Washington D.C., Apr 18, 2016 / 18:14 pm
Facing a rising tide of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and government crackdowns on religious practice, European religious communities must stand together, insisted one religious leader this week.
"For the first time in history, we recognize that all faiths are at risk," Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks told an audience at the National Press Club on Monday in Washington, D.C. He added that "all faiths can stand together recognizing our shared humanity under the sovereignty of God."
Rabbi Sacks gave the keynote address at the conference put on by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, titled "Europe at a Crossroads." The conference focused on efforts by civil and religious leaders to combat "religious hatred and bigotry in Europe," especially Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.
"The truth is that things are difficult, in Europe and throughout the world. I have been very, very shocked by what is happening in Europe," Rabbi Sacks said.