Via EJP:
Over 50 Muslim and Jewish leaders from across Europe are to discuss initiatives to improve and deepen the sometimes tense relations between the two communities, at a one-day gathering in Brussels on Monday.
The meeting is co-organized by The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and the World Jewish Congress (WJC). Rabbi Marc Schneier serves as president of the Foundation and as WJC vice president.
It is sponsored by the European Jewish Fund and the European Jewish Congress (EJC).
Senior representatives of both faiths from Austria, Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States are expected to attend.
The initiative is aimed at improving Muslim-Jewish relations by bringing together local lay and religious leaders who have already been involved in inter-faith dialogue.
The Jewish and Muslim leaders will be received at the European Union Commission and European Council where a delegation will meet with EU President President Herman Van Rompuy to whom a joint declaration will be presented.
"Fostering good relations between Muslims and Jews in Europe is critical if we want to offer the next generation a better future here," Rabbi Schneier said, adding: "And let’s not forget that these two religious minorities not only face common challenges – in the form of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, for example – they are also part of the European fabric of the 21st century."
(source)
