Article published in Madrid Vivo Foundation in February 2019
With the suggestive title of “Democracy and Religion: education and political and religious plurality”, the second table organized by the Madrid Vivo Foundation took place. In this case, with the support of the Hispanic-Jewish Foundation, within the framework of the World Law Congress.
Bassem Eid, Palestinian Human Rights Activist, the Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid, Carlos Osoro, Elyakim Rubinstein, Attorney General of the State of Israel (1997 – 2004) and Vice President of the Supreme Court of Israel (2015 – 2017), Isaac Sacca, Chief Rabbi of the Sephardic Community of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Marcela Szymanski, Head of the Europe Office for Aid to the Church in Need, and the Sufi leader of Morocco, Nabil Baraka participated in the event. All of them moderated by David Hatchwell, President of the Hispanic-Jewish Foundation and patron of the Madrid Vivo Foundation.
The Archbishop of Madrid recalled in his speech that “democracy is something more than the procedure which expresses the popular will”, it also “has its legitimacy in the order of values. And there, religions have something valuable to contribute”.
The Human Rights activist, Bassem Eid, highlighted the need that if “the religions want to sow hope, they must act with humility without raising their voices.”
The rabbi of Buenos Aires, Isaac Sacca, pointed out “the convenience of organizing a dialogue table of these characteristics.” For him, the maxim of the Torah “do not do to others what you do not like to be done to you”, applies to all religions without exception.
The former Attorney General of Israel, Elyakim Rubinstein, considered that “religion must be a key tool for tolerance and peace, and this must be pursued by secular and religious leaders.”
The Sufi leader of Morocco, Nabil Baraka, considered that “Islam, like all religions, is love, and this must be used against the extremism of others.”
Marcela Szymanski, Head of the Europe Office for Aid to the Church in Need, spoke of the necessity to protect religious freedom. “In many countries believers are being deprived of their rights little by little.”
David Hatchwell, president of the Hispanic-Jewish Foundation, patron of Madrid Vivo, and moderator of the table, considered that “we must look for coexistence while defending constitutional values.”
Source: www.madridvivo.org
