Religion a source of peace between people – this is the resolution of the interfaith dialogue table
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Representatives of religious communities and spiritual leaders in Kosovo, participants in the Interfaith Dialogue Roundtable, initiated by the "Drita" Foundation, on March 21 in Pristina, have signed a resolution through which they commit to working together to strengthen interfaith harmony, preserve national unity and reject extremism and violence in the name of religion.
The resolution was signed by religious community leaders, Grand Mufti Naim Tërnava from the Islamic Community of Kosovo, Bishop Dodë Gjergji from the Diocese of Prizren-Prishtina, Pastor Artur Krasniqi from the Evangelical Protestant Church of Kosovo and Hysen Hyseni from the Jewish Community of Kosovo, reports KosovaPress.
Our Albanian people, over the centuries, have proven their ability to live in peace, harmony and brotherly love. For us, coexistence and interfaith harmony are not only a value inherited from our ancestors, but also a fundamental pillar of our national identity, peace among us and our common future.
Our history proves that, in order to preserve this priceless treasure, many sacrifices have been made by everyone. That among us there has never been a lack of fraternal support, where Christians and Muslims have shared the joys of life together, faced historical challenges and never allowed any eavesdroppers among us. But, a deep sense of responsibility for each other, linguistic unity, cultural heritage, and co-responsibility for a common future has been constantly cultivated. This is the legacy of our ancestors, this is our goal today, and it must remain so for generations to come.
Being aware that today we enjoy peace and freedom – values that our ancestors never had – and aware that we must preserve these values as a priceless inter-fraternal asset and with the desire to make them more stable and more valuable in the dimension of peace and freedom,
Representatives of religious communities and spiritual leaders in Kosovo, participants in the Interfaith Dialogue Roundtable, initiated by the "Drita" Foundation, pledge as follows:
1. Inter-religious harmony under the dimension of peace and freedom
We reaffirm that the peace and freedom that we enjoy today are precious values for every society and an invaluable gift for every individual, which should not be violated by anyone, nor should they be violated by anyone. The peace achieved is the fruit of many sacrifices and sufferings, therefore we will preserve and protect it with dedication, living it with understanding, trust and open and sincere dialogue. By protecting the right of every individual and religious community to exercise their faith without fear or restriction from anyone. While we invite all our institutions to preserve, cultivate and strengthen these values as a spirit that keeps us united and helps us to jointly hope for a secure future.
2. Maintaining unity in diversity
Respect for religious diversity as well as our ethnic, linguistic and cultural unity are shared values that should not be violated by anyone. Religion should not be used to create division, but to unite the sons and daughters of our common Creator, in kindness, love and responsibility for each other. Therefore, we commit to working together to strengthen interfaith harmony, promote the values of dialogue, understanding and peace. We will also preserve our national unity in the religious diversity that we have.
3. Rejection of extremism and violence in the name of religion
We strongly condemn any form of extremism among us, such as: violence, verbal insults, spreading hatred on social media, instrumentalizing religion for political purposes, using religion for the interests of specific groups, or certain individuals who want to self-promote in our society by misinterpreting religion or historical facts. Therefore, the divisive element among us must be opposed wherever and by whoever it may come from. Because Religion is and must remain a source of peace, reconciliation, brotherhood and harmony among people.
We believe that a strong and just society is built on dialogue and cooperation of all its factors regardless of differences. Therefore, we are committed and want to be an example of an open, honest and mutually respectful dialogue. Because, we are convinced that only in this way can lasting bridges of understanding be built between us, can we have a society that respects everyone and does not discriminate against anyone.
5. Call to future generations
We address a sincere appeal to all the young people in our country, inviting them to protect and cultivate peace, freedom and interfaith harmony. Because peace enables you to enjoy life, freedom gives you the right to be yourself, and interfaith harmony and brotherly love among you fulfill your hopes and all of us. You, the young people, are the bearers of the future, we are witnesses of the past, while together we are co-responsible for the future. We will constantly engage, to prove to you that only through respect, love and mutual understanding can we preserve our national unity and ensure a brighter future for all.
In this spirit, we invite everyone – believers, non-believers, ethnic minorities and state institutions – to unite and cooperate with each other while preserving these values. Yes, we will never stop offering our contribution to peace, harmonious coexistence and respect for all, who are different, think differently or consume their rights. As we are committed to being part and contributors, to have a just, equal and peaceful society. In addition, we reaffirm our commitment to respect the Constitution of Kosovo, the laws in force, social order, contributing to the preservation of interreligious coexistence and brotherly love as an inalienable value for all of us.
In the wake of these efforts, we commit to meeting at least once a year at this Interfaith Dialogue Table, to inspire our believers to continue living in harmony, to share experiences, and to provide the appropriate response to the challenges we may face.
