Religions for Peace in the Middle-East
by H.B.Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, 22-Jan-03
Religious rights and political rights
1. The conflict of the Middle East is in itself a political conflict, but, in the East everything becomes animated with the religious feelings or memory. Therefore it has essentially a religious dimension, Jewish, Moslem as well as Christian.
The first question which meets us in this field is the following: do religious memories or roots in the land give a political right to the believers? Religious memories or roots give the believers the right to a free access to the land and the right of free worship in it. Indeed the three monotheistic religions have roots and memories in the land. Therefore, all of them, all believers of these religions, must have the same and equal right of free access and free worship in the land. As for the political rights for the peoples involved, they are to be determined according to the international law.
The second question is the following: whether religion allows and calls the believers to use violence in order to defend religion itself or the land considered as holy? Indeed, religion along history had given birth to many wars between nations and peoples, whether believing in the same or in different religion. This alliance between religion and war, or religion and violence, which appeared during history, and still appears in modern history, contradicts the nature of religion and its fundamental role.
by H.B.Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, 22-Jan-03
Religious rights and political rights
1. The conflict of the Middle East is in itself a political conflict, but, in the East everything becomes animated with the religious feelings or memory. Therefore it has essentially a religious dimension, Jewish, Moslem as well as Christian.
The first question which meets us in this field is the following: do religious memories or roots in the land give a political right to the believers? Religious memories or roots give the believers the right to a free access to the land and the right of free worship in it. Indeed the three monotheistic religions have roots and memories in the land. Therefore, all of them, all believers of these religions, must have the same and equal right of free access and free worship in the land. As for the political rights for the peoples involved, they are to be determined according to the international law.
The second question is the following: whether religion allows and calls the believers to use violence in order to defend religion itself or the land considered as holy? Indeed, religion along history had given birth to many wars between nations and peoples, whether believing in the same or in different religion. This alliance between religion and war, or religion and violence, which appeared during history, and still appears in modern history, contradicts the nature of religion and its fundamental role.