Representatives of religious communities and spiritual leaders in Kosovo, participants in the Interfaith Dialogue Roundtable initiated by the “Drita” Foundation, on March 21 in Pristina, signed a resolution through which they commit to work together to strengthen interfaith harmony, preserve national unity, and reject extremism and violence in the name of religion.
The resolution was signed by the leaders of the main religious communities: Grand Mufti Naim Tërnava of the Islamic Community of Kosovo, Bishop Dodë Gjergji of the Diocese of Prizren-Pristina, Pastor Artur Krasniqi of the Protestant Evangelical Church of Kosovo, and Hysen Hyseni of the Jewish Community of Kosovo.
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Our Albanian people, throughout the centuries, have demonstrated their ability to live in peace, harmony, and with brotherly love. For us, interfaith coexistence and harmony are not only values inherited from our ancestors but also a fundamental pillar of our national identity, peace among us, and our shared future.
Our history shows that, to preserve this invaluable treasure, many sacrifices have been made by all. Among us, there has never been a lack of brotherly support, where Christians and Muslims have shared the joys of life, faced historical challenges, and never allowed there to be divisions among us. Instead, a deep sense of responsibility for one another, linguistic unity, cultural heritage, and joint responsibility for our common future has always been cultivated. This is the legacy of our ancestors, this is our aim today, and it must remain so for the generations to come.
Being aware that we now enjoy peace and freedom—values our ancestors never had—and aware that we must protect these values as an invaluable inter-brotherly treasure, with the desire to make them more sustainable and valuable in the dimension of peace and freedom,
Representatives of the religious communities and spiritual leaders in Kosovo, participants in the Interfaith Dialogue Roundtable initiated by the “Drita” Foundation, commit as follows:
Interfaith Harmony Under the Dimension of Peace and Freedom
We reaffirm that the peace and freedom we now enjoy are valuable for every society and an invaluable gift for every individual, which should not be violated by anyone, nor should they be vulnerable to anyone. The peace we have achieved is the result of many sacrifices and sufferings, so we will preserve and protect it with dedication, living it with understanding, trust, and open, sincere dialogue. We protect the right of every individual and religious community to practice their faith freely and without fear or limitations from anyone. We also call on all our institutions to preserve, cultivate, and strengthen these values as the spirit that keeps us united and helps us to hope together for a secure future.
Preserving Unity in Diversity
Respect for religious diversity and our ethnic, linguistic, and cultural unity are common values that should not be violated by anyone. Religion should not be used to create divisions, but to unite the sons and daughters of our shared Creator in goodness, love, and responsibility for one another. Therefore, we commit to working together to strengthen interfaith harmony, promote the values of dialogue, understanding, and peace. We will also preserve our national unity in the religious diversity we have.
Rejection of Extremism and Violence in the Name of Religion
We strongly condemn any form of extremism among us, such as: violence, verbal insults, spreading hate on social media, using religion for political purposes, or exploiting religion for the interests of particular groups or individuals who want to self-promote in our society by misinterpreting religion or historical facts. Therefore, divisive elements among us should be opposed everywhere and by anyone. Because religion is and should remain a source of peace, reconciliation, brotherhood, and harmony among people.
Dialogue – The Best Way of Cooperation
We believe that a strong and just society is built upon dialogue and cooperation among all its factors, regardless of differences. Therefore, we commit and wish to be an example of open, sincere dialogue with mutual respect. We are convinced that only in this way can we build sustainable bridges of understanding between us and create a society that respects all and does not discriminate against anyone.
A Call to Future Generations
We sincerely address all young people in our country, inviting them to protect and cultivate peace, freedom, and interfaith harmony. For peace enables you to enjoy life, freedom gives you the right to be yourself, while interfaith harmony and brotherly love among you fulfill your hopes and those of all of us. You, the youth, are the bearers of the future, we are the witnesses of the past, and together we are jointly responsible for the future. We will continue to engage and demonstrate that only through respect, love, and mutual understanding can we preserve our national unity and ensure a brighter future for all.
Commitment for a Shared Future
In this spirit, we invite everyone—believers, non-believers, ethnic minorities, and state institutions—to unite and cooperate with each other while preserving these values. We, too, will never cease offering our contribution to peace, coexistence in harmony, and respect for everyone who is different, thinks differently, or exercises their rights. Because we are committed to being part of and contributing to a just, equal, and peaceful society. Additionally, we reaffirm our commitment to respecting the Constitution of Kosovo, the laws in force, social order, and contributing to the preservation of interfaith coexistence and brotherly love as an invaluable value for all of us.
In the continuation of these efforts, we commit to meeting at least once a year in this Interfaith Dialogue Roundtable, to inspire our believers to continue living in harmony, to share experiences, and to respond to the challenges we may face.
