Transcript Diapositive 1

PROGRAM SUMMARY – IMAMS AND
RABBIS FOR PEACE
January 3 to 6, 2005
First Day : Monday 3 January, 18h00
Opening ceremony under the High Patronage of His Majesty King King Albert II and His Majesty King Mohammed VI
Presentation of the Congress by Alain Michel, Founder of the Foundation Hommes de Parole and Chief Rabbi René-Samuel Sirat
Speeches :
Chief Rabbi Baksi Doron
Sheikh Fawzi Al Zafzaf
Mr André Azoulay, Counsellor of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI
President Abdurrahman Wahid
Pr. Adolphe Steg, President of the World Israelite Alliance, Representative of the Rothschild Foundation
His Excellency Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Al Twaijri, Director General of the ISESCO
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Welcome :
Mr Albert Dupont Belgian Minister of social intégration
Representative of the « Alliance of Women » movement
Representative of the « Generation of Peace » movement
20:00 Cocktail Dinner
21:30 Concert, Arabic-andalusian music with the group “the Voices of Fes”
3rd Day: Wednesday 5 January
2nd Day: Tuesday 4 January
7:15 - 9:30: Prayers and Breakfast
Muslim prayers 7.18
Jewish Prayer: 8:00
9:30 – 11:15: First plenary session.
11:15-11:45: Coffee break
11:45-13:30: Second plenary session.
13.30 lunch
Prayer time - Break
16.00 – 18.00: Workshops
Prayer time - Break
18.45 – 20.00: Report on the workshops
20.00: Dinner
21.30: concert
7:15 - 9:30 : Prayers and Breakfast
Muslim prayers 7.18
Jewish Prayer : 8:00
9.30 – 11.15: third plenary session.
11.15-11.45: Coffee break
11.45-13.30: Workshops
13.30: lunch
Prayer time - Break
16.00 – 18.00: Workshops
Prayer time - Break
18.45 – 20.15: reports on workshops
20.00 Dinner
21.30: Discussion of the work on the Final Declaration (optional)
4th Day: Thursday 6 January
7:15 - 9:30: Prayers and Breakfast
Muslim prayers 7.18
Jewish Prayer : 8:00
10:00 – 13:00: Closing Ceremony
Report on concrete actions as decided during the Congress
Reading of the common final declaration
Conclusion of Alain Michel
Press conference
13:00 Lunch
15h00: Joint Visit of the Grand Mosque of Brussels and of the Grand Synagogue.
17h00: Informal meeting with the governmental and
diplomatic authorities of Belgium
20h00: Dinner - Concert
DETAILED PROGRAM
IMAMS AND RABBIS FOR PEACE
January 3 to 6, 2005
CONDUCT OF THE DIALOGUE :
The first congress of Imams and Rabbis has as its ultimate goal the advancement of global peace and
the furthering of good relations between Jewish and Muslim communities worldwide. It seeks to
achieve these goals by bringing together the highest leadership of both religions, thereby creating an
environment of encounter and dialogue, hopefully leading to mutual collaboration in a variety of
post-congress initiatives. The discussions of the congress are aimed at increasing mutual
knowledge, furthering mutual recognition and developing a common platform
A major goal of the conference is the development of networks of personal relations and friendships
as the basis for continuing amelioration of relations between the two communities. The ultimate
success of the conference is in the practical initiatives to which it will give birth. The conference
program has been developed with the intention of striking a balance between the above needs. Broad
conceptual issues will be discussed in plenary panels, highlighting commonalities, stressing core
differences and seeking to discover the moral and existential common ground between the religions.
Personal relations will be developed through a small group settings. Practical initiatives will grow out
of large and small group discussion through a series of workshops that will follow upon theoretical
discussions.
1. PLENARY SESSIONS
Facilitated by Elijah Interfaith Institute in light of its preparatory document (Tentative speakers list, each
speech is limited to five minutes)
SESSION 1 – The Judeo-Muslim heritage
Tuesday January 4, 9:30 – 11:45 a.m.
