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Dr. Farooq Hassan

Barrister-at-Law (UK)

Attorney-at-Law (US)

Senior Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan

Professor Harvard University

Special UN Ambassador for Family

 

Religion & Family Values:

Madrid Declaration through Dialogue between Great Faiths

My endeavor is to briefly present the basic ethos and message regarding Family and the society emanating from a truly unique international conference of the leadership of world’s great religions on matters of contemporary significance. This meeting of far reaching and historic nature, let me emphasize at the outset was not convened for elaborating on this theme per se. It was convened in Madrid on the invitation of the Saudi monarch for a crucial and timely dialogue between, inter alia, the three monotheistic faiths; its pre-eminent aim being that King Abdullah appealed for “constructive dialogue” to end disputes between the world’s major religions to avoid a “clash of cavitations.” Opening this interfaith meeting in Madrid on Wednesday, 16th July, to the three-day World Conference on Religious Dialogue he observed:

“We all believe in one God. We are meeting here today to say that religions should be a means to iron out differences and not to lead to disputes.”

The conference organized on a personal initiative of King Abdullah was on a scale not frequently seen in international meetings. Many notable figures of the world’s major religions were seen together. I had the privilege of having met him personally since 2002-3 when I went to deliver the King Faisal Memorial Lecture in Riyadh. Over 200 participants attended, including representatives of the world’s major Faiths.  Amongst them were the secretary general of the World Jewish Congress, Michael Schneider, and Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, who is responsible for dialogue between the Vatican and Muslims.

Spanish King Juan Carlos also addressed the gathering in the presence of and Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero at a ceremonial palace on the outskirts of Madrid, saying he hoped the conference would be successful. “We have always been interested in strengthening peace, dialogue and cooperation on the international stage,” he said.

The Saudi Kingdom had invited, in addition to the monotheistic faiths, religious leaders from Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu religions, as well as practitioners of several Eastern religions and proclaimed the gathering as a strictly religious conference. Accordingly there was to be no mention of potentially political or controversial issues such as the war in Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iranian nuclear ambitions, the treatment of women in different societies where different religions are in vogue. However, as the submitted in this analysis, the Conference did appear to agree on matters relating to Family and societal morality; there was also a general agreement about the emphasis in every religion represented there to reduce the disprivileged peoples’ syndrome by alleviating women’s grievances felt through out the world. Though I must point out that no   detailed discussions appear to have been focused upon on these important topics during the deliberations spread over three days.

Attendance at this meeting was quite difficult. Other than the inaugural session, the conference was not open to journalists, experts and to observers; even getting official confirmation of the events scheduled at different times proved difficult. Saudi embassy officials referred questions to a Spanish public relations company helping to organize the meeting, while the public relations company often in order to get rid of public pressures to obtain entry directed reporters to the embassy. Back in the Kingdom, two local TV stations carried the conference opening live, and some public relations’ type stories were on the front page of several daily local newspapers the following day. The stories mentioned that there were participants of different backgrounds, countries and beliefs, but did not specifically mention that world’s leading rabbis and priests were invited by the Conference. Still it is matter of record that King Abdullah has made reaching out to other faiths a hallmark of his rule since taking over the affairs of the kingdom following the death of his half brother in 2005.

It is for this reason that greater publicity was not perceived of this mega event in the international press and media. There is no doubt that the vision of the convening of this conference was not disseminated appropriately by lack of briefing by the organizers; accordingly the possible impact of this vitally strategic  interfaith meeting was somewhat less than this conference deserved on an intellectual and an historical plane.

After Wednesday’s inaugural session, four closed-door round tables were held before a final communiqué was issued on Friday, 18th July. As an expert on drafting and legal matters and in the context of my deep commitment to Family and moral principles that underlie all great human faiths I am pleased to report that the final declaration did contain a strong message that is of truly historic significance as the Family and the societal perils facing modern nations was specifically mentioned.

The Final Declaration statement of this International Dialogue was read to the closing session by Abdul Rahman Al-Zaid, the deputy secretary-general of the Mecca-based Muslim World League that had organized the conference. This statement had a brief but a very positive statement of fundamental encouragement to the Family as an institution.  It is indeed arguable that since the formation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 in which Article 1 (3) mentioned directly that:

“Family is the natural and fundamental group unit of the society and is entitled to protection by the society and the State”

the Madrid Declaration has the widest possible phraseology aiming at the strengthening of the traditional status of this institution.

