September 11, 2006 - People
of faith share these values
An
appeal from interreligious leaders and representatives in
Massachusetts
Soon
after September 11, 2001, leaders and representatives from the many
religious communities who live, work, and worship in Massachusetts
came together to assess the “sense of well-being” among
us in a public atmosphere of heightened anxiety, fear, and mistrust.
Although
Christian, Jewish, and Islamic organizations had fostered interfaith
dialogues and relationships—in some cases, for many years—this
was the first occasion when the official circle was widened to
include other neighbors--Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs.
We are people of
prayer. We have learned through our prayerful relationships that
this must be the basis for all our thoughts and actions. Since that
first meeting, we have continued to meet periodically. Our purposes
are the same:
-
to assess the
sense of well-being of religious, racial, and ethnic communities in
the Commonwealth;
-
to
provide opportunities for dialogue and mutual understanding among
religious leaders and representatives;
-
and to discuss
opportunities for interfaith service or action.
If anything,
subsequent developments have heightened the need to cultivate such
interfaith conversations and relationships.
The decision to
choose September 11, 2006 as the day to reconvene was made because we
want to witness publicly to common values that we share as
representatives of diverse religions:
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In response to
those who attempt to use religion to divide, we affirm to one
another, and to the world, the shared principles for peace, justice,
and unity that are central teachings of our scriptures and
traditions.
-
We recognize the
need to engage in dialogue with or, when appropriate, to challenge
those in our own faith communities who may not affirm these common
values.
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People of faith
should not demonize those of other faiths or those who hold opposing
views.
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Fundamental human
rights and inherent human dignity always must be respected and
protected.
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Criticism of
policies or actions of opponents in a conflict should avoid appeals
to prejudice toward religious, racial, or ethnic groups.
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People of faith
seek reconciliation and promote justice—the restoration of
right relationships in personal, religious, political, and economic
spheres.
-
In order to be a
convincing witness to the world, we affirm that this reconciling
spirit is a way of being and a way of behaving.
In naming these
common values, we pledge to abide by them. In doing so, we
acknowledge that participants in faith communities sometimes have
fostered destructive negativity. We reject such negativity in all
its manifestations.
We reassert our
unwavering resolve to continue with our constructive inter-religious
relations, both to achieve mutual understanding and cooperation, and
to promote this spirit in the practical affairs of our multi-cultural
society. Therefore, we give full support to all efforts at building
inter-religious relations and inter-cultural initiatives that are
guided by such a spirit.
We invite others
to do so, as well. In the coming year, a unique convergence of
calendars offers a special opportunity to do this together.
In
October 2006 and 2007, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the
Jewish High Holy Days and Sukkot will coincide. This sacred month
also includes the Christian Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi
(October 4), who prayed that he be made an instrument of peace; and
the Worldwide Communion Sunday of Protestants, to recognize their
unity in Christ; and major feast days of the Orthodox Christians
which is an affirmation of the unity they confess and seek. The
convergence of these religious observances will not recur for another
thirty years. The confluence of holy days in these several religious
traditions will provide an occasion for interfaith dialogue and to
affirm these common values.
We encourage
people of faith in communities throughout the Commonwealth to seize
this opportunity to gather and witness to these positive affirmations
and common values. Because such inter-religious involvement may be a
new experience for some, we are prepared to offer counsel based on
our experiences of sustained dialogue and relationships.
Through sustained
dialogue and relationships, barriers are removed and bridges are
built. Strangers become neighbors. Neighbors become friends.
We
are confident that the Holy is with us in every initiative that
fosters the up-building of human community.
Released
by members of the Convening Committee for the Massachusetts
Interreligious Leaders and Representatives Group:
Rev.
Dr. Carol Flett, Massachusetts Council of Churches
Ms.
Nancy Kaufman, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston
Rev.
Dr. Diane C. Kessler, Massachusetts Council of Churches
Dr.
Karim Khudairi, Islamic Council of New England
Rev.
Fr. John J. Maheras, Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston
His
Eminence Metropolitan Methodios, Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston
Rev.
Fr. David C. Michael, Archdiocese of Boston
Cardinal
Sean P. O’Malley O.F.M. Cap, Archdiocese of Boston
Mr.
Alan Ronkin, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston
In
partnership with the following interreligious leaders and
representatives:
Rabbi
Thomas Alpert, Chair,
Boston Area Reform Rabbis
Rev.
Dr. Jim Antal, Conference
Minister & President, United Church of Christ, Massachusetts
Conference
Abdul
Cader Asmal, MD, Islamic
Council of New England
The
Rev. Theodore W. Asta,
Bishop's Associate, New England Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Rev.
Marc Bergeron, Ecumenical
Officer, Diocese of Fall River
The
Rev. Terry Burke, Ecumenical
Officer, The Council of Christian Churches within
the Unitarian Universalist Association
The
Most Reverend Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros, Eparch
of Newton, Melkite Eparchy of Newton
The
Rt. Rev. Roy F. (Bud) Cederholm Jr., Bishop,
Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
Hsiu-Li
Chen, Ph. D,
Member of the Massachusetts Buddhist Association
Rabbi
Samuel Chiel, Combined
Jewish Philanthropies
Rev.
Dr. Terasa Cooley, Massachusetts
Bay District of the Unitarian Universalist Church
Dr.
Imam Talal Eid, Islamic
Institute of Boston,
Imam
Abdullah Faaruuq, Islamic
Council of New England
Imam
Hafiz Abdul Hannan, Islamic
Society of Greater Lowell
The
Rt. Rev. Gayle Elizabeth Harris, Bishop,
Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
Mr.
Dennis Kanin, Board
Chair, New England Region Anti-Defamation League
Dr.
M. Riaz Khan, Islamic
Council of New England
Chorbishop
Joseph Lahoud, Pastor,
Our Lady of the Cedars of Lebanon Maronite Parish
Mr.
Kenneth R. Levine, President,
American Jewish Committee
Dr.
Lawrence Lowenthal, Executive
Director, American Jewish Committee, Greater Boston Chapter
Imam
Hafiz Masood, Islamic
Center of New England
Imam
Basyouny Nehela, Islamic
Society of Boston
Dr.
Vito Nicastro, Associate
Director, Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs,
Archdiocese of Boston
His
Grace Nikon, Bishop
of Boston, New England and the Albanian Archdiocese, Orthodox
Church in America,
Rev.
Edward M. O’Flaherty, SJ, Director,
Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, Archdiocese of
Boston
Rev.
Anthony G. Pappas, Executive
Minister, representing the American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts
Bishop
Margaret G. Payne, New England Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America
Rabbi
Barbara Penzner, President,
Massachusetts Board of Rabbis
S.
Asif Razvi, MD, Islamic
Council of New England
Ravinder
Sakhuja, Ph.D., National
President-elect, Indian American Forum for Political Education
Ms.
Suzi Schuller, American
Jewish Committee, Greater Boston Chapter
Mr.
James Segel, President,
Jewish Community Relations Council
The
Rt. Rev. M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE, Bishop,
Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
Harold Sparrow Executive Director, Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston
The
Rev. John Stendahl,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America,
President, Massachusetts Council of Churches
Mr.
Andrew Tarsy, Director,
New England Region Anti-Defamation League
Bishop Gilbert A. Thompson, President, Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston
Fred
Van Brunt, Lt. Colonel, State
Commander - The Salvation Army
Mr.
Claire Waterson,
Christian Science
Committee on Publication for Massachusetts
Bishop
Peter D. Weaver, United
Methodist Church, New England Conference
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