Moderators: Dr Alon Goshen-Gottstein / Pr Paul Ballanfat
Testimony of a rabbi born in a Muslim country regarding common culture with Islam
Rabbi Claude Sultan
Testimony of Israeli imam regarding common culture with Judaism.
Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bukhari
Immigrant experience Paris regarding recognition of commonalities.
Imam Abduljalil Sajid and Rabbi René-Samuel Sirat
Mysticism as common ground and inspiration
Pr Avi Elqayam, Pr Dr Mahmud Erol Kilic
What aspects of study of the other traditon has allowed you to come to better self recognition?
Chief Rabbi Yacov Ariel, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Abad
Invitation to all participants to share testimonies.
SESSION 2 – Mutual knowledge, acceptance and recognition: historical foundations and universal
aspirations
Tuesday January 4, 11.45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Moderators: Chief Rabbi Michael Melchior / Professor Abdelwahab Hechiche
What are the main commonalities between the two religions?
Dr Ahmed Taoufiq, Chief Rabbi Bakshi Doron
How is it possible for each of the tradition to recognize the specificity of the other?
Rabbi Dr. Naftali Brawer, Sheikh Tarek Oubrou
How can the universal message of both traditions decrease identity tensions and their related
violence worldwide?
Chief Rabbi Marc-Raphaël Guedj, Dr Ali El Samman
What is the uniqueness of the relationship between Islam and Judaism, compared to other religions?
Chief Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, Dr Abdurrahman Wahid
What is the value for each tradition of developing a positive appreciation of each other’s scripture?
Pr Paul Fenton, Dr Mahmoud Azab
Questions of the participants
SESSION 3 – The Dignity of the Human person: a common ground value
Wednesday January 5, 9:30 – 11:45 a.m.
Moderators: Chief Rabbi David Rosen / Dr Adamou Ndam Njoya
Why is the dignity of the human person a central concept in your religion? - Theoretical
underpinnings
Chief Rabbi Albert Guigui, Mufti Ravil Gaynutdinov
How does the centrality of the human person manifest in practical ways and what are its moral
consequences?
Chief Rabbi Yaakov Dov Bleich, Pr Mohammed Esslimani
How does the value of the human person shape your attitude to the other?
Rabbi Menachem Froman, Sheikh Yahya Sergio Yahe Pallavicini
How to apply the value of human dignity under situations of conflict?
Sheikh Talal Sedir, Rabbi Naftali Rothenberg
How do scriptural examples from your tradition serve as educational role models for human dignity?
Rabbi Abraham Sherman, Sheikh Yussuf Murigu
Questions of the participants
2. WORKSHOPS
FIRST SESSION, Tuesday January 4, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Texts, Truth and Violence (part 1 – reading and comments on the texts)
1. Moderators: Elie Khan, Ahmad Natour
2. Moderators: Pr Albert de Pury, Sheikh Tarek Oubrou, Rabbi Harry Smadja
Presentation of an ongoing research project
Focusing on reinterpretation of key Jewish and Muslim texts that reinforce negative attitudes to the other.
Brain storming and propositions on education of Imams and Rabbis
Moderators: Chief Rabbi René Samuel Sirat, Dr Adamou Njoya
Brain storming on the creation of educational structures to improve and complement the education of Imams
and Rabbis. Topics will include frameworks, places, contents and participants.
Workshop « Abraham‘s Vision »
Moderators: Ed Miller, Xavier Guerrand-Hermès
Extracts of the book “Vision of Abraham,” that narrates the historical, religious and cultural links between
Islam and Judaism in a simple way, will be discussed in order to reach consensus upon an ultimate common
text. The book has already been endorsed by some twenty Muslim and Jewish scholars and activists.
Analysing the text during this workshop will prompt both communities to undertake a focussed and
strenuous work towards the development of a common narrative of their history in a form both attractive and
easily understandable by the general public. The workshop will allow a great number of Jewish and Muslim
personalities to further develop and thoroughly complete this work to which many have already contributed.
