Religious leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) yesterday, at the international conference “Members of Parliament and Religious Leaders for Peace and Coexistence” in Sarajevo, sent universal messages of peace, tolerance, and coexistence in light of the challenges of injustice and conflicts happening worldwide.
Representing the Metropolitan of Dabar-Bosnia Hrizostom Jevic, Vladislav Topalovic emphasized to parliamentarians and religious leaders that insufficient attention has been given in BiH to the possibilities of building a culture of peace based on the foundations of interreligious dialogue.
“In our region, religious paradigms of reconciliation are not well-received by secular approaches of so-called secular pacifism, which addresses peace and reconciliation issues from the perspective of liberal democratic and human rights frameworks. A kind of antagonism has existed for a long time between the religious paradigm of peace and this secular one. One of the most known points of divergence between secular and religious models of peacebuilding is the issue of the relationship between truth and reconciliation,” highlighted Topalovic.
Despite everything, he believes that the secular and religious models can go together.
The Archbishop of Vrhbosna and Apostolic Administrator of the Military Ordinariate in BiH, Tomo Vuksic, emphasized that peace is the greatest treasure and value a person can have on Earth.
“Peace serves life and coexistence, so we all must preserve it. The role of religions and all believers is important in an environment marked by numerous wars, misunderstandings, and violence, in promoting unity and peace among people. Therefore, we encourage individuals and communities to preserve the dignity of every human life and promote harmony among people and the common good in society,” stated Vuksic.
Jakob Finci, President of the Jewish Community in BiH, assessed Sarajevo as an excellent place to speak about peace; because it connects parliamentarians and religious leaders.
“Sarajevo is called a small Jerusalem – why? Because within two hundred meters, all religious sites can be found, and for centuries, none of them has been destroyed, attacked, or mined. What keeps us connected in Sarajevo? I would say it’s mutual understanding and understanding of others and those who are different. That’s why we are very proud that here, after a difficult war and a large number of deaths, we managed to form an Interreligious Council, which works for the benefit of all. Recently, the Muslim-Jewish Peace Initiative was signed, and it was accepted here. So, I believe that the conclusion of today’s conference could contribute to the whole world. For a problem to be solved, it must be acknowledged as a problem,” Finci addressed the conference participants yesterday.
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E.Dz.
