While all Australians are engaged in debates on the balance between civil liberties and the
necessity to properly protect all of us from the threat of terrorism, Australia’s Christians,
Muslims and Jews have the opportunity and responsibility to work together to strengthen the
ethical foundations of Australia, participants in a recent meeting of the Australian National
Dialogue of Christians, Muslims & Jews (ANDCMJ) concluded.
The ANDCMJ expressed strong support for the "Peace and Harmony Conference", organized by
the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils last weekend and its aim of strengthening essential
moral and social tenets of Australian society.
At the meeting at the Great Synagogue, Sydney, the representatives of the Australian Federation
of Islamic Councils (AFIC), the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) and The
Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), offered their support to all serious initiatives to
breakdown racial and religious stereotypes and to strengthen Australian defenses against
terrorism and religious fanaticism.
The Dialogue paid particular attention to the way in which Islam, Judaism and Christianity
understand the term ‘martyr’.
“All true religion teaches you how to live well. That can include learning how to die well, in the
cause of the basic tenets of faith, but it does not include planning to kill others especially
innocent persons by killing oneself. Religion gives no mandate to that. There can be no
justification for such actions and any attempt at this is the warped outcome of twisted reasoning,
and although some try to justify it through circumstances, it is never right”, Amjad Mehboob,
leader of the AFIC delegation stressed.
John Henderson, General Secretary of the NCCA added, “The history of religious martyrs is a
long and honoured one, but it remains controversial. Martyrs are inspirational examples of
people who live out what they believe whatever the personal cost. Their emphasis is on living,
not dying. Martyrdom is not a cult of death, and it does not support the view that somehow
killing oneself, and taking others with you, is a short cut to paradise. When people take such a
step they separate themselves from their faith, and the effect is the opposite of what they intend”.
On behalf of the ECAJ representatives, Jeremy Jones concluded, “Genuine martyrs do not
choose martyrdom. Martyrs are people who, by living out what they believe, suffer
consequences at the hands of others which can include their own death. They do not choose
death as a means of justice, revenge, or as a weapon to destroy others”.

The dialogue partners identified the following important principles:
· Accountability to God for all our actions
· The centrality and truth of religious teaching in personal and community life
· The necessity for believers to live by what they believe
· That true religion emphasises good living and responsible, caring relationships among
family, friends, community, and the world at large
Further, there was unanimous agreement that all Faiths must condemn :
· The use of the methods of terror by any side in a dispute
· So-called ‘suicide’ bombings as legitimate acts
· The use of violence to overcome violence
Objectives of the ANDCMJ are:
· To be a model of how different faiths can live harmoniously together in Australia
· To build understanding, good will and a sense of community between people of different
faiths
· To explore and learn about each other and our faith traditions
· To share our knowledge and insights with others
· To work together to achieve common goals in Australia
· To support each other in times of difficulty

Further information:
John Henderson, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in Australia:
0419 224 935 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amjad Mehboob, CEO of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils:
0408 234 434 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Jeremy Jones, Spokesperson, Executive Council of Australian Jewry:
0411 536 436 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.