Letter:Forum for religious dialogue

Sir: Robert Fisk ("Burying the Crusader's sword", 1 August) writes that the "American-Israeli 'peace process' " is finally crumbling into dust in the aftermath of the Likud election victory yet he cannot be unaware of the recent meeting between President Mubarak of Egypt and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel which left the Egyptian leader confident that the peace process would go on. Nor can he be unaware of today's meeting in Amman between King Hussein and Mr Netanyahu, nor reports of a meeting between them here in the UK a week ago.

He is right, however, to denounce the language of hatred which characterises so many exchanges between the parties in what might properly be described as religious conflicts. I am happy to tell him, and to share with your readers, that the International Council of Christians and Jews has established and is fostering an "Abrahamic Forum" - Christians, Jews and Muslims - with the declared purpose of facilitating contacts, dialogue and co-operation on equal terms between Christians, Jews and Muslims who in terms of their respective scriptures and traditions all trace the origins of their faiths to Abraham and are committed to developing attitudes of mutual respect and acceptance of one another in full acknowledgement of their religious and other differences.

This is no pie-in-the-sky project. The dialogue is taking place and is being pursued on all sides. Last month, at the annual consultation of the International Council of Christians and Jews in Mainz, Muslim delegates were present at the invitation of the ICCJ's young leadership.

Sir SIGMUND STERNBERG

Chairman - Executive Committee

International Council of

Christians and Jews

The Sternberg Centre

for Judaism

London N3