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The World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace "brings together
Imam Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...
s and
Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
s who formally seek to initiate
rapprochement In international relations, a rapprochement, which comes from the French word ''rapprocher'' ("to bring together"), is a re-establishment of cordial relations between two countries. This may be done due to a mutual enemy, as was the case with Germ ...
between
Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
and
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
". Three
congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
es have been held, in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, January 2005, then in
Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
, March 2006, and recently in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
, in December 2008. These gatherings were attended by religious leaders, from over 43 countries, who are actively committed to the path of dialogue between their communities." WCIRP is a project of Hommes de Parole, a Swiss foundation based in
Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
, created in 2001, by Alain Michel.


First World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for peace: 2005

The ''First World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for peace'' took place in Brussels, Belgium from 6 January 2005. One hundred and fifty Rabbis and Imams participated. The focus of the conference was: "Islam and Judaism as instruments of peace - recognition and respect of others". The program was intended to be a forum for planning concrete actions and setting up of frameworks for cooperation. The goals of the meeting included 1) condemning violence perpetrated in the name of religion 2) creation of a dialog and partnership between the two religions 3) facilitate development of peaceful solutions to conflict by influential religious leaders 4) gather these leaders before the media to promote a message of peace. A final declaration, posted on th
Hommes de Parole Web site
was made as follows:
:We, leaders, representatives, Rabbis and Imams of
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
and
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
religious communities who have assembled from all over the world for the first world congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace affirm our commitment to strive to end all bloodshed and attacks against innocent human beings that offend the right to life and dignity given by the Almighty to all human beings. #We call upon all people to combat hate, ignorance and their causes and to build together a world of peace, rich in diversity, in which all faiths and their practices are respected and protected. #We call upon the political leaders of all peoples to work for righteous and peaceful durable solutions around the world and in particular in the Holy Land for the benefit of all peoples and faith-communities who live in the land and hold it dear. #We pledge ourselves to pursue a shared goal of respect for human rights for all people and peoples, without which no peace can be possible. #We call upon all religious leaders in Jewish and Muslim congregations around the world to devote regular sermons and addresses to their communities on the importance of inter-religious respect and reverence for all human life under all circumstances. #We announce the establishment of a permanent joint committee to help implement these commitments and propose programmatic initiatives on a regular basis, in keeping with the proposals presented during the congress and in its spirit for the well being of all peoples.


Second World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for peace: 2006

The ''Second World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for peace'' took place in Seville, Spain from 19 to 22 March 2006. The Second Congress focused on building trust and confidence necessary for joint projects, creating a forum in which religious leaders can use their influence in conflict resolution, help religious leaders to challenge the misuse of religion in fanaticism, and to create structures to facilitate practical day-to-day work in prioritized areas. A final declaration, posted on th
Hommes de Parole Web site
was made as follows:
In the name of the One Creator and Master of the Universe, the Compassionate and All Merciful, we Muslim and Jewish leaders and representatives, gathered for the Second World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace organized by Hommes de Parole in Seville, in the region of Andalusia - recalling the past era in which Jews and Muslims lived together here in harmony and mutual enrichment - and aspiring for such relations today and in the future. *We accordingly affirm that contrary to widespread misrepresentation, there is no inherent conflict between Islam and Judaism, on the contrary. While modern politics has regrettably impacted negatively upon the relationship, our two religions share the most fundamental values of faith in the One Almighty whose name is Peace, who is merciful, compassionate and just; and who calls on us human beings to manifest these values in our lives and to advance them in relation to all persons whose lives and dignity are sacred. Therefore we reiterate the message we sent from our first congress, that we deplore bloodshed or violence in the name of any ideology everywhere. Especially when such is perpetrated in the name of religion it is a desecration of religion, itself and the gravest offense against the Holy Name of the Creator. *Thus, in addition to calling upon all our co-religionists to respect all human life, dignity and rights, to promote peace and justice; we call upon them and the governments of the world and international institutions to show respect for the attachments and symbols of all religions, as well as their holy sites, houses of worship and cemeteries, particularly in the Holy Land, due to its special sensitivity. *Accordingly, we condemn any negative representation of these, let alone any desecration, Heaven forbid. Similarly, we condemn any incitement against a faith or people, let alone any call for their elimination, and we urge authorities to do likewise. *We recognize that there is widespread misrepresentation of our religions, - one in the other's community as well as in the world at large. *We affirm therefore the urgent need for truthful and respectful education about each other's faith and tradition in our respective communities and schools; and call upon those responsible to promote such essential education for peaceful co-existence. *Solemnly we pledge ourselves to the aforementioned continue to seek out one another to build bridges of respect, hope and friendship, to combat incitement and hostility, to overcome all barriers and obstacles, to reinforce mutual trust, serving the noble goal of universal peace especially in the land that is holy to us all.


