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Euroasian Jewish News
Jews and Muslims Seek to Bridge the Gap at Moscow Forum.
20.06.2006
 Jews and Muslims pledged to fight religious intolerance at a forum held in Moscow under the aegis of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) this week. Senior clerics, diplomats, scholars and theologians discussed measures to bridge the gap between the two world religions, the Lenta.Ru news website reports.
The forum entitled "Islam and Judaism: the road to dialogue and cooperation", organized by the EAJC and the Council of Mufits of Russia received backing of Patokh Chodiev, chairman of the global foundation "For Democracy", and entrepreneur Alijan Ibragimov.
The event was attended by a delegation of Iranian lawmakers, headed by the leader of Iran's Jewish community and deputy of the Iranian parliament Morris Motamed, the EAJC said in a statement. Other attendees included chairman of the Russian Council of Muftis Ravil Gainutdin, chief rabbi of Russia Adolf Shayevich, representatives of Muslim and Jewish communities, government officials, diplomats and scholars from the former Soviet republics.
Chairman of the EAJC Alexander Machkevitch praised Iran's willingness to pursue "a peaceful dialogue, notwithstanding all the prejudices arising from the current political situation."
A joint declaration released by the forum participants calls for tolerance and dialogue between confessions and warns against using religious slogans for the purposes of sowing hatred and enmity. The forum participants agreed that peaceful initiatives and dialogue will help prevent conflicts between civilizations.
Alexander Machkevitch cited Central Asia as an example of a region notable for peaceful co-existence of various religious confessions. He also noted that the Moscow forum has voiced support for the First Conference for Peace and Accord and the Congress of World and National Religions, held earlier at the initiative of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Morris Motamed's delegation headed to St. Petersburg after the forum was over.
MOSNEWS.COM
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