The New Nation - Internet Edition

Mohd. Adil Nadeem

RELIGIOUS scholars and leaders stressed the need for regular dialogue among religions and cultures for sustainable world peace and stability.

The groundbreaking three-day interfaith World Conference of Dialogue which was held in Madrid caught international imagination, perhaps in no small part because Saudi Arabia, a conservative state to some, was the prime mover behind the gathering.

In his opening address Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz said that the world's major religions had to turn their backs on extremism and embrace "constructive dialogue."

In fact, a remarkable beginning has been made at Madrid but it had to be systematised so that there could be cooperation between religions rather than confrontation. Nearly 300 delegates representing Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and other faiths from across the world attended the conference, organised by the Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL) and opened by King Abdullah on July 16 in the presence of Spain's King Juan Carlos and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Participants included World Jewish Congress Secretary-General Michael Schneider and Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, who is in charge of dialogue between the Vatican and Muslims.

King Abdullah exhorted followers of the world's leading faiths to turn away from ex- tremism and embrace a spirit of reconciliation, saying that history's great conflicts were not caused by religion but by its misinterpretation.

"My brothers, we must tell the world that differences don't need to lead to disputes," he said. "The tragedies we have experienced throughout history were not the fault of religion but were