PRESS RELEASE
Senior Iraqi Religious Leaders Forge Consensus on Need to Build an “Iraq For All Iraqis”
(NEW YORK, 12 June, 2007)—A dozen senior Iraqi Muslim leaders—Sunni and Shi’ite—stood together at a conference at the United Nations and called for an Iraqi multi-religious institution to facilitate cooperation among all sects and provide a unified response to those "Takfiri" religious extremist ideologies that are used as an excuse for indiscriminate violence. ("Takfiris" are those Muslims who designate other Muslims as heretics punishable by death.)
In addition, while acknowledging the need for international support and partnership, there was full consensus on the right for Iraqis to determine their future as a sovereign nation without any outside interference.
"Iraq has a brilliant religious heritage to build peace," said Dr. William F. Vendley, Secretary General of Religions for Peace, a co-sponsor of a two-day conference that opened at the United Nations. "We have witnessed the efforts of extremists to hijack the religions of Iraq. The way to rescue Iraq from religious hijackers is through multi-religious cooperation." Vendley signalled the need for coordinated multi-religious efforts in Iraq and on the regional and global levels.
Amid deepening challenges in Iraq, Religions for Peace, the Alhakim Foundation, and New York University Center for Dialogues: Islamic World-U.S.-The West brought together the senior Iraqi religious and other civil society leaders at the United Nations on June 11–12 to help forge global partnerships to rebuild Iraqi national consensus and an "Iraq for all Iraqis." More than eighty participants gathered at the United Nations for the dialogue, including Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebar and Ambassadors Dr. Hamid al-Bayati and Feisal al-Istrabadi, respectively Iraq's Permanent and Deputy Permanent Representatives to the United Nations.
"The future of Iraq is now the future of the Muslim world," said Dr. Mustapha Tlili, director of New York University Center for Dialogues: Islamic World-U.S. The West. "Iraqi religious and civil society leaders—all Iraqis—must be aware that Iraq is becoming an American domestic issue, a tennis ball in the U.S. electoral process. Iraqis should take responsibility for their own future."
Sayyed Amar Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, a scholar, theologian, and General Secretary of the Alhakim Foundation, emphasized that all of Iraq was represented at the conference. "We come to express our intention of good will and cooperation," Sayyed al-Hakim said. "No one from Iraq is excluded from this dialogue….The idea of an ‘Iraq for all Iraqis’ is a hope that we all share."
All of the distinguished Iraqi participants have been deeply active in efforts to build peace in Iraq. Many of them have participated in the work of Religions for Peace designed to advance multi-religious cooperation for peace among Iraq’s religious communities.
Religions for Peace is a non-governmental organization accredited to the United Nations through its Economic and Social Council. It is the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition advancing common action for peace since 1970.
New York University Center for Dialogues: Islamic World-U.S.-The West was established in the aftermath of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, which highlighted the urgent need for greater communication among and about the Islamic World, the United States, and the West.
The Alhakim Foundation is a non-governmental organization accredited to the United Nations through its Economic and Social Council. It is based in Najaf, Iraq, and has offices in various cities throughout the country. It is dedicated to serving the common good in Iraq.
The full text of the Statement of the Organizers on behalf of the Conference is as follows:
Iraq for all Iraqis
Statement of the Organizers on behalf of the Conference
The organizers—Religions for Peace, New York University’s Centre for Dialogues: Islamic World-US-The West and the Alhakim Foundation—opened the conference at the United Nations to highlight the critical role of Iraqi leaders of religions—Shiite and Sunni Muslims, Christians and others; ethnic leaders—Arabs, Kurds, Turkman and others—and civil society organizations and universities. The conference was designed to promote dialogue and cooperation among them and their international counterparts, and while looking forward, recognized the many sacrifices made by the Iraqi people. The sacrifice of Ayatollah Sayyid Mohammad Baqir Al-Hakim was noted as was the United Nations Special Representative to Iraq, Mr. Sergio de Mello. The sense of the conference was as follows:
1) While the perceptions of reality among Iraqi representatives were rich and at times contrasted, there was—nevertheless—a strong shared commitment to a unified Iraq for all Iraqis, an Iraq to be built by Iraqis out of a creative engagement of current realities and the rich and positive religious, historical and cultural legacies.
2) There was a shared commitment to the further building of a representative, effective democratic government.
3) There was a consensus on the need for re-building Iraq based upon respect for religious, ethnic and cultural diversity.
4) There was an acknowledgement of the unique and constructive roles of religious leaders in building peace among the Iraqi peoples, providing a moral basis and spiritual guidance for “common living” and national cohesion. The constructive leadership of the Grand Ayatollah As-Sayyid As-Sistani was acknowledged as an outstanding role model.
5) There was an agreement that all religious sites should be protected and that those destroyed should be re-built; the Askari Shrine in Samarra was noted in particular.
6) It was recognized that there should be an Iraqi multi-religious institution that can facilitate cooperation among all religious sects and provide a unified response to those “Takfiri” religious extremist ideologies that are used as religious justifications for indiscriminate violence against persons and the destruction of religious sites. This institution should be a partner in international multi-religious cooperation.
7) It was recognized that the rule of law should be strengthened and uniformly applied and that the institutions essential for its implementation should be free of all sectarian and partisan interference.
8) There was a recognition that human rights should be fully and universally respected and that concrete measures of restorative justice be taken for the benefit of all those who have been wronged. In particular, the full rights and engagement of women and youth are to be advanced.
9) The conference stressed the fundamental role of education in building a new Iraqi personality that re-captures the rich legacies of Iraq and overcomes the damage of centuries of foreign intervention and oppression.
10) While acknowledging the need for international support and partnership, there was full consensus on the right for Iraqis to determine their future as a sovereign nation without any outside interference.
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