Switzerland: interreligious prayer” “

Representatives of various religions gathered in the Protestant church of St. Jervase in Geneva on 16 December, to pray together for peace. Exponents of the Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Moslem confessions expressed, in a joint declaration, their concern following the events of 11 September 2001 and for their consequences in the various countries. The church was thronged with faithful. The different religions were well represented and also present were such authorities as Ruth Dreifuss, federal Councillor, Alfredo Sfeir-Younis, representative of the World Bank to the international organizations, and representatives from the International Labour Office and the UN High Commission for Refugees. Alfredo Sfeir-Younis recalled the commitment of the World Bank to interreligious dialogue. The “Faith and Development in dialogue” project promoted by the World Bank testifies to it: it is coordinated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey. In their final declaration, the exponents of the various faiths declare: “Certain interpretations, either erroneous or prompted by evil intentions, may make people believe that religion is a source of violence. Poverty and ignorance flourish in the greater part of the planet. A deep-rooted sense of injustice is also felt in many countries, not to mention political and economic manipulation and social exclusion”. A torchlight procession. The prayer meeting on 16 December began with a torchlight procession. On reaching the church, representatives of the three “scriptural” religions, Christians, Moslems and Jews, performed three symbolic gestures. The three representatives recalled the three festivities that they each celebrate in this period. Hafid Ouardiri, spokesman of the mosque in Geneva, recited the psalms of the Koran in Arabic and in French, and spoke of the end of Ramadan, the month in which Moslems throughout the world fast from dawn to dusk. François Garaï, Grand Rabbi of the liberal Israelite Community in Geneva, lit the eighth candle of Hannouka and recalled its significance: Hannouka, the Jewish feast of Dedication and Light, is traditionally celebrated towards the end of December. Msgr. Pierre Farine, auxiliary bishop of Geneva, lit the third candle of Advent and explained the spiritual preparation for the great feast of Christmas. Three Nobel Prizewinners for Peace. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan declared, in his message to the meeting: “At a time when attempts are being made to divide the human family and exploit the differences between peoples, the world has a need, now more than ever, of dedicated men and women who may vigorously defend dialogue and reject the thesis of the clash between civilizations”. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, spoke of the difficult situation of the some 22 million refugees in the world. The message of Juan Somavia, Director General of the International Labour Office, was read out by Assane Diop: “The job insecurity and anxiety about the future that derive from the present situation for the human person and for those dependent on him, undermine the spirit”, wrote Somavia. A “hidden” terrorism. The preparation of this celebration was accompanied by a month of meetings and agreements between the various communities. “The image we had of the West – explained Msgr. Farine – has been upset, together with our view of man. The consciousness that there exist other cultures, other mentalities on this planet has been sharpened, and has also become more realistic. What is needed is to build a new civilization, struggling against the hidden terrorism that is revealed in the lack of sharing of goods”. The celebration ended with an offering of dates and tea by the Moslem community of Geneva.