“There is a need for cross-alliances between moderate and tolerant forces in religions to avoid that the extremist forces continue to think that the Truth can only be imposed with violence, and that the Truth will be revealed in its fullness at the end of times.” These are the words of the Rabbi of Florence Joseph Levi at the panel “Terror in the name of Religion Challenges Believers” at the International Meeting “The Courage to Hope” organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio.

This alliance is essential because, so continued the Rabbi, “the passed decades the interreligious dialogue has made clear that we are all vulnerable”. We need to “convince the terrorists that humanity proceeds only by listening and loving, and not with hate and violence, and terrorist should look in the face those they are about to hit”.

“Levi concluded: “It has taken Christians and Jews 2000 years to start to understand each other and to start a dialogue. Together we should help Muslims to overcome internal divisions in their religious world”.