杏MAP导航

By Andrea Tornielli - Abu Dhabi

The 鈥淒ocument on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together鈥� signed on Monday afternoon in Abu Dhabi by 杏MAP导航 Francis and the Grand Imama of Al-Azhar, Ahmad el-Tayeb, is not only a milestone in relations between Christianity and Islam but also represents a message with a strong impact on the international scene. In the preface, after affirming that 鈥淔aith leads a believer to see in the other a brother or sister to be supported and loved鈥�, this text is spoken of as a text 鈥渢hat has been given honest and serious thought鈥�, which invites 鈥渁ll persons who have faith in God and faith in human fraternity to unite and work together鈥�.

The document opens with a series of invocations: the 杏MAP导航 and the Grand Imam speak 鈥渋n the name of God who has created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity鈥�, 鈥渋n the name of innocent human life that God has forbidden to kill鈥�, 鈥渋n the name of the poor鈥�, 鈥渙rphans, widows, refugees, exiles鈥� and all victims of wars鈥� and 鈥減ersecution鈥�. Al-Azhar, together with the Catholic Church, 鈥渄eclare the adoption of a culture of dialogue as the path; mutual cooperation as the code of conduct; reciprocal understanding as the method and standard鈥�.

In the document, 鈥渨e鈥� call upon ourselves, upon the leaders of the world as well as the architects of international policy and world economy, to work strenuously to spread the culture of tolerance and of living together in peace; to intervene at the earliest opportunity to stop the shedding of innocent blood and bring an end to wars, conflicts, environmental decay and the moral and cultural decline that the world is presently experiencing鈥�.

The two religious leaders ask all people of religion and culture, as well as the media, to rediscover and spread 鈥渢he values of peace, justice, goodness, beauty, human fraternity and coexistence鈥�. And they firmly affirm their belief 鈥� that among the most important causes of the crises of the modern world are a desensitized human conscience, a distancing from religious values and a prevailing individualism accompanied by materialistic philosophies鈥�.

While recognizing the positive steps taken by modern civilization, the declaration emphasizes the 鈥渕oral deterioration that influences international action and a weakening of spiritual values and responsibility鈥�, which leads many 鈥渢o fall either into a vortex of atheistic, agnostic or religious extremism, or into blind and fanatic extremism.鈥� Religious and national extremism, together with intolerance, have produced the signs of a 鈥渢hird world war being fought piecemeal鈥�.

The 杏MAP导航 and the Grand Imam therefore state that 鈥渕ajor political crises, situations of injustice and lack of equitable distribution of natural resources 鈥� which only a rich minority benefit from, to the detriment of the majority of the peoples of the earth 鈥� have generated, and continue to generate, vast numbers of poor, infirm and deceased persons. This leads to catastrophic crises that various countries have fallen victim to despite their natural resources and the resourcefulness of young people which characterize these nations. In the face of such crises that result in the deaths of millions of children 鈥� wasted away from poverty and hunger 鈥� there is an unacceptable silence鈥�.

They affirm the fundamental importance of the family, as well as the importance 鈥渙f awakening religious awareness鈥�, especially in young people, 鈥渢o confront tendencies that are individualistic, selfish, conflicting, and also address radicalism and blind extremism in all its forms and expressions.鈥� The two leaders recall that the Creator 鈥済ranted us the gift of life to protect it. It is a gift that no one has the right to take away, threaten or manipulate to suit oneself. Indeed, everyone must safeguard this gift of life from its beginning up to its natural end. We therefore condemn all those practices that are a threat to life such as genocide, acts of terrorism, forced displacement, trafficking in human organs, abortion and euthanasia. We likewise condemn the policies that promote these practices.鈥�

They also 鈥渞esolutely declare that religions must never incite war, hateful attitudes, hostility and extremism, nor must they incite violence or the shedding of blood. These tragic realities are the consequence of a deviation from religious teachings. They result from a political manipulation of religions and from interpretations made by religious groups鈥�. For this reason, 鈥淲e thus call upon all concerned to stop using religions to incite hatred, violence, extremism and blind fanaticism, and to refrain from using the name of God to justify acts of murder, exile, terrorism and oppression鈥�. The 杏MAP导航 and the Grand Imam recall that 鈥淕od, the Almighty, has no need to be defended by anyone and does not want His name to be used to terrorize people.鈥�

The Declaration attests that 鈥渇reedom is a right of every person: each individual enjoys the freedom of belief, thought, expression and action. The pluralism and the diversity of religions, colour, sex, race and language are willed by God in His wisdom, through which He created human beings. This divine wisdom is the source from which the right to freedom of belief and the freedom to be different derives. Therefore, the fact that people are forced to adhere to a certain religion or culture must be rejected, as too the imposition of a cultural way of life that others do not accept鈥�.

It also states that 鈥渢he protection of places of worship 鈥� synagogues, churches and mosques 鈥� is a duty guaranteed by religions, human values, laws and international agreements. Every attempt to attack places of worship or threaten them by violent assaults, bombings or destruction, is a deviation from the teachings of religions as well as a clear violation of international law鈥�.

It is recalled once again that 鈥淭errorism is deplorable and threatens the security of people, be they in the East or the West鈥�, and disseminates panic, terror and pessimism, but this is not due to religion, even when terrorists instrumentalize it. It is due, rather, to an accumulation of incorrect interpretations of religious texts and to policies linked to hunger, poverty, injustice, oppression and pride. This is why it is so necessary to stop supporting terrorist movements fuelled by financing, the provision of weapons and strategy, and by attempts to justify these movements even using the media. All these must be regarded as international crimes that threaten security and world peace.鈥�

The document states that 鈥渋t is therefore crucial to establish in our societies the concept of full citizenship and reject the discriminatory use of the term minorities which engenders feelings of isolation and inferiority.鈥�

The Declaration defines it as 鈥渆ssential requirement to recognize the right of women to education and employment, and to recognize their freedom to exercise their own political rights. Moreover, efforts must be made to free women from historical and social conditioning that runs contrary to the principles of their faith and dignity. It is also necessary to protect women from sexual exploitation鈥� Accordingly, an end must be brought to all those inhuman and vulgar practices that denigrate the dignity of women. Efforts must be made to modify those laws that prevent women from fully enjoying their rights.鈥�

After reaffirming the right of children to grow up in a family environment, to receive nutrition and education, the two leaders say: 鈥淎ll those practices that violate the dignity and rights of children must be denounced. It is equally important to be vigilant against the dangers that they are exposed to, particularly in the digital world, and to consider as a crime the trafficking of their innocence and all violations of their youth鈥�.

Finally, 鈥淎l-Azhar and the Catholic Church ask that this Document become the object of research and reflection in all schools, universities and institutes of formation鈥�. And they hope that the Declaration will become a 鈥渟ign of the closeness between East and West, between North and South.鈥