Turmoil in Religions Week as Jewish Members Exit Over Association Controversy

As Religions Week opened on Saturday, November 4, which takes place each year throughout the country with around a hundred public events “inviting dialogue between religions and cultures,” its organizers find themselves in turmoil. The two Jewish members of the steering committee have in fact decided to slam the door of the Iras Cotis Interreligious Working Community, due to the membership of its president Rifa’at Lenzin in the Swiss-Palestine Association (ASP).

According to NZZ, since the attack on October 7, the Swiss-Palestine Association has reportedly made several problematic statements, notably comparing Palestinians to prisoners tortured in concentration camps during the Second World War. When contacted, Rifa’at Lenzin only wished to respond to the newspaper in writing: “For personal and family reasons, I have been campaigning for many years for the legitimate rights of Palestinian women,” she said. “My membership in this association was therefore logical.”