Washington – Rabbi: Dialogue with Muslims More Urgent Than Ties With Vatican

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    US Jewish Rabbi Jose Rolando Matalon of the New York-based Bnai Jeshurun Congregation (L), speaks with a Muslim participant during the openning session of the Sixth Doha Conference for Interfaith Dialogue in Doha on May 13, 2008. The two-day conference focuses on dialogue between the Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths.Washington – A top Jewish umbrella organization in the United States is launching a campaign to initiate dialogue and cooperative efforts with the Muslim community.

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    The Jewish Council for Public Affairs announced the initiative as part of a bid to shift the focus from the community’s recent rapprochement with Pope Benedict XVI. While restoring good ties with the Catholic Church is seen as important, especially following the fallout over the bishop who was reinstated despite his past statements denying the Holocaust.

    There is a growing sense among activists and rabbis in the Jewish community that reaching out to American Muslims is a more urgent need than relations with Catholics.

    The JCPA says it seeks to foster greater Jewish-Muslim cooperation in promoting civil rights, defending civil liberties, and combating terrorism. The JCPA also says it seeks to join forces with Muslims to combat anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and anti-Islamic prejudice.

    “Now we must move beyond myopic focus on Jewish-Christian relations and face the real challenge of the 21st century: Jewish-Muslim dialogue,” said Rabbi Marc Schneier, the head of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding.

    “The battle will be uphill, the struggle difficult, the discomfort inevitable, but Muslim leaders have the opportunity to echo the historic declaration of the Vatican’s Nostra Aetate,” Schneier said, referring to the Catholic Church’s official repudiation of the age-old accusation of deicide against the Jews


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    15 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I reluctantly agree…the Vatican is not likely to nuke Tel Aviv in the next few years while I cannot be so sure about Iran or Pakistan.

    Shmilfke
    Shmilfke
    15 years ago

    And why would that help?

    Babishka
    Member
    Babishka
    15 years ago

    All “interfaith dialogue” is a waste of time and worthless, except for the participants (mostly the foolish Jews) to feel good about themselves and how “tolerant” and “understanding” they are. Muslims use this “dialogue” crap as an opportunity for “dawah” and “taqqiyah.”

    Mohammed
    Mohammed
    15 years ago

    All of you people are ignorant and dumb try peace for once

    Yaakovsladder
    Yaakovsladder
    15 years ago

    Didn’t the owner of the Muslim TV network who had some Rabbi on promoting peace just behead his wife?

    Jewish mother
    Jewish mother
    15 years ago

    GOOD!! It is about time. This is what Rabbi Papo ztl said. Thank you for this!!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    There may be moderate Muslims somewhere. It is the rare occasion that any of them lets himself be heard. None of them seem to be in control of anything. None of them condemn or work to prevent acts of terror, murder, or barbarism. Most of these “moderates” celebrate terror events. So we could sit with these “moderates” and have discussions. The terror will continue regardless. So why bother? For the media photos? Because it sounds nice? Or because we will again concede to the terrorists and recognize them as humans? Anyone got some answers here?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Talking to the moderates and letting them know they aren’t alone will help empower them. Remember, throughout the cold war, the u.s. talked to the soviets and Nixon talked to the Chinese. Granted, it’s harder when dealing with people who have been taught that g-d wants them to wipe out other people or that people who don’t agree with their religious views are ung-dly heretics, but isn’t that better than everyone nuking everyone else. No one is saying that the u.s. or Israel has to roll over.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Just count the millions of muslims versus the number of bnei yisroel and any discourse and meeting is worthwile. It is easy to sit in the U.S. and pontificate. Go move to Kiryat Shmona or Sderot and be such knacker. Yes any meeting is worthwile.