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CENTER UPDATE

“Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only
thing that ever has.”
- Margaret Mead

Vol. X No. 3 Fall 2010

FROM THE DIRECTOR every week as, for example, many houses of worship do.
While you are free to donate to the Center at any time -
either by mail or online - it is this one time of the year
A question that frequently is asked at our that allows you to plan your annual gifts and to positively
lectures and seminars is “how can we not have religious- support our unique cause. As you know, the Center exists
based conflict when there are so many different religions and functions only because of people like you. Without
in the world and when many of them have as their basic your support, we cease to function.
dogma that their religion is the only correct religion?”.
This is certainly a fair concern. And, it is clear that any What do we do with your donations? What we
time anyone or any religion states that “we are right and do not do is pay salaries or other compensation to our
anyone who doesn’t agree with us is wrong” the potential Trustees, Officers and other staff. We are all volunteers.
for conflict is there. Thus, the question: why are there so Likewise, we have no professional fund solicitors. So, if
many conflicting religions? This is because the peculiar your donation is to our Operational Fund, you can rest
tendencies with which a person is born must remain with assured that ALL of the money you donate goes directly
him, and, in most cases he is destined to follow the for the purpose intended, namely for the Center to
tendencies peculiar to himself. Thus the chief reason why perform its work of publicizing the problem of religious-
there are many religions in the world. So, people with based conflict to the world, explaining its causes as well
different tendencies will have different cosmic views - as the terrible costs to all - even to those not directly
each following those tendencies peculiar to himself - affected - and offering the way forward, past what has
necessitating more than one religion on our planet. How been, until now, the so-called solution of tolerance. We
do we get around this? How do we avoid - or at least, show how to go beyond tolerance and why.
reduce the potential for such conflict that this brings?
There is only one way of which we are aware at present - Your support not only pays the normal, day-to-
the Center way - education, beginning at home, teaching day bills of rent, utilities, office supplies, maintenance,
children to de-emphasize religious differences while etc., it also allows us to publicize our work via the various
learning to find those common threads of similarity which media, to give lectures, to attend conferences as speakers
all religions have (see our new Brochure, Common or panel members. As we go forward, it will among other
Thread Number One). Though this is long-term it is things, assist in bringing in research and technical
necessary if we are to reduce religious-based conflict. As experts, hire qualified staff, develop a more advanced
far as we are aware, there are no practical short-term website, as well as travel for research and investigation,
measures which can accomplish this. all to better bring our important message to the world.
___________ ! On the other hand, should you desire to donate
to our Endowment Fund, such donation will provide
longer term financial security and certainty to the Center.
ITS THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN In accordance with accepted and standard norms, the
monies from the principal of our Endowment Fund
Yes, it is that time of the year when we ask you cannot be spent, only any proceeds (i.e. interest,
to help us continue with our urgent work - to support the dividends, etc.) can be used for operational purposes.
Center by making a gift of your choice. As regular Thus, in this case such donation provides the building
readers know, we make this request only once a year, not block for financial credibility and permanency.

So, please help us with our efforts to reduce for both the Roman Catholics and the Protestants. It
marks the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690
religious-based conflict. Make your tax-deductible
which commemorates the victory of Protestant King
donation to the Center today. And be sure to designate
William of Orange over the army of Catholic King James
whether you want your donation to go to the Operational
II. Even though there was a “peace agreement” between
or Endowment Fund. Thank you! ! !  the two rivals in March, 2007, the violence persists -
especially every June 12th. This year was no exception.

The violence in working-class Catholic parts of


Belfast and other towns came both before and after tens
Terry O. Trowbridge
of thousands of Protestants of the Orange Order
brotherhood marched at 18 locations across Northern
Ireland in an annual show of communal strength. It was
HOTSPOTS the worst rioting in Belfast since the same event exactly
one year ago.

Iran Politicians and police commanders said the


rioters, influenced by Irish Republican Army dissidents
Seven Baha’i leaders faced the final hearing of opposed to compromise, were chiefly motivated to attack
their trial in Iran which began on January 12th last with the police themselves. IRA dissidents have focused in
the final hearing taking place on this past June 14th. They recent months on trying to lure police into ambushes,
had been charged with espionage, propaganda activities until now with little success.
against the Islamic order, and “corruption on earth”,
among other allegations. The Iranian government The Northern Ireland police commander, Chief
considers Baha'is to be apostates from Islam and bars Constable Matt Baggott, released video of Monday's
them from openly practicing their faith. Baha'is have rioting in two parts of Belfast captured by surveillance
faced discrimination in higher education and many areas helicopters. The footage showed hundreds of masked
of employment. Since the establishment of the Islamic teens and young men swarming and pummeling police
Republic in 1979, security forces have arbitrarily arrested armored vehicles and swinging clubs at ranks of shield-
and detained hundreds of Baha'is on purported national wielding police while the officers stood their ground or
security charges. retreated slowly. ! ! ! ! 