 

My initial and brief comments (Link http://www.greaterdemocracy.org/archives/696 ) of this conference had been undertaken simultaneously with the holding of this meeting to disseminate the salient points examined in this major gathering of the world’s leading clergy of diverse faiths as it was clearly felt by me to be of far reaching significance; however I did envision to present later a detailed report of my perceptions about the outcome of this conference. The present expose containing this analysis is the fulfillment of that obligation.

It would thus be useful from both a jurisprudential and cultural perspectives to present initially the quintessential phraseology used in the text of this final Declaration. This Declaration manifestly contains a genesis of the international legal issues that have been in the forefront of many interesting arguments and debates regarding the place of the Family in positive transnational law and the codified norms on this subject at the UN. The declaration issued at the end of the final Session on Friday in a press conference, inter alia, called for:

“observing peace, honoring agreements and respecting traditions of peoples and their right to security, freedom and self-determination that are the basis for building good relations among all the people of the world. Achieving this is a major objective of all religions and prominent cultures.”

The declaration however went on to highlight the:

“Significance of religions and moral values as well as the need for human beings to revert to their Creator in the fight against crime, corruption, drugs and terrorism. We also call upon the people to preserve the institution of the family and protect societies from deviant behaviors.”

The five-point methodology for the realization of the conference’s objectives included (1) cooperation among religious, cultural, educational, and media organizations to (2) consolidate ethical values, (3) encourage noble social practices and (4) confront sexual promiscuity, family disintegration and (5) to combat other societal vices. It also decided to organize inter-religious and inter-cultural meetings, conduct research and use the Internet and other media for the dissemination of a culture of peace, understanding and coexistence. While admittedly part of vocabulary of this great vision used in the text of this document may be rhetorical nature, the reference to protection of the family and the society seems to echo forcefully the fundamental message of all faiths to continue to support the traditional concepts of this institution.              

All major addresses given by the galaxy of pious people gathered there were really directed towards the anti-terrorism emphasis of all the great Faiths of Mankind as religious leaders belonging to Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and Sikhism were gathered there.  These leaders appealed for a special session of the UN General Assembly to promote dialogue and prevent “a clash of civilizations.” In this respect King Abdullah s likely to pay a major role.

“Terrorism is a universal phenomenon that requires unified international efforts to combat it in a serious, responsible and just way,” the three-day World Conference on Dialogue said in a final communiqué. “This demands an international agreement on defining terrorism, addressing its root causes and achieving justice and stability in the world.” The Declaration called for more “ways of enhancing understanding and cooperation among people despite differences in their origins, colors and languages,” and a “rejection of extremism and terrorism.”

But in drafting with which I am now chiefly concerned, it is the language that is used which needs notice since it manifestly and boldly is supportive of the strenuous struggles of pro family   protagonists against the current acceptance of different cultural milieu regarding the status and role of the traditional family. As the meeting really was held to ally fears in the context of the post 9/11 world, it was manifestly a remarkable accomplishment that I have alluded to and articulated above.

The matters discussed in this meeting are now going to the UN for possible adoption and consequential projection of the “political” dimensions of message of this meeting. In the context of the mention of “Family” in the final Declaration, however, there would be opportunities for empathizing the role that I feel this insinuation deserves in an historical sense in such debates.

In this conference it seems that prominent speakers of Muslims. Jewish and Christians made notable contributions. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, who is in charge of the Vatican’s relations with Muslims nation’s said that Pope Benedict XVI had expressed “a great interest in the agenda of the conference: “His Holiness is convinced that dialogue based on love and truth is the best way to contribute to harmony, happiness and peace for the people of the earth,” he told the closing session. The cardinal said the conference had “stressed the main convictions that we have in common” which manifestly included the reference to family. 

I may further mention that the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League and a visibly moving spirit of this conference, Abdullah al-Turki, said “The event took place against a backdrop of tensions between the Islamic world and the West since the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. They range from restrictions on the attempts to prevent the use of the veil by Muslim women in some European countries to blasphemous publications in the European papers against Islam.” It was hoped, al-Turki as voiced by King Abdullah in his opening address in which he called on the world’s major religions to turn their backs on extremism and embrace “constructive dialogue’  so as not to  hurt each others’  adherents.

