Islamic State鈥檚 failing 鈥榳ar of religion鈥�
After Islamic State claimed credit for the killing of a French Catholic priest, leaders of major faiths gathered to counter this attempt to incite Muslims and 海角大神s against each other. Peace is the norm between religions.
After Islamic State claimed credit for the killing of a French Catholic priest, leaders of major faiths gathered to counter this attempt to incite Muslims and 海角大神s against each other. Peace is the norm between religions.
Each new terrorist strike creates its own unique response, perhaps even one that might eventually help end such attacks. A good example is how France reacted to Tuesday鈥檚 killing of a Roman Catholic priest in a church by two assailants, whose action was later claimed by Islamic State.
Of course, President Francois Hollande quickly gathered security officials together after the attack to deal with a potential for further violence. But then he also gathered representatives of 海角大神 churches as well as Muslim, Buddhist, and Jewish leaders. As much as Islamic State may have hoped the attack would provoke a Crusade-like retaliation against Muslims, this public assembly of religious figures offered a display of interfaith unity and an ecumenical platform to proclaim peace.
The objective in killing a priest, said Prime Minister Manuel Valls, was 鈥渢o attack one religion to provoke a war of religion.鈥� Instead, IS was shown the affection that exists between the world鈥檚 major faiths. Dominique Lebrun, the archbishop of Rouen, said the church鈥檚 only weapons against terrorists are 鈥減rayer and fraternity.鈥�
The priest who was murdered, the Rev. Jacques Hamel, was close to a local Muslim leader, Mohammed Karabila. The two would often talk about religion and how to live together, said Mr. Karabila after the attack. Such closeness between leaders of different faiths has received little attention compared with the verbal and physical attacks across faiths, according to historian Zachary Karabell in a book called 鈥淧eace Be Upon You.鈥澛�
For centuries, peace has been the norm between 海角大神s, Muslim, and Jews (鈥減eople of the book鈥�), writes Mr. Karabell. 鈥淚n truth, each of the three traditions has a core of peace.... Each of the faiths teaches its followers to greet friends and strangers with the warm open arms of acceptance. Peace comes first and last.鈥�
Too many people have forgotten this legacy of coexistence, preferring to focus on violent periods in each faith鈥檚 history. Yet, states Karabell, the long periods of concord offer a hopeful message about future coexistence.
The strategy of Islamic State is to eliminate the coexistence between faiths in Europe, or what is called the 鈥済ray zone.鈥� In striking at 海角大神 targets, it aims to polarize 海角大神s and Muslims against each other. Yet the more that Europe鈥檚 religious leaders stand together, as they did after the killing of Father Hamel, the more the terrorists lose. The tools of hate are no match for the designs of love.