The Silsilah Dialogue Movement welcomes with joy the new document of Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar of February 4, 2019, on “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.” The signing following the Holy Father’s speech to the Global Conference on Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi, a key element in the Holy Father’s February 3-5 apostolic visit to the United Arab Emirates. This Document is a sign of hope especially for those who are in Mindanao and other part of the world who still do not have hope on Christian- Muslim dialogue in the midst of divisions and conflicts. We are happy that in this official document it is clearly mentioned the importance of the CULTURE OF DIALOGUE AS A PATH TO PEACE. We believe that this is the entry point of a deeper understanding of DIALOGUE SUSTAINED BY LOVE. We find the same spirit in the new initiative of the United Nations ( UN) of 2010 that invites all peoples of the world belonging to different religions, nations and cultures to celebrate “ The World Interfaith Harmony Week” (WIHW) the first week of February every year ( February 1-7) guided by the spirit of the “Love of God, the love of neighbour and the love of common good”. By a coincidence the document was signed on February 4, 2019 during the celebration of the WIHW. We present here relevant parts of the document. Those who are interested to read the full document can be found in Google.
“….In the name of God…. Al-Azhar al-Sharif and the Muslims of the East and West, together with the Catholic Church and the Catholics of the East and West, declare the adoption of a Culture of Dialogue as the path; mutual cooperation as the code of conduct; reciprocal understanding as the method and standard…
This Document, in accordance with previous International Documents that have emphasized the importance of the role of religions in the construction of world peace, upholds the following:
• The firm conviction that authentic teachings of religions invite us to remain rooted in the values of peace; to defend the values of mutual understanding, human fraternity and harmonious coexistence; to re-establish wisdom, justice and love;…
• Freedom is a right of every person: each individual enjoys the freedom of belief, thought, expression and action. The pluralism and the diversity of religions, color, sex, race, and language are willed by God in His wisdom, through which He created human beings….
• Justice based on mercy is the path to follow in order to achieve a dignified life to which every human being has a right;…
• Dialogue, understanding and the widespread promotion of a culture of tolerance, acceptance of others and of living together peacefully would contribute significantly to reducing many economic, social, political and environmental problems that weigh so heavily on a large part of humanity…
• Dialogue among believers means coming together in the vast space of spiritual, human and shared social values and, from here, transmitting the highest moral virtues that religions aim for…
• The protection of places of worship – synagogues, churches, and mosques – 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;…
• Terrorism is deplorable and threatens the security of people, be they in the East or the West, the North or the South, and disseminates panic, terror and pessimism, but this is not due to religion, even when terrorists instrumentalize it…
• The concept of citizenship is based on the equality of rights and duties, under which all enjoy justice…
• Good relations between East and West are indisputably necessary for both. They must not be neglected so that each can be enriched by the other’s culture through fruitful exchange and dialogue. The West can discover in the East remedies for those spiritual and religious maladies that are caused by a prevailing materialism. And the East can find in the West many elements that can help free it from weakness, division, conflict and scientific, technical and cultural decline…
• It is an essential requirement to recognize the right of women to education and employment and to recognize their freedom to exercise their own political rights….
• The protection of the fundamental rights of children to grow up in a family environment, to receive nutrition, education, and support, are duties of the family and society….
• The protection of the rights of the elderly, the weak, the disabled, and the oppressed is a religious and social obligation that must be guaranteed and defended through strict legislation and the implementation of the relevant international agreements….
• This is what we hope and seek to achieve with the aim of finding a universal peace that all can enjoy in this life.”
• His Holiness Pope Francis Great Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayyib