Inter-religious peace conference recalls first Assisi meeting
October 28, 2013
Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim leaders joined in a call for peace at Assisi, Italy, on October 27, commemorating the anniversary of the first inter-religious meeting at Assisi in 1986.
Commenting on the exploitation of religious faith by proponents of violence, Rabbi David Rosen of the American Jewish Committee said: “We cannot ignore the fact that our texts are being abused.” He argued that responsible religious leaders must explain the true meaning of religious texts, “even if pointing out misinterpretations is not going to stop those who embrace violence.”
The other major speakers at the October 27 event were the Latin-rite Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal; Bishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi; and a member of the Italian government’s Islamic consultation board, Ejaz Ahmad. The latter was a late substitution for Mohammad Sammak, the secretary-general of the Christian-Muslim Committee for Dialogue, who was unable to attend after he lost his travel documents in a robbery.
The friars of Assisi have made plans to organize an inter-religious conference promoting peace each year, with a special focus on different causes. This year’s conference centered on the quest for peace in the Middle East.
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