Click on the names below the photos for the bios
Introduction
On September 3, 2026, UPF Europe and Middle East, together with the Interreligious Association for Peace and Development (IAPD), convened an international webinar titled “Peace in the Middle East: The Contribution of Religions.” The speakers addressed the urgent necessity of track-two diplomacy and religious peacebuilding in light of ongoing regional conflicts. Recognizing that formal political mechanisms often fail to address deep-seated human and social wounds, four distinguished religious leaders and scholars gathered to evaluate how faith traditions can cultivate moral responsibility, prevent dehumanization, foster forgiveness, and establish solid foundations for sustainable peace.
Mr. Jacques MarionModerator: Mr. Jacques Marion, President, UPF Europe & Middle East
Mr. Jacques Marion opened the webinar by addressing the severe human cost of the ongoing Middle East conflicts. Emphasizing that political negotiations alone cannot secure lasting peace, he called for complementary track-two diplomacy. He prompted the panelists to explore how religions and faith leaders can provide unique moral guidance, foster trust, enable forgiveness, and drive tangible interreligious progress toward regional reconciliation.
Dr. Androniki BarlaDr. Androniki Barla, Orthodox theologian and canon lawyer, Austria
Dr. Androniki Barla asserted that religion cannot achieve peace merely by preaching romantic ideals, but by shaping human conscience before politics dictates decisions. She warned against using faith to legitimize fear, violence, and sacred political agendas. Religion's primary task is resisting the psychological dehumanization of adversaries and affirming universal human dignity unconditionally. Crucially, communities must stop using historical trauma as permanent moral exemption; while suffering explains actions, it never justifies atrocities. Peace demands genuine justice without becoming revenge, combined with moral consistency—applying a single standard that unconditionally condemns civilian killings, terrorism, anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim hatred, and racism regardless of perpetrator or victim. Practical leadership requires religious figures (i) to guard language against incitement, (ii) to foster human encounters across divides, and (iii) to display the moral courage to challenge their own constituencies, proving that memory need not turn into hatred nor security require another's insecurity.
Read Dr. Androniki Barla's full intervention
Dr. Mohammad HabashDr. Mohammad Habash, Chairman, Human Fraternity Center; Associate Professor, Abu Dhabi University, UAE
Note: Dr Habash reported on a recent conference in Syria, where the challenge is to overcome decades of resentment: “On August 18th we successfully organized an important conference in Damascus on ‘Civil Peace and National Fraternity’. It was sponsored by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, with the participation of 150 Syrian leaders, including representatives from ministries and 20 members of the Syrian People’s Assembly.”
Dr. Mohammad Habash highlighted religion's dual potential to incite conflict or build peace, emphasizing that sacred texts across traditions contain multiple interpretations. Reflecting on Syria’s tragic conflict—which claimed over 600,000 lives and displaced millions under authoritarian rule—he noted that while fighters ended the revolution, establishing a stable state requires a profound shift from hatred to reconciliation. Through the Human Fraternity Center’s peace initiative in Damascus, religious leaders from all eighteen Syrian denominations gathered to champion mercy and forgiveness. He introduced the "Stand of Reality" initiative featuring three levels: the Stand of Dignity for uninvolved citizens, the Stand of Apology for non-violent supporters of the previous regime, and the Stand of Recognition for wrongdoers seeking legal grace. Grounded in Islamic principles and prophetic precedent, Dr. Habash stressed that while legal justice belongs to courts, religious leaders bear the vital duty of preaching forgiveness and hope.
Read the full transcription of Dr. Mohammad Habash's intervention
Dr. Afsar RathorDr. Afsar Rathor, Vice President, Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations; former UN diplomat
Drawing on 30 years of UN peacekeeping experience in conflict zones including Bosnia, Rwanda, Angola, and Mozambique, Dr. Afsar Rathor emphasized that peace is created when people see each other differently. Recalling wisdom from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, he argued that faith must be mobilized to unite communities when political dialogue stalls. While religion cannot replace formal diplomacy, international law, or state negotiations, it offers essential moral authority, grassroots networks, and societal trust. Faith leaders must humanize adversaries, counter religious manipulation, act as trusted bridge-builders, and foster reconciliation. Citing interfaith contributions in Angola and recent diplomatic facilitation in Islamabad, Dr. Rathor urged a transition from symbolic declarations to concrete interfaith action. Practical joint initiatives—such as combined community visits, youth anti-hate programs, and permanent regional early-warning networks—can prepare the ground for lasting peace, demonstrating that while politics negotiates treaties, only people make peace sustainable.
Read the full transcription of Dr. Afsar Rathor's intervention
Father Joseph SaghbiniFather Joseph Saghbini, Archimandrite of the Greek Melkite Catholic Church, Lebanon
Father Joseph Saghbini emphasized the grave responsibility of religious leaders whose words carry power to move people toward either war or peace. In the Middle East, where faith is deeply woven into identity and politics, leaders must oppose political manipulation and selective scripture readings that fuel nationalism and hatred. Calling leaders to be "artisans of peace," he advocated for purifying curricula, establishing permanent interreligious councils, protecting human rights, and engaging youth before stereotypes harden. Living in multi-confessional South Lebanon, he attested to daily Christian-Muslim coexistence, noting that true living together requires respecting pluralism without coercion or demanding the other's disappearance. Faith must promote tolerance, forgiveness, and humanitarian solidarity. Ultimately, changing minds and hearts at the grassroots transforms communities and states. Peace becomes possible when justice supersedes humiliation, forgiveness proves stronger than vengeance, and religious leaders cultivate conscience rather than fear.
Read Father Joseph Saghbini's full intervention
Q&A Session
During the Q&A moderated by Mr. Jacques Marion, panelists explored practical mechanisms for interreligious peacebuilding. Dr. Barla highlighted track-two diplomacy's role in enforcing a single moral standard through careful language and self-criticism. Dr. Habash addressed the tension between justice and forgiveness, arguing that while victims retain rights to legal redress, religious leaders must promote reconciliation to break cycles of revenge. Dr. Rathor illustrated how grassroots interfaith councils successfully mitigated conflict in Liberia and Rwanda, advocating for tailored regional mechanisms across the Middle East. Father Saghbini detailed Lebanon's existing interreligious structures and daily Christian-Muslim collaboration, emphasizing "living together" over mere coexistence. In final reflections, speakers urged establishing permanent local interfaith peace councils, separating faith from political exploitation, supporting grassroots peace initiatives, and supporting a two-state solution guaranteeing dignity, freedom, and human rights for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Mr. David Fraser HarrisClosing Remarks: Mr. David Fraser Harris, Secretary General, UPF Middle East and North Africa
In his closing remarks, Mr. David Fraser Harris expressed profound gratitude to the panelists, praising their concrete vision as embodiments of UPF’s founding principles. Reflecting on UPF founder Sun Myung Moon’s legacy—including his 1990 Cairo address and proposals for an interreligious council at the UN—he emphasized that global peace depends on harmonizing political statesmanship with religious wisdom. Reframing the theme as "the contribution of Middle East religions to world peace," he cited historical milestones like the Amman Message, A Common Word, World Interfaith Harmony Week, and the Human Fraternity Document, affirming that light and hope endure amidst regional suffering.
Read Mr. David Fraser Harris' closing remarks