Obama Hosts White House Iftar Dinner

On Monday night, President Obama hosted the White House's annual Iftar dinner recognizing the importance of Ramadan to Muslims around the world. In his remarks (full text), the President gave special recognition to one guest, Samantha Elauf, the successful complainant in the U.S. Supreme Court's recent Abercrombie & Fitch decision on the right to wear a hijab at work. (See prior posting.) Speaking to the guests that included members of the diplomatic corps and Congress, government officials and invited young people, Obama also said in part:

 So tonight, we keep in our prayers those who are suffering around the world, including those marking Ramadan in areas of conflict and deprivation and hunger.  The people of Iraq and Syria as they push back on the barbarity of ISIL.  The people of Yemen and Libya, who are seeking an end to ongoing violence and instability.  Those fleeing war and hardship in boats across the Mediterranean.  The people of Gaza, still recovering from last year’s conflict.  The Rohingya in Myanmar, including migrants at sea, whose human rights must be upheld. 

White House, State Department Send Ramadan Greetings

Yesterday the White House issued a press release carrying Ramadan greetings from President Obama and the First Lady "to all those observing the month of fasting in the United States and around the world." The President's statement said in part:

In this month of giving, Muslims around the globe reach out to assist those afflicted by conflict, hunger, poverty and disease. And here in the United States, American Muslims join their fellow citizens to serve the less fortunate, hosting inter-faith activities that build understanding and remind us that we stand together as one American family. The diversity and patriotism of America’s religious communities give strength to all of us, and our freedom to worship reminds us of the values we share.

The press release also indicated that again this year the President will host an iftar dinner at the White House.

Also yesterday the State Department released a press statement  from Secretary of State Kerry wishing Muslims "a joyful Ramadan Kareem."

Obama Appoints Rabbi To Vacancy On Commission For Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad

Last Friday, President Obama announced his intention to appoint Rabbi Abba Cohen to the 21-member U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad.  One of the more obscure federal agencies, the Commission, which began operations in 1990, is tasked by the legislation creating it to identify and encourage the preservation of "those cemeteries, monuments,  and historic buildings located abroad which are associated with the  foreign heritage of United States citizens from eastern and central Europe, particularly those cemeteries, monuments, and buildings  which are in danger of deterioration or destruction..."  Rabbi Cohen is the Washington Director and Counsel for Agudath Israel of America,

Obama Addresses Synagogue For Jewish American Heritage Month [corrected]

President Obama this morning delivered a 30-minute address (full text) at Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, D.C. to mark Jewish Heritage Month. Here is an excerpt from his wide-ranging speech:

Now, I wanted to come here to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month because this congregation, like so many around the country, helps us to tell the American story.  And back in 1876, when President Grant helped dedicate Adas Israel, he became the first sitting President in history to attend a synagogue service.  And at the time, it was an extraordinarily symbolic gesture -- not just for America, but for the world. 

And think about the landscape of Jewish history.  Tomorrow night, the holiday of Shavuot marks the moment that Moses received the Torah at Mount Sinai, the first link in a chain of tradition that stretches back thousands of years, and a foundation stone for our civilization.  Yet for most of those years, Jews were persecuted -- not embraced -- by those in power.  Many of your ancestors came here fleeing that persecution. 

The United States could have been merely another destination in that ongoing diaspora.  But those who came here found that America was more than just a country.  America was an idea.  America stood for something.  As George Washington wrote to the Jews of Newport, Rhode Island:  The United States “gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.” 

[Correction: Obama spoke to "mark" the event.  The typo in an earlier version of the post regrettably suggested something else.]

President Obama Speaks Out On Poverty At Catholic-Evangelical Panel Discussion

As reported by Religion News Service, President Obama yesterday engaged in a fascinating 75-minute panel discussion at Georgetown University's Catholic-Evangelical Leadership Summit on Overcoming Poverty.  Labeled "Conversation on Poverty" (full text), the panel, moderated by journalist E.J.Dionne, also included Harvard professor Robert Putnam and American Enterprise Institute President Arthur Brooks. The President said in part:

I think it would be powerful for our faith-based organizations to speak out on this in a more forceful fashion. 

This may sound self-interested because there have been -- these are areas where I agree with the evangelical community and faith-based groups, and then there are issues where we have had disagreements around reproductive issues, or same-sex marriage, or what have you.  And so maybe it appears advantageous for me to want to focus on these issues of poverty, and not as much on these other issues....

