Religious dialogue in the service of citizenship by Rev Dr & Canon Trond Bakkevig

CURRENT EDITION | SPECIAL SERIES | ARCHIVES

On the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Religious dialogue in the service of citizenship

by Rev Dr & Canon Trond Bakkevig

17 December 2009

	Print
	Email

OSLO - Israel recently demanded that its Arab neighbours recognise it as a Jewish state. This is a new claim. In 1948 it was recognised as a state for the Jewish people—which is a different thing.

It is easy to understand the demand to recognise Israel as a homeland for Jews. That is, however, not the same as being recognised as a “Jewish state”, especially since at least twenty percent of its citizens, not only inhabitants, are Christian and Muslim Palestinians.

Citizenship needs to be conferred according to habitation and should not be linked to religious affiliation. I believe that the demand to call Israel a Jewish State reflects the need for better dialogue among the three faiths of the Holy Land. A healthy dialogue would build trust and confirm the constitutional rights of each partner. These rights must be secured both in Israel and in the future Palestinian state.

For nearly 14 years I have been facilitating dialogue among religious leaders in Jerusalem. It has been a journey of finding a way and a role for religious dialogue amidst political dialogue, high tensions and violence. This has resulted today in a network of religious leaders from all three Abrahamic religions. We have institutionalised this in the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land, as it is called, which includes the official institutions of the three Abrahamic religions and is acknowledged by the political authorities.

In the Holy Land, I have seen that when speaking to others, you can shout, scold, preach, give orders, tell them in no uncertain terms where their place in the world is—or you can say something, wait for an answer and continue a conversation. It is only the latter that can be called dialogue because you put yourself at risk, for two reasons: The first is that a dialogue implies the possibility that you may change your opinions or even your convictions. Secondly, it implies that you have to contribute to the dialogue on the basis of who you are, what you think, and what your convictions are.

In other words, practicing dialogue and religious dialogue means:

That you recognise the existence of the other. That all three religions in the Holy Land should take part in the dialogue was not always self-evident and although this is currently happening, not all denominations of the three religions are represented or equally accepted.

That you respect the other. In the Holy Land we are dealing with tendencies of anti-Semitism and anti-Islamism—both linked to racist attitudes.

That you accept religious diversity as a given fact and that this diversity cannot and shall not be suppressed by the state or by religious authorities.

That there is space for the other and that all have constitutional rights.

That you do not have to accept or agree to religious or political points of view of the other. In the Middle East, this means that Palestinian Muslims and Christians can speak out against the occupation in dialogue with their Jewish counterparts. They can also raise issues where, for example, occupation and denial of access to holy sites are intertwined—as they often are. It also means that Jewish Israelis can raise issues linked to their own security or insecurity.

Drawing from the Norwegian experience of the relationship between church and state, I would humbly like to offer some advice: first, that cultural and religious roots need to be acknowledged, whether they are our own or not. All three Abrahamic faiths have deep roots in the Holy Land and all three will remain present in the land in the future.

Secondly, any future constitution must be inclusive. In other words, even if one religion is given a special place in the constitution, citizens who belong to other religions must have the same rights.

Freedom, which is the right of every citizen, should be the freedom to belong or not belong to a religion, the freedom of speech, and the freedom to hold differing opinions.

The acceptance of religious diversity that is promoted by religious dialogue, serves society as a whole—and each citizen individually. This climate of acceptance encourages individuals to look beyond their own interests and take responsibility for the common good.

###

* Rev Dr & Canon Trond Bakkevig is the Convenor of the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land. This article is part of a special series on freedom of religion in Israel and the Palestinian Authority and was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 17 December 2009, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission is granted for publication.


	ELIAV-SARTAWI AWARDS Call for Submissions!


	FEATURED VIDEO The Young Turks explain Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's focus on non-violent resistance, including the ban on settlement goods, and the inefficiency of previous violent strategies.


	SPECIAL SERIES Muslims and Jews in each other’s religious narratives.