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Forthcoming World Religious Summit: Members of the Interreligious Council of Russia answer questions of the media

22.06.2006 · Архив 2005-2009, События  

On 22 June 2006, RIA Novosti press centre hosted a news conference on the World Religious Summit to take place in Moscow on 3-5 July 2006.

Taking part in the news conference and answering questions of the journalists were Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for external church relations Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad; representative of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia Sanjei-Lama; deputy chairman of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the European part of Russia Kharis Khazrat Saubyanov; first deputy chairman of the Coordinating centre of Muslims of the Northern Caucasus mufti Magomed-haji Albogachiev; deputy chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for external relations archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin; representative of the Central Spiritual Board of Muslims of Russia A.Aliev; chairman of the Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations and Associations in Russia rabbi Zinovy Kogan; and CJROAR executive director V. Engel.

Metropolitan Kirill informed the audience that the Interreligious Council of Russia had initiated the World Religious Summit, at which religious leaders will exchange their opinions and define their position on the most urgent problems of modern times.

A declaration on the results of the Summit is planned. Metropolitan Kirill thinks it helpful and important to present the declaration to the J8 meeting to take place in St. Petersburg in July.

Last May, the expert conference considered problems to be discussed at the Summit. These include the role of faith and religion in contemporary society; defence and confirmation of religious and moral values in society and responsibility of religions; methods of opposing terrorism and extremism; education and the necessity of moral education of the youth; law, freedom, human rights, moral responsibility; support of the values of the family, human life, equality of men and women; respect for religious feelings and for that which is sacred in religious traditions; morality in the economics and overcoming of poverty; role of the mass media; resources of the planet and responsibility for the environment; epidemics of infectious diseases and drug addiction; proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction; dialogue and partnership of civilizations; globalization and the world order; dialogue of religious leaders with politicians, civil society structures and international organizations.

The renowned and authoritative religious leaders accepted the invitation of the Interreligious Council of Russia. These include the Primates of some Local Orthodox Churches, heads and representatives of other Christian confessions, leaders of the Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist and other religious communities from different countries of the world. ‘The World Religious Summit in Moscow differs from the earlier similar initiatives by a high level of representation,’ the DECR Chairman remarked.

Metropolitan Kirill named over one hundred religious leaders who have expressed their willingness to take part in the Summit. These include His Holiness and Beatitude Iliya II, Catholic-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mstkheta and Tbilisi; His Beatitude Christopher, Metropolitan of the Czech Lands and Slovakia; His Beatitude Anastasios, Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania; His Holiness Abuna Paul, Patriarch of Ethiopia; His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; His Holiness Patriarch Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia; Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, honourary president of the Pontifical Council ‘Justice and Peace,’ Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity; Cardinal Paul Poupard, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture; Cardinal Godfried Danneels, Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels; Grand Mufti of Syria Ahmed Badr Eddine Hassoun; chairman of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the Caucasus Sheikh-ul-Islam Allashukur Pasha-zade; Ayatollah Ali Tashiri, general secretary of the Islamic Organization on rapprochement of Mazhabs; minister for religious affairs of Pakistan Mahmud Isjad-ul Haq; deputy prime minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain and minister for Islam affairs Sheikh Abdallah Ben Khaleda al-Khaliph; president of the external relations department of the Conference of European Rabbis rabbi Philip Carmel; chief rabbi of Israel Jonah Metzger; president of the Political Council of the World Jewish Congress rabbi Israel Zinger; president of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany Bishop Wolfgang Huber; Primate of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland archbishop Jukka Paarma of Turku and Finland; Supreme Buddhist Patriarch Tep Vong; head of the Buddhists of Mongolia Khambo Lama Dambarel; general secretary of the World Conference of Religions for Peace Dr. William Vendly; general secretary of the World Council of Churches Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia; member of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee and moderator of the European Council of Religious Leaders Bishop Gunnar Staalset, and many others.

Representative of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia Sanjei-Lama thinks that the most topical problems are those of security, family and education. They should be thoroughly discussed at the summit.

Deputy chairman of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the European part of Russia Kharis Kharzat Saubyanov called the upcoming meeting of religious leaders in Moscow ‘a very important event that has no analogy.’ He thinks that the participants should reach unanimous opinion on all problems under discussion and – what is even more important – raise topical questions of contemporary society and initiate discussion on them.

First deputy chairman of the Coordinating Centre of Muslims of the the Caucasus Mufti Magomed-haji Albogachiev believes that religious leaders of other countries will become eyewitnesses of constructive cooperation among the four major religions of Russia and be convinced of harmonious coexistence of religious communities.

Representative of the Central Spiritual Board of Muslims of Russia A. Aliev noted particular importance of the Middle East settlement. ‘Muslims of the region want to be heard and hear other religious leaders’ opinion on this problem,’ he said.

Chairman of the Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations and Association in Russia Rabbi Zinovy Kogan paid special attention to the value of human life from conception to the end. This problem is especially topical in Russia at present, he thinks. Among other important problems he named those of family, education, morality in business and religious care for servicemen. He believes that moral education of servicemen is of a particular importance, as service in the army is a part of life of the considerable number of Russian citizens.

V. Engel called the fact of the World Religious Summit preceding the J8 meeting significant. ‘We shall gather to discuss the role of religion in the modern world and that which religious leaders can do to prevent various conflicts,’ he said.

Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for external church relations Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad answered a question about xenophobia and racism in Russia. He said that the problem of xenophobia existed in many countries of the world. For instance, the recent disturbances in France had obvious features of interreligious conflict.

‘Why do people throw at one another only because they do not like the colour of skin or facial features of another human person, why doesn’t one accept the other because of faith and nationality? I have only one answer: if lust prevails, if one does not live in the system of moral coordinates, but lives without moral responsibility, no laws are capable of solving this problem, Metropolitan Kirill noted. – When we encounter xenophobia, we immediately hear voices in favour of toughening the laws against such crimes. Yet, the Soviet power had tried to regulate all aspects of human life though the ‘tightening up of the screws.’ Nothing came of it and nothing ever would. That is why religions today insist on reflecting upon moral responsibility.’

Metropolitan Kirill said that the human person was called to freedom as created in the image of God and bearing within himself the imprint of Divine freedom. ‘However, if freedom is realized beyond the system of moral coordinates, this can have terrible consequences, including the manifestation of intolerance in the interethnic relations not only in Russia, but in other countries of the world as well. It is quite obvious that it cannot go on like this any longer. If the interethnic and interreligious conflicts continue in the globalized world, the entire human community will face great problems. So, the opinion of religions on the problem ought to be heard,’ he underscored.

Representative of the Central Spiritual Board of Muslims of Russia A. Aliev drew attention to another aspect of the problem. He thinks it necessary to enhance the culture of relations between people coming to other regions and people living there. He believes that fostering of peoples’ culture is a task of clergy, the Muslim clergy including.

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad called the problem of opposing terrorism, extremism, intolerance and xenophobia central for the World Religious Summit. He is convinced that its final document should be of moral and spiritual nature, rather than be a political declaration.

The DECR chairman emphasized that the World Religious Summit would not discuss theological problems. ‘The summit presupposes common position of its participants. However, these positions are to be found in the sphere of morality, rather than in the sphere of religious teachings that are known to be different, Metropolitan Kirill said. – It is quite obvious that world religions have a common system of moral coordinates. As religious leaders find themselves in the single system of moral values, they can proceed from their common position and formulate their views on the problems that are to be discussed at the summit.’

Metropolitan Kirill underscored that creation of ‘one religion,’ or a doctrinal rapprochement among religions are out of the question. It is a question of cooperation among religious leaders facing the current world problems.