November 14, 2007

WASHINGTON/GENEVA – Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) was among Israeli and Palestinian religious leaders who announced early November in Washington DC, new efforts toward limiting violence, protecting holy sites and opening dialogue for peace in the Holy Land.

During the 5-8 November visit by representatives of the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land, Younan and other leaders of the body that groups Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith organizations held meetings with US Congress members and officials of President George W. Bush's administration to discuss support for their peace initiatives.

"I am very convinced that the only way to combat extremism is by prophetic interfaith dialogue and by education," said Younan, who is also vice president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Asian region.

A 5 November communiqué released by the council members highlighted agreed actions toward peace in the Holy Land. They include monitoring media for derogatory representation of any religion and issuing group statements in response, working toward protection of holy sites and securing open access to the Old City of Jerusalem for all communities. They are also actively working to promote education for mutual respect and acceptance in schools and the media, and to provide ongoing consultation to government leaders.

"Religion is now part of the solution and not part of the problem," Younan said of the communiqué to which he is a signatory. (See communiqué on the ELCJHL web site at: http://www.elcjhl.org/resources/statements/CouncilPublicStatement131007(4)[1].doc.

The council grew out of the January 2002 Alexandria Declaration in which the region's religious leaders made a "commitment to ending the violence and bloodshed that denies the right to life and dignity" in the Holy Land. It is one of the first of its kind in the region, representing the three Abrahamic faiths and bridging the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.

"As a US religious leader, I welcome as a sign of hope the creation of the Council of Religious Institutions in the Holy Land and their visit to the United States," said LWF president Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

"I think as they engage US elected leaders both in Congress and this administration, it will strengthen the resolve of the US government to play a helpful role in convening Israeli-Palestinian negotiations that would also include a broader representation of Middle Eastern governments," said Hanson, who had participated in some of the council's meetings.

Bishop Younan also traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, to meet with former US President Jimmy Carter and visit congregations and communities there.

The Holy Land religious leaders were in the US at the invitation of the Interfaith Cooperation Initiative (IFCI), part of a broader effort that seeks to advance trust and reconciliation in Israel and Palestine.

Lutheran World Information
ELCA News Service & ELCJHL News