Fundación Mezquita de Sevilla Fundación Mezquita de Sevilla y Centro Cultural Islámico de Sevilla®
Below is the full document signed by Pope Francis and Ahmed Al-Tayyeb, Imam of Al Azhar, where they jointly condemned all discrimination against religious minorities and called for fraternity, on the second day of a historic visit to the United Arab Emirates.
‘Human fraternity for world peace and common coexistence’
Preface
Faith leads the believer to see in the other a brother or sister who must sustain and love. By faith in God, who created the universe, creatures and all human beings – equal in his mercy – the believer is called to express this human fraternity, protecting creation and the whole universe and helping all people, especially the neediest and poorest.
From this transcendent value, in different meetings presided over by an atmosphere of fraternity and friendship, we have shared the joys, sorrows and problems of the contemporary world, in the field of scientific and technical progress, therapeutic achievements, the digital age, the mass media, communications; in the context of poverty, wars and the suffering of many brothers and sisters in different parts of the world, because of the arms race, social injustices, corruption, inequalities, moral degradation, terrorism, discrimination, extremism and many other reasons.
From these fraternal and sincere dialogues that we have had, and from the meeting full of hope for a bright future for all human beings, the idea of this “Document on Human Fraternity” was born. A document designed with sincerity and seriousness to be a common declaration of a good and loyal will, so that it invites all people who carry faith in God and faith in human fraternity in their hearts to unite and work together, so that it may be a guide for the new generations towards a culture of mutual respect, in the understanding of the immense divine grace that makes all human beings brothers and sisters.
Document
In the name of God who has created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity, and has called them to live together as brothers and sisters among themselves, to populate the earth and spread in it the values of goodness, charity and peace.
In the name of the innocent human soul that God has forbidden to kill, affirming that whoever kills one person is as if he has killed all mankind and whoever saves one is as if he has saved all mankind.
In the name of the poor, the unfortunate, the needy and the marginalized whom God has ordained to help as a duty required of all men and in a particular way of every wealthy and well-to-do man.
In the name of orphans, widows, refugees and exiles from their homes and their villages; of all the victims of wars, persecutions and injustices; of the weak, of those who live in fear, of prisoners of war and of those tortured in any part of the world, without distinction of any kind.
In the name of the peoples who have lost security, peace and common coexistence, being victims of destruction, ruin and wars.
In the name of the “human fraternity” that embraces all men, unites them and makes them equal.
In the name of this fraternity battered by the policies of fundamentalism and division and by the systems of insatiable profit and hateful ideological tendencies, which manipulate the actions and destinies of men.
In the name of freedom, which God has given to all human beings, creating them free and distinguishing them with it.
In the name of justice and mercy, foundations of prosperity and hinges of faith.
In the name of all people of good will, present in every corner of the earth.
In the name of God and of all this, Al-Azhar al-Sharif – with the Muslims of the East and the West – together with the Catholic Church – with the Catholics of the East and the West – declare to assume the culture of dialogue as a path; common collaboration as a conduct; reciprocal knowledge as a method and criterion.
We, believers in God, in the final encounter with him and in his judgment, from our religious and moral responsibility, and through this Document, ask ourselves and the leaders of the world, the architects of international politics and the world economy, to commit themselves seriously to spreading the culture of tolerance, of coexistence and peace; to intervene as soon as possible to stop the shedding of innocent blood and to put an end to the wars, conflicts, environmental degradation and cultural and moral decay that the world is currently experiencing.
We turn to intellectuals, philosophers, men of religion, artists, media workers and men of culture in every part of the world, so that they may rediscover the values of peace, justice, goodness, beauty, human fraternity and common coexistence. with a view to confirming the importance of such values as an anchor of salvation for all and seeking to spread them everywhere.
This Declaration, based on a profound reflection on our contemporary reality, assessing its successes and living through its pains, catastrophes and calamities, firmly believes that among the most important causes of the crisis of the modern world are an anesthetized human conscience and a distancing from religious values, in addition to the predominance of individualism and materialistic philosophies that divinize man and put worldly and material values in the place of others. supreme and transcendent principles.
