“We deplore any blood spilt and any violence committed in the name of an ideology, whatever it be. But if these acts are perpetrated in the name of religion, they represent a desecration of religion itself and the gravest affront to the Holy Name of the Creator”. So ends, with a “solemn” pledge to “serve the noble cause of universal peace, especially on the earth sacred for everyone”, the final declaration issued on 22 March at the end of the second World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for peace held at Seville in Spain. The congress – promoted by the Foundation “Hommes de parole” – was attended by 150 imams and rabbis from all over the world, including Israel, the Palestinian territories, Turkey, Iran and Jordan. Although, as expected, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was a stumbling block during the debates, the Congress ended with a declaration in which the participants reaffirm their will to continue dialogue in future because “our two religions share the most fundamental values of faith in the Almighty, whose name means Peace”. The declaration also contains an appeal to the followers of the two religions: “We exhort them, together with the governments and the international institutions, to respect the symbols of all our religions”. It further underlines the need to provide an “education respectful of each other’s tradition and faith both in our communities and in our schools”.
