By Congressman Joe Pitts

Aside from the family, there are few forces more potent in shaping our worldview than our religious institutions and our schools.  This reality is one of the most powerful reasons for the continued violence in the Middle East.  

I just returned from a trip to the Middle East, during which we made a stop in Israel.  The purpose of the visit was to meet with a group of religious leaders that make up the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land.  The group is composed of Muslim Sheikhs, Jewish Rabbis, and Christian Bishops and Patriarchs.  The purpose of the group is to counter the messages of hate and violence that come from extremist religious leaders in the region.

The conflict in Israel is rooted deep in history, with strong religious influences.  No solution that does not take into account the influence of religion in the lives of the participants will be viable.  Unfortunately, the United States has chosen to leave religious leaders out of the diplomatic negotiations.  The separation of church and state is a political ideology that is so ingrained in our political culture, that we have applied the same standard to our efforts toward peace in the Middle East.

Unfortunately, this makes the task much more difficult, perhaps even impossible.  When religious leaders are spewing hate filled speech meant to incite violence, there is little that political leaders can say or do to counter the message.  However, when the messages of hate from extremists are countered by individuals with moral authority, there is a chance for real change.

The council is currently working toward two important goals.  First, they want to try to counter statements from religious leaders that incite hatred and violence.  The council will monitor the media.  When an extremist religious leader makes a statement in the name of religion that is meant to instigate hatred and violence, members of the council will publicly counter the message.  All of the members of the council, from each religious background, have acknowledged that each of their faiths “respect the life and dignity of all human beings, regardless of religion, nationality and gender.”  With this understanding, the members of the council believe that religion should never be the source of conflict.  Their positions as religious leaders give them the unique ability to refute extremist messages and provide the public with the true meaning of each faith. 

The second important goal of the council is to work with education officials to eliminate hate from school textbooks.  Many young people in the Middle East grow up learning hate in school, of all places.  School aged children are most impressionable, and textbooks are taken for truth.  When hatred is so deeply ingrained, it becomes very difficult to undo.

During our visit to Israel, we met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to ask him to lend his support to the work of the council.  He liked the idea of religious leaders supporting messages of moderation and countering the hatred that plagues the region.  He even agree to meet with the council.  This will go a long way in legitimating their work and elevating their stature. 

Unfortunately, we were not able to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in order to make the same pitch.  We had scheduled a meeting with President Abbas, but it was canceled on short notice due to preparations for President Bush’s visit.

The brutal violence of the Middle East is a tragedy of grand proportions.  Too much blood has been shed in the name of religion.  If a workable solution is to be found, it must address the root of the problem.  The Council of Religious Institutions can go a long way in addressing the issues that are at the heart of the problem.  I am pleased to have been able to meet with the group, and I wholeheartedly support their efforts.  At a time when the United States has renewed diplomatic efforts to push for a peace treaty, the need for religious leaders who are willing to stand on moral principle for non-violent solutions is as important as ever.

Congressman Joe Pitts represents the 16^th Congressional District of Pennsylvania.

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