‘Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world's population. Without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world.’

‘Common Word’, signed by leading Muslim scholars and teachers in 2007

On several occasions over the past few years, Share Radio has called for improved global governance and in particular for strengthening the democratic legitimacy of the United Nations. While we continue to support this approach, including facilitating a transition towards it by electing our own UK representative to the United Nations, there are two aspects which call in addition for a somewhat different body: a permanently constituted Global Assembly for Faith.

The first is that, whereas political governance is inevitably based on geographical politics, faith is generally universal in its intended appeal (there are, of course, some exceptions to this). The second is that almost all conflicts have their roots in different interpretations of faith, notwithstanding the fact that most faiths share a common yearning for peace.

We are confronted with a rash of such conflicts at present. In the Middle East, Jews and Arabs continue their violent struggles which started nearly four thousand years ago, and have now resulted in the heavy weight destruction of Iran’s nuclear ambitions by the United States. Russia's war on Ukraine is grounded in their different interpretations of Orthodox Christianity (Putin would not have invaded Ukraine without the support of Patriarch Kirill — see ‘The Baton and the Cross’ by Lucy Ash). The rift between Islam and Hinduism is the root cause of conflict between India and Pakistan. In sub-Saharan Africa, the cutting edge is between Islam and Christianity.

We need to recognise that differences between faiths and between different interpretations of the same faith have a very long history of, and responsibility for, violence between humans; but now, with all the existential weaponry which is at our disposal, the risk of bringing human civilisation to an early close after just two hundred thousand years is very real.

We've referred to current wars already; but go back through the centuries, and you'll find the Crusades, the Second World War , the Iraq war and even the troubles in Ireland. They all demonstrate the devastating impact of allowing the purposes of faith to be distorted.

Jesus said clearly in his Sermon on the Mount, ‘You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy’. But I tell you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you’. This message is embedded in the teaching of most religions, and yet their followers — including Christians —seem unable to digest it:

  • Buddhism: The concept of metta (loving-kindness) and karuna (compassion) are central to Buddhist practice. These qualities are cultivated towards all beings, including those who have harmed us, with the goal of overcoming ill-will and fostering positive emotions. 
  • Hinduism: Ahimsa, meaning non-violence or non-harming, is a fundamental principle in Hinduism. It encourages practitioners to extend compassion and non-violence to all living beings, regardless of their actions or perceived status. 
  • Islam: While Islam emphasises justice, it also stresses forgiveness, compassion, and the importance of treating all individuals, even enemies, with respect and kindness. The Quran contains verses encouraging forgiveness and reconciliation. 
  • Judaism: While the Torah doesn't explicitly command "love your enemies," it does emphasise treating them with fairness, justice, and compassion. Judaism encourages acts of kindness and assistance towards those who are not your friends, even going so far as to prioritise helping an enemy in need over a friend. The concept is rooted in the idea that hatred should not consume a person, and that even enemies should be given a chance at reconciliation. 
  • Jainism: Similar to Hinduism, Jainism places great importance on ahimsa. Jains strive to minimise harm to all living beings and cultivate a spirit of compassion and non-violence in their interactions with others. 

In 2007, a great gathering of Muslim clerics and rulers issued 'A Common Word between Us and You', a very irenic* ecumenical document addressed to the other religions of the world, calling for peace between ‘us and you’. (* ‘favouring, conducive to, or operating toward peace, moderation, or conciliation’)

This document was signed by hundreds of leading Muslim scholars and teachers, and it focuses on the common message found in the Quran and the Bible, that believers should love God and love our neighbours as ourselves. It was an important olive branch proffered by the Islamic world leaders, especially to the world's Christians.

As noted in our opening quotation, this ‘Common Word’ initiative points to a way out of our current conflicts which we should explore urgently.

Let us say that a Global Assembly for Faith was established, not in New York (as with the UN) but in a country surrounded by warring nations: Turkey. Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, has experienced religious turbulence over millennia, and yet it has still opened its doors for mediation between warring nations: both in Ukraine/Russia and the Middle East.

Building on the example of that 2007 gathering, such a Global Assembly would welcome representatives from all faiths (and none) across the world, with the primary purpose of finding a consensus for peaceful coexistence. These would include different interpretations within religions.

These representatives would not reflect political allegiances and they would not have any role within different national governance structures. Their purpose would be to genuinely represent their faiths, and to explore together how they might encourage peaceful coexistence between their followers.

Most faiths acknowledge that the nature of creation is founded in unconditional love and, by taking part in the Global Assembly for Faith, those representatives would be helping to pursue the journey towards that core understanding.

There are many initiatives which set out to achieve interfaith understanding at present; those Muslim clerics and rulers understood that their initiative in 2007 was international in character, but here in the United Kingdom there are continuing initiatives designed to help understanding between faiths.

We just might discover that, if we could agree this common understanding, the route to find solutions for international conflict would be more straightforward than with politics, which is so often driven by excess masculinity, and where the drive for conquest allows motivations of faith to be clothed in fear and greed.

Who could lead this initiative for a Global Assembly for Faith? That great gathering of Muslim clerics and rulers have already shown the way, and with the new Pope in residence at the Vatican, and a new head of the Anglican Communion being appointed this autumn, what better time to start? There is certainly no shortage of conflicts to be resolved.

Gavin Oldham OBE

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