[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 79 (Wednesday, June 17, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1149-E1150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      INTER-FAITH EFFORT TO BUILD PEACE IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 17, 1998

  Mr. GILMAN Mr. Speaker, on May 21, 1998, along with several members 
of the Congress, we had the opportunity to participate in a historic 
visit to the Capitol of the leaders of the four major faiths of Bosnia 
and Herzegovina. I ask that my opening remarks at that meeting, along 
with those of Rabbi Arthur Schneier, be included in the Record. Rabbi 
Schneier is the President of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation which 
has won international recognition for its excellent work in promoting 
inter-faith reconciliation, tolerance and religious freedom around the 
world. The Appeal of Conscience Foundation has been extensively 
involved in working to rebuild peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

  Welcoming Remarks by Representative Benjamin A. Gilman Meeting with 
       Religious Leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina, May 21, 1998

       It is a pleasure to welcome the leaders of the four major 
     religions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. His Eminence Cardinal 
     Vinko Pulic, Archbishop of Sarajevo, His Eminence Dr. Mustafa 
     Ceric, leader of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and 
     Herzegovina, His Eminence Metropolitan Nikolaj Mrdja, Head of 
     the Orthodox Church of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Dr. Jacob 
     Finci, President of the Jewish Community of Bosnia and 
     Herzegovina are visiting the United States as part of an 
     initiative by the Appeal of Conscience Foundation to promote 
     reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
       Your efforts are to be applauded. The fact that you have 
     together agreed to visit the United States to demonstrate 
     your sincere interest in healing Bosnia is noteworthy and 
     highly encouraging. As you may know, many in the Congress, 
     myself included, were not very enthusiastic about the 
     deployment of American troops as peacekeepers in Bosnia. We 
     have been skeptical about whether the aim of the Dayton Peace 
     Plan to reconstruct a multi-ethnic society in Bosnia and 
     Herzegovina was achievable in a realistic period of time. We 
     have been heartened, however over the past year that there 
     have been new developments that show that the people of 
     Bosnia do truly want to live in peace with one another, to 
     reconstruct the devastated economy and resume normal lives.
       During 1998 we will be looking very carefully at two 
     issues: one being the return of refugees and particularly 
     minority returns, and the second being the results of the 
     elections scheduled for September. With regard to refugee 
     returns, we expect there to be significant progress with 
     large numbers of people returning to Bosnia, and, if they so 
     choose, to their original homes. With regards to elections, 
     we want to see continued progress on electing new leaders who 
     advocate the aims of the Dayton Plan, and are not associated 
     with the strident nationalist policies advocated by leaders 
     during the war. Your visit is significant for us and we wish 
     you success in all your efforts to promote our mutual 
     objective of restoring peace and stability to all the people 
     of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

   Remarks by Rabbi Arthur Schneier, President, Appeal of Conscience 
        Foundation, to the House International Affairs Committee

       Chairman Gilman and members of the House International 
     Affairs Committee.
       I appreciate the warm welcome you have given to the top 
     religious leaders of the Catholic, Islamic, Serbian Orthodox 
     and Jewish Communities of Bosnia and Herzegovina who are the 
     guests of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation. I invited them 
     to the United States so that for the first time together they 
     would experience democratic institutions and pluralism in 
     America.
       Today's meeting in the United States Congress and with 
     Secretary of State Madeleine Albright encourages them to help 
     pursue peace, tolerance and reconciliation in Bosnia and 
     Herzegovina.
       In an effort to end the bloodshed in the former Yugoslavia 
     in 1992, under the auspices of the Appeal of Conscience 
     Foundation I brought together at a conference in Bern, 
     Switzerland the top religious leaders of the Catholic, 
     Islamic and Serbian Orthodox communities from the former 
     Yugoslavia to take a united stand against the war. (Cardinal 
     Puljic, who was then an Archbishop, is here with us today 
     participated in the Bern conference). To further this 
     objective the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and I co-
     sponsored in 1994, the Peace and Tolerance Conference in 
     Istanbul, where the Bosphorous Declaration was adopted; and 
     in 1995 I brought together religious leaders for the Conflict 
     Resolution Conference leading to the adoption of the Vienna 
     Declaration, a prelude to the Dayton Peace Accord.
       Today in Washington, DC, the capital of the free world, 
     these religious leaders in a

[[Page E1150]]

     joint declaration with the Appeal of Conscience Foundation 
     have reaffirmed their commitment to building a multi-ethnic, 
     multi-religious and multi-cultural society in Bosnia and 
     Herzegovina. We in turn pledge them our support in 
     strengthening their courageous stand for peace and tolerance 
     in their country.
       It remains our challenge to help disseminate to the widest 
     possible audience their message of `live and let live'. The 
     Dayton Peace Accord signed by political leaders requires 
     implementation by the people. To this effect the top 
     religious leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, united in the 
     newly created Inter-Religious Council of Sarajevo can make an 
     invaluable contribution.

     

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