Sheikh Ghassan Manasra - Abrahamic Reunion

Sheikh Ghassan Manasra was one of the Abrahamic Reunion’s Co-Coordinators in the Holy Land until moving to the US in 2015, and has been an active contributing Peacemaker with the AR for more than a decade. He is an ordained Sheikh in the Qadiri Sufi Order in the Holy Land, and son of Sheikh Abdel Salaam Manasra – head of the Qadiriyya Sufi Order in the Holy Land. He is the founder of Anwar-Il-Salaam, the Lights of Peace Center in Nazareth, and is Director, Islamic Cultural Center in Nazareth. Ghassan is an expert and lectures in Islam, Islamic history, Sufism, and contemporary Muslim issues in the Middle East, Europe, and the USA.

https://www.abrahamicreunion.org/
Rough Transcript from Connection Beyond Conflict: Interfaith Solidarity and Peacemaking in the Holy Land at Dawson Peace Centre October 30 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am

What is the situation? What can we do? It is important to ask, who am I? We can be part of it all. My daughter asked me, she knows me as a father, after an event, she asked me, who are you? I could not answer. We need to ask this question. It is a big question. How many people go to meet themselves? Meeting yourself – if you succeed in meeting yourself, you will succeed in meeting everyone in the world. We are not separate. I once went to see my Shaykh and said, I cannot connect with people, they’re so aggressive. My Shaykh replied, there are no aggressive people, each person has a drop of light. First you need to find a drop of light, not the aggression.

We, Muslims, Jews, Christians, all have the same father, Abraham. If you need to know your god, you need to know yourself. I began to work one year later. It’s not so easy, hegave me a very hard mission. Rabbi told me, look at the eyes of another, and you can know yourself because she is your mirror. I look at the eyes of all of you and I’m so happy, I can know myself. We are all essentially the same. We don’t need to ask a lot, if you ask too much you lose your image. You don’t need to speak, your heart will talk. Teach children how to connect with people. I take my children to events of others such as Christmas celebrations.

One day I received an invitation to a circumcision from a Rabbi from an ultra orthodox neighbourhood in Jerusalem. I took my seven year old daughter with me. The Rabbi informed me that no girls were allowed. So my daughter was left to play with a Jewish girl. She told me later, we spoke. I asked, did she know Arabic? No. Do you know Hebrew? No. She began to explain what they spoke of, she spoke in Hebrew – my daughter spoke in Arabic. When they related they spoke of, both related the same thing. You don’t need to talk, just to feel, be together, do not judge, understand the other person.

Strong people can create peace, weak people create war. All people are ethical, we all search the way. We need the search to be fruitful. We are born clean and clear, many elements influence us. We develop a kind of blindness, not real but imagined. With the help from others we all have a part to create peace. Some say, I want to be a peace builder but I don't have time. Come with me, we will do a little bit.

I don’t think there is a civilisation clash. Each civilisation builds from the other. In 2004 we needed to do something to heal the Holy Land. We went to the politicians, we want to see the educators and they began to be a part of us. We began peace projects, we faced lots of challenges, dangers. I began to work, lots of projects, Israel, Palestine, England, Germany, USA, during the wars, this was the time to work. We invited Jews, Muslims in Nazareth, some attacked Jesus, some approved us.

The Abrahamic Reunion has four main groups:
1- Families forum - They read poems together, make food together, build values of peace and love, children raised in this path.
2- Women’s peace group – we recognize that women are half of our life - women influence their neighbours
3- Youth project – our future – they will be wiser – many groups do not nurture new generation in Jericho
4- Text Study group – Samaritans, Christians, Muslims, Jesus, 50 – 80 people-

People may say, what is your success? We still have wars. It is better to have peacemakers, than not. There are thousands now, tomorrow maybe a 100　000. We will be optimistic. The Holy Land belongs to all people. Our hands are open, you are the leaders of tomorrow, your facilities will be bigger to continue the work. Many times I almost lost my life. Don’t wait go to the other, make the first step, knock on the door. In America we have Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs. Come to change yourself, don’t try to change the other.
85% of people from both sides want to create peace. The problem is not with the people, but with the leadership. Jesus visited Hebron, Nablus, etc.. and was peaceful. Spread peace by overcoming ignorance. To know yourself, you need to learn about other human beings. By knowing your circle of people you can gradually reduce your ignorance, understand the unknown, be aware. Barriers will come down, disappear. Then I can see clearly, then I can see myself.