Interfaith Dialogue and Religious Peacebuilding in the Middle East Irén Frändå UPPSALA UNIVERSITY Faculty of Theology Master programme in Religion in Peace and Conflict Master Thesis Spring 2016 0 Interfaith Dialogue and Religious Peacebuilding in the Middle East Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3 1.1. Relevance and Theme of the Study ............................................................................................ 3 1.2. Research Issues and Questions ................................................................................................... 4 1.3. Scope and delimitations .............................................................................................................. 4 1.4. Definitions ................................................................................................................................... 4 1.5. Structure of the Study ................................................................................................................. 5 1.6. Field Visits ................................................................................................................................... 6 2. Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 6 2.1. Theoretical and Methodological reflections ............................................................................... 6 2.1.1. Some problems and priorities in working with this Master thesis .......................................... 6 2.1.2. A presentation of my working process ................................................................................... 8 2.2. A Qualitative Research ................................................................................................................ 8 2.3. Research Plan ............................................................................................................................ 10 3. Religion, History, Identity and Inter-faith dialogue – how to contribute to Peace, Forgiveness and Reconciliation? ........................................................................................................................ 11 3.1. Religious Landscape of the Middle East .................................................................................... 11 3.1.1. Outlook on the Current Situation ......................................................................................... 11 3.1.2. Historical Development and Identity of Christianity ............................................................ 13 3.1.3. Historical Development and Identity of Islam ...................................................................... 14 3.1.4. Conflict, violence and co-existence in the Middle East ........................................................ 15 3.2. Interfaith Dialogue and Religious Peacebuilding in the Middle East ........................................ 18 3.2.1. Outlook on the Current Situation ......................................................................................... 18 3.2.2. Interfaith Dialogue in the Middle East .................................................................................. 21 3.2.3. The Ministry of Reconciliation .............................................................................................. 22 3.2.4. The Peace making force in Religion ...................................................................................... 24 3.2.5. Partnership between Human Rights, Peace-Building and Religious Peace-Building ............ 26 3.3. Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process ............................................................................ 31 3.3.1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 31 3.3.2. The Cyprus conflict ................................................................................................................ 32 3.3.3. Religion demography ............................................................................................................ 33 3.3.4. Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process ........................................................................ 34 1 3.3.5. References of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process ........................................... 35 3.3.6. A work in progress ................................................................................................................ 39 4. Analysis and Evaluation ................................................................................................................ 41 4.1. Religious Landscape of the Middle East .................................................................................... 42 4.2. Interfaith Dialogue and Religious Peacebuilding in the Middle East ........................................ 43 4.3. Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process ............................................................................ 44 4.3.1. The concept of religious peacebuilding ................................................................................ 45 4.3.2. The religious potential in its peace-work .............................................................................. 46 4.3.3. The religious leaders ............................................................................................................. 46 4.3.4. Certain patterns that affect the peace-building process ......................................................... 47 4.3.5. Interfaith dialogue ................................................................................................................. 47 4.3.6. To address public issues of moral concern ........................................................................... 48 4.3.7. Partnership between human rights and religious peacebuilding ........................................... 49 5. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 49 6. List of references ........................................................................................................................... 51 7. Appendices .................................................................................................................................... 57 7.1. Field visits .................................................................................................................................. 57 7.1.1. A visit to Lebanon´s Bekaa valley .......................................................................................... 58 7.1.2. A visit to the Holy Land Israel/Palestine ............................................................................... 59 7.2. Joint Statement of the Religious Leaders of Cyprus ................................................................. 60 7.2.1. Joint Statement of the Religious Leaders of Cyprus, against all forms of attacks, terrorism and violence .......................................................................................................................... 60 7.2.2. Joint Statement on the Resumption of Peace Talks .............................................................. 61 2 1. Introduction 1.1. Relevance and Theme of the Study The conflicts in the Middle East have triggered the world´s largest humanitarian crisis since World War II. Humanitarian needs continue to rises, population displacements are increasing, and an entire generation of children has and is being exposed to war and violence, increasingly deprived of basic services, education and protection. The Middle East consists of three great religions; Islam, Christianity and Judaism. The current and acutely tense religio-political situation is perceived as threatening to many people and religious groups. Many Christians are leaving the region. Nowhere are the stakes of sectarian conflict as high as in the Middle East, and nowhere is the practice of interfaith dialogue more difficult. The Middle East is deeply affected by religious identities and meanings. A peace process based solely on secular values will probably not be sustainable. Several researchers recommend that the reconciliation must involve the religious believers and recognize the religiousness. The theme of this thesis is Interfaith Dialogue and Religious Peacebuilding in the Middle East. In the following I would like to introduce the religious landscape of the Middle East with particular focus on the Christians and the Muslims. Also, I seek to understand the value of inter-religious meetings and dialogue. Moreover, my intention is to have a deepened ability to reflect on the functions of religion as resource, identity and as a power for motivation in the political and social realities of the Middle East. Muslims and Christians have lived side by side through ages in the Middle East. What is common between Muslims and Christians lies not in something marginal. It lies, rather, in something absolutely central to both: love of God and love of neighbour. The common religious value is the basis of interfaith dialogue between Muslims and Christians. Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world’s population. Peaceful relations between Muslims and Christians stand as one of the central challenges of this century, and perhaps of the whole present