“An Open Letter To The Religious Leadership Of The Holy Land, And The World”
Sheikh Ghassan Manasra
You know that God chose all of us – Imams, Rabbis, Priests, Clergy – to be part of God’s ways through our thoughts and through our actions. We need to serve God by serving people, because we know that God is in the hearts of His people, and that our connection with God will begin by connecting with the people with their hearts.
All of our work as clergy must be to serve people in every place and in every level. We need to begin with education – right education, and righteous education – to let each person know about his or her religion, and also to know the other religions as they are. This education must help them to know you as a human being and can help you to know them as a human being – because God’s message to all of us as human beings is to know each other.
The verse of the Qu’ran says – “All people We created you from male and female, and We have made you nations and clans to know one another.” It is God’s Will to for us to have deep internal and external knowledge of each other, to truly know one another, and through each other to know ourselves, and to know God – this knowledge is the center of our life. Through this knowledge we can create a new era and teach a new generation; then we will have a future that can hold and realize all of our dreams.
Something else for the religious leadership – keep working on the way of God and the way of your pure religion, don’t follow those who create separation and distrust – these things can corrupt and crush the house of God within each of us. Many politicians would like to serve their own interest – but you, as religious leadership – you need to serve your God-interest, and that God-interest is to create a very good human being amongst all of the other creations of the world, and it is God’s interest for you to serve the upliftment of all humankind.
My fellow religious leaders – it is such a privilege to speak to and teach the people in your mosques, churches, and temples, and to pass on wisdom, scripture, and knowledge. You have been given the gift of passing on part of your knowledge that you received from God, to lead people to the right path and the right way – but you as moral and religious leaders must be responsible for what you are teaching and what you are talking about, because the word is like a jewel – and you must place each jewel in the right place within the hearts of your congregation.
I have been receiving lots of emails and messages from people all around the world, and especially from the Holy Land, that express worry about the tense and violent situation in the Holy Land and the Middle East – they want to know what to do and what we can do together to stop these very bad waves that cover over all of us, not only in the Holy Land, but over the whole world.
I say to these people – open your hearts – make your house very wide, to include all of the Other – don’t only give them a place outside of you, but give them a place within your very heart. Then, educate your children and your congregations – give them a very good education, so that they might know the others as parts of themselves. I must encourage you to connect with other peaceful people, to share your ways and your paths, and to become a huge number of people – then you can influence the politicians and the leadership in all of your countries all around the world – then you can change the situation. But – move – don’t get stuck, and don’t sleep – be powerful and encourage people, and if you’ll be like this, you’ll succeed for all of us. Don’t wait for the others but take yourself in your hands and go, make the first step.
May Peace be upon you,
Sheikh Ghassan Manasra
