THE ANNUAL RAMADAN FRIENDSHIP DINNER

Rabbi Arthur Scheiner

           ... Last Monday, we concluded the ten days of penitence in the Jewish tradition starting with Rosh Hashanah, the New Year. And it was a fast day as you heard on Yom Kippur. And what was the whole purpose of the ten days of penitence? It was in order to change us for the better, and to help us change the world for the better. And how do you do it?

        You do it through Ramadan, or ten days of penitence, and you do it through prayer, you do it through mercy, acts of deeds and kinds, of charity.

        And this is why I'm delighted to continue this orientation in your midst, because contrary to what has been said by our distinguished Columbia professor, we, men of faith, we know who the Children of Abraham are.  And we're the children of Abraham: Christians, Jews, and Muslims.  And we have a mission on this earth: you and I have one mission on this earth.  And that mission was given to Abraham… you shall be a blessing; a blessing to your faith, a blessing to your people, a blessing to the community, a blessing to the world. 

        And that is the mission that each one of us has: to help perfect an imperfect world.

        Now it’s true, as you've heard, I'm a holocaust survivor. I'm particularly impressed with what we saw here, because I want you to know, as a child in Vienna, I experienced ethnic cleansing. I saw my synagogue burning; I saw my family shipped to Auschwitz.  And believe me, Auschwitz existed. I'm a witness.

        I saw what it means to hate the other and to dehumanize the other. And if you dehumanize the other you can do anything with them. And this is why I have devoted my life for the last forty year to bring people together.

        As president to the Appeal of Conscious Foundation, an interreligious foundation that deals with religious freedom and human rights. And we were active in the former Soviet Union, China, all over the world. And I'm proud to say, in 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union… I went to Istanbul and met with then Prime Minister Demirel.  And why did we choose Istanbul for a peace and tolerance conference with the Turkish Leadership and His Holiness Bartholomeus? Because we felt that Turkey would be an example to the former Soviet Republics of what it means to live and let live.

        And that was the first peace and tolerance conference that brought together religious leaders from the Balkans who were fighting each other. And let me tell you, the clarion call that went forward from Istanbul at the Bosporus Hotel, known as the Bosporus Declaration, because it's very relevant today: a crime perpetrated in the name of religion, is the greatest crime against religion. And just last November, again in Istanbul, Peace and Tolerance Conference II.

        And I'm proud to be a member of the high level group which was initiated Alliance of Civilizations by Prime Minister Erdogan and Prime Minister Zapatero of Spain. And our next meeting will be in Istanbul, November 12^th and 13^th with Secretary Kofi Annan participating.

        So, what I'm trying to say to you: based on life experience, we either swim together or we sink together.  And you know what you and I love about this country? There are so many diverse ethnic groups.

        How many of you are immigrants in this room? Show of hands, how many are immigrants?  You know 60% of New Yorkers were not born in New York. I'm one of them.

        And this land gave me an opportunity, another chance to rebuild my life. And what we have to realize, that by being together, as you've heard, we have to reject those who do not believe in coexistence, we have to isolate them, because most of humanity understands that we live on one planet, and if we work together, we can preserve this planet.

        Now, what is the Alliance of Civilization all about Alliance of civilization is rejecting the notion of the clash of civilization. And 20 of us of the high level group are supposed to make recommendations to the United Nations General Assembly, this November of how we can use education –and here I want to emphasize, and I'm glad to see some children here– children are not born with hatred. We are taught to love or we can be taught to hate.

        And I can tell you, those rejectionists who do not believe in live and let live –which happens to be my credo– are responsible for claiming the lives of innocent civilians all over the globe, whether it's Bali, as you've heard, or in  London. 

        And it was my painful duty to fly to Istanbul after the attack November 15^th, against two synagogues in Istanbul and subsequently the attack on the British Consulate, then the HSBC bank.

        Let me tell you, that a terrorist attack does not discriminate between civilians, non civilians, does not discriminate between Jews, Muslims, Christians. I visited dozens of Turkish Muslims in the American Hospital in Istanbul after that attack. I attended the funerals of so many innocent victims.

        And by being here today, we say it clearly: We shall live, and we're not going to become part of a nihilistic ideology.

        And therefore I salute you. I salute you for showing this solidarity of unity and I pray to God, and I'm convinced, that we shall live to see a better day when coexistence, peace harmony and the principle of live and let live will prevail.

        God bless you all.

        Thank You.

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