While acknowledging the positive steps that our modern civilization has made in the fields of science, technology, medicine, industry and well-being, particularly in the developed countries, we emphasize that, in addition to these great and valuable historical advances, there is a deterioration of ethics, which conditions international action, and a weakening of spiritual values and a sense of responsibility. All this contributes to the spread of a general sense of frustration, loneliness and despair, leading many to fall either into the maelstrom of atheistic or agnostic extremism, or into religious fundamentalism, extremism or blind fundamentalism, thus leading other people to give in to forms of dependence and individual and collective self-destruction.
History affirms that religious and national extremism and intolerance have produced in the world, both in the West and in the East, what could be called the signs of a “third world war in pieces”, signs that, in various parts of the world and in different tragic conditions, have begun to show their cruel face; situations of which it is not known precisely how many victims, widows and orphans have produced. There are also other areas that are preparing to become the scene of new conflicts, where hotbeds of tension are emerging and weapons and ammunition are accumulating, in a world situation dominated by uncertainty, disillusionment and fear of the future and controlled by short-sighted economic interests.
We also affirm that severe political crises, injustice and the lack of an equitable distribution of natural resources — from which only a minority of the rich benefit, to the detriment of the majority of the peoples of the earth — have caused, and continue to cause, large numbers of sick, needy and dead, causing lethal crises of which several countries are victims. despite the natural riches and resources that characterize the young generations. With regard to the crises that lead to the death of millions of children, already reduced to human skeletons — because of poverty and hunger — there is an unacceptable international silence.
In this context, it is clear that the family is essential, as the fundamental nucleus of society and humanity, in order to beget children, raise them, educate them, offer them solid morals and family protection. Attacking the institution of the family, despising it or doubting the importance of its role, represents one of the most dangerous evils of our time.
We also declare the importance of reviving the religious sense and the need to revive it in the hearts of the new generations, through sound education and adherence to moral values and appropriate religious teachings, so that individualistic, selfish, conflictual tendencies, radicalism and blind extremism in all its forms and manifestations may be confronted.
The first and most important objective of religions is to believe in God, to honor Him and to call all men to believe that this universe depends on a God who governs it, it is the Creator who has shaped us with his divine wisdom and has granted us the gift of life to preserve Him. A gift that no one has the right to remove, threaten or manipulate at will, on the contrary, everyone must protect the gift of life from its beginning until its natural death. That is why we condemn all life-threatening practices such as genocide, terrorist acts, forced migration, trafficking in human organs, abortion and euthanasia, and the policies that underpin all of this.
Furthermore, we firmly declare that religions never incite war and do not encourage feelings of hatred, hostility, extremism, or invite violence or bloodshed. These misfortunes are the result of the deviation of religious teachings, of the political use of religions and also of the interpretations of religious groups that have abused – in some phases of history – the influence of religious sentiment in the hearts of men to lead them to do something that has nothing to do with the truth of religion. to achieve worldly and short-sighted political and economic ends. For this reason, we ask everyone to cease the instrumentalization of religions to incite hatred, violence, extremism or blind fanaticism and to stop using the name of God to justify acts of murder, exile, terrorism and oppression. We ask this because of our common faith in God, who did not create men to be tortured or humiliated in their lives and during their lives. In effect, God, the Almighty, does not need to be defended by anyone and does not want His name to be used to terrorize people.
This Document, following the previous International Documents that have highlighted the importance of the role of religions in the construction of world peace, declares the following:
– The strong conviction that the true teachings of religions invite us to remain anchored in the values of peace; to uphold the values of mutual knowledge, human fraternity and common coexistence; to re-establish wisdom, justice and charity and to awaken a sense of religiosity among young people, to defend the new generations from the domination of materialistic thought, from the danger of the policies of greed, insatiable profit and indifference, based on the law of force and not on the force of law.
– Freedom is a right of every person: everyone enjoys freedom of belief, thought, expression and action. Pluralism and diversity of religion, color, sex, race, and language are expressions of a wise divine will, with which God created human beings. This Divine Wisdom is the source from which comes the right to freedom of belief and the freedom to be different. This condemns the fact that people are forced to adhere to a particular religion or culture, as well as the imposition of a style of civilization that others do not accept.
– Justice based on mercy is the way to achieve a dignified life to which every human being has a right.
– Dialogue, understanding, and the spread of the culture of tolerance, acceptance of others and coexistence among human beings would contribute significantly to reducing the many economic, social, political and environmental problems that besiege a large part of the human race.
