Leveraging the power and influence of sacred sites can help societies develop an appreciation for religious pluralism, diversity, and the beliefs of others. Across the Middle East and around the world, sacred sites carry deep spiritual meaning, sometimes to multiple religious communities, demonstrating a history of living together in diversity. While these stories were never perfect, they recall the potential for interfaith harmony and reveal an overlooked pathway to promote peace and tolerance.
Promoting pluralism by leveraging the shared histories of sacred sites can help societies recover their past appreciation for religious pluralism and cultivate respect for pluralism today. Conventional human rights approaches, while important and necessary, often fall on rocky soil in traditional societies. For instance, Middle Eastern governments often view international human rights documents as alien creations imposed on them by outsiders. And while some religious leaders work to promote inter-faith understanding, many do not utilize holy sites as a tool in these efforts. Consequently, at a time of increasing diversity and increasing intolerance, a new approach is needed. By expanding appreciation of shared histories, sacred sites can encourage pluralism, cultivate empathy and understanding, as well as counter contemporary narratives of exclusion through forgotten stories of inter-religious life.
To explore these possibilities, in March of this year, the Program on Global Faith and Inclusive Societies at Pepperdine University convened a first-of-its-kind event for the Sacred Sites Promoting Pluralism (SSPP) initiative after a year of preliminary research. Held at the University’s historic Château d’Hauteville campus in Vevey, Switzerland, the conference gathered over forty experts and practitioners across the fields of human rights, interfaith engagement, and cultural heritage protection to discuss the challenges faced at the nexus of their work and shed light on areas of potential collaboration. The convening solidified a collective sentiment that synergies across these focus areas exist and are critical to progress in each.
The Sacred Sites Promoting Pluralism initiative was developed by the Program in early 2023 in response to growing awareness that while diversity is a 21st century reality, faith-based persecution is still at historic highs. If not countered, instability, violence, and human rights abuses will continue. Challenges to this effort are multifaceted, and the conference aimed to discuss them thematically by drawing out similarities between projects in different social, religious, and cultural contexts.
The Program explores how to leverage local histories of sacred sites to promote religious pluralism, peace, and respect for the beliefs of others and their holy places. Based on the Program’s research, we have concluded sacred sites have untapped potential to promote pluralism in a locally acceptable, flexible, and sustainable way. In our work, we define sacred sites broadly, including not only cultural heritage but also contemporary places of worship, pilgrimage, gathering, and locations that embody conceptions of the divine. However, despite their unique role and symbolism, sacred sites are often overlooked and have yet to be viewed as an asset to advance mutually reinforcing goals relating to human rights, interfaith understanding, and cultural heritage protection.
The power of sacred sites to promote pluralism was experienced during Thames’ past work as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State, which focused on religious minorities in the Middle East and South/Central Asia. He saw how sacred places in Iraq provided examples of a positive approach to pluralism. For instance, Qaraqosh was the only Christian town ISIS did not overrun in the Ninawa Plains. There, Iraqi Jews venerated the tomb of the prophet Nahum, which was cared for by a Christian family and protected by Sunni Muslim Kurds. The use and care of this sacred heritage site represented what Iraq once was and could be again while providing the ultimate counter to ISIS’ ideology of hate and destruction. The tomb was a place of inclusion, not exclusion.
Iraq is not alone with this example, as countries throughout the Middle East share three important commonalities in this regard: Every community has a history of diversity of some kind; Every community is grappling with how to live together in pluralistic societies; and Every community has sacred sites that can promote pluralism. For instance, Iraq, along with Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and countries on both sides of the Persian Gulf, have historic and contemporary sacred sites representing a variety of faiths and beliefs. These sacred spaces can foster recognition of a common ground for dialogue, essential to building the trust necessary for faith communities to work together and erode the fears and misconceptions about others. These examples serve as a natural and indigenous inflection point to remind societies about the benefits of pluralism and encourage individuals to respect the beliefs of others today.
The SSPP approach fosters cooperation and synergistic action that is context-specific and thus more effective. To explore the interdisciplinary nature of the SSPP format, the conference heard about case studies on engaging religious actors on cultural heritage protection, interfaith engagement, and human rights promotion. Multi-sector presentations showcased the overlaps between fields and highlighted common challenges to address through a synergetic approach.
On the first panel, Brian Michael Lione (Smithsonian Institution) discussed the work of the Iraqi Institute for the Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage in Erbil with religious minorities, and Andy Vaughn (ASOR) discussed heritage documentation and conservation efforts with faith communities in Tunisia. Lione, speaking of the Smithsonian’s work in Iraq, expressed that “though pluralism was not a goal, it was an outcome,” noting the often-overlooked nature of the issues that sit at the heart of heritage protection, human rights, and interfaith work.
The second panel featured presentations of interfaith actors engaging sacred sites; Sharon Rosen (Search for Common Ground) showcased current projects in Jerusalem, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Nigeria, while Matius Ho (Leimena Institute) highlighted the organization’s cross-cultural religious literacy program in Indonesia. The conference’s third panel focused on efforts to protect sacred sites in times of conflict, with presentations from Peter Stone (Blue Shield International) on institutional approaches to preventing heritage destruction and Elke Selter (ALIPH Foundation), who brought a distinct perspective to preservation work as a donor, but one sensitive to the unique character of religious sites.
The fourth panel offered case studies of sacred sites promoting pluralism in the UK and the UAE, with models presented by Reverend Mary Gregory of Coventry Cathedral and Abdulla Al-Shehhi of the Abrahamic Family House, respectively. Notably, the day’s final panel looked to the future with discussions of potential opportunities for SSPP. The final panel featured presentations by Nayla Tabbara (Adyan Foundation) highlighting the potential for the approach in Lebanon and Mike Gabriel (NCEASL) in Sri Lanka.
Key themes emerged during the discussions. Speakers agreed that SSPP provides practitioners with a local narrative to support interconnected issues related to cultural heritage preservation, freedom of religion or belief advocacy, and interfaith engagement. The SSPP approach works best through dialogue, thus creating successful, sustainable, collaborative interventions in distinct social, religious, and political environments. In this vein, the nature of engagement must focus on cooperation, reflecting how faith communities view the most appropriate way to safeguard their sacred sites. As Nayla Tabbara, who leads the Adyan Foundation in Lebanon, observed, recognition of three key heritage characteristics—that it is specific to one community, shared between two or more communities, and contested—makes an engaged approach critical.
Similarly, to be most effective, there was consensus that projects should partner with heritage site caretakers and the broader community. Each sacred site has a distinct past and a unique relationship with those who worship or venerate it; there is no one-size-fits-all model to address the challenges they collectively face. Elke Selter of the ALIPH Foundation emphasized the need for flexibility in understanding heritage itself; she vocalized the importance of looking beyond monumental and national sites to grasp how the communities they seek to work with understand and relate to their cultures and past.
Several presenters, speaking of the faith groups with whom they work, discussed how some religious minorities fear rejection when visiting the sacred sites of others. Consequently, this approach requires early buy-in from all parties. “Trust” came up repeatedly in speaker presentations and group discussions in light of inter-religious suspicions or suspicion of outside actors’ intentions in proposals for collaborative work. Many agreed organizations must not overlook the role and importance of trust within faith communities and between faith communities and outside actors. Where social tensions are high and the threat of conflict is real, cultivating relations of trust is crucial to dispel misconceptions and achieve collaboration and mutual understanding.
Through such engagement, SSPP can improve religious literacy and cross-cultural competencies by reminding communities of their pluralistic path and emphasizing learning from their stories of diversity, both good and bad. For instance, in his presentation, Matius Ho of Indonesia’s Leimena Institute shared how they explain to visitors arriving at different faith sites that “we are different and will remain different during and after we work together.” He stressed that respecting the beliefs of others does not mean changing your own beliefs; it means recognizing the rights of others to hold different beliefs.
Appreciating the experiences of others can be a challenge, particularly where relations between faith groups are fraught with historical and political tensions. Empathy is critical to developing peaceful relations in these contexts, where recognition of the struggles of others may involve overcoming entrenched and often politicized biases and beliefs. Sharon Rosen from Search for Common Ground, based in Jerusalem, articulated how sacred sites can be a powerful tool for developing relationships with relevant actors across sectors and governments who do not usually interact or do not see their role in this space.
Regarding a European context, Reverend Mary Gregory explained how the history of Coventry Cathedral’s destruction during World War II provides a physical reminder of reconciliation and engagement. Their community art program, held within the restored walls of the cathedral, “can reveal common ground between people; they can reveal feelings that allow us to better understand others and break through walls.” Cultural heritage, as an expression of the artistic traditions of the past, can evoke reflection and understanding.
Representing another faith institution, but in the Middle East, Abdulla Al-Shehhi discussed the importance of promoting these values in youth. He highlighted the distinct role of the Abrahamic Family House in providing a space for younger generations “to come of age with [an] inspirational model of peaceful coexistence.” Cultivating this state of empathy, where there is recognition of a common ground for dialogue, is a foundational step for all to building the trust necessary for faith communities to work together and erode the fears and misconceptions about others.
Overall, the conference fostered an unprecedented interdisciplinary discussion between academic experts, diplomats, implementing organizations, donors, faith leaders, heritage specialists, and political actors from around the world. The convergence of this diverse group around interest in sacred sites, representing a wide range of expertise, showcased the overlap between heritage, interfaith, and human rights issues. The conference fostered intra- and inter-sector partnerships, highlighting the potential for impactful collaboration through the synergistic SSPP approach. The Program on Global Faith and Inclusive Societies will continue researching how to leverage the local histories of sacred sites to promote interfaith peace in pluralist societies. Potential areas of additional investigation include Indonesia, Iraq, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States, depending on partners and funding.
The flexibility and interdisciplinary approach of Sacred Sites Promoting Pluralism promise significant impact, durability, and longevity. When serving as the U.N. Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Dr. Heiner Bielefeldt also noted the importance of pluralism in human rights work. In his August 2013 report to the Human Rights Council, he said, “Taking interreligious and intrareligious pluralism into account is of paramount importance when dealing with conflicts … in order to find appropriate solutions and to do justice to the human beings involved in such conflicts.” He also added, “However, to take religions and beliefs in all their dimensions seriously also implies taking pluralism seriously, including sometimes irreconcilable differences in world views and practices.” Sacred sites cannot fix everything, but SSPP’s customizable approach emphasizes local histories to address contemporary problems with their stories, which can spark conversations that provide an opportunity for inclusive cooperation.
In conclusion, to get upstream of human rights violations and violence against religious groups and their holy sites, organizations and funders should embrace the Sacred Sites Promoting Pluralism framework in times of conflict and, most importantly, preventatively in times of peace. As was stressed by our presentation, the SSPP approach promotes pluralism, diversity, and respect for others’ beliefs through sacred sites in a locally acceptable, durable, and sustainable way. Peacetime measures are crucial to develop foundational relationships of trust and collaboration that can withstand and mitigate conflict if and when it arises. Proactively cultivating interfaith dialogue and trust and a shared recognition of the value of sacred sites can play a pivotal role in preventing conflict in multi-faith societies in the Middle East and beyond.
Knox Thames
Senior Fellow at Pepperdine University and directs the Program on Global Faith and Inclusive Societies
Emily K. Scolaro
Senior Research Analyst with the Program on Global Faith and Inclusive Societies at Pepperdine University
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