The current Ambassador of Israel to Kazakhstan Mr. Edwin Nathan Yabo Glusman in an interview to El.kz News Agency spoke about the significance of intercultural and interfaith dialogue, the most important achievements of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions since it started. Ambassador also shared his views on global challenges that Congress should focus on in the coming years.
1. Why, in your opinion, is intercultural and interfaith dialogue so important in the modern world ?
I think that it is extremely important to understand the diversity that humankind offers. We are not all equal, we have different beliefs, we have different choices, we do different things, we have different religions, different cultures, we eat different food, so it is really important to have that dialogue in order to combat extremism in order to foster peace and understanding between people.
2. What is the main role of spi’ritual leaders in building a sustaina’ble world?
Well, spiritual leaders, real spiritual leaders should use their knowledge, should use their faith in order to foster a better world. And a better world is a world of peace among people and understanding based on respect on those differeces.That’s what I think is a really important task that spiritual leaders of religions they have.
3. What is the difference between the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions and other international meetings ? What makes it unique?
Well, this is very important Congress and a very important organization, very special for Kazakhstan. It is an initiative of Kazakhstan because this country is a place of tolerance and understandings, a lot of minorities living here, a lot of religions living together, Muslims and Christians and Jews among others. I personally don’t know other organization such as this one, which is fully supported by the government like here, so this is very important, it is a big statement for Kazakhstan to be a special country in the international community that supports and foster dialogue between religions.
4. What are the most important achievements of Congress for Kazakhstan and for the world since it started in 2003?
The achievement is to bring all these religions together to declare clearly to everyone that right path. It doesn’t matter what is your religion, the right path is a path of communication, dialogue and peace. You know in these days where there are extremists religious gropus all over proclaiming that they are fighting and killing in the name of our religion, that is something that all of us together. We have to confront and this is one big way to do it.
5. Could you give an example from your diplomatic experience that shows the potential of interreligious dialogue?
I participated in a previous one and I will not participate in the coming one because I am finishing my post here, I am going back to Israel, but we know perfectly all the activies that are being done. This is very important Congress since the beginning, the rabbis or chief rabbis of Israel participated in this. There are dozens of not only the plenaries where all the religions they sit together, but the most important are small meetings one to one between those plenaries and you know they discuss matters of faith and the situation of the world and humanity.
6. Why is the Congress significance for your country in the current international context?
Israel is known as the Holy Land and we take that very seriously since the beginning of the state of Israel in 1948, we ensure the freedom of religion of its citizens and those who come to visit for us, it is very important and since Israel independence in 1948 that liberty is kept and it is very important for us to continue keeping that. Jerusalem is a very small place in the planet, the center of the three religions. They have the holy for the Christians, the temple Mount and Al-Aqsa Mosque, mosque for Muslims and the Jerusalem in general and Wailing Wall, also known as the Western Wall for the Jews. So it is very important for us to continue working for tolerance and coexistence between all of our religions.
7. What is the importance of the Forum of Young Religious Leaders for the development of interreligious dialogue?
We have to ensure that there will be a continuity. You know of all these positive messages that we want to give, so it is very important that the young people, the leaders, the young religious leaders come and see that what was done and they should continue to do in order to have peace in the world.
8. Which global challenges should the Congress focus on in the coming years, from Israel perspective?
From our perspective, I think my personal opinion is that we have to all religions stand strong together and voice out and express that we are against using any religion in favor of War,in favor of killing others. I think we should do that everywhere. That’s a strong message here of Kazakhstan as well and this congress conveys that idea, it is forbidden no real religious leader can call for killing or for war. All religious leaders should call for peace and understanding.
9. What does your country hope the Congress will achieve in thefuture?
I would like to know to see more human interchange and human exchange and I would like to see more delegations coming to Israel, the Holy land and see all the places an see how peace between all these religions in sometimes difficult times, how that works.
10. How does your country's participation in the Congress help in bilateral relations with Kazakhstan?
Well, Israel fully support this initiative of Kazakhstan. We are together with Kazakhstan. This initiative and since the beginning as I told you before, since the importance of being also the Holy Land and since the importance of having our capital in Jerusalem, working together with Kazakhstan more and no less, so we understsand the importance of understanding between religions and we are working together with Kazakhstan for bilateral relations.
11. What gives you the hope for the deepening of interreligious understanding ? What makes you optimistic about achieving deeper understanding between different faiths?
The hope is that there is a big participation in this Congress a lot of leaders already confirmed their participation and you know you can see how this is how much is this Congress important for all leaders of all religions so this gives hope for this future that let`s continue hoping of peace and understanding.
12. What is your address or message to people who think this kind of Congress is not nesessary?
I don’t understand what will be my message. My message will be that we shouldn’t have any excuse for communication and understanding like with parties. You shouldn’t have excuses for parties, for celebrating. Here we are celebrating our differences. Here we are celebrating that we can sit together and discuss matters and in very difficult times you know these are very difficult times especially in Israel that we are in war with these organization Hamas, so but despite that we find the ways to communicate and to discuss and to dialogue between religions in our country. I think that is very important because, you know to combat prejudice, to combat prejudgement, people don’t understand what’s the other religion how it is really, so this is important to show real Islam everywhere, to show real Christianity, to show how Judaism is really to others, so that/s what I would say to someone who says no to dialogue.
13. How would you assess the current state of interreligious dialogue in your country?
Well as I told you before these are very difficult times and these are testing though that dialogue but we are having this dialogue these days and Israel is trying all the time to improve that dialogue or to deepen that dialogue and even in these difficult times you know in Israel, from abroad may be the people think or the news and TV they show that a collision between religions which is not true. Inside of Israel in the Army of Israel we fight together, Jews, Christians and Muslims. We are fighting together. It is very important for us, we are very proud about that dialogue, we are very proud that Israel society is a mosaic of people and religions and we are very proud that they are all of them in every sector of society as I am telling you, even in the most difficul times, even when we are in war and, from abroad they think this is a war between Jews and Muslims, we in Israel we know that that’s not true and we are brothers and sisters fighting together intolerance.
Mr. Ambassadors, thanks a lot for your time and the opportunity to have a conversation with you today.