The conclusion of this trial coincided with the


first anniversary of the country’s contested presidential
election. Though there has been much secrecy, the judge, POTPOURRI
Judge Mohammed Moghiseh, has apparently sentenced (What you may not have read or heard in the news)
each of the defendants to 20 years in prison. The United
Nations’ Office of the Baha'i International Community in
Geneva reported that on August 9 authorities transferred Malmö
the seven from Evin to Raja'i Shahr (also known as
Gohardasht), a prison 20 kilometers west of Tehran.
Marcus Eilenberg is a Swedish Jew whose
family roots in Malmö run deep. His paternal
Before their imprisonment, Fariba Kamalabadi, grandparents were Holocaust survivors who found shelter
Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, in this southern Swedish city in 1945. His wife's parents
Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm fled to Sweden from communist Poland in the 1960s.
attended to the spiritual and social needs of Iran’s Baha’i Now the 32-year-old law firm associate feels the welcome
community, which numbers more than 300,000. for Jews is running out, and he is moving to Israel with
his wife and two children in May. He says he knows at
least 15 other Jews who are leaving for a similar reason.
Northern Ireland

July 12 is an important day in Northern Ireland - ➔


That reason, he says, is a rise in hate crimes problem of religious-based conflict and show how it
affects all of us - either directly or indirectly; either
against Jews in Malmö, and a sense that local authorities
physically or financially - and in many instances, both.
have little desire to deal with a problem that has exposed
We then educate by offering an approach towards its
a crack in Sweden's image as a bastion of tolerance and a
reduction not heretofore recognized, showing how we
haven for distressed ethnic groups. Anti-Semitic crimes
must go beyond tolerance, the current mantra for its so-
in Europe have usually been associated with the far right,
called resolution, if we are to succeed. We describe this
but Shneur Kesselman, an Orthodox rabbi, says the threat
step in practical, realistic, not altruistic, terms.
in Sweden now comes from Moslems. "In the past five
years I've been here, I think you can count on your hand
how many incidents there have been from the extreme The Center does not purport to be able to resolve
right," he said. "In my personal experience, it's 99 percent this problem; rather we show how the people and their
Moslems." ! ! ! ! !  governments can approach it and eventually cause change
in the direction of its reduction. Since humans are
imperfect, we cannot expect to totally resolve the problem
COSTS of religious-based conflict, but we can, through this
method, substantially reduce it - to at least manageable
proportions.
As those of you who periodically visit our
website know, we have a digital counter there which
shows the financial costs of the Iraq/Afghan conflicts to You can help reduce religious-based conflict in
the United States alone as they occur; and are conflicts the world – probably more than you think you can. Even
which are listed as two of our Hotspots of religious-based though individuals have limited power when acting alone,
conflict. In the Afghanistan conflict, the USA alone when they act as part of a group with a common purpose,
spends more than $250 billion a year including military this power increases geometrically. By supporting the
costs and civilian aid. While this figure, which changes Center – morally, actively or financially, you do just that
by the second, may not be 100% accurate, and while – have more impact. For those of you who provide your
some may disagree with its totals or the way they are moral support, we thank you. For those who either as
calculated, it is fair to say that the figure is an astonishing formal Volunteers or as individuals discuss with others
one and certainly, in general, adequately reflects the costs the Center’s work, we cannot be more appreciative. For
to the United States alone of this one out of many those who have the financial means and make charitable
conflicts. As of September 1st,, 2010 this cumulative cost contributions, we are forever grateful to you.
to the United States alone was more than $743 billion, up
from $714 billion in April, 2010.  Our cause is unique. Our message is spreading
daily to more and more people and governments
throughout the world. Our work continues to receive
praise from those who know of it.
ABOUT THE CENTER
But we must reach more people and more
What the Center, as a totally independent governments in order to increase our impact. And in this
institution, does is unique. No other such organization process, we must not only publicize the problem of
has as its sole goal the reduction of religious-based religious-based conflict, as well as its astonishing and
conflict through a practical and specific approach which growing costs to us all; but we must also explain why
goes beyond tolerance. We believe this problem is larger tolerance is not the answer to this problem. And, finally,
than religions themselves, not within their total control, we are leading the way towards educating the people and
and cannot be solved by them alone. They need our help. their governments, showing them how to attain this goal
Non-believers and governments alike must work to with a practical and realistic plan.
support them in this effort.
This, in brief, describes who we are and how we
In this respect, the Center’s primary mission is work to achieve the crucial goal of reducing religious-
education. To educate, we must first publicize the based conflict in the world. 


Yes, I want to support the Center!

To donate now to either the Center’s Operational Fund or to its Endowment Fund account
using your credit card or online bank check, click

HERE

Center For Reduction of Religious-Based Conflict


649 Fifth Avenue South, Suite 201
Naples, Florida 34102, USA
Telephone: (239) 821-4850
Email: CenterRel@center2000.org

30-09/10

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