Can women play a strong role in bringing reconciliation and tolerance to the communities in conflict? Can divisions and divides be resolved from a faith-based perspective, when religion often is considered a cause of violence?
These were some of many critical questions addressed in a dialogue process "Moving towards peace through religion" by 25 women of Christian and Muslim faith in a meeting held 4-7 September in Gothenburg, Sweden. The event was a joint initiative of World Council of Churches and Teheran's Institute of Interreligious Dialogue and hosted by the Gothenburg diocese of the Church of Sweden.
Shared experiences of conflict
"For experiencing the vicious occupation of Palestine, I can tell that my country is a land of people, and not stones. If there is a hope for peace, women are in a significant position to influence that process along with men," said Lily Habash, a Christian from Palestine who works on governance issues with the Palestinian authority in Ramallah, West Bank, striving for ethical policies in her country which has been marred with violence for years.
Her viewpoint was echoed by Catherine Oberg-Sadjedi, an American with both Christian and Muslim roots, who became involved in dialogue and movements for peace after the terrorist attacks on New York in September 2001.
"My Swedish and Iranian heritage put me in a unique situation naturally wanting to be a bridge between cultures," she said. "I felt I had to contribute to the need for understanding and urgent dialogue. There was a growing wave of backlash and the Muslim community mobilised quickly with other religious groups, the media, law enforcement, universities and cultural institutions to counteract the detrimental stereotypes."
Oberg-Sadjedi is a filmmaker and television producer in New York. One of her films, "An Afghan American Woman", addresses issues related to Muslim identity.
Peacemaking through religion
"Faith is an inspiration in Palestine for the struggles of conflict resolution," said Habash when sharing her experience of being a Christian minority in a conflict area. "The peaceful co-existence of different faiths in the diverse city of Jerusalem illuminates the significance of tolerance and unity for a cause amidst religious plurality," she said describing the faith diversity in Palestine as a high point in the struggles for peace.
