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Interfaith dialogue organized by Muslim World League (MWL)
Dialogue inevitable for peace
By: Hafeez ur Rahman al a,azami
Pcih2008@gmail.com
The recently held three day (July 16-18, 2008) interfaith dialogue organized by Muslim World League
(MWL) under the patronage of Saudi King Abdul Aziz Al – Saud of Saudi Arabia in the Spanish capital
Madrid might have served to highlight his initiative for better understanding among the people of
various faiths. The Saudi King rightly said that Islam was a religion of moderation and tolerance and
criticized the extremists for targeting this tolerance. A peep into the deliberations in Madrid and the
preceding intra-Islamic conference in Mecca (June 4-6, 2008) suggests that his focus was broadly on
the following two points:
i. The extremists among the followers of Islam have targeted the tolerance of religion.
ii. Islam was a religion of moderation and tolerance.
Before holding the Madrid conference, the Saudi King discussed the issue with Pope Benedict XVI in
November 2007 and announced in March 2008 for hosting a meeting among the three faiths –
Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The initiative of the King was also welcomed by the president of the
World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder. Later, with a view to draw up the principles for dialogue of
Muslims with the people of other faiths to defuse inter-religious tensions he held an intra-Islamic
dialogue The kingdom of Saudi Arabia by organizing a three-day (June 4-6) International Islamic
conference at Al Safa Palace, Mecca. About 500 figures from Muslim world including former Iranian
President Ayatollah Akbar Hashmi Rafsanjani and religious personalities from all over the world
participated in this conference.
Inaugurating the Mecca conference, the King stressed upon the need for better understanding and
cooperation among the people of different faiths. Projecting again rightly Islam as ‘a religion of
moderation and tolerance’ he urged upon the participants “to promote the true message of Islam” and
said that the Islamic world had “faced great difficulties in the form of extremists whose aggression and
excessiveness targeted the tolerance of the religion”. The Mecca conference then took a formal
decision to hold a three-day interfaith dialogue in Madrid.
During his inaugural speech in the Madrid conference the Saudi King called for a "constructive
dialogue to open a new page for humanity and inter-religious reconciliation”. Recalling the various
declarations of UN General Assembly calling for tolerance and the spread of the culture of peace as
well as declaration of 1995 as the year of Tolerance and 2001 as the year of Dialogue Among
Civilizations, he re-stressed the need for better understanding and cooperation among the people of
different states. The conference adopted the following recommendations:
• To reject theories that call for the clash of civilizations and cultures and to warn of the danger of
campaigns seeking to deepen conflicts and destabilize peace and security.
• To enhance common human values, to cooperate in their dissemination within societies and to
solve the problems that hinder their achievement.
• To disseminate the culture of tolerance and understanding through dialogue so as to be a
framework for international relations through holding conferences and symposia, as well as
developing relevant cultural, educational and media programs.
• To agree on international guidelines for dialogue among the followers of religions and cultures
through which moral values and ethical principles, which are common denominators among such
followers, so as to strengthen stability and achieve prosperity for all humans.
• To work on urging governmental and non-governmental organizations to issue a document that
stipulates respect for religions and their symbols, the prohibition of their denigration and the
repudiation of those who commit such acts.
The concluding declarations both in Mecca and Madrid may be soothing for the peace loving world.
And milestones in the new history which may if positively used lead the world to prosperity, peace and
harmony. However, to make it useful and beneficial too, all the concerned parts have to do some thing
positively. In this regard, I would humbly suggest my Muslim brothers to avoid using some uncivilized
words and terminologies such as “ kafir” (non believer) because all the followers of Abraham believe
in god and his messenger moreover, this word has become synonymous to curse. So, consequently it
should be removed from our literature. We should use the best alternate words such as “Muslim and
non Muslims” or “we and the other” by doing so we may build strong and solid bridge among the
followers of Abraham.
It’s worth mentioning here that our age is the age of logic, media and dialogue. So, we should keep
strict to our religion and let others live the way they chose for themselves. Every human being has
legitimate right to live the way he wishes. And to enforce an ideology upon others is illegal and
illogical. This fact requires us, the Muslim to forget about Jihad. Because convincing power is stronger
in the present age then the power of bullet. There is an old Arabic proverb says “a wise man can dose
what a daring fighter can’t do”
There is a wrong perception prevalent in our media especially Urdu media which introduce the
Jew as a word synonymous to atrocity and brutality. It holds every single Jew responsible for
whatever happening in the Middle East. Its contradict to real facts. In Madrid I met tens of Jew
Rabbis they were so kindhearted, peace loving and in favor of an independent state for Palestinian.
The same was the case with pastors whom I met there.
It’s the need of the hour to build bridge and shorten distances among the followers of Abraham not to
do some stupid acts that will lead the world towards total devastating and anarchy.
Saudi Arabia is the birth place of Islam and represents the fulcrum of the Muslim world due to its
stature as the cradle of the two holy shrines and the site of the holy Kaaba to which Muslims make
their pilgrimage. And the call for dialogue has emanated from such a holy place we are sure it will do
success. It must be successful because dialogue is inevitable for peace.
