Document
Message from the students of the CAS 24/25 in Interreligious studies:
We are the students of the CAS 24/25 in Interreligious Studies; we are a group of students drawn from Christian and Muslim traditions. We have lived, studied, and worked together, and we come before you now to offer this statement of our common position:
The Interfaith Course at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey brings together participants from the Abrahamic faith traditions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This year, students from the Jewish tradition were unable to attend, though Jewish lecturers contributed meaningfully to the program.
Through honest dialogue and shared exploration, students engaged with migration not only as a political, climate-related, or social issue, but as a deeply spiritual and human experience that echoes across scriptures and histories.
Before arriving at a shared interfaith position, reflections were offered from each tradition, drawing on Jewish, Christian, and Islamic texts and teachings. These sacred insights laid the foundation for the following joint statement, rooted in our shared Abrahamic values of justice, compassion, and the dignity of every human journey.
In our understanding, in Judaism, welcoming the stranger is a sacred duty, rooted in the commandment to love the stranger as ourselves, recalling Jewish experience in Egypt (Deut. 10:19). Abraham’s hospitality in Genesis 18, where he unknowingly welcomes angels—shows that acts of kindness can reveal the Divine. The Talmud even teaches that welcoming a guest is greater than receiving the Divine Presence (Shabbat 127a). Hospitality in Judaism is not just a social gesture but a spiritual act. Every person is created B’tzelem Elohim— in the image of God—so honoring others, including migrants, reflects our covenant with God. Judaism also upholds the dignity and religious freedom of all. Supporting people of other faiths in practicing their beliefs is an expression of true Jewish values.
As Christians, we are called to welcome migrants, refugees, and strangers as human beings created in the image of God. This foundational truth shapes our response with compassion, dignity, and deep respect. Hospitality, in this light, is not simply a social obligation but it is a sacred expression of the Gospel.
The exhortation in Hebrews 13:1–2 to “show hospitality to strangers” echoes the story of Abraham in Genesis 18, where he receives three mysterious visitors with warmth and generosity. In Christian tradition, these guests are often interpreted as a manifestation of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This theological insight reveals a profound spiritual truth that when we welcome the stranger, we open ourselves to encountering the Divine in the unfamiliar. Hospitality, therefore, becomes a holy act, an opportunity to build bridges rather than walls, to embody the radical love of Christ that breaks down barriers and welcomes the other.
As Muslims, migration (Hijrah) holds profound spiritual and social significance, rooted in the example of the Prophet Muhammad's migration from Mecca to Medina—a moment that not only marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar but also exemplifies the pursuit of justice, safety, and community. The Qur’an affirms the dignity and rights of migrants, calling believers to aid those who are forced to leave their homes due to persecution or oppression (Qur’an 4:97–100). Migration is not merely a physical act but a moral journey towards fulfilling divine responsibility, protecting human dignity, and establishing solidarity among people. It reflects a deep commitment to human fraternity, as well as a recognition that the earth belongs to God and is wide enough for all His servants (Qur’an 29:56). As such, Muslims are urged to view migrants not as strangers or burdens but as individuals endowed with rights and deserving of compassion, inclusion, and justice.
We, the participants of the 2025 Interreligious studies Student at the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey, represent the next generation of faith leaders, peacebuilders, and scholars from the Abrahamic traditions. We gathered not just to learn but to speak with a unified voice on one of the defining moral issues of our time: migration.
Our scriptures call us to protect the stranger, welcome the displaced, and uphold the dignity of all. Yet today, migrants face hostile policies, closed borders, and dehumanizing systems. This is a moral failure.
We believe migration must be met not with fear, but with faith-driven solidarity. We affirm that:
- Migration is a human right, not a crime.
- Climate change, war, and inequality are urgent causes of displacement that demand global responsibility.
- Faith traditions must lead with compassion, not complicity.
- Governments, multilateral bodies, and nongovernmental organizations must include faith perspectives in shaping migration policy not as decoration, but as partners.
This calling also extends to how we receive people of other faiths into our communities. We know how important our faith and our relationship with God are to us. Therefore, we are urged to defend the freedom of others to practice their faith.
We return to our countries committed to action, to advocate, educate, and collaborate across faith lines. Let this statement not end here, but ripple outward in policy rooms, places of worship, and grassroots movements.
