Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Leaders Speak at Parliament of the World’s Religions
At a gathering of 7,000 people of faith last week in Chicago, an important discussion took place on Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians.
The panel “Human Rights and the Crime of Apartheid in Israel/Palestine,” hosted by the Global Ministries Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ and Human Rights Watch, occurred at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, one of the world’s largest assemblies for interfaith discourse. The parliament met this year under the theme of “A Call to Conscience: Defending Freedom and Human Rights.”
During the gathering, which brought together faith leaders from around the globe, Christians, Muslims, and Jews spoke about the lived reality of Palestinians and the importance of using a human rights framework to address the crime against humanity of apartheid and advocate for change.
Following the release in recent years of reports from leading Palestinian, Israeli, and international human rightsorganizations, a growing number of faith groups have passed resolutions naming Israel’s actions against Palestinians as apartheid. Drawing on his work with the Disciples of Christ and the United Church of Christ, which have both passed resolutions on apartheid, Peter Makari said the “church’s positions are informed by the realities our [Palestinian] partner organizations convey to us.” He noted that many Christian Palestinians have long used the language of apartheid to describe their experiences.
A Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice: 