Rabbi Calls For "UN Of Religions"

To be as weak and ineffectual, replete with scandal and corrupution, as the original:

The Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yona Metzger, has called for the creation of a world body with representatives from the major religious groups.

Rabbi Metzger was addressing the International Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace in Seville, Spain.

He called for the formation of a "United Nations of religious groups".

The Imam of Gaza, Imad al-Faluji, said politicians lied but religious leaders had a different objective - to work towards a higher good.

The imams and rabbis at this conference, which opened on Sunday, say the world is in crisis and it is time they acted to restore justice, respect and peace.

Lay off the suicide bombs, beheadings, IEDs, cartoon rage and pope riots and perhaps mutual justice, respect and peace will return.

Of course, this all part of a plan to "bridge the gap" between Muslims and the West:

A cross-cultural group of 20 prominent world figures has called for urgent effort to heal the growing divide between Muslim and Western societies.

They say the chief causes of the rift are not religion or history, but recent political developments, notably the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Or jihad.

The panel, drawn together by the UN, says a climate of mutual fear and stereotypes is worsening the problem.

To combat hostility bred of ignorance, they want education and media projects.

The Alliance of Civilisations, which includes Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami, dismisses the notion that a clash of civilisations is inevitable, but says that swift action is needed.

Their findings were presented in a report to the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at a ceremony in Istanbul on Monday morning.

The group argues that the need to build bridges between Muslim and Western societies has never been greater:

Peoples who feel that they face persistent discrimination, humiliation, or marginalisation are reacting by asserting their identity more aggressively

Alliance of Civilisations report

Asserting their identity "more aggressively" through jihad. Other culprits for Muslim discontent, aside from not rolling over and already accepting dhimmitude? Globalization. The United States--we are the Great Satan, remember? President Bush. Pork products. France.

technorati: Islam Israel Judaism Christianity United Nations religion