Brain storming on sharing and transmitting without proselytizing
1. Moderators: Marc-Raphael Guedj, Patrice Brodeur,
2. Moderators: Sheikh Abdelwahid Pallavicini, Rabbin Reuven Firestone
What kind of structures could be set within Judaism and Islam to promote a universal message while avoiding
the identity tensions? How such universal message exempt of proselytism can be transmitted?
SECOND SESSION, Wednesday 5 January, 11:45 to 13:30 p.m.
Generation of Peace
Moderators: Pr Marc-Alain Ouaknin, Rachid Benzine
A group of young people will attend the Congress, brought by the association “Penseurs dans la Cité” and
animated by Françoise Anne Ménager and Marc Alain Ouaknin. Prior to the congress these young people have
done preparatory work, during which they established a bibliography of popular works aimed at the youth as
well as a comparative timeline. The young people will share their research with religious leaders. The purpose
is to set the base for a common development of referential educational tools for the religious authorities and
a National Education System.
Friendship and Hospitality
1. Moderators: Rabbi Daniel Brenner, Bashy Quraishy
2. Moderators: Father Christian Delorme, Chief Rabbi Abba Samoun
How can friendship and hospitality be developed between the two communities? What concrete actions would
enable both communities to become better acquainted with each other and to discover and communicate
their cultures, their worship and their texts?
Social responsibility and charity practice
1. Moderators: Doudou Diène, Daniel Kropf
2.Moderators : David Zilbershlag, Ghassan Manasra
How to translate the responsibility inherent in our faith into common actions for the others? Common actions
to be carried out in the field of charity and social work.
Contemporary theology of the religious other
Moderators: Dr Alon Goshen-Gottstein, Pr Paul Ballanfat
Part of the challenge facing Judaism and Islam is to rethink, in light of contemporary political and global
realities, their attitude to other religions. This involves the study and the assessment of core theological
notions as part of developing inside each religion a teaching of peace and acceptance.
Creating a Religious Dimension in Middle East Peacemaking
Moderators: Rabbi Shmuel Jakobovits, Sheikh Talal Sedir
Can there be a formula for peace to which the most zealous religionists will be willing partners ?
THIRD SESSION, Wednesday 5 January, 4.00 to 6.00 pm
Workshop on the project of an international Jewish-Muslim observatory
Moderators : Alain Michel, Daniel Shek, Sheikh Khalifa Niasse
During the encounter, an observatory could be created in order to assess the world situation and the involvement
of the religious Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities. It could include a crisis unit able to react in case of
serious events, issue common releases that de-legitimize violence and send Imams, Rabbis and Bishops to
demonstrate their union in places of tension.
Workshop Texts, Truth and Violence – (Part 2- historical involvement)
1. Moderators: Elie Kahn,
2. Moderators: Pr Albert de Pury, Sheikh Tarek Oubrou, Rabbi Harry Smadja
The texts that are interpreted as pure truth often are those that lead to violence. How can one change this
conflict reality into a fruitful matter for the spirit? How can words for life can be prevented from becoming
words for death?
Brain-storming for the creation of permanent structures for a Jewish-Muslim dialogue .
1. Moderators: Chief Rabbi Eisenberg, Sheikh Abduljalil Sajid
2. Moderators: CEJI (Pascale Charhon-Robin Sclafani-Bashy Quraishy) et IRFAM (Spyros Amoranitis et Altay Manco)
This interactive workshop aims to enhance the creation of permanent dialogue structures between Jews and
Muslims. What are the qualities needed of these structures? What potential obstacles can be anticipated? What
kinds of initiatives exist that we can learn from? What can we propose as actions in the short and long-term
future?
Open Workshop
1. Moderators: Avner Haramati, Nafez Assailey
2. Moderators: Therese Andrevon,
No special topic is set for this workshop but it can possibly include :
a) Open meeting space
b) Interrupted plenary discussion can be carried on there
c) Questions unanswered during the plenary will be answered