JERUSALEM (RNS) — Hundreds of religious leaders and peace activists walked together through the streets of Jerusalem on Monday (May 18) for an interfaith peace march — a 4-year-old event that took on added urgency this year against the backdrop of ongoing war and mounting intolerance in a city venerated by Jews, Muslims and Christians.
The Interfaith March for Human Rights and Peace is one of many initiatives spearheaded by the Interfaith Forum for Human Rights that brings together Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze and other activists and a coalition of 30-plus organizations. Singing “We Shall Overcome” and carrying placards with the word “Trust” in Hebrew and Arabic, participants traveled to the march from across Israel, aiming to bridge religious and ethnic gaps at an especially volatile time in the Middle East.
Druze Sheikh Younis Amasha, director of the Forum for Religious Leaders in Israel, urged the marchers to speak “with one voice” to proclaim that “human life is a sacred value and there is no place for hatred, extremism and violence.” He also called on them to champion minority communities in Syria, especially his fellow Druze, who have been targeted by extremists.
After his remarks, Amasha told RNS that “events like the march are vital because they bring light to the dark tunnel.”
The march …