Alexandria Process
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The Alexandria Process is a process of active dialogue between religious leaders (Christian, Jewish and Muslim) in the Holy Land to try and build understanding and work towards peace.
The process began when the Archbishop of Canterbury (George Carey) was asked by the then Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres to try to convene a dialogue of religious leaders[1]
The Alexandria Declaration was signed in January 2002 by 14 religious leaders: 6 Rabbis, 4 Sheiks and 4 Bishops or their representatives. The declaration has seven points and begins:
- The Holy Land is holy to all three of our faiths. Therefore, followers of the divine religions must respect its sanctity, and bloodshed must not be allowed to pollute it. The sanctity and integrity of the Holy Places must be preserved, and the freedom of religious worship must be ensured for all.[2]
The process has two dimensions — internal, relating to the residents of Israel/Palestine, and external. Internally, the goal is to stimulate the ongoing dialogue between religious leaders, which hasn’t existed here before. But externally there is a need to involve the leaders of key Muslim countries whose support will be vital if there is agreement on issues like Jerusalem and the holy sites[3]
In January 2004 Israeli rabbis participated in Muslim peace conference in Cairo that was part of this process[4]
[edit] Notes & References
- ^ BBC Radio 4 feature programme 2 Sept 2007
- ^ The Alexandria Process: Israeli and Palestinian Religious Leaders in Support of the Middle East Peace Process
- ^ Israeli, Palestinian Religious Leaders Meet to Find a Way to Peace Presbyterian News Service March 27, 2002
- ^ Israeli rabbis participate in Muslim peace conference in Cairo Haaretz 14 January 2004 [1]
