Throughout history, religions have represented for millions of people a source of meaning, moral guidance, and spiritual elevation. They were born to accompany human beings in the pursuit of good, justice, and coexistence, not to fuel hatred or legitimize conflict. For this reason, it must be stated clearly that no religion, in its authentic essence, can be used to encourage confrontation among believers or to justify intolerance toward those who profess a different faith.
The reading of sacred texts can indeed give rise to different interpretations. However, such interpretations must always remain within clear ethical and spiritual boundaries. God, the Creator, has never set one human being against another in the name of hatred, contempt, or violence. He has never called upon people to fight one another solely because of religious difference. At the root of humanity there is a common origin, a bond that unites all men and women beyond historical, cultural, and spiritual differences. This principle should be the foundation of every serious and responsible religious reflection.
Today, however, we witness tensions and conflicts that are presented as religious, but in reality have very little to do with faith. More and more often, these conflicts are provoked by individuals who claim to belong to a creed without possessing any spiritual or moral authority. In most cases, these are secular actors who use religious language as a tool of mobilization, covering political and economic agendas driven by material interests and the pursuit of power.
In this context, the President of the European Muslims League, Alfredo Maiolese, stated:
“Religions were not born to divide humanity, but to remind it of its common origin and of shared responsibility. When faith is used to justify hatred or violence, we are not facing God, but the manipulation of religion for interests that have nothing spiritual about them.”
This instrumentalization of religion not only betrays the original message of the sacred texts, but also generates deep fractures within societies, fueling fear, suspicion, and radicalization. Communities of faith, on the contrary, should be places of reconciliation, education in responsibility, and mutual respect. It is the duty of believers, religious leaders, and organizations engaged in interreligious dialogue to expose these distortions and to reaffirm the value of religion as a bridge between people, not as a wall.
The European Muslims League believes that dialogue, mutual understanding, and the clear rejection of any form of violence committed in the name of God are today more than ever a moral and civic duty. Defending the dignity of faith also means preventing it from being used as a pretext to divide, dominate, or enrich oneself. Religions, when lived in their authenticity, can and must be a force for peace, capable of reminding humanity of its common origin and its shared responsibility for the future.
Religions Must Never Encourage Confrontation Among Believers
