Witnesses of Mercy for Peace and Reconciliation

10 sing its own unique discourse, each religion shares the value of mercy. The speakers on this panel, representatives of five different world religions, have each given examples of mercy in theological and religious teaching. Each panellist has shared thoughts on mercy from their religion’s perspective using their own unique lan- guage of faith, while also looking at the challenges to mercy. Mercy as an earthly concept transcends bound- aries of class, race, religion and nationality. While it can be expressed through simple actions such as charity, a show of kindness, prayer, the inclusion of others or helping someone in need as exemplified in the parable of the Good Samaritan, it can also be incorporated into religious, societal or state institutions. Examples are the waqf in Islam, the requirement to give to charity in Sikh- ism, and the Church’s commitment to run hospitals or orphanages in Christianity. Mercy consists of positive traits that encompass humanity, such as compassion, non-violence, love, self- lessness, and respect for life. It is represented through various symbols in the different religions, sometimes in objects surprising to those outside of a specific religion, such as the sword in Sikhism. All religions are religions of mercy, and while the mercy of God or the gods is not disputed, here we discuss the mercy of human beings and the many challenges that mercy faces. Whether it be fear of consumerism, coloni- alism, imperialism, globalisation, of losing one’s identity or the added shocks of economic, environmental and political crises, terrorism or the loss of family and friends in crises, it may seem hard to think about showing mercy to others especially when it is also something that every- one desires for oneself – the removal of suffering. While it may seem natural to turn inward, towards both oneself and loved ones in times of duress, it is during these times that if one takes the opportunity to look towards his/her values, values shared within faiths THE FOUNDAT IONS OF MERCY “All religions are religions of mercy” Prof. Mohammed Abu-Nimer, KAICIID Senior Adviser U Prof. Mohammed Abu-Nimer facilitating one of the sessions held on the second day to discuss case studies of mercy for peace and reconciliation