There is great caring and great concern, but when it comes to what are you really going to the mat for, what’s the defining issue, when you're talking in your congregations, what’s the thing that is really going to capture the essence of who we are as Christians, or as Catholics, or what have you, that this is oftentimes viewed as a “nice to have” relative to an issue like abortion.  That's not across the board, but there sometimes has been that view, and certainly that's how it’s perceived in our political circles....

And there’s noise out there, and there’s arguments, and there’s contention.  And so people withdraw and they restrict themselves to, what can I do in my church, or what can I do in my community?  And that's important.  But our faith-based groups I think have the capacity to frame this -- and nobody has shown that better than Pope Francis, who I think has been transformative just through the sincerity and insistence that he’s had that this is vital to who we are.  This is vital to following what Jesus Christ, our Savior, talked about.

Obama Urged To Appoint Near East Religious Freedom Envoy

Last year Congress passed and the President signed the Near East and South Central Asia Religious Freedom Act which provides that  the President may appoint a Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia. (See prior posting.)  However the President has never filled the authorized position.  The Washington Times reported this week that now members of Congress and religious activists are urging the President to move swiftly to fill the position as Christians face increasng threats in the Middle East.  Last week 43 members of Congress wrote the President urging speedy action, and on Monday over 50 organizations, scholars, religious leaders and human rights advocates wrote the President with a similar request, saying in part:

In the seven months since the legislation became law, discrimination, repression and outright violence against religious minorities has only escalated.

Obama and Biden Speak At White House Easter Prayer Breakfast

Both Vice President Joe Biden and President Obama yesterday addressed the annual Easter Prayer Breakfast at the White House (full text of remarks). While Catholic News Service reported at length on his religious remarks, much of the media gave prime billing to President Obama's three apparently off-script sentences:

On Easter, I do reflect on the fact that as a Christian, I am supposed to love.  And I have to say that sometimes when I listen to less than loving expressions by Christians, I get concerned.  But that's a topic for another day. (Laughter and applause.)

 Christian Post covers the event.

Obama To Host Annual White House Seder Tonight

Tonight, the first might of Passover, President Obama will continue his annual tradition of holding a Seder for a small group of family and friends at the White House.  Yesterday's Boston Globe recounts the origins of the White House tradition-- a makeshift Seder held in a hotel basement, put together by campaign staff during the 2008 Pennsylvania Democratic primary campaign. Now-Massachusetts State Senator Eric Lesser was one of those staffers.  He and a number other of those former staffers continue to attend each year.  As reported by The Hill, Obama sees the Seder as a way for his daughters to experience the Exodus story.  Over the years, the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation has been added as part of the White House's ceremony.

In Second Speech On Terrorism, Obama Again Rejects Idea of War With Islam

For the second time this week (see prior posting), President Obama delivered a major speech (full text) on combating terrorism, with significant attention to the relationship of violent extremism and Islam.  Yesterday, addressing an international Summit on Countering Violent Extremism held at the State Department, the President said in part:

[W]e have to confront the warped ideologies espoused by terrorists like al Qaeda and ISIL, especially their attempt to use Islam to justify their violence.  I discussed this at length yesterday.  These terrorists are desperate for legitimacy.  And all of us have a responsibility to refute the notion that groups like ISIL somehow represent Islam, because that is a falsehood that embraces the terrorist narrative. 

At the same time, we must acknowledge that groups like al Qaeda and ISIL are deliberately targeting their propaganda to Muslim communities, particularly Muslim youth.  And Muslim communities, including scholars and clerics, therefore have a responsibility to push back, not just on twisted interpretations of Islam, but also on the lie that we are somehow engaged in a clash of civilizations; that America and the West are somehow at war with Islam or seek to suppress Muslims; or that we are the cause of every ill in the Middle East....

And finally, we have to ensure that our diverse societies truly welcome and respect people of all faiths and backgrounds, and leaders set the tone on this issue.

