop
Boutrous Mu'alem Representative of the Armenian Patriarch,
Archbishop Chinchinian
The Bishop of Jerusalem, The
Rt. Rev. Riah Abu El Assal
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