– Dialogue among believers means meeting in the enormous space of common spiritual, human and social values, and investing it in the dissemination of the highest moral virtues called for by religions; It also means avoiding useless discussions.
– The protection of places of worship – temples, churches and mosques – is a duty guaranteed by religions, human values, laws and international conventions. Any attempt to attack places of worship or threaten them with bombings, explosions or demolitions is a deviation from the teachings of religions, as well as a clear violation of international law.
– The heinous terrorism that threatens the security of people, both in the East and in the West, in the North and in the South, spreading panic, terror and pessimism is not because of religion — even when terrorists use it — but because of misinterpretations of religious texts, policies of hunger, poverty, injustice, oppression, arrogance; This is why it is necessary to cut off support for terrorist movements through the supply of money, weapons, plans or justifications and also media coverage, and to consider these as international crimes that threaten world security and peace. Such terrorism must be condemned in all its forms and manifestations.
– The concept of citizenship is based on the equality of rights and duties under the protection of which everyone enjoys justice. For this reason, it is necessary to commit ourselves to establishing in our society the concept of full citizenship and to renounce the discriminatory use of the word minorities, which brings with it the seeds of feeling isolated and inferior; It sets the stage for hostility and discord and takes away the religious and civil achievements and rights of some citizens by discriminating against them.
– The relationship between West and East is an indisputable mutual necessity, which cannot be substituted or neglected, so that both can enrich each other through the exchange and dialogue of cultures. The West could find in the civilization of the East the remedies for some of its spiritual and religious diseases caused by the domination of materialism. And the East could find in the civilization of the West so many elements that can help it save itself from weakness, division, conflict and scientific, technical and cultural decline. It is important to pay attention to religious, cultural and historical differences that are an essential component in the formation of Eastern personality, culture and civilization; and it is important to consolidate general and common human rights, to help guarantee a dignified life for all men in the East and in the West, avoiding the use of double measures.
– It is an indispensable need to recognize the right of women to education, to work and to the exercise of their political rights. In addition, work must be done to free it from historical and social pressures contrary to the principles of one’s own faith and dignity. It is also necessary to protect it from sexual exploitation and treat it as a commodity or a means of pleasure or economic gain. For this reason, all inhumane practices and vulgar customs that humiliate women’s dignity must be stopped and work to change the laws that prevent women from fully enjoying their rights.
– The protection of children’s fundamental rights to grow up in a family environment, to food, education and care is a duty of the family and society. These rights must be guaranteed and protected so that no child anywhere in the world is missing or denied to them. Any practice that violates the dignity of children or their rights must be condemned. It is also important to be alert to the dangers to which they are exposed — especially in the digital realm — and to consider the trafficking of their innocence and any violation of their childhood as a crime.
– The protection of the rights of the elderly, the weak, the disabled and the oppressed is a religious and social necessity that must be guaranteed and protected through rigorous legislation and the application of international conventions in this regard.
To this end, the Catholic Church and al-Azhar, through joint cooperation, announce and promise to bring this Document to the Authorities, influential leaders, men of religion throughout the world, relevant regional and international organizations, civil society organizations, religious institutions and exponents of thought; and to participate in the dissemination of the principles of this Declaration at all regional and international levels, urging them to translate them into policies, decisions, legislation, curricula and communication materials.
Al-Azhar and the Catholic Church call for this Document to be the subject of research and reflection in all schools, universities, and institutes of education and formation, so that it may help to create new generations that bring good and peace, and defend everywhere the rights of the oppressed and the least.
In conclusion, we want you to:
may this Declaration be an invitation to reconciliation and fraternity among all believers, including between believers and non-believers, and among all people of good will;
is an appeal to every living conscience that repudiates aberrant violence and blind extremism; an appeal to those who love the values of tolerance and fraternity, promoted and encouraged by religions;
may it be a witness to the greatness of faith in God that unites divided hearts and uplifts the human spirit;
may it be a symbol of the embrace between East and West, between North and South and among all those who believe that God has created us to know one another, to cooperate with one another and to live as brothers and sisters who love one another.
This is what we hope and try to achieve in order to achieve a universal peace that all people in this life enjoy.
Abu Dhabi, 4 February 2019
| His Holiness Pope Francis |
Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayyeb |
