The City of Cape Town held its annual Interfaith Dialogue at the Cape Town Civic Centre on Tuesday evening. Religious leaders representing all the major faiths in Cape Town were in attendance, along with Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
Also read: Pro-Palestinian supporters call for boycott of Africa Padel
In light of major conflicts in Mali, Sudan, Ukraine and particularly in the Middle East, interfaith leaders committed their voices to a joint statement.
‘We reaffirm that Cape Town is a city with a proud commitment to diversity, inclusion and tolerance, where all residents, of every faith, have the constitutional right to worship freely, to pray as they choose, and to gather peacefully without feeling threatened,’ the statement reads.
Explore Cape Town and its surroundings with these incredible deals on cars for under R100 000. Find car listings here.
‘We reaffirm the precious value of each human life, regardless of faith or background, and the special human duty we all share to protect children in particular. There is no cause or belief system that could ever justify the harming of innocent children.
‘In upholding the constitutionality inscribed principle of free speech, we celebrate the diversity in being and belief which shapes discourse that is compassionate and welcoming of difference.
‘We acknowledge that, as Capetonians, we hold different views and that this can place us in discomfort.
‘We recognise that we need to embrace this discomfort as an invitation to self-reflection and engagement with communities that differ from our own.
Cape {town} Etc discount: Enjoy the most worthwhile one-night stay in Cape Town with the best seaside views for R1 699 (valued at R 2 620). Get it here.
‘We call on Capetonians of all faiths to demonstrate the very best of our faith traditions and the best values of our city community, and to lean into discomfort as a practice toward – tolerance of difference, care for one another, celebration of diversity, and the rejection of those who seek to peddle hate.
‘We pray for peace in our world and between faiths, and for an immediate end to violence in the Middle East.
‘We pray especially for the peacemakers, for their bravery and wisdom, that they may reach across divides, to bring even centuries old conflicts to a peaceful and just end.’
Also read:
Update: Pro-Palestinian supporters march to police station after arrests
Picture: City of Cape Town