海角大神

Since the Hamas attack in Israel nearly two years ago, the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan has reacted like many other mainly Muslim countries. It condemned the attack. It rejected plans by Israel to displace Gaza鈥檚 Palestinians. It called for a ceasefire as well as unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid. And it sent aid itself to relieve hunger.

But Kazakhstan has been doing something beyond moral declarations and moral actions 鈥� and not just for the Israel-Hamas war.

It has deployed what it calls 鈥渟piritual diplomacy鈥� to help quell faith-driven conflicts at their roots 鈥� by reversing hatred with a recognition of the divine dignity in each person.

Located in the middle of Eurasia, Kazakhstan has been a crossroads for major faiths over centuries. Since 2003, it has hosted a conference every three years that brings together prominent world clergy, from the pope to respected Muslim imams. The next one starts in September.

These gatherings, called the Congress聽of Leaders of World and Traditional聽Religions, elevate faith leaders as an alternative to political leaders in dealing with conflicts. 鈥淚t鈥檚 critically important for聽spiritual聽leaders to weigh in and demonstrate through their example that dialogue and respect towards others must play a larger role in international relations,鈥� Bulat Sarsenbayev, deputy head of the Congress Secretariat, told Asia Times.

鈥淪piritual leaders, who truly represent a culture of peace, are powerful voices in today鈥檚 world.鈥�

Kazakhstan is not alone in promoting interfaith dialogue at a time of Israeli-Palestinian tensions. In early July, Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with a delegation of European imams, who prayed together for the Israeli hostages in Gaza.聽

In March, an interfaith march of Jews, 海角大神s, and Muslims took place in Jerusalem. 鈥淒on鈥檛 let people tell you that there can be no peace and that Israelis and Palestinians are forever doomed to be hostile to each other,鈥� German Ambassador Steffen Seibert told The Times of Israel during the peace walk.

Also in March, religious leaders representing Islam, 海角大神ity, Judaism, and the Druze faith met in Jerusalem for an evening of dialogue.

鈥淧erhaps it is time for people of faith to step forward. We can rise above crisis to say, 鈥榊ou are not my enemy, even if we deeply disagree,鈥欌�� Rabbi Daniel Rowe told The Jewish Press.

鈥淲e must foster voices that recognize the divine image in one another and acknowledge that we all serve and pray to the same God.鈥