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CNN Live Sunday

Religious and Political Leaders Hope Faith Can Help Bring Peace to Mideast

Aired November 26, 2001 - 18:46   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): Today's violence comes as Muslims continue to observe the holy month of Ramadan. In a region where religion may be among the root causes of conflict, some leaders hope that faith can help bring about peace.

CNN's Jerrold Kessel with our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (VOICE OVER): Ramadan prayers at the holiest Muslim site in Jerusalem, and for young men barred by Israeli security from entering the holy area, prayers in the streets outside the walled, old city, under the watchful eye of Israeli police.

A time when many Muslims, while still focused on the U.S. global war on terror, wonder whether there's also soon to be a shift to a collateral battle to find a solution for the protracted Middle Eastern wars.

Below the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) mosque compound, a leading cardinal from the Vatican prays at Jews' holiest site, the ancient Western Wall, remnant of their biblical times temples.

Also a time when the other two other monotheistic religions, which focus on this holy land, head towards their holiday periods. A time when even political leaders, the U.S. Secretary of State outlining Washington's vision of a peaceful Middle East, preach faith to embolden promises.

A time when religious leaders seem compelled to use their influence to promote a vision that points to peace and away from war. Pope John Paul II is calling leaders of all the world's religions to a summit in Assisi to pray for peace and overcome armed conflict at a time he calls, in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist strikes, an historic moment for humanity.

The pontiff, who in his millennium Middle East pilgrimage had conquered so many hearts in the region, is also said to want to focus in that interfaith prayer summit in January on the conflict here.

WALTER KASPER, VATICAN CARDINAL: It's very important for his Holiness because it's very much on his heart, peace for all people, but especially peace here at the Holy Land.

KESSEL: The call to prayer is welcomed when the cardinal calls on Israel's Chief Rabbi.

VISMAEL MEIR LAU, ISRAEL CHIEF RABBI: Every day of love is good. I do hope and I must encourage it, that religions, especially the monotheistic religions, will be a bridge for common language and friendship and not a gate that we can not bridge it.

KESSEL: The Pope said in St. Peters Square that leaders of all faiths should come together to proclaim before the world that religion should never become a motive for conflict, hatred, and violence.

(on camera): But historical experience perhaps especially in this war-torn region, shows that religion has proven to be a powerful spur for conflict more often that for peaceful accommodation between peoples of different faiths.

(voice-over): Could the Pope's prayer summit call not be construed as implicit criticism of those now waging war, however just the cause?

KASPER: It's not against anybody. Of course, if it's terrorism, it's clear because to justify terrorism by religion is always wrong. It's a misuse of religion.

But this call for common prayer is not against anybody. It's for the sake of peace, for the sake of people, people which are suffering on all sides.

AONAN HUSSEIN, MUSLIM WAQF TRUST IN JERUSALEM: Just some declaration from here and it's very weak, very shy, and I think it's not serious. So if you wanted to make peace really in, all over the world, you have to make peace on this land, because this is the key of peace. Unfortunately, if we would pray just for the target or for the reason of the prayer, okay. Everyone can pray.

KESSEL: Inside Jerusalem at present, an exhibition of Holy Land maps, a reflection of not only of age-old yearnings of the three religions towards the Holy Land, but reflection of a time when those wielding political and religious power, often acted in harmony so as to establish God's rule together with their temporal sovereignty in the land. That battle for supremacy reflected in the shifting borders on the Holy Land maps. But now religious leaders stress theirs is a more limited role.

KASPER: What religious leaders can do is not a political task. It's a political path, but peace starts in the hearts of the person such as human beings and therefore the religions as I mentioned is very important to have peace. And the most we can do is to pray for peace.

KESSEL: But Palestinian spiritual leaders Christian and Muslim and across denominations, say the search for peace here can not be limited to religious commandments about harmony. Calls for peace can't, they say, ignore the political dimension. MONSIGNOR MICHEL SABBAH, LATIN PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM: Our conflict here is a political one. It is Israeli and Palestinian, but the feeling is inside. We are Palestinians. Of course, as Christian our feeling is not to feed a war or a conflict just to call for justice, to say that injustice is the cause of any violent action.

KESSEL: The Pope is calling for a day of religions to pray together. Prayers in the Holy Land may be side-by-side, but they're really far from the battleground, and the creation of harmony depends less on prayer than on the actions of temporal powers within the Holy Land and perhaps also from beyond the Holy Land.

Jerrold Kessel, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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