Groups like al Qaeda and ISIL peddle the lie that some of our countries are hostile to Muslims.  Meanwhile, we’ve also seen, most recently in Europe, a rise in inexcusable acts of anti-Semitism, or in some cases, anti-Muslim sentiment or anti-immigrant sentiment.  When people spew hatred towards others -- because of their faith or because they’re immigrants -- it feeds into terrorist narratives.  If entire communities feel they can never become a full part of the society in which they reside, it feeds a cycle of fear and resentment and a sense of injustice upon which extremists prey.  And we can’t allow cycles of suspicions to tear at the fabric of our countries....  

 Violent extremists and terrorists thrive when people of different religions or sects pull away from each other and are able to isolate each other and label them as “they” as opposed to “us;” something separate and apart.  So we need to build and bolster bridges of communication and trust....

I’d like to close by speaking very directly to a painful truth that’s part of the challenge that brings us here today.  In some of our countries, including the United States, Muslim communities are still small, relative to the entire population, and as a result, many people in our countries don’t always know personally of somebody who is Muslim.  So the image they get of Muslims or Islam is in the news.  And given the existing news cycle, that can give a very distorted impression.  A lot of the bad, like terrorists who claim to speak for Islam, that’s absorbed by the general population.  Not enough of the good -- the more than 1 billion people around the world who do represent Islam, and are doctors and lawyers and teachers, and neighbors and friends....

The world hears a lot about the terrorists who attacked Charlie Hebdo in Paris, but the world has to also remember the Paris police officer, a Muslim, who died trying to stop them.  The world knows about the attack on the Jews at the kosher supermarket in Paris; we need to recall the worker at that market, a Muslim, who hid Jewish customers and saved their lives.  And when he was asked why he did it, he said, “We are brothers.  It's not a question of Jews or Christians or Muslims.  We're all in the same boat, and we have to help each other to get out of this crisis.”

Obama Sends Ash Wednesday and Lunar New Year Greetings

This past Wednesday, President Obama took time to send holiday greetings to two faith groups.  First he issued a statement (full text) marking Ash Wednesday, saying in part:

Today, Michelle and I join our fellow Christians across the country and around the world in marking Ash Wednesday. Lent is a season of sacrifice and preparation, repentance and renewal. Through reflection on the teachings that guide us, we reaffirm our commitment to God and one another -- and we remember those who are suffering, including those persecuted for their faith.

On the same day, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders released a video message from the President (video and full transcript) sending Lunar New Year greetings, saying in part:

Michelle and I send our warmest wishes to everyone celebrating the Lunar New Year here in America and all around the world. I’ll always remember the parades, fireworks, and gatherings that surrounded the Lunar New Year when I was growing up in Hawaii. And now as President, this celebration is a perfect reminder of the many cultures and faiths that make us who we are as Americans.

The President used his message to again urge immigration reform.

Obama Closes Summit On Violent Extremism By Speaking About Muslims

President Obama yesterday delivered closing remarks (full text) at the White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism.  He spoke at length on the relationship of the battle against Al Queda and ISIL to the broader Muslim community, saying in part:

Al Qaeda and ISIL and groups like it are desperate for legitimacy.  They try to portray themselves as religious leaders -- holy warriors in defense of Islam.  That’s why ISIL presumes to declare itself the “Islamic State.”  And they propagate the notion that America -- and the West, generally -- is at war with Islam.  That’s how they recruit.  That’s how they try to radicalize young people.  We must never accept the premise that they put forward, because it is a lie.  Nor should we grant these terrorists the religious legitimacy that they seek.  They are not religious leaders -- they’re terrorists.  (Applause.)  And we are not at war with Islam.  We are at war with people who have perverted Islam.  (Applause.)  

Now, just as those of us outside Muslim communities need to reject the terrorist narrative that the West and Islam are in conflict, or modern life and Islam are in conflict, I also believe that Muslim communities have a responsibility as well.  Al Qaeda and ISIL do draw, selectively, from the Islamic texts.  They do depend upon the misperception around the world that they speak in some fashion for people of the Muslim faith, that Islam is somehow inherently violent, that there is some sort of clash of civilizations. ,,,

[I]f we are going to effectively isolate terrorists, if we're going to address the challenge of their efforts to recruit our young people, if we're going to lift up the voices of tolerance and pluralism within the Muslim community, then we've got to acknowledge that their job is made harder by a broader narrative that does exist in many Muslim communities around the world that suggests the West is at odds with Islam in some fashion....

