As a result of the efforts of the government of Israel, the Council of Religious Community Leaders in Israel was inaugurated in Jerusalem on 27 June 2007.
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The conference was the culmination of months of work by a steering committee, set up at the initiative of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Interior, for the purpose of improving inter-religious dialogue and promoting issues of common interest to all the religions in Israel. Representatives from the Jewish, Muslim, Druze, Greek Orthodox and other Christian denominations, Bahai, Ahmadiyya and Samaritan faiths attended the conference.
At the meeting, the religious leaders adopted the following covenant:
Covenant of the Heads of the Religious Communities in Israel – 27 June 2007
We, the Heads of the Religious Communities in the State of Israel, having come together to establish a council for cooperation between us, declare our faith in the Creator of the Universe who rules His world with grace and mercy, and who demands that we human beings live with
each other in peace and respect.
Therefore, we hereby declare:
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We are committed to doing all we can in order to fulfill this important command, especially in the Holy Land which is so dear to all of us.
First and foremost, we declare our commitment to the sanctity of human life and denounce all violence against the innocent, especially when this is done in the name of religion, which constitutes sacrilege.
In order to establish peace and mutual respect among the various religious communities in our country, we must educate our children and our communities accordingly, and avoid any affront to the sensibilities and beliefs of others.
The holy sites are a legacy from the past, which requires their preservation as religious and cultural heritages. This also is in accordance with the law of the state regarding the preservation of the holy sites; the integrity and special character of the holy sites must be safeguarded, and they must be protected from all violence and desecration. It is our responsibility, as religious community leaders, to strengthen this approach and to call upon our communities not to harm the holy sites of other religious communities.
Accordingly, and in keeping with the religious commandments and prohibitions of the various faiths, free access must be guaranteed for all believers to their holy sites, and the relevant authorities must assure this.
Our religious heritages teach that peace and tranquility, doing what is right and just, are the commandments of the Holy One Blessed Be He, and as religious community leaders we bear the responsibility to be attentive to the cries of the weak among us and to work together for a just and fair society.
So why do I object? First of all, Islam defines who is “innocent” and its definition excludes Israeli men women and children among others. This is outrageous and unacceptable.
The statement requires the various religious communities to “educate our children and our communities accordingly, and avoid any affront to the sensibilities and beliefs of others.”
What a can of worms this is. Essentially it is designed to protect religion from criticism. As such it severely restricts our free speech.
I hold it as an article of faith, pardon the pun, that all ideologies, religions and philosophies must be subject to criticism, even damning criticism. In the exercise of our free speech we are entitled to use sarcasm, cartoons, denigration and desecration.
While this may offend sensibilities, it is a necessary agent for acquiring knowledge and change. For example, if Islam promotes violence, as it does, it should be criticized. The fact that some Muslims may be offended is beside the point, unless, of course, such offense leads to change.
Finally the various religious communities “declare our faith in the Creator of the Universe who rules His world with grace and mercy, and who demands that we human beings live with each other in peace and respect.” Notice that they bypass the fact that “Allah” as conceived by Islam is a different conception from the God of the Torah worshipped by both Jews and Christians. Instead they declare faith in the “Creator of the Universe”. That much they can agree on.
Allah does not “rules His world with grace and mercy, and who demands that we human beings live with each other in peace and respect”. Just the opposite is true. Islam requires war against the kaffir (infidel) and separation from them. It shows them no peace and respect but rather considers them sons of dogs and pigs. Just look at my post Bloody Islam.
No, I don’t like it one bit. I object.
