News: Muslim and Jewish leaders unite at summit in Italy

Starting this Sunday, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders from about 15 countries will meet in the southern Italian city of Matera, one of the European cultural capitals of 2019, to participate in the Jewish European Islamic Summit. Leaders are laying the groundwork that will allow them to speak out more strongly on issues that affect them.
"I think the project, in this particular agreement, is quite unique. It is a delicate flower that needs to be developed and deserves further support," says Tarafa Baghajati DW. Baghajati, a civil engineer from Vienna, is one of Austria's most famous imams. Together with others, the 58-year-old founded the Austrian Muslim Initiative (IM) in 1999. He also participated in the creation of the Christian and Muslim Platform, founded in 2006. He will take part in the summit in Matera.
Into the future side by side
The project is truly unique. In Europe, as a rule, Jewish and Muslim leaders often speak together at public events hosted by politicians, in trilateral dialogues between Christians, Jews and Muslims, or at interfaith conferences.
But three years ago, another group was founded: the Muslim Jewish Leadership Council (MJLC). It was created when a total of 14 European Jewish and Muslim leaders met in Vienna at the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, known as KAICIID.
At first, MJLC was a small group. Notably, Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER), has been a member since the beginning. During several meetings, mutual trust grew and a real exchange began. MJLC organized a conference in Matera.
Obstacles in Vienna

Although KAICIID is funded by Saudi Arabia, it is respected by experts. Yet it is currently under threat. In June, the lower house of the Austrian parliament voted to withdraw from the international organization and decided to cancel the agreement on the establishment of Vienna as the headquarters of KAICIID, as a result of which the future of KAICIID remains uncertain. Austria was one of the first founders of the group, along with Saudi Arabia and Spain.
Nevertheless, the meeting between Jewish and Muslim religious leaders in Mater represents a new dimension in a dialogue that is often overshadowed by conflict in the Middle East. There are imams and rabbis from Ireland to Greece and Romania, from Lithuania to Portugal. CER Secretary General Gady Gronich told DW that by choosing Matera, the group wanted to emphasize the fact that "we are all part of European culture."
In addition, Gronich added, Italy, like many other European countries currently ruled by right-wing populists, has recently sought to restrict religious practices involving the killing of animals and circumcision of young people, both of which are common in Judaism and Islam. For now, these initiatives have been postponed, he said.
Caring for the right-wing populists
Gronich says that the Jewish and Muslim communities of Europe are very concerned about such political attempts aimed at restricting religious practices. He explained that both sides hope to create a new committee in Matera. The committee, consisting of two Jewish and two Muslim leaders, will be able to publicly discuss controversial topics and discuss them with political leaders in Brussels or other European capitals.

Baghajati also spoke about these specific attempts to restrict religious practice and immediately referred to the "rise of right-wing populists" across the continent. He pointed to the Alternative for Germany (AfD), far-right parties in Austria, Matteo Salvini and his League party in Italy, and Geert Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) in the Netherlands.
Baghajati said that such groups promote Islamophobia, "mainly against refugees, but also against Muslims in general, as a political platform with populist overtones." He pointed out that although such sentiments were widespread 20 years ago, some of the groups that use them have now acquired leadership power.

"That's why we're talking:"Nip it in the bud." And who better to sound the alarm than Jews or Muslims," Baghajati said. "Together we want to show that a liberal Europe with openness and respect for human rights is the right way
to fight anti-Semitism."
Another topic that the leaders of the MJLC and others gathered in Matera will discuss is the problem of anti-Semitism among refugees and migrants.
"Cases of anti-Semitism among migrants are worrying," said Granich. "Unfortunately, we hear about such cases more often, on a weekly basis. Nevertheless, the Jewish community has many Muslim partners and friends across Europe who support us."

Gronich said that a number of "formal and informal" discussions aimed at solving the problem had already taken place. He added that "we cannot forget that there are a number of groups on the Muslim side that do not want to talk to us. Not everything is so rosy, and not everyone is ready to engage in dialogue. But we want to exchange ideas with those who are willing to talk so that we can build the future together."
A role model for Europe
Of course, a lot of dialogue takes place outside of public opinion, for example, last year, when a group of 30 rabbis visited Tunisia.

Over the years, rabbis and imams have worked more publicly in Berlin. And recently, religious leaders began accompanying young Jews and Muslims on visits to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, a former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp located in modern-day Poland, to promote understanding of the Holocaust.
Baghajati spoke about the "very positive experience" that both sides enjoyed in Austria. He said that rabbis and imams have taken members of their communities on trips together, and that these groups stand in solidarity with each other when faced with anti-Semitic or Islamophobic attacks. In his opinion, the relations are "exemplary for Europe."
Another thing that Bahajati finds remarkable is that "imams and rabbis come together on their own, without the mediation of third parties - here in Europe, outside the Middle East. And what they're saying is, we don't want anyone to tell us what the relationship between Jews and Muslims should be."

"If intellectuals or dignitaries - imams and rabbis - on both sides don't do it, who will?" he added. Compare Prop Firms https://propfirmrace.com/ easily. Find Best prop firm