... Muslim leaders need to do more to discredit the notion that our nations are determined to suppress Islam, that there’s an inherent clash in civilizations.  Everybody has to speak up very clearly that no matter what the grievance, violence against innocents doesn't defend Islam or Muslims, it damages Islam and Muslims.

President Delivers Important Address To National Prayer Breakfast

President Obama delivered an important address (full text) at today's annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C.  First, in a gesture defying China's objections, the President warmly welcomed the Dalai Lama, saying:

I want to offer a special welcome to a good friend, His Holiness the Dalai Lama -- who is a powerful example of what it means to practice compassion, who inspires us to speak up for the freedom and dignity of all human beings.  (Applause.)  I’ve been pleased to welcome him to the White House on many occasions, and we’re grateful that he’s able to join us here today.  (Applause.) 

As reported by the Washington Post:

Obama bowed his head and brought his hands together in a Namaste gesture when the Dalai Lama was introduced at the beginning of the breakfast. The Dalai Lama was seated at a table with top Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. She was dispatched to Dharamsala, India, where the Dalai Lama lives in exile, after the White House canceled a meeting with the leader ahead of Obama's first visit to Beijing in 2009.

Chinese leaders sharply criticized the presence of the Dalai Lama at the Prayer Breakfast -- as Beijing did the previous three times the two men met in the past. This time, the White House stressed they did not invite the Dalai Lama and that he and Obama had no plans to meet.

Second, the President spelled out at length his views on the complex relationship of religion and world affairs, and emphasized the U.S. view on the relationship of religious liberty and freedom of expression.  These portions of his remarks are sufficiently important to be set out at  length:

 [P]art of what I want to touch on today is the degree to which we've seen professions of faith used both as an instrument of great good, but also twisted and misused in the name of evil. 

As we speak, around the world, we see faith inspiring people to lift up one another -- to feed the hungry and care for the poor, and comfort the afflicted and make peace where there is strife....

But we also see faith being twisted and distorted, used as a wedge -- or, worse, sometimes used as a weapon.  From a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris, we have seen violence and terror perpetrated by those who profess to stand up for faith, their faith, professed to stand up for Islam, but, in fact, are betraying it.  We see ISIL, a brutal, vicious death cult that, in the name of religion, carries out unspeakable acts of barbarism  -- terrorizing religious minorities like the Yezidis, subjecting women to rape as a weapon of war, and claiming the mantle of religious authority for such actions. 

We see sectarian war in Syria, the murder of Muslims and Christians in Nigeria, religious war in the Central African Republic, a rising tide of anti-Semitism and hate crimes in Europe, so often perpetrated in the name of religion.

So how do we, as people of faith, reconcile these realities -- the profound good, the strength, the tenacity, the compassion and love that can flow from all of our faiths, operating alongside those who seek to hijack religious for their own murderous ends? 

Humanity has been grappling with these questions throughout human history.  And lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ.  In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often was justified in the name of Christ.  Michelle and I returned from India -- an incredible, beautiful country, full of magnificent diversity -- but a place where, in past years, religious faiths of all types have, on occasion, been targeted by other peoples of faith, simply due to their heritage and their beliefs -- acts of intolerance that would have shocked Gandhiji, the person who helped to liberate that nation. 

So this is not unique to one group or one religion.  There is a tendency in us, a sinful tendency that can pervert and distort our faith.  In today’s world, when hate groups have their own Twitter accounts and bigotry can fester in hidden places in cyberspace, it can be even harder to counteract such intolerance. But God compels us to try.  And in this mission, I believe there are a few principles that can guide us, particularly those of us who profess to believe. 

And, first, we should start with some basic humility.  I believe that the starting point of faith is some doubt -- not being so full of yourself and so confident that you are right and that God speaks only to us, and doesn’t speak to others, that God only cares about us and doesn’t care about others, that somehow we alone are in possession of the truth. 

Our job is not to ask that God respond to our notion of truth -- our job is to be true to Him, His word, and His commandments.  And we should assume humbly that we’re confused and don’t always know what we’re doing and we’re staggering and stumbling towards Him, and have some humility in that process.  And that means we have to speak up against those who would misuse His name to justify oppression, or violence, or hatred with that fierce certainty.  No God condones terror.  No grievance justifies the taking of innocent lives, or the oppression of those who are weaker or fewer in number.

