The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Jakarta

Indonesia's president issued an appeal for more dialogue to tackle religious violence Tuesday at the start of an international inter-faith peace conference here.

Opening the conference attended by religious and community leaders from 37 countries, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said religion was too frequently used as a rallying point by belligerents in conflicts.

"The fact is that none of the world's great religions teach violence," Yudhoyono said.

Economic or political complaints usually lay at the root of conflict but "these grievances become so much more powerful when mixed with religious fervour," Yudhoyono said.

The leader of the world's most populous Muslim-majority country praised the muted response of Muslims to the release earlier this year of the anti-Islam film "Fitna" by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders, but said restraint was not enough to achieve lasting peace.

"We need to foster a culture that gives a premium to moderation and tolerance," he said, adding that dialogue also required respect for other relgions' sacred traditions.

Foreign leaders who sent addresses to the conference, organised by local Muslim mass organisation Muhammadiyah, backed Yudhoyono's call for deeper understanding.

"I believe dialogue between cultures and faiths is profoundly important for harmony and peace. It's vital to building a critical mass of voices that reject violence and respect human dignity," Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said in a pre-recorded video.

"A religion is not a system of dogmas that can be imposed on others, let alone a justification for the use of violence. Governments must guarantee both freedom of religion and freedom of expression," Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said in a speech read by the Dutch ambassador.