Statement by Religions for Peace El Salvador regarding to burn the Holy Qurán

STATEMENT BY RELIGIONS FOR PEACE–EL SALVADOR REGARDING THE CALL BY A FLORIDA CHURCH “THE DOVE WORLD OUTREACH CENTER” TO BURN THE HOLY CORAN TO COMMEMORATE THE ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us?

Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers? (Malachi 2:10)

1. Religions for Peace is the world's largest interfaith organization and for forty years it has promoted the principles of inter-religious cooperation. During all these years, leaders and believers of the great world religions have worked shoulder to shoulder, in solidarity, for peace in almost one hundred countries.http://www.wcrp.org/

2. During these years, religious authorities, leaders and countless people have worked in unity mediating civil wars. They have used their mosques, churches, synagogues and temples to assist those that have been affected by illness or poverty, regardless of their faith, and have jointly spoken out in rejection of the abuse of religion. As we have worked together, so has our mutual respect, trust, solidarity and friendship increased.

3. The vision and aspiration of a world in peace, harmony, tolerance and respect is shared by all the people of the world, whatever their faith, world vision, or spirituality. These ideals issue from the same Source and are sanctioned by the same God, who is the only God of all creation. This acceptance is enough to establish the bases of a concerted dialogue to solve the sectarian dogmatism that has done so much damage to the good name of religion as well as the human race itself.

4. In light of the aforementioned considerations, Religions for Peace-El Salvador, calls on the believers of every religious community to hold a crusade against ignorance and intolerance which derive from religious prejudice and sectarian dogmatism. They endanger the harmony and peace which must characterize inter-religious relations in promotion of interfaith fellowship, learning about each other, promoting the vision of diversity based on tolerance and respect of differences.

5. The members of all religions, faith-based communities, original peoples or spiritual communities must reject religious manipulation and utilitarianism. Threats of destruction of religious Books are an attack on-, and denigrate the name of religion. This is unacceptable and people the world over feel moral solidarity with the believers of any religion when they

are offended.

6. The acts that are the product of the extreme fanatic do not represent the pure spirit of religion. Therefore, calls for the destruction of books, codices, and writings that contain the pillars of religious, spiritual or world-view beliefs, violate and undermine the ethic, moral and religious values of the different Communities and Peoples and revert humankind to the dark ages and scientific and cultural backwardness, and must be rejected by the sincere believers of any religion.

7. When humanity becomes heedless of its history it is condemned to repeating it. The burning of books can be counted among the barbaric acts which the human collective with a minimum sense of justice must feel ashamed of. Similar past events lead to some of the darkest chapters of written history. As Heinrich Heine said in 1821: "Where they burn books, they will ultimately also burn people.".

8. Manifestations of fanaticism in all its extreme expressions make it critically vital for a united front in solidarity be formed by religious authorities, leaders men and women alike, as well as the group of believers that comprise religious communities of faith, original spiritualities, and collectives linked by spiritual ties, wherever a religious community is being threatened or attacked. Interfaith dialogue, cooperation and solidarity are the urgent responses to the present situation. This is, in fact, the sole effective antidote against this evil that afflicts the world.

9. Finally, the Council of Religions for Peace – El Salvador, calls for the abstention from carrying out the initiative proposed by the “DOVE WORLD OUTREACH CENTER” of Florida, stressing that the spirit which must move us is the construction of a better world for

one and all. This very spirit, coincidentally, is the one that encourages at this time the observance of two highly important dates for two of our member communities: Ramadan by the Arabic Islamic Community of El Salvador and Rosh Hashana (Jewish new years), for the Israeli Community of El Salvador.

San Salvador, September 8th, 2010.

RELIGIONS FOR PEACE-EL SALVADOR