|
Euroasian Jewish News
Religious Confessions' Summit Opens in Kyiv.
27.04.2007
The Inaugural Summit on Peace and Tolerance devoted to the contemporary state and perspectives of the international inter-confessional dialogue has opened in the Ukrainian capital.
Global Foundation for Democracy headed by Kazakhstan entrepreneur Patokh Chodiev acted as the main organizer of the event.
Such prominent politicians as former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto and former US Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge take part in the summit's work.
Religious and social circles are represented by Rabbi-in-Chief of Israel, r. Yona Metzger, prominent American televangelist, Rev. Robert Schuler II and Vice President of the Academy of Judaic-Christian and Islamic Studies (UCLA) Muzzamil Siddiqi, as well as a number of leaders of Ukrainian religious confessions.
Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II has sent a letter of greetings to the Kyiv forum.
A speech of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) President Alexander Machkevitch was delivered at the summit among other addresses, the EAJC press-center reports. The Jewish leader has emphasized the role of the leaders of religious organizations in defusing tensions it the planet's hotspots.
"It may sound sad for the politicians, but people tend to first listen not to them, but to priests, rabbis, mullahs and other clerics of traditional religions," Machkevitch said. "Thus, I believe that the principles of tolerance and accord must be an inseparable part of the moral position for each of them." The EAJC President also reminded the summit's participants about the experience of international dialogue between ethnical entities and religions under the aegis of Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
"We are a part of this dialogue from the very beginning," Machkevitch stressed. "And we consider it our great achievement that its format can be adopted in Ukraine and applied in other CIS countries."
MosNews
|
|