Note: the writer is a religious scholar and participated in the Madrid conference for dialogue
Dialogue inevitable for peace
By: Hafeez ur Rahman al a,azami
Pcih2008@gmail.com
The recently held three day (July 16-18, 2008) interfaith dialogue organized by Muslim World League
(MWL) under the patronage of Saudi King Abdul Aziz Al – Saud of Saudi Arabia in the Spanish capital
Madrid might have served to highlight his initiative for better understanding among the people of
various faiths. The Saudi King rightly said that Islam was a religion of moderation and tolerance and
criticized the extremists for targeting this tolerance. A peep into the deliberations in Madrid and the
preceding intra-Islamic conference in Mecca (June 4-6, 2008) suggests that his focus was broadly on
the following two points:
i. The extremists among the followers of Islam have targeted the tolerance of religion.
ii. Islam was a religion of moderation and tolerance.
Before holding the Madrid conference, the Saudi King discussed the issue with Pope Benedict XVI in
November 2007 and announced in March 2008 for hosting a meeting among the three faiths –
Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The initiative of the King was also welcomed by the president of the
World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder. Later, with a view to draw up the principles for dialogue of
Muslims with the people of other faiths to defuse inter-religious tensions he held an intra-Islamic
dialogue The kingdom of Saudi Arabia by organizing a three-day (June 4-6) International Islamic
conference at Al Safa Palace, Mecca. About 500 figures from Muslim world including former Iranian
President Ayatollah Akbar Hashmi Rafsanjani and religious personalities from all over the world
participated in this conference.
Inaugurating the Mecca conference, the King stressed upon the need for better understanding and
cooperation among the people of different faiths. Projecting again rightly Islam as ‘a religion of
moderation and tolerance’ he urged upon the participants “to promote the true message of Islam” and
said that the Islamic world had “faced great difficulties in the form of extremists whose aggression and
excessiveness targeted the tolerance of the religion”. The Mecca conference then took a formal
decision to hold a three-day interfaith dialogue in Madrid.
During his inaugural speech in the Madrid conference the Saudi King called for a "constructive
dialogue to open a new page for humanity and inter-religious reconciliation”. Recalling the various
declarations of UN General Assembly calling for tolerance and the spread of the culture of peace as
well as declaration of 1995 as the year of Tolerance and 2001 as the year of Dialogue Among
Civilizations, he re-stressed the need for better understanding and cooperation among the people of
different states. The conference adopted the following recommendations:
• To reject theories that call for the clash of civilizations and cultures and to warn of the danger of
campaigns seeking to deepen conflicts and destabilize peace and security.
• To enhance common human values, to cooperate in their dissemination within societies and to
solve the problems that hinder their achievement.
• To disseminate the culture of tolerance and understanding through dialogue so as to be a
framework for international relations through holding conferences and symposia, as well as
developing relevant cultural, educational and media programs.
• To agree on international guidelines for dialogue among the followers of religions and cultures
through which moral values and ethical principles, which are common denominators among such
followers, so as to strengthen stability and achieve prosperity for all humans.
• To work on urging governmental and non-governmental organizations to issue a document that
stipulates respect for religions and their symbols, the prohibition of their denigration and the
repudiation of those who commit such acts.
The concluding declarations both in Mecca and Madrid may be soothing for the peace loving world.
And milestones in the new history which may if positively used lead the world to prosperity, peace and
harmony. However, to make it useful and beneficial too, all the concerned parts have to do some thing
positively. In this regard, I would humbly suggest my Muslim brothers to avoid using some uncivilized
words and terminologies such as “ kafir” (non believer) because all the followers of Abraham believe
in god and his messenger moreover, this word has become synonymous to curse. So, consequently it
should be removed from our literature. We should use the best alternate words such as “Muslim and
non Muslims” or “we and the other” by doing so we may build strong and solid bridge among the
followers of Abraham.
It’s worth mentioning here that our age is the age of logic, media and dialogue. So, we should keep
strict to our religion and let others live the way they chose for themselves. Every human being has
legitimate right to live the way he wishes. And to enforce an ideology upon others is illegal and
illogical. This fact requires us, the Muslim to forget about Jihad. Because convincing power is stronger
in the present age then the power of bullet. There is an old Arabic proverb says “a wise man can dose
what a daring fighter can’t do”
There is a wrong perception prevalent in our media especially Urdu media which introduce the
Jew as a word synonymous to atrocity and brutality. It holds every single Jew responsible for
whatever happening in the Middle East. Its contradict to real facts. In Madrid I met tens of Jew
Rabbis they were so kindhearted, peace loving and in favor of an independent state for Palestinian.
The same was the case with pastors whom I met there.
It’s the need of the hour to build bridge and shorten distances among the followers of Abraham not to
do some stupid acts that will lead the world towards total devastating and anarchy.
Saudi Arabia is the birth place of Islam and represents the fulcrum of the Muslim world due to its
stature as the cradle of the two holy shrines and the site of the holy Kaaba to which Muslims make
their pilgrimage. And the call for dialogue has emanated from such a holy place we are sure it will do
success. It must be successful because dialogue is inevitable for peace.
Note: the writer is a religious scholar and participated in the Madrid conference for dialogue