religions for peace middle east

A previously little-known people, the Hittites, are, because of archaeological discoveries, now recognized as a major power of antiquity with a rich legacy of religious texts, especially rituals. The case of Sahin 2004 was one that exemplified the tension between religious secularism, civil rights and the government's power in Turkey. The deliberately interfaith nature of the group can be challenging, especially when people confront viewpoints different from their own. The Armenians in the Middle East number around 350,000400,000[63] and are mostly concentrated in Iran, Lebanon, Cyprus, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine, although well-established communities exist in Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, and other countries of the area. The Egyptian Wisdom of Amenemope, first published in modern times in 1923, for example, parallels Proverbs 22:1724:22 so closely that it effectively opened up the field of the comparative study of ancient Middle Eastern wisdom literature. The eponymously named Alawites revere Ali (Ali ibn Abi Talib), considered the 1st Imam of the Twelver school. Recognising the intimate connection between all forms of life and communities, we are committed to nurturing a sustainable environment. [118], In Egypt, Al Jazeera reported a clandestine atheist group of over 100 in Alexandria in 2013. Alawites have traditionally lived in the An-Nusayriyah Mountains along the Mediterranean coast of Syria. [85], Sikhism developed from the spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak (14691539), the faith's first guru, and the nine Sikh gurus who succeeded him. The leaders of IRCs are representatives of religious communities that mobilise believers of all faith traditions to work together. [76] In the past, the group used to be present in Egypt and Syria as well, but their community had almost collapsed by the late 19th century. [121] It is illegal to practice any other religion than Islam in Saudi Arabia. [49] The number of Middle Eastern Christians is dropping in some regions in the Middle East due to such factors as extensive emigration (usually to escape religious persecution), and the religious persecution itself. Corrections? [citation needed] They are colloquially known as Mizrahi Jews. It is the only interfaith platform that is led by religious representatives (including men, women, and youth) from across the MENA. Dr. William F. Vendley Dr. William F. Vendley is the Secretary General Emeritus of Religions for Peace International. From exploring the role of religion in promotingpeace, to highlighting successful interfaith initiatives and events, Mindful Peace hopes to offer a wealth of resources and information to help individuals and communities work toward a morepeaceful world. The Brotherhood is however unpopular among the majority of Egyptians on account of its fundamentalist views, its clampdown on tourism and its desire to impose Sharia law on the nation. Religions for Peace has six strategic goals: 1. Introduction and Conclusion In Cyprus, a high-level expert group explored the religious implications of the Middle East peace process - the common values among the region's religions, the influence of religion and relevance of the Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities. Everything on earth was regarded as a reflex of its prototype in the divine or sacred sphere, such as in the biblical description of the creation of man "in the image of God"; God was viewed as the primary reality of the universe, and human beings were seen as the reflection of that . Mandaeism, sometimes also known as Sabianism (after the mysterious Sabians mentioned in the Quran, a name historically claimed by several religious groups),[96] is a Gnostic and monotheistic religion. [126] Some would like the confessionalist government to be abolished. They are often confused with the Alevis of Turkey. Another current religious tension in Egypt is the role of the Muslim Brotherhood, founded by Hassan al-Banna in Egypt. Middle Eastern countries have combat on various fronts: a midst its own nations, . Funding for RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY is provided by Lilly Endowment. There is still tension, however, between the Sunnis and the Shias. [citation needed], In Egypt, Copts have relatively higher educational attainment, relatively higher wealth index, and a stronger representation in white collar job types, but limited representation in security agencies. . [3], The 2020 Sunhak Peace Prize was awarded to President Macky Sall of Senegal and Bishop Munib Younan of Religions for Peace. The Religions for Peace Middle East and North African (MENA) Council is comprised of diverse religious leaders from across the region. [128] Religious education is also a topic of