Third World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for peace: 15–17 December 2008, Paris, France

The Hommes de Parole Foundation has organized the Third World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace at UNESCO, in Paris, under the patronage of and in collaboration with UNESCO. The theme of the Congress is "The Sacredness of Peace". The Congress brought together 85 religious leaders and experts from over 22 countries."Imams and Rabbis for Peace", by Justin, 20 December 2008, http://peacetour.org World Peace Through Technology Organization
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Permanent Committee for Jewish-Muslim Dialogue

The ''Permanent Committee for Jewish-Muslim Dialogue'' was created after the First World Congress as an institution which would reflect and act in domains and on problematic issues in which
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
and
Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
are implicated. The committee is composed on nine founder members, four international Jewish personalities, four international Muslim personalities and a neutral president: Sheikh Ahmed Abaadi, Director of Islamic Affairs of Morocco; Grand Rabbi Joseph Azran; Grand Rabbi Av Beth-Din of Rishon Letzion; Grand Rabbi
Shear Yashuv Cohen Eliyahu Yosef She'ar Yashuv Cohen ( he, אליהו יוסף שאר ישוב כהן; November 4, 1927 – September 5, 2016) was the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Haifa, Israel and the President of its rabbinical courts (1975–2011). Biography Eliyah ...
,
Grand Rabbi Chief Rabbi ( he, רב ראשי ''Rav Rashi'') is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities. Since 1911, through a ...
of
Haifa Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...
; Sheikh Kone Idriss Koudouss, President of the National council of Imams of the Ivory Coast; Alain Michel, founder of Hommes de Parole; Dr Ndam Njoya, Coordinator of the Higher Islamic Council of the Cameroon, President Founder of the Institute of Islamic and Religious Studies, International co-President of the
World Conference of Religions for Peace Religions for Peace is an international coalition of representatives from the world's religions dedicated to promoting peace founded in 1970. The International Secretariat headquarters is in New York City, with regional conferences in Europe, As ...
; Grand Rabbi David Rosen, International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the
American Jewish Committee The American Jewish Committee (AJC) is a Jewish advocacy group established on November 11, 1906. It is one of the oldest Jewish advocacy organizations and, according to ''The New York Times'', is "widely regarded as the dean of American Jewish org ...
, International co-President of the World conference of Religions for Peace; Sheikh Talal Sedir, ex-Minister of Religious Affairs of the
Palestinian Authority The Palestinian National Authority (PA or PNA; ar, السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية '), commonly known as the Palestinian Authority and officially the State of Palestine,
and Imam of
Hebron Hebron ( ar, الخليل or ; he, חֶבְרוֹן ) is a Palestinian. city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judaean Mountains, it lies above sea level. The second-largest city in the West Bank (after East J ...
; Oded Wiener, Director of the Cabinet of the Grand Rabbinate of Israel.


International Interreligious Monitoring Centre (IIMC)

The Committee created an ''International Interreligious Monitoring Centre (IIMC)'' in February 2005. The goal of this committee is to condemn and denounce anti-religious acts worldwide, to create a best practices guidelines and to address the bigotry prejudice and racism. The committee has also published two press releases condemning the assassination of Rafic Hariri and the threats made against the holy places of Jerusalem.


See also

*
List of peace activists This list of peace activists includes people who have proactively advocated diplomatic, philosophical, and non-military resolution of major territorial or ideological disputes through nonviolent means and methods. Peace activists usually work ...


References

{{Reflist


External links


The official siteHommes de ParolePersonal account of First World Congress
Jews and Judaism and pluralism Islamic and Jewish interfaith dialogue Peace organizations Islam and politics