And so, as people of faith, we are summoned to push back against those who try to distort our religion -- any religion -- for their own nihilistic ends.  And here at home and around the world, we will constantly reaffirm that fundamental freedom -- freedom of religion -- the right to practice our faith how we choose, to change our faith if we choose, to practice no faith at all if we choose, and to do so free of persecution and fear and discrimination.

There’s wisdom in our founders writing in those documents that help found this nation the notion of freedom of religion, because they understood the need for humility.  They also understood the need to uphold freedom of speech, that there was a connection between freedom of speech and freedom of religion.  For to infringe on one right under the pretext of protecting another is a betrayal of both. 

But part of humility is also recognizing in modern, complicated, diverse societies, the functioning of these rights, the concern for the protection of these rights calls for each of us to exercise civility and restraint and judgment.  And if, in fact, we defend the legal right of a person to insult another’s religion, we’re equally obligated to use our free speech to condemn such insults -- (applause) -- and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with religious communities, particularly religious minorities who are the targets of such attacks.  Just because you have the right to say something doesn’t mean the rest of us shouldn’t question those who would insult others in the name of free speech.  Because we know that our nations are stronger when people of all faiths feel that they are welcome, that they, too, are full and equal members of our countries.

So humility I think is needed.  And the second thing we need is to uphold the distinction between our faith and our governments.  Between church and between state.  The United States is one of the most religious countries in the world -- far more religious than most Western developed countries.  And one of the reasons is that our founders wisely embraced the separation of church and state.  Our government does not sponsor a religion, nor does it pressure anyone to practice a particular faith, or any faith at all.  And the result is a culture where people of all backgrounds and beliefs can freely and proudly worship, without fear, or coercion....   

That’s not the case in theocracies that restrict people’s choice of faith.  It's not the case in authoritarian governments that elevate an individual leader or a political party above the people, or in some cases, above the concept of God Himself.  So the freedom of religion is a value we will continue to protect here at home and stand up for around the world, and is one that we guard vigilantly here in the United States.

President Sends Kwanzaa Greetings

Last Friday the White House released a statement (full text) from the President and First Lady extending warmest wishes to those celebrating Kwanzaa.  The festival, which celebrates African American heritage and culture, began Dec. 26 and extends through Jan. 1.

Obamas Send Christmas Greetings

The White House today posted Weekly Address: Happy Holidays from the President and First Lady (transcript) (video). The President said in part:

... today, our family will join millions across the country in celebrating the birth of Jesus – the birth not just of a baby in a manger, but of a message that has changed the world: to reach out to the sick; the hungry; the troubled; and above all else, to love one another as we would be loved ourselves.

He also thanked American troops as the combat mission in Afghanistan comes to an end:

... as our troops continue to transition back home—back to our businesses, our schools, our congregations, and our communities—it’s up to all of us to serve them as well as they have served us.

The First Lady urged Americans to go to the JoiningForces website for more information on supporting troops, veterans and military families.

Meanwhile, The Independent reports that in Britain the Queen's annual Christmas message will be broadcast this afternoon. Channel 4's Alternative Christmas Message was given this year by British Ebola survivor William Pooley. The Queen is likely to praise aid workers fighting Ebola and is also likely to highlight this year's commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I.

White House Hosts Two Hanukkah Receptions [UPDATED POST]

President and Mrs. Obama hosted the first of two White House Hanukkah receptions late yesterday afternoon as again this year the guest list was too long for only a single reception.  In his remarks (full text), the President first discussed the freeing earlier in the day of Alan Gross who had been held by Cuba for over five years.  The traditional lighting of the menorah focused on two students and a parent from a bilingual school in Jerusalem that brings Jewish and Muslim students together. Their school was hit by arsonists two weeks ago. They built a menorah around the theme of their school's values and brought it to be used at the reception. Introducing them, President Obama said:

So Inbar and Mouran and their fellow students teach us a critical lesson for this time in our history:  The light of hope must outlast the fires of hate.

The White House posted a 10-minute video of the President's remarks and those of Rabbi  Bradley Shavit Artson who led the blessings in lighting the Hanukkah candles.

A few hours later the President hosted the second reception. (Full text of remarks.)  At this reception, a menorah from children in Yemin Orde, a village in Israel founded in 1953 to provide a safe haven to orphans and young immigrants after the Holocaust, was used.  The candles were lit by a Yemin Orde graduate, along with Dr. Adam Levine who recently returned from fighting ebola in Liberia. Manhattan Rabbi Angela Buchdahl recited the blessings.