An important statement that came simultaneously with the issuance of the Madrid Declaration also needs to be noticed.  Speaking in Sydney, Australia, on the 18th July Pope warns of ‘critical juncture’ for Christianity. Pope Benedict XVI warned Christian leaders on Friday the push to “unite” the major Christian churches was at a “critical juncture”, as Anglicans leaders met in England to avert a schism over the ordination of women and gays. The pontiff, leading hundreds of thousands of Catholics in World Youth Day celebrations in Australia, also called on people of all religions to unite against “sinister and indiscriminate forms of societal violence”.  At a local meeting with around 50 Christian leaders, including those from the Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran and Uniting churches, the pontiff called on them to fight for unity within the Christian faith.  “I think you would agree that the ecumenical movement has reached a critical juncture,” the leader of the world’s 1.1 billion Catholics told a meeting in Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral. “We must guard against any temptation to view doctrine as divisive and hence an impediment to the seemingly more pressing and immediate task of improving the world in which we live.” 

The Pope’s comments came as Anglican bishops from around the world gathered at Canterbury in England on the 18th July for a once-a-decade conference amid splits between liberal and conservative elements of the church.  Around 650 bishops were to attend the 20-day conference, with the issue of gays and women in the church expected to dominate. About a quarter of the church’s bishops — including most from Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda — are staying away, a week after the Church of England approved the ordination of women bishops. The matters of retaining the traditional concepts of Family are expected to be raised in this conference.
But the non participation of major African Christian clergy from the Third World is most relevant. It points to that perhaps the problems in religious practices faced by such countries are different from those being seriously   met by their counterparts in Europe and North America.

 

It is important to note that both in Australia and England; the Pope’s simultaneously addressing the Madrid gathering was emphasized. The Pope had told leaders from the Muslim, Jewish and other faiths in his written message read out at the Spain  conference that religions had a special role in maintaining peace and uniting peoples and that his message for other faiths was very much being canvassed at that time in Madrid.  “A harmonious relationship between religion and public life is all the more important at a time when some people have come to consider religion as a cause of division rather than a force for unity,” he said. “In a world threatened by sinister and indiscriminate forms of violence, the unified voice of religious people urges nations and communities to resolve conflicts through peaceful means and with full regard for human dignity.”

 

After a series of private meetings on 18th July, the Pope took part at the start of a “stations of the cross” re-enactment of the last days of Jesus Christ’s life. The re-enactment, held at some of Sydney’s most famous sites including the Opera House, drew a crowd between 350,000 and 450,000 spectators. Thousands of spectators gathered at each of the seven sites as the actors made their way around the 13 stations in bright sunshine in the heart of Sydney.  As night fell on the city, the crucifixion of Jesus was solemnly re-enacted at the former wharves where a day earlier the 81-year-old pontiff received a rapturous welcome from some 200,000 young Catholic pilgrims.

 

It would be noticed that in all the principal addresses the blame for religious intolerance was squarely put on the “zealots and extremists of diverse faiths”.  King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia exhorted followers of the world’s leading faiths to turn away from extremism and embrace a spirit of reconciliation, saying at the start of an interfaith conference on Wednesday signified that history’s great conflicts were not caused by religion itself but by its misinterpretation. “My brothers, we must tell the world that differences don’t need to lead to disputes,” Abdullah said, speaking through a Spanish interpreter.  “The tragedies we have experienced throughout history were not the fault of religion but because of the extremism that has been adopted by some followers of all the religions, and of all political systems.”

 

Some comments may be usefully quoted to stress the varying perspectives of this interfaith dialogue. “It’s a major step,” said Jesse Jackson, the American civil rights leader. “For the king to use his moral authority to convene this session, to work for common ground — that’s a very big step.” Tony Blair, special envoy of the Middle East Quartet, was equally encouraged. “The king has made a lot of reforms,” Blair said, referring to King Abdullah. “The fact that this conference is happening with the king, and with religious leaders of all different faiths, is significant.” For Rabbi Brad Hirschfield of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership in New York, the conference was like a baby taking its first steps. “On the one hand, it’s the most ordinary moment,” he said. “And on the other, it’s the most important. But what matters is what the baby does next.”

 

The three-day Madrid conference had a number of other notable Jewish religious figures, including David Rosen, a prominent Irish-Israeli rabbi whose presence was hailed as a sign the Saudis are serious about reaching out to other religious believers. In fact, the Jewish participants included major leaders of the Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, and Jewish-renewal movements in the US, a rabbi high on the staff of the UJA in New York City, several leading Jewish experts in interfaith dialogue and action, the Deputy Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, the head of the Latin-American Jewish Congress, a conservative Jewish Republican who has for five years been involved in dialogues with Iranian religious leaders -- in short, a rainbow of Jewish life.

 

Delegates were optimistic that the Conference would open a new era in interfaith relations. “I’m sure the commitment of the king to engage in dialogue will continue,” said Anthony Ball, an aide to the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. Similarly Rabbi Marc Schneier, North American chairman of the World Jewish Congress, said King Abdullah was reaching out to other faiths to counter extremists and fanatics. “What I heard from him is that ‘I represent Islam, and I am the voice of moderation’,” he added.

The conference adopted 10 principles that included unity of humankind and the equality of human beings irrespective of their colors, ethnic backgrounds and cultures; purity of the nature of humans as they were created liking good and disliking evil, inclining to justice and avoiding injustice; diversity of cultures and civilizations.

Other principles adopted included:

 

The heavenly messages aim at realizing the obedience of humankind to its Creator and achieving happiness, justice, security and peace;

 

Respecting heavenly religions, preserving their high status, condemning any insult to their symbols, and combating the exploitation of religion in the instigation of racial discrimination;


Observing peace, honoring agreements and respecting unique traditions of peoples and their right to security, freedom and self-determination as the basis for building good relations among all people.

 

The conference emphasized the significance of religion and moral values and the need for humans to revert to their Creator in their fight against crime, corruption, drugs, and terrorism, and in preserving the institution of the family and protecting societies from deviant behaviors.

 

“The family is the basic unit of society and its nucleus. Protecting it from disintegration is a cornerstone for any secure and stable society,” it said.

“Dialogue is one of the most important means for knowing each other,” the declaration said. “The preservation of the environment and its protection from pollution and other dangers are considered a major objective of all religions and cultures.”


It is well known that the threats to the Western social values relating to traditional marriage and family emanate from the concepts and behaviors of advanced civilization that this industrial region has produced. It is thus ironic that the support for this pristine values system in the international field has come vigorously from the countries of the Third World and 60 plus Islamic nations.

 

Not surprising therefore, that as these crucially vital developments referred to above were occurring across the world in support of traditional morality in the context of marriages and family in the second half of July, most ominous   thinking and a pattern of      developments were gradually occurring with in the United States as well.  On 29th July Massachusetts moved closer to erasing a hurdle that blocked most out-of-state gay men and lesbians from marrying in that state. Following a vote by the state Senate two weeks earlier, the House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to repeal a 1913 law that prevented Massachusetts from marrying out-of-state couples if their marriages would not be legal in their home states. The vote of 118 to 35 followed about 45 minutes of debate. Governor Deval Patrick had said he would sign the repeal. When Massachusetts became the first state to allow gay men and lesbians to marry in 2004, then Governor Mitt Romney invoked the 1913 law, saying the state should not become “the Las Vegas of same-sex marriage.” Same-sex marriage advocates tried unsuccessfully to have the ban lifted in court, but held off pressing lawmakers to repeal it because they were apparently worried it would become an issue in the presidential election.

But after same-sex marriage became legal in California in June, regardless of where a couple lives, and Governor David Paterson of New York decided to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, advocates felt they could push to lift the ban. They even argued, supported by a state study, that Massachusetts would reap millions of dollars from same-sex weddings and tourism.

As such I feel that the interfaith Madrid Declaration’ reference to family and the International Selection Committee of the World Congress of Families V of which I am privileged to be a Member and which incidentally also met about the same time in Washington DC (28th to 30th July) under the able and dynamic leadership of Dr Allan Carlson is destined to play a pivotal role in time ahead in safeguarding the traditional foundations of family values. The World Congress of Families (WCF) is a periodic gathering that celebrates the natural family. The first four such conferences of WCF became a rallying center of the world’s family systems grounded, inter alia, in religious faith.





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