[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 21 (Wednesday, March 2, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 2, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       THE BOSPHORUS DECLARATION

                                 ______


                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 2, 1994

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, the events of recent days and weeks in 
former Yugoslavia obviously command the concern of us all. For this 
reason, Members will read with interest a resolution, ``The Bosphorus 
Declaration,'' adopted on February 9, 1994, by a group of leaders of 
various religious faiths--Christian, Jewish, and Moslem--who met from 
February 7 to 9 in Istanbul, Turkey.
  The International Conference on Peace and Tolerance was cohosted by 
His All Holiness Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Patriarch, and Rabbi 
Arthur Schneier, president of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation.
  The text of ``The Bosphorus Declaration'' follows:

                       The Bosphorus Declaration

       I. The participants in the Conference of Peace and 
     Tolerance wish to thank the Government of Turkey for the 
     courteous hospitality it has extended to us and opportunity 
     to pursue our deliberations on the vital issues of peace and 
     tolerance.
       The conference wishes to recognize the contributions of 
     President Clinton, President Demirel, Secretary General 
     Boutros Boutros-Ghali, and all the other religious and 
     political leaders who have sent messages of support.
       In this declaration we wish specifically to refer to the 
     Berne Declaration of November 26, 1992, which has given us a 
     foundation on which to build. That declaration specifically 
     states that ``a crime committed in the name of religion is a 
     crime against religion.''
       Since November 26, 1992 we have seen many crimes committed 
     in the name of religion and we, the Conference participants, 
     wish to speak out vigorously against them. As recent events 
     have shown, the crimes against humanity continue in Bosnia, 
     in Armenia/Azerbaijan, Georgia and Tajikistan. The cruelties 
     have continued unchecked and we demand an end to this 
     brutality.
       We, the undersigned, reject any attempt to corrupt the 
     basic tenets of our faith by means of false intrepretation 
     and unchecked nationalism. We stand firmly against those who 
     violate the sanctity of human life and pursue policies in 
     defiance of moral values. We reject the concept that it is 
     possible to justify one's actions in any armed conflict in 
     the name of God.
       We wish to emphatically remind all the faithful that the 
     scriptures of all three monotheistic religions specifically 
     speak of peace as a supreme value. ``Blessed are the peace 
     makers, for they will be called children of God.'' ``Allah 
     summoneth to the abode of peace.'' ``His ways are the ways of 
     peace.''


          the war in former yugoslavia is not a religious war

       II. We reiterate that the war in former Yugoslavia is not a 
     religious war and that appeals and exploitations of religious 
     symbols to further the cause of aggressive nationalism are a 
     betrayal of the university of religious faith. We emphasize 
     the imperative of freedom of conscience and freedom of 
     religion of every minority. We call for an end to the 
     confiscation, desecration, and destruction of houses of 
     worship and of holy and sacred places of whatever religious 
     tradition. We totally abhor and condemn ethnic cleansing and 
     the rape and murder of women and children. We demand the 
     removal of obstacles that prevent humanitarian assistance 
     from reaching those who are suffering.
       We condemn the use of force in countries of the former 
     Soviet Union. The conflicts in Georgia, Armenia/Azerbaijan, 
     and Tadjikistan must be concluded immediately and solutions 
     of the outstanding issues must be found by other means.
       We recognize that all who are suffering are victims, but 
     single out specifically the most tragic and innocent victims 
     who are the children.


                        help suffering children

       III. We ask our religious communities to embrace children 
     from the areas of conflict in God's love and to extend all 
     possible assistance to the suffering children, to help them 
     to find spiritual, psychological, and physical healing. We 
     cannot emphasize enough that spiritual nourishment is a 
     paramount requirement; Religious communities must be 
     supported. We also recognize that all the countries suffering 
     from conflict have had a long, dark period of communism where 
     there was little or no spiritual education. We urge all 
     faiths to redouble their efforts for spiritual guidance for 
     those who were deprived.
       We wish to recognize also that tension exists within faiths 
     and urge the leaderships of those faiths to bring about 
     peaceful resolutions to the issues which divide them.


                            assist refugees

       IV. The conference participants, as all others who have 
     followed these tragic conflicts, observe with horror the 
     forced migrations of refugees. Millions have experienced or 
     are threatened by forcible displacement. Therefore, we call 
     upon all religious faiths to speak out clearly and 
     consistently against these actions. We condemn those who 
     uproot families from their homes, tear children from their 
     parents, divide husband and wife in the name of false 
     nationalisms. We expect all religious leaders to stand fast 
     in the protection by all those threatened by involuntary 
     migration, whatever their religious beliefs or ethnic 
     backgrounds. We demand that all refugees who have left their 
     home involuntarily be permitted to return with dignity and 
     honor; that the religious communities strengthen their 
     institutions to receive, assist, and protect refugees of 
     whatever faith; that religious and lay relief agencies 
     develop procedures to coordinate their efforts. As long as 
     the conflicts continue we urge all countries to extend 
     temporary asylum to victims, while granting opportunity for 
     refugee status to those who truly seek it; to increase 
     resources for relief; and to work with all who are of good 
     faith for the cessation of hostilities.
       V. The participants in the Conference on Peace and 
     Tolerance have agreed unanimously to utterly condemn war and 
     armed conflict; to demand that no hostile acts are 
     perpetrated upon any peaceful group or region in the name of 
     a religious faith; to demand the initiation of constructive 
     dialogues to solve outstanding issues between those of 
     different faiths; and to demand the right to practice one's 
     religion in freedom and with dignity.


                          stop wanton killing

       VI. We have deliberated carefully and are in agreement that 
     the wanton killing must stop; that those who continue to 
     perpetrate such heinous acts are criminals and that, although 
     we have no weapons of war and no armies for combat, we have a 
     greater strength--the strength of spiritual might. We totally 
     condemn those who commit the brutalities, the killings, the 
     rapes, mutilations, forcible displacement, and inhuman 
     beatings.
       VII. We, the conference participants, have decided to 
     establish an Appeal of Conscience Conflict Resolution 
     Commission, to deal with ethnic conflicts. This Commission 
     will be made up of representatives from all of the faiths and 
     from all of the countries represented at this conference. The 
     AC Conflict Resolution Commission will be responsible to 
     inform Commission members and recommend ways and means to 
     deal with the scourge of extreme nationalism and ethnic 
     conflict.
         Rabbi Arthur Schneier, President, Appeal of Conscience 
           Foundation; His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch 
           Bartholomew I; His Eminence Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz, 
           President of the Office of Religous Affairs of the 
           Republic of Turkey; His Eminence Cardinal Roger 
           Etchegaray, President of the Pontifical Council on 
           Peace and Justice and Cor Unum, Particpants in the 
           Conference on Peace and Tolerance.

                          ____________________