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Opening Speech of Alain Michel - First World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace

Published on 2007-12-27 17:35:15

For the first time in history, more than 100 Imams and Rabbis, surrounded by 70 personalities from all over the world, met, from January 3 to 6, 2005, under the high patronage of His Majesty Albert II and His Majesty Mohammed VI in order to de-legitimise all forms of violence committed in the name of God or of any religious principle. Furthermore the representatives of Jewish and Muslim communities from 34 countries, in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and America affirmed their determination to develop dialogues and co-operation between Islam and Judaism.

Here in integrality the opening speech of Alain Michel, the Founder of  the "Hommes de Parole" Foundation .

 

I am especially touched by welcoming you here today, and for the very many reasons that we shall discuss later.
You have responded to our invitation, many of you have made overcome great difficulties to be present with us, my thoughts go especially to President Abdurrahman Wahid, who in the terrible circumstances of the disaster that have struck his country had wished to be with us today.

We are proud and honored to welcome you to this first World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace in the name of all those who have made such efforts so that this event could take place; I thank you sincerely for your presence and wish you welcome.
Before opening the Congress, I know all of us present have in our thoughts the terrible tragedy that has taken place in Asia in our thoughts. We are all individually and collectively overwhelmed as well as concerned by its magnitude.

The year 2004 has ended on this terrible disaster, without precedent for humanity and we have on this occasion I believe the responsibility to start this new year by a major act of positive creation capable of renewing hope again.

The origin of this Congress was the handshake of reconciliation between an imam and a rabbi at the first meeting organized in April 2003 in Caux. We felt that if this handshake, an expression of an authentic desire to work for a common goal, could be multiplied by 5, by 10, by 100, that if before the eyes and knowledge of the whole world, 50 imams and 50 rabbis from different countries, meet together with the will to give a new impulse to spirituality, in expressing their will for unity and peace, the number would represent a critical mass sufficient for the entire world to recover hope.

The idea to openly bring together fifty religious leaders of Islam and fifty religious leaders of Judaism in order that they live and work together over a period of three days could be considered as totally unimaginable utopia.
The first phase of this venture considered as ‘impossible’ by many observers has already been reached since you are all present and we have been forced to decline dozens of participants since the project became public.
We of course regret all absences including amongst others Sheik Tantaoui who has sent us a message of his approval and support for the Congress, of Sheik ZafZaf, of Ali El Samman held-up at the last minute also Zaki Badawi, the Grand Rabbi Amar and a few others who were unable to be present.

It remains for us today to succeed together over these next three days the second phase, that will tell to the world that religious leaders of Islam and of Judaism have united together, to outlaw once and for all violence and destruction committed in the name of God and their religion.
That the heads of Islam and Judaism together, decide to undertake joint measures in order to act with determination in every day life to combat ignorance the generator of violence, of hate and rejection.
Of course this congress, one of the objects of which is to formally restore the dialogue between Islam and Judaism, excludes, in no manner, Christians or those of other religions, who have the same role to play, and the same responsibility, it would be vain to imagine anything conclusion whatsoever as constructive without their participation and without their complete adhesion.
I insist that we, all those who have participated in the preparation of this congress, have an entire confidence in the success of this second phase.
Moreover, individual and collective peace initiatives exist by thousands everywhere in the world. Peace between men already exists and is so natural it should be generalized and become the next phase for all humanity.

Several Christian personalities and representatives of other great religions are present, including Hinduism, for which we have here present today one of the greatest masters, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Having taken measure of the importance of this meeting, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, though urgently recalled to his country Sri Lanka, has decided, to be here in spite of everything to bear witness to this congress. He will be addressing you later.
All these prominent persons have joined us to accompany us in the work that you are going to undertake. They are witnesses, experts, relays, partners for these meetings and we sincerely thank them for being present with us.

The presence of twenty young people, young men and women, here as active witnesses will guaranty the implication of future generations. Also with us is a delegation of twenty women, who will participate in certain workshops, they are also present as active witnesses. Women have been so often been on the side lines when by nature it is they who bear life, accompanying it from conception to death. They, more than anyone, know in their body that all life is sacred. It is why their presence on the road to peace is unavoidable though of its total legitimacy.

On the occasion of this Congress, an international movement of women will be created in order bring together the signatures of millions calling men of all religions to protect life in disavowing all destructive violence committed in the name of God or for a religious principle.

It is also necessary that I tell you that to take up this challenge represents an absolute and extraordinary engagement of dozens and dozens of persons who immediately believed in the project. To tell you of the number of difficulties it was necessary to overcome would be too long and fastidious, though we sometimes felt that all the negative forces imaginable had joined together against us to prevent this event taking place.

As you know this congress was initially foreseen and organized in Morocco, for all the reasons expressed: openness, tolerance, this legendary cohabitation between Muslims and Jews. But on two occasions it was put back as a result of the great tension in the Middle East, tension that would have harmed the indispensable serenity to the work undertaken.

As it was impossible to put back the Congress for a third time, it was necessary to find a new venue and organize the ‘transfer’ in just three weeks. I sincerely believe that if the positive fruits of this Congress are proportional to the quantity of difficulties, of the woes and trials experienced to this day, then the Congress will be a great success.

I have said a word of the difficulties, but it is also of course and above all necessary to speak of the ‘miracles’ that occurred daily over eighteen months and that confirmed to us we were on the right course. They permitted us to maintain our determination and served as a guide to fix our route.
It is impossible for me to cite all of them, but they could be the subject for a book, as they were unexpected, surprising, and sometimes filled with humor or emotion. I believe the most important, is the immense confidence of all those who supported us. They allowed us to arrive here today through their sometimes blind confidence and without imposing conditions and I wish to salute and thank them. I hope from the depth of my heart that we have never disappointed them.

I would like so much to cite them all, to speak of the perseverance and friendship of David Rosen, Gadi Golan, Ali el Samman, Talal Sédir, Mikael Melchior, Rachid Ben Mokhtar, Alon Goshen Gotsttein, André Azoulay, Simone Susskind, Dany Shek, Claire Barrat, Chantal Hoogstoel, Patrick Fournier…and so many others who had every reason to be discouraged…but I will not try to cite them all as I am afraid of forgetting many.
There are of course our partners Xavier Guerrand Hermès, Isesco, the European Commission and its representatives in Jerusalem, Armelle Place, Nahed Ojjeh, the Foundation des Trois Cultures, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the King Baudoin Foundation, the Evens Foundation, Euro Rscg, the NEF Foundation and of course our first foundation partner, the Foundation Suisse Racines et Sources, represented here by its President the Grand Rabbi Guedj who was also at the origin of this project.

I could tell you the experiences we had with each one of them. I will just cite two examples of particular significance, that of the Baron and Baroness Benjamin de Rothschild. Since at my first request, they at once accepted to give significant assistance to the Congress, financial assistance to which they added real interest, of a true partnership adapted to the project. Their presence with us this evening is a pledge of confidence and the expression of an unfailing engagement for peace. My warm thanks go out to them in the name of all of us here present.

I would also like to speak of Hanna, she, as a result of the serious difficulties related to the change of venue had accepted the responsibility of looking into and arranging in less than three days all the airline tickets for more than two hundred twenty countries. She worked day and night in order that the tickets were available on time. But because of the year end holidays and delays in the preparation of bank transfers, the threat of ticket cancellations was real, she on her own imitative and without informing us, gave her apartment as a guarantee to her management, so that all the tickets were issued on time and so that the Congress could take place.

I can neither pass by in silence on the unconditional engagement of His Majesty King Albert II and the government of Belgium. When we decided to seek a new venue, they immediately responded with their agreement and their support making it possible for the Congress to be held in Brussels in this magnificent Egmont Palace.
A thanks to all those, whose efforts have enabled this event to take place under such good conditions. Jonathan Bierman understands something of that and he has right to a special mention for his availability and his calm during the course of the preparations for the Congress. Thanks to him, almost everybody obtained their visas in time.
I would also mention that Paris, Seville, Rome and Switzerland have also expressed their agreement to host the Congress.

Concerning the themes of the workshops and the round tables, these are yours, they are the fruit of several months of work and concentration with many of you here present, they are as complete as possible. However, if you have the feeling that an essential theme is absent, please speak with Cyril Dion or Alon Goshé Gottstein so that we can make the necessary arrangements to accommodate it.
The object of the workshops is to achieve solid conclusions, decided here, and which can be set in motion at the close of these meetings. In this our Congress differs from that of a conventional congress. By organizing these workshops we hope that this Congress will be that of each of you because the occasion is offered for all to initiate durable realistic actions in coherence with religious engagements that will be above all at the service of the populations.
In this regard the Elijah Institute has carried an excellent work of synthesis and reflection that will serve us as a base in many circumstances.

Also, based on your reflections, a draft for a final declaration will be the object of a specific workshop and will be submitted for your approbation Wednesday evening. We will also have the opportunity to finalize this together taking into account all your reactions.
I hope that it will be acceptable to all.

As you have noticed we have respected the engagement for a total absence of political themes to consecrate ourselves to the spiritual and religious. It belongs to politicians to use all the work that is carried out here.

The organization of transport, of logistics, and for your arrival, is certainly not perfect and you will have been affected by some of the consequences. Many difficulties, delays, and problems are present. They have complicated your arrival and the comfort of an irreproachable organization has not been assured. But with in respect to the organization’s small team, I should say that the need to adapt in few days the organization of a Congress of this importance in Brussels, which had been entirely foreseen to take place in Morocco with the magnificent team of the University of Ifrane, has not permitted us to cover all the elements that we would have desired.

As regards to the team here present, I conclude this long prologue by taking the opportunity with you all present to salute and thank them.
I hope that one day in your life you will have the occasion to work with such a team. I could not have hoped for better, or found more enthusiasm, availability, courage and faith in the project.
I would like to mention those closest, Marie-Ange president of the Association Latitude de Paix, who has not had a moments sleep these last few nights, Alice, Claire, Sahar, Galitt, Catherines (plural) Jérôme, Cyril and Cyril, Jean-Max, Aurélien, Pierre, Chris, Christophe and many others who have helped us like Tania, Rachid, Anne, Johannès, Azzedine and so many others.

I will now pass the word to the first two actors in this fine adventure, the Grand Rabbi René Samuel Sirat and Cheikh Talal Sider, they were at Caux for the first meeting and they have become true friends and I am happy that they speak in the name of their respective communities.

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