VATICAN - A call for action is being issued from Rome, particularly resonant in the Middle East, a region rife with conflict and tension. This initiative stems from a meeting of bishops, rabbis, and imams in Italy, proposing a "direct, unconventional, and non-denominational" approach to collectively demonstrate shared responsibility."

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“This appeal is based on the conviction that it is essential to support any initiative that promotes dialogue and helps to stop hatred, protect coexistence, purify language, and foster peace. This is the responsibility of individuals and social organizations!” This is how the interreligious appeal, published today in Rome, begins. It is supported by representatives of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities from across Italy.

The document is signed by Noemi Di Segni (Union of Italian Jewish Communities), Yassine Lafram (Union of Italian Islamic Communities), Abu Bakr Moretta and Yahya Pallavicini (Italian Islamic Religious Community), Naim Nasrollah (Chairman of the Rome Mosque), and Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference.

Focus on the Middle East

The call will be particularly relevant in the Middle East, a region plagued by increasingly tragic conflicts and tensions.

“Aware of the dark times we are living through, and the forces of illusion that influence even the tragedy unfolding in the Middle East, we, as leaders of religious communities, believers, and citizens, are called to condemn dangerous generalizations and harmful conflations of political, national, and religious identity.” The signatories also condemn "the abomination of propaganda that exploits naivety and emotional reactions, obscures sound judgment, and trivializes the profound meaning of our own humanity," and that fuels antisemitism, Islamophobia, and hostility towards Catholicism and religions in general. "Security cannot be built on hatred. Justice for the Palestinian people, as well as security for the Israeli people, can only be achieved through mutual recognition, respect for fundamental rights, and a willingness to communicate."

A Concrete NeedThe text emerged from a meeting of bishops, rabbis, and imams in Italy: "A simple, direct, unconventional, and non-denominational meeting, to collectively demonstrate shared responsibility," with the hope that religious communities can support local and national initiatives involving institutions. "The obligation to work for responsible coexistence leads us, as religious leaders, to the necessity of promoting social cohesion based on shared values," the appeal continues, concluding with a thank you for the testimonies received in recent weeks in Bologna, Milan, and Turin, as a sign of hope in a time marked by violence.

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