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Religious Leaders’ Assembly in Haifa
Wednesday, 15 December 2004
Declaration
On Wednesday, 15
December 2004, an assembly of religious
leaders
initiated by Beit-Hagefen Arab Jewish
Center in Haifa
took place at the Haifa City Hall in
the presence of
Mayor
Yona Yahav
The assembly was on the topic of
“Common Values in Religions and
Education”
The assembly was
attended by 60 religious leaders from
Israel representatives of the Jewish,
Christian, Moslem, Druze, Amandine and
Bahai communities as well as Arab and
Jewish school .principals and .members
of the Haifa City Council
1.
The religious
leaders and the educators call
for tolerance and understanding amongst
all individuals, peoples and religions.
2.
The religious
leaders firmly condemn all acts
of violence and aggression of any origin
and the abuse of human rights, which
constitutes a crude violation of the
principles
of faith and universal values.
3.
The religious
leaders will address, from the
podiums of houses of prayer and public
gatherings, the need to increase
awareness of peace and understanding and
condemn the destruction that causes
violence and alienation.
4.
The religious
leaders call upon politicians,
policy-makers and decision-makers to act
for achievement of a just peace between
the two peoples and in the Middle East
as a whole.
5.
The religious
leaders emphasize the importance
of holding assemblies and gatherings
of people of faith and call for
the continuation of dialogue.
6.
The religious
leaders firmly condemn all kinds
of extremism and religious
fundamentalism
and the use of violence as a mean for
achieving goals. The participants
call for the
uprooting of extremism and call for the
respect of every man and his belief.
7.
The religious
leaders will be happy to
participate in panels before school
children for
the purpose of internalizing the
universal values embodied in religions,
and the call
upon the educational system to
design an education program teaching
values and
tolerance from infancy.
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