left to right: Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Baghdad, Emmanuel Deli, Sheikh Hussein Ghazi Hussein al-Samarai, and Dr. William Vendley, Secretary General of the World Conference on Religion and Peace.

His Royal Highness, Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, Moderator of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, reads the joint statement by representatives of all of Iraq's religious communities.

Partipants at the Interreligious gathering held in Amman, issuing their joint statement.

The Rev. William G. Sinkford was among participants at the Amman meeting.

Rev G. Welton Gaddy of the Interfaith Alliance/USA, talking with Rev. William G. Sinkford during a break at the Amman interreligious meeting.

UUA President Returns from Jordan Following Interfaith Meeting with Iraqi Religious Groups

(Boston, May 30, 2003) The Rev. William G. Sinkford, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, yesterday returned to Boston following a trip to Amman, Jordan, as part of a forty-member interfaith delegation that met with representatives of Iraq's major religious groups. This was the first time representatives of all Iraqi religions — including Shi'ite, Sunni, and Christian leaders — had met since Saddam Hussein took power.

The meeting, titled "Rejecting Violence and Promoting Peace with Justice," was convened by the World Conference on Religion and Peace and hosted by its Moderator, His Royal Highness Prince El-Hassan bin Talal of Jordan. The assembled religious leaders rejected violence and called for common action to build a just society in Iraq.

"It was immensely gratifying," Sinkford said, "to be a witness to and a participant in the discussions with Iraqi religious leaders who are willing to come together across the lines we are so often told must divide us. It is my deepest hope that the relationships made real in Amman can be sustained and can help to build a brighter future for all the people of Iraq."

Prince El-Hassan bin Talal, commented, "In these troubled times, Iraq’s religious leaders give Iraqis a message of hope. Saving lives and upholding the dignity of the Iraqi people is our sole aim in coming together. Pledging common action to assure a just society in Iraq, these religious leaders demonstrate that religion can be a powerful force for peace and for affirming our common humanity."

Outcomes of the gathering included a "Joint Statement of Representatives of Iraq's Religious Communities" adopted at the conclusion of the meeting, with representatives of Iraq's religious communities demanding that coalition forces abide by their full responsibilities as a de facto occupying power under international law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention and the relevant Hague Conventions.

The statement also called for an immediate temporary Iraqi national government, to be followed by a permanent Iraqi government built on the basis of direct, free and democratic elections, a constitution, and the rule of law that protects equally all religious, ethnic and national groupings.

In all, more than 20 representatives of Iraq's religious communities attended, joined in solidarity by more than 40 international religious leaders.

For complete information on the World Conference on Religion and Peace, visit their website.

Further information about the Summit of Iraqi religious leaders

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