International Service & The Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum release a joint statement about the Middle East conflict

In December 2008, International Service and The Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum worked together on a special event at York Minster to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Focusing on the human rights of children, this interfaith event brought together over 600 children from across Yorkshire. In the light of our work with children, and the high number of child casualties in the recent escalation of violence in the Middle Eastern conflict, we issue the following statement:

    “Over recent weeks we have watched the tragic events that     continue to unfold in Gaza and Israel. We do not believe that     military conflictis the route to peace in the Middle East.

    We echo the opening statement of the Universal Declaration of     Human Rights, namely that ‘All Human Beings are born free and     equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and          conscience, and should act towards one another in a spirit of     brotherhood.’

    A lasting political solution where Israel and Palestine exist at peace
    with each other will only come from dialogue with all parties     involved that seeks to provide equality, justice, and dignity for all     people in the region. This will require compassion, empathy and     generosity from all sides. We believe that the first step towards     this is an immediate end to the current conflict.”

The statement is signed by:

Matthew Snell - Chief Executive, International Service
Ms Sajda Shah - Council Member, Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum
Rabbi Ian Morris - Council Member, Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum
Bishop Tony Robinson - Chair, Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum