Alexandria, January 21, 2002
The first Middle East Interfaith Summit with the participation of
the leaders of the three monotheistic faiths, held in Alexandria, Egypt,
issued the following statement:
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 of 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 neighbors
respecting the integrity of each other's historical and religious
inheritance. We call upon all to oppose incitement, hatred and
misrepresentation of the other.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. We call on the political leaders of both peoples to work for a
just, secure and durable solution in the spirit of the words of the
Almighty and the Prophets.
4. 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 return to negotiations.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.