Statements by U.S. Officials

Remarks of Charge d’Affaires Nancy McEldowney Peace and Tolerance II Conference  

November 7, 2005, Istanbul

Good afternoon.  I am delighted to be here and to join this distinguished group on this very important occasion.  Each of us have come here as representatives of different religions, different countries, and different cultures but we all share a single purpose – to show our solidarity and our unwavering conviction that tolerance is the true path to peace.  Tolerance as the path to peace.  It is a simple statement, perhaps even a simplistic one, but it caries a fundamental truth that resonates across all of our differences.  For it is the absence of such tolerance that sparks disputes and drives the fury of conflict.

Our meeting today takes place in a time of violence and turmoil.  The conflicts and sectarian strife that plague the world today threaten to tear apart the ties that bind us together in our common humanity.  All of our faiths promote tolerance and respect for others.  All of us have set out together on a quest for peace, human dignity and freedom.  And yet, there are those who use our religions to justify acts of terror.  In doing so, they defile our religions and they defile us. 

Terrorism has no religion, no national cause, and no belief that can justify its murderous violence.  Those who deliberately kill innocent people in the name of religion distort and violate their faith.  Those who can blow up young children waiting in line for candy or who can destroy a mosque filled with people praying during Ramadan – these people have no god, no faith, and no religion that can in anyway justify their heinous acts.

I know all of you share my belief that terrorism in the name of any religion is an obscene and dangerous distortion.  I am not a Muslim but every single time I hear the phrase “Islamic Terrorism” it causes me great discomfort.  For I know it is a distortion of the truth, but also and even more insidiously it creates a perception – a wrong and dangerous perception – that there is some sort of linkage between Islam and Terror.  It is the responsibility of all of us – government officials, religious leaders, social figures – to turn this around and to eliminate such perceptions.  All of us must denounce – publicly, directly, and completely – those who attempt to use religion, any religion, to justify terror. 

It is our shared responsibility to create a world where religion serves always to unite people, never to divide them.  We must define ourselves not by who we exclude but by how many we embrace.

It is also our shared responsibility to create the conditions in which all people can follow their conscience and freely practice their faith without pressure or discrimination.  It is highly appropriate that we are meeting today in Turkey, a country with an extraordinarily rich history and long tradition of cultural diversity and religious tolerance.  As a friend of Turkey and someone who is proud to call this country my home, I can also say with great sincerity that I want a future for this country that is better than its past.  I want to help contribute to a climate of religious diversity and tolerance that is broader and deeper with every passing year.  I want a future for Turkey that is free of discrimination, free of disputes about the practice of different religions, a future in which Turks themselves have found solutions for themselves.

There is an oft-repeated saying in the Native American tradition that I would like to share with you.  It is this:

“All the races and tribes in the world are like different colored flowers of a single meadow.  All are beautiful.  As children of the Creator, all must be respected.”

This is the world we want our children to inherit.  This is the world that we want to leave as our legacy for many generations to come.  This is the world that our religions can and must help make possible. 

It is my great honor to conclude by sharing with you the greetings of the President of the United States. 

The common rights of men and women, and the requirements of freedom and dignity apply to people of all faiths around the world.  The teachings of our many faiths share much in common.  We are united in our commitments to love our families and to build a more peaceful world for our children. 

Where such profound values are shared, there can be no conflict.  We must waste no energy on hatred or intolerance based on religious differences.  Let us resolve to seize opportunities to work together in a spirit of friendship and cooperation.  Through our combined efforts, we can end terrorism and rid the world of the damaging effects of hatred and intolerance.

Religious tolerance is particularly close to the hearts of Americans.  For America was founded by men and women of faith who fled religious persecution and sought the freedom to worship as they chose.  They sought this right not only for themselves, but for all others as well.

There is no better country to serve as host for an interfaith dialogue than Turkey, a vibrant, secular democracy whose people have a strong sense of faith.  And there is no better city than Istanbul, which literally bridges two great civilizations.

I would like to thank the Appeal of Conscience for organizing this event and commend Rabbi Schneier for his broad vision and his unwavering determination.  I wish you all luck as you begin this vitally important effort.