President Sends Diwali Greetings

Today is Diwali. Yesterday the White House posted a video and transcript of a message from President Obama sending wishes for a joyous celebration to Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists celebrating this festival of lights.

"Birther" Sues Obama Claiming Ebola Rules Aid Muslim Terrorism

A rather bizarre lawsuit was filed yesterday in federal district court in the District of Columbia charging President Obama and various federal health officials with acting recklessly in attempting to restrain the Ebola epidemic in order to aid Muslim terrorism and discriminate against Christian and Jewish Caucasian Americans. The suit was brought by Larry Klayman, an activist who has filed hundreds of lawsuits and who has been prominent in the anti-Obama "birther" movement. The complaint (full text) in Klayman v. Obama, (D DC, filed 10/14/2014), alleges seven causes of action ranging from providing material support for terrorists to civil rights claims and conspiracy to commit murder. It alleges that the CDC, at the direction of President Obam, is intentionally lying to the American public about the possibility of airborne transmission of Ebola.  The following excerpt gives a flavor of the allegations in the wide-ranging complaint:

Defendants actions in exposing Plaintiff to the Ebola virus as well as other Americans is the direct result of discrimination against Plaintiff on the basis of his Caucasian race and Jewish-Christian religion and in favor of people of the African-Black race and the Islamic religion.... Defendant Obama ... values an African-Black and Muslim life more than he does the lives of persons from the Caucasion or other races and religions, and this is reflected in his and the other Defendants’ actions with regard to allowing past and continued entry of persons from Ebola stricken Liberia and the rest of West Africa into the United States, despite the likelihood of an epidemic occurring.

Washington Post reports on the lawsuit.

White House Sends Muslims Best Wishes on Eid and Hajj

On Friday, the White House issued a statement (full text) from the President extending best wishes to Muslims celebrating Eid al-Adha, and congratulating those performing the Hajj this year.

President Sends Greetings For Rosh Hashanah

The Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah begins this evening. The White House has posted a video and transcript of High Holiday greetings from President Obama.

Obama To U.N.: Terrorists Have Perverted Islam

President Obama today delivered a wide-ranging speech (full text) before the United Nations General Assembly addressing challenges facing the international community. Significant portions of his remarks focused on the role of religion in current conflicts.  He said in part:

In the 20th century, terror was used by all manner of groups who failed to come to power through public support. But in this century, we have faced a more lethal and ideological brand of terrorists who have perverted one of the world’s great religions....  At the same time, we have reaffirmed that the United States is not and never will be at war with Islam. Islam teaches peace. Muslims the world over aspire to live with dignity and a sense of justice. And when it comes to America and Islam, there is no us and them – there is only us, because millions of Muslim Americans are part of the fabric of our country.

So we reject any suggestion of a clash of civilizations. Belief in permanent religious war is the misguided refuge of extremists who cannot build or create anything, and therefore peddle only fanaticism and hate. And it is no exaggeration to say that humanity’s future depends on us uniting against those who would divide us along fault lines of tribe or sect; race or religion....

[I]t is time for the world – especially Muslim communities – to explicitly, forcefully, and consistently reject the ideology of al Qaeda and ISIL. It is the task of all great religions to accommodate devout faith with a modern, multicultural world.... There should be no more tolerance of so-called clerics who call upon people to harm innocents because they are Jewish, Christian or Muslim. It is time for a new compact among the civilized peoples of this world to eradicate war at its most fundamental source: the corruption of young minds by violent ideology....

That means bringing people of different faiths together. All religions have been attacked by extremists from within at some point, and all people of faith have a responsibility to lift up the value at the heart of all religion: do unto thy neighbor as you would have done unto you....

[W]e must address the cycle of conflict – especially sectarian conflict – that creates the conditions that terrorists prey upon. There is nothing new about wars within religions. Christianity endured centuries of vicious sectarian conflict. Today, it is violence within Muslim communities that has become the source of so much human misery. It is time to acknowledge the destruction wrought by proxy wars and terror campaigns between Sunni and Shia across the Middle East. And it is time that political, civic and religious leaders reject sectarian strife.....