ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the development, process, and aftermath of the summit of religious leaders of the Holy Land that was convened in Alexandria at the beginning of 2002, initiated by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord George Carey, hosted by the Grand Imam of Al Azhar Sheikh Mohammed Sayed El Tantawi, and held under the auspices of President Mubarak of Egypt.
The Alexandria summit and declaration, as well as its “offspring” the Council of the Religious Institutions of the Holy Land, are described as highlighting the potential and generally neglected role of religion and religious leadership in conflict resolution, especially where the conflict involves “intangibles” (as well as practical territorial issues) related to identity and religious cultural heritage.
These factors not only underpin the self-understanding of the conflict’s protagonists but are also used and abused to diminish the legitimacy of the other.
Accordingly, this chapter argues for the engagement and involvement of religious leaders to support peace processes, and that the overwhelming tendency of western political and diplomatic agencies involved in such initiatives in the Middle East to avoid religion and religious actors, actually undermines their efforts.
