Rabbi David Rosen urged the UN General Assembly today to protect the quest for Arab-Israeli peace from extremists' assaults by giving more power to "religiously responsible voices. If we don't want religion to be 'part of the problem,' the answer cannot be to ignore it, as political leaders seeking a solution to the conflict have often done in the past," said Rosen, AJC's International Director of Interreligious Affairs and Honorary ICCJ President. Rosen was one of the internationally recognized religious leaders addressing World Interfaith Harmony Week at the UN.
"On the contrary, such an approach encourages extremist elements to take center stage and just weakens the most responsible religious voices. If one does not want religion to be 'part of the problem,' then one must empower the religiously responsible voices and ensure that 'religious is part of the solution' advancing a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect"
See full English text of Rabbi Rosen’s address
http://www.iccj.org/Blessed_be_ye_who_come_in_the_name_of_the_Lord__we_bless_you_from_the_house_o.3707.0.html
A video of the World Interfaith Harmony Week event at the United Nations can be found here:
http://www.unmultimedia.org/tv/webcast/2012/02/common-ground-for-the-common-good-on-the-occasion-of-the-world-interfaith-harmony-week.html
and also at:
http://downloads2.unmultimedia.org.s3.amazonaws.com/public/video/Interfaith_Pt2_7Feb2012.mov)