debate in Turkey. It has played a . Iraqi Christians pray at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, damaged by Islamic State fighters during their occupation of Qaraqosh, east of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 12, 2016. Since the 1950s because of growing anti-semitism, most of these Jews fled to Israel where they make up the majority of Israel's Jewish population and roughly a third of total world Jews. Religions for Peace is an international coalition of representatives from the world's religions dedicated to promoting peace founded in 1970. Emeritus Professor of Mediterranean Studies, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Samaritans are neither Palestinian or Israeli, however their ethnic roots are connected to the latter, but lived amongst former. This hub features the Manresa 2022 Pact, the future of the Pact, and future projects and initiatives featuring the Pact. One of the keys to the Northern Ireland peace process was patience and with it, a long-term commitment from religious actors to pursue nonviolent avenues of ending the conflict. And yet, not withstanding all those pressures, we still manage to weather the storms. Alawites also live in Syria's major cities, and are estimated at 12 percent of the country's population[33][34][35] (2.6million, out of a total population of 22million). ", "Middle East:: Qatar The World Factbook", "Middle East:: United Arab Emirates The World Factbook", "Syria's Alawites, a secretive and persecuted sect", "Turbulent history colors Syria's ruling Alawite Muslims' fight to keep power", "Syrians flee their homes amid fears of ethnic cleansing", "It's Time to Engage Iran, Russia on Syria", "Turkey's Alevis, a Muslim Minority, Fear a Policy of Denying Their Existence", "Excerpts from Baba Rexheb's The Mysticism of Islam & Bektashism The Bektashi Order of Dervishes", "Alevitisme: De vijf zuilen? (met NL ondertiteling)", "The collapse of the Palestinian-Arab middle class in 1948: The case of Qatamon", "Pope to Arab Christians: Keep the Faith", "Rome 'crisis' talks on Middle East Christians", "Christians of the Holy Land US & Canada Al Jazeera", "Egypt's Sisi meets world Evangelical churches delegation in Cairo Politics Egypt Ahram Online", "Egypt's Coptic Bishop Morcos: We need to build 4,000 churches in next 10 years", "New Egyptian Constitution Holds Promise for Copts", http://dx.doi.org/10.5339/connect.2013.22, "Accursed, Superior Men: Ethno-Religious Minorities and Politics in the Medieval Mediterranean", "With Arab revolts, region's Christians mull fate", "International Religious Freedom Report for 2012", "Assyrians community thrives again in southeastern Turkey", http://www.huffingtonpost.com/don-belt/pope-to-arab-christians-k_b_203943.html, https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/Samaritan, "The Specter of Ideological Genocide: The Bah's of Iran", "Worldwide Adherents of All Religions by Six Continental Areas, Mid-2010", "Religion Statistics Top 10 Organized Religions", "The Evolving Claims and Titles of Sayyid 'Ali Muhammad Shirazi, the Bab (1819-1850 CE). [78][79] Additionally, because of the many similarities, debates emerged regarding the question of Samaritanism being a Jewish sect or an independent religion.[80]. This multireligious spiritual walk was a time to think and reflect on the social and environmental crises we face in the world today, and how religions can work together to solve them. . As we celebrate Holy Days across faiths and across continents, we commemorate the vital work that the global movement advanced and mobilised in 2022. [75], Samaritanism is a closely affiliated religion with Judaism, practiced by the ethnoreligious Samaritan community. The mobility of such guilds throughout the entire area helps to explain the spread of specific religious ideas and techniques over great distances. It is the only interfaith platform that is led by religious representatives (including men, women, and youth) from across the MENA. In 2010 they numbered 1.1 million in Syria, 350,000 in Lebanon, 250300,000 in Jordan, 150,000 in Israel and Palestine and smaller numbers in Turkey (18,000)[68] and Iraq. [citation needed] In addition, 50% of the Parliament is represented by Christian Members, according to the law in Lebanon since the end of the war until today. | Hurqalya Publications: Center for Shaykh and Bb-Bah' Studies", "Part I: Beginnings Introduction: The Mandaean World", "Yezidism and Proto-Indo-Iranian Religion", "Iraqi Yazidis: Hazy population numbers and a history of persecution", "WIN-Gallup International 'Religiosity and Atheism Index' reveals atheists are a small minority in the early years of 21st century", "Egypt's atheists number 866 precisely", "Conversions From Islam in Europe and Beyond", "Hindu temples of Gulf countries: more exist than you imagined", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Religion_in_the_Middle_East&oldid=1159225659, This page was last edited on 9 June 2023, at 01:50. Millions of members of the Indian diaspora, of different religions, reside and work in Arab states of the Persian Gulf. The global Religions for Peacenetwork comprises a World Council of senior religious leaders from all regions of the world; six regional inter-religious bodies and more than eighty national ones; and the Global Women of Faith Network and Global Interfaith Youth Network. [111] Now, however, it is considered one of the smallest religions with only 190,000 followers worldwide. We, the undersigned, recognize the importance of maintaining and strengthening peace in the Middle East and around the world based on mutual understanding and coexistence, as well as respect for human dignity and freedom, including religious freedom. Long an object of veneration and conflict, the holy city of Jerusalem has been governed, both as a provincial town and a national capital, by an extended series of dynasties and states. Their population mainly reside in the area of Mount Gerizim, near the city of Nablus. There has been a growing religious resurgence in Turkey and more and more citizens find significance in their religious identities[according to whom?]. The majority of the Muslims are Sunni, followed by Shi'a. Its powerful. Mohamoud YA, Cuadros DF, Abu-Raddad LJ. A fragment (dating from about 1400 bc) of that Babylonian epic has been found at Megiddo in Israel, showing that the Mesopotamian version was current in Palestine before the Hebrews, under Joshua, conquered the land about 1200 bc. Women of faith are the backbone of all faith communities and religious institutions but are rarely recognised for their efforts. Representation ranges from 100,000 in Israel to 700,000 in Syria. Many countries have now developed their branches. Although Buddhism has had a presence in the Middle East for over 1000 years, it has recently[when?] But hes hoping that the visual impact of this trip will help. LAWTON: For more than two years, the U.S government has supported a dual-pronged approach: bringing interfaith groups of Americans to meet with their counterparts here in the Holy Land, and supporting a coalition of top religious leaders here who are trying to create an environment where peace can take hold. [111] There are two deities: Azhura Mazda, who fights for a person's goodness, and Ahriman, who fights for a person's evil. Jerusalem, Hebrew Yerushalayim, Arabic Bayt al-Muqaddas or Al-Quds, ancient city of the Middle East that since 1967 has been wholly under the rule of the State of Israel. We believe ambitious goals and complex problems can best be tackled when different faith communities work together. May 8, 2009. A Breakthrough for People and Planet: Effective and Inclusive Global Governance for Today and the Future identifies concrete, actionable recommendations that the multilateral system can adopt to better navigate and address current and future challenges from the climate crisis to rising inequality and increasing threats to democracy and stability. Its pathetic that this has never happened before. Sometimes parts of the Bible are related in detail to specific outside sources. He is a member of its World Council which consists of 60 senior religious leaders from all continents. Its international headquarters are located on the northern slope of Mount Carmel at Haifa, Israel. Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel, National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East, American Jewish Committee: Rabbi David Rosen, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation, Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land Communiqu, November 2007, Ekklesia: Ecumenical News International: Jerusalem Bishop Urges Pope to Speak Against Violence and Occupation by Judith Sudilovsky, May 7, 2009, New York Times: Can the Pope Bring the Peace? by John L. Allen Jr., May 6, 2009, Religion News Service: A different pope, a different Holy Land by Michele Chabin, May 4, 2009, Los Angeles Times: Tony Blair talks Mideast peace, May 1, 2009, Mosaica Center for Interreligious Cooperation, Gershom Gorenberg on the Temple Mount, December 15, 2000, Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land. [121] As of 2013, the Israeli "Government - Christians Forum" was formed under the umbrella of the Ministry of Public Security, by Dr. Mordehcai Zaken, head of the Minorities Affairs Desk, to address and promote the concerns of Christian leaders and representative in their interactions with the State. representing the world's faith communities. [7] However, Ahmadis are considered by the majority of Muslims as heretical. There are between 812 million Alevi and they are found primarily in Turkey among ethnic Turks and Kurds,[41] and make up between 10 and 15% of Turkey's population, the largest branches of Islam there after the majority Sunni Islam. [29] Zaidis emerged in the eighth century out of Shi'a Islam. The Geopolitics of Religious Soft Power explores the global impact of religious propagation activities sponsored by several countries in the Middle Eastincluding Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey . The sayings "religion is for God and the nation is for all," and "God created us to worship Him and cultivate the land" are ones we hear often in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries. Christianity originated in the region in the 1st century AD,[44] and was one of the major religions of the region until the Muslim conquests of the mid-to-late 7th century AD. Peace in the Middle East God of mercy and compassion, of grace and reconciliation, pour your power upon all your children in the Middle East: Jews, Muslims and Christians, Palestinians and Israelis. From 13-15 June, 2023, the Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue, was hosted by Religions for Peace, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the Kingdom of Morocco, with support from the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations and the Mohammadia League of Religious Scholars, under the theme of working together for our common future. Little was known about the religions of the city-states of W Asia until stores of religious literature were uncovered by excavations in the 19th and 20th cent. A Pew survey found 63% of Egyptian Muslims favored the death penalty for those who leave the religion of Islam. Palestinian maps draw Jerusalem as divided and Israeli maps show it as a part of Israeli territory. The picture is still incomplete, although from the available information it appears that the various religions shared many beliefs . Religions for Peace, the worlds most representative multi-faith organisation, is pleased to announce the inaugural Women of Excellence in Multi-Religious Action Award! Religious minorities are now beginning to hold a larger presence and significance in Iran and are being acknowledged as such. Prevailing Wahhabi (as non-Saudis call it) religious doctrine (with its strong emphasis on obedience to the ruler) and Saudi religious structures (with their wide spheres of authority and extensive bureaucracies) have evolved over decades into vital and influential parts of the state apparatus. Ambassador TONY HALL: I dont think any of us are under any illusions that were going to solve the peace problem, but we also realize that you cant have peace without religious leaders, and thats why we come here and try to build these relationships. KIM LAWTON: Just outside of Bethlehem, an American group is touring the Aida Palestinian refugee camp. The decipherment of Mesopotamian and Egyptian literatures in the 19th century opened new vistas of ancient Middle Eastern history. The Egyptian penal code punishes "contempt of heavenly religions", and as of 2013 Egyptians had been arrested and/or imprisoned for activities such as setting up a Facebook page calling for atheism, writing a book entitled Where is God?, and "defamation of religion". As of August 2019, Azza Karam is the new Secretary General, proceeding William F. Palestine is a small region of land in the eastern Mediterranean region that includes parts of modern Israel and the Palestinian territories of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Another name, Ansari (Arabic: Anriyyah), is believed to be a mistransliteration of Nusayri. The HLABwill be tasked with developing an independent report in support of effective multilateralism and how to strengthen governance arrangements that can deliver global public goods. [126], Religion in Saudi Arabia is allegedly 100% Muslim. [20] Originally a militarily secularized government, under the president Erdogan, religious freedom for Muslims has become much more accessible in Turkey[according to whom?]. (2018). [6] Islam is a monotheistic religion, teaching belief in one God (Allah) and is based on the Quran. [45] Scholars and intellectuals agree Christians in the Middle East have made significant contributions to Arab and Islamic civilization since the introduction of Islam, and they have had a significant impact contributing the culture of the Mashriq, Turkey, and Iran. The Middle East is the birthplace of the world's three largest Abrahamic religions---Christianity, Islam, and Judaism---and has been the site of numerous . [113] It is ultimately up to the individual to decide which deity they will follow. Your support of this Fund can provide food, clothing and protection to the people ofTrkiye and Syria,and ease their suffering in the coming days.

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