In Brussels, leaders of Islamic and Jewish communities from several European countries today presented a joint declaration to the presidents of the three main European Union institutions. Ahead of a meeting of European religious leaders representing all major faiths in Europe, Bosnian Grand Mufti Mustafa Ceric and Brussels Chief Rabbi Albert Guigui handed the document on behalf of the 33 signatories to Commission President José Manuel Barroso, European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.
The declaration stresses that “Jews and Muslims live side-by-side in every European country and our two communities are important components of Europe's religious, cultural and social tapestry. Both Muslims and Jews have deep roots and historical experience on this continent.” It raises concern about “increasing manifestations of Islamophobia (anti-Muslim bigotry) and anti-Semitism in countries across Europe.”
The joint declaration goes on to say: “Bigotry against any Jew or any Muslim is an attack on all Muslims and all Jews. We are united in our belief in the dignity of all peoples” and urges “all Europeans of conscience to put a stop to any group that espouses racist or xenophobic ideologies long before they are in a position to gain legislative or other power. We must never allow anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, xenophobia or racism to become respectable in today’s Europe. In that regard, we call upon all political leaders not to pander to these groups by echoing their rhetoric.”
The signatories also declared: “We remember together the horrors that took place on this continent in the 1940s - a campaign of mass murder, unique in history, which resulted in the annihilation of one third of world Jewry in the Holocaust. That atrocity and others, such as the mass killing of Muslim civilians in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the 1990s, resulted from the triumph of racist and xenophobic ideologies that demonized those that they targeted.”
This Europe-wide interfaith initiative – the first of its kind – was set in motion last December with the first Gathering of European Muslim and Jewish Leaders in Brussels. It is modelled on a similar cooperative effort in the United States organized by the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding. Co-sponsors are the European Jewish Congress, the FFEU, the Muslim Jewish Conference the World Council of Muslims for Interfaith Relations and the World Jewish Congress.
EUROPEAN MUSLIM AND JEWISH LEADERS: JOINT DECLARATION ON THE OCCASION OF EUROPE DAY 2011
On the occasion of Europe Day, 9 May 2011, we the undersigned representatives of Muslim and Jewish communities in Europe have come together to make this joint declaration.
Europe is our common home. Jews and Muslims live side-by-side in every European country and our two communities are important components of Europe's religious, cultural and social tapestry. Both Muslims and Jews have deep roots and historical experience on this continent. Our two faiths and communities are an integral part of Europe: past, present and future. As Jews, Muslims, and as Europeans, we are deeply concerned about the increasing manifestations of Islamophobia (anti-Muslim bigotry) and anti-Semitism in countries across Europe. We are troubled by the growth of racist and xenophobic movements. We believe that individuals and organizations espousing such malign and hateful ideologies represent a grave threat to the fundamental European values of pluralism, democracy, mutual respect and cooperation.
In response to this growing threat, we Muslims and Jews resolve to work together to counter efforts to demonize or marginalize either of our communities. Bigotry against any Jew or any Muslim is an attack on all Muslims and all Jews. We are united in our belief in the dignity of all peoples.
On this Europe Day we remember together the horrors that took place on this continent in the 1940s - a campaign of mass murder, unique in history, which resulted in the annihilation of one third of world Jewry in the Holocaust. That atrocity and others, such as the mass killing of Muslim civilians in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the 1990s, resulted from the triumph of racist and xenophobic ideologies that demonized those that they targeted.
We wish to work together with all Europeans of conscience to put a stop to any group that espouses racist or xenophobic ideologies long before they are in a position to gain legislative or other power. We must never allow anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, xenophobia or racism to become respectable in today’s Europe. In that regard, we call upon all political leaders not to pander to these groups by echoing their rhetoric.
We recognise that the issues of identity, integration, multiculturalism and immigration are complex ones which need to be addressed properly and in consultation with the minority communities in Europe. However there must be no tolerance for the demonization of entire faith communities.
We dedicate our efforts on Europe Day 2011 both to the memories of past victims of genocide and to our own children and children’s children. We take this stand today so that all the children of Europe will grow to maturity in friendship and mutual trust in a continent finally and blessedly free of hatred, fear and violence.
Signed by:
Imam Marzouk Aulad Abdellah
Professor of Islamic Theology
University of Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Rabbi Joseph Abittan
Chief Rabbi of Nice
France
Grand Mufti Dr. Mustafa Cerić
Interreligious Council of Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Imam Hassen Chalghoumi
Drancy Mosque
France
Mrs. Ayse Cindilkaya
Vice-President, Council of Muslim Students and Academics in Germany
Germany
Mr. Serge Cwajgenbaum
Secretary General
European Jewish Congress
France
Sheikh Prof. Mohamed El Sharkawy
Dean
Al-Azhar College of Islamic Studies
United Kingdom
Mufti Izzedine Elzir
President
Union of Islamic Italian Communities
Italy
Rabbi Raphael Evers
Chief Rabbi of Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Dr. Mohamed Fernane
President Judeo-Muslim Friendship Association of the Alpes Region
France
Rabbi Herschel Gluck
Chairman
Muslim-Jewish Forum
United Kingdom
Rabbi Marc-Raphaël Guedj
Chairman
Roots and Sources
Switzerland
Chief Rabbi Albert Guigui
The Great Synagogue of Brussels & Europe
Belgium
Mrs. Aicha Haddou
President
Belgian Women of Faith Network
Belgium
Mrs. Nadine Iarchy-Zucker
Chair of the Interfaith Standing Committee
International Council of Jewish Women
Belgium
Mr. Mohamed Kajaj
Vice President
European Council of Moroccan Clerics
Belgium
Dr. Moshe Kantor
President
European Jewish Congress
Russian Federation
Sheikha Halima Krausen
Initiative for Islamic Studies
Germany
Rabbi Joseph Levi
Chief Rabbi of Florence
Italy
Rabbi Reuben Livingstone
Chairman
Children of Abraham
United Kingdom
Imam Yahya Sergio Yahe Pallavicini
President
Italian Islamic Religious Community
Italy
Dr. Richard Prasquier
President
French Jewish Institutions Representative Council
France
Imam Fatih Şahan
Spokesperson
Turkish Islamic Religious Union
Germany
Imam Dr. Abduljalil Sajid
Chairman
Muslim Council for Religious and Racial Harmony
United Kingdom
Prof. Anas Schakfeh
President
Islamic Community of Austria
Austria
Rabbi Marc Schneier
President
Foundation for Ethnic Understanding
United States
Rabbi Michel Serfaty
President
French Judeo-Muslim Friendship Association
France
Mr. Ilja Sichrovsky
Secretary General
Muslim Jewish Conference
Austria
Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp
President and Founder, Jacob Soetendorp Institute for Human Values
Netherlands
Rabbi Benjamin Soussan
Chief Rabbi of Baden
Germany
Dr. Maram Stern
Deputy Secretary General
World Jewish Congress
Belgium
Mr. Benjamin Zagzag
Chairman
European Union of Jewish Students
France
Mr. Mohamed Munaf Zina
Co-Chair of Muslim Jewish Forum
United Kingdom
Jewish Students Association of Austria
Austria
Union of Muslim Students of Austria
Austria
Federal Union of Jewish Students
Germany
Council of Muslim Students and Academics
Germany
