Leaders of traditional religions unify efforts to achieve humanistic values

World leaders of traditional religions (Islam, Christianity and Judaism) gathered in Kazakhstan and pledged to unify their efforts for a better world, utilizing religion to achieve justice, peace, spiritual and social development, diversity values, education, rights of women, and cooperation, besides addressing issues of extremism, radicalism, terrorism, illegal migration, and post-pandemic global challenges. 

They asked all national governments and decision-makers to cooperate with them to achieve these goals, calling for all to “abandon all aggressive and destructive rhetoric which leads to destabilization of the world, and to cease from conflict and bloodshed in all corners of our world.”

“We note that pluralism in terms of differences in skin color, gender, race, language and culture are expressions of the wisdom of God in creation. Religious diversity is permitted by God and, therefore, any coercion to a particular religion and religious doctrine is unacceptable,” the declaration of the conference read.

They also announced their support for inter-religious dialogue for social justice and solidarity. The conference also announced its recognition of “the importance and value of the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together between the Holy See and Al-Azhar Al-Sharif (adopted by the UN General Assembly in resolution A/RES/75/200 of December 21, 2020), and the Makkah Declaration (adopted in Mecca in May 2019), which call for peace, dialogue, mutual understanding and mutual respect among believers for the common good.”

The gathering was attended by a total of 108 religious and world leaders from 60 different countries. It was co-hosted by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Pontiff of the Catholic Church Pope Francis, and Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel Yitzhak Yosef.

‘Silence of the so-called civilized source of suffering’

“I believe the conference’s final recommendations touch on many issues from which the international community, with all its poor and rich people, is suffering due to the silence of the so-called civilized world and its indifference to the afflictions that befall the miserable and the poor, who are the majority population in our world. I can only emphasize that religious leaders cannot achieve their goals until they unite and let their followers work together to overcome any grudges and resentments among people,” said Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb in his speech at the closing session of the two-day conference.

The Grand Imam added that directing faith activities in different religions is a must to “serve humanistic purposes rather than fueling conflicts among religions and religious people.”

“Secondly, gathering the lofty humanistic values from each religion such as compassion and kindness towards fellow humans, regardless of any differences that might divide them, and disseminating them by all available means and languages” is essential, in addition to “adopting a rational approach to the dissemination of these common values, based on the love of truth, while avoiding any mischievous means to influence people’s beliefs.”

“The experience myself and my brother Pope Francis had with the Document on Human Fraternity encourages us to take this initiative further. There were radical opinions that tried to obstruct this dialogue and often consider it taboo for the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and the head of the Catholic Church to meet. However, because we have sincere intentions, in our first meeting, we felt like we had known each other for years, and our hearts and minds embraced mutual friendship,” the Grand Imam said.

“I am one of those who believe that human civilizations, in all their stages, need heaven’s light, the prophets’ guidance, and the wisdom of the holy scriptures. I am convinced that the cure to the modern diseases of humanity, especially its blindness to see the truth, no longer lies in any materialist or technological progress. It can only be found in the spiritual welfare which religions play a pivotal role in ensuring,” he continued.

On the sidelines of his visit to Kazakhstan, the Grand Imam, in Friday sermon at Nur Sultan Mosque, called upon the youth to revive the legacy of the great Muslim scholars by rooting the fundamentals of fraternity among Muslims and among all people from different cultures and religions.

Sheikh Al-Tayeb said that all people are equal as they originally come from Adam and Eve and are equal as is guaranteed by Islam, adding that all calls and concepts that incite chaos, violence, conflict, and racial discrimination contradict God’s will and justice.

“What is being promoted among youth that religions are the cause of wars and that freedom from religion is the guarantor of peace among peoples is a lie, of which the world pays the price through wars, horror and fear of the unknown,” the Grand Imam said.

‘Youth: Messengers of peace’

“Let us put into the hands of the young opportunities for education, not weapons of destruction! And let us listen to them, without being afraid to be challenged by their questions,” said Pope Francis in his speech at the closing session.

“God is peace. He guides us always in the way of peace, never that of war. Let us commit ourselves, then, even more to insisting on the need for resolving conflicts not by the inconclusive means of power, with arms and threats, but by the only means blessed by heaven and worthy of man: encounter, dialogue and patient negotiations, which make progress especially when they take into consideration the young and future generations,” Pope Francis added.

“It makes us realize that the meaning of life cannot be reduced to our own individual interests, but is deeply linked to the fraternity that is part of our identity,” the Pope said.

He stressed that religion is not a problem, and the solution boils down to the pursuit of transcendence and the sacred value of fraternity amid the geopolitical, social, economic, ecological, but fundamentally spiritual crises that many modern institutions, including democracies, are presently experiencing, to the detriment of security and concord among peoples. 

“We need religion in order to respond to the thirst for world peace and the thirst for the infinite that dwells in the heart of each man and woman,” he added.

The Pope shed light on the importance of freedom of religion as a basic, primary and inalienable right.

“Each person has the right to render public testimony to his or her own creed, proposing it without ever imposing it,” he said.

‘Rejection of bad habits is a must’

Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel Yitzhak Yosef said in his speech that the rejection of bad habits and mutual respect are essential.

“The pandemic has strengthened people’s faith in God because people understood that everything depends on God,” Yosef was quoted as saying by Astana Time.

“COVID-19 strengthened faith in God as people understood that nothing depends on us, even a small virus that no experts could unravel yet. Everything depends on God. We all pray that holy blessings protect us from epidemics and wars and make the world better and more rational. What could we do to make God receive our prayers? It is giving ground to thy neighbor and abandoning ill habits,” he said, as quoted by Kazinform.