The place of religion in diplomacy ending conflict

On Nov 25, 2023

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, third from left, shakes hands with Palestine Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki as he meets with his five Arab and Islamic counterparts at the Diaoyutai state guesthouse in Beijing, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. China's foreign minister welcomed five Arab and Islamic counterparts to Beijing on Monday, saying his country would work with "our brothers and sisters" in the Arab and Islamic world to try to end the fighting in Gaza as soon as possible. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – The deal in the Israel Gaza conflict, to secure the release of some of the 240 Israeli hostages and pause hostilities for four days from 0500 GMT this morning, follows global shuttle diplomacy involving Egypt, Qatar and the United States, talks which will continue until all hostages are released, aid is delivered and war stops.

In a RMC briefing, speakers considered which arguments gain traction in a conflict involving majority religious populations.

They concluded that negotiators need religious literacy and an informed understanding of religious ideas and impulses, in order to resolve intractable positions.

Northern Ireland peace broker David Porter, Dr Sara Silvestri, senior lecturer in international politics at City, University of London, and Kaleem Hussain, honorary fellow at the Cadbury Centre in Birmingham, emphasized on theory of “theo-diplomacy”, the understanding that religion and political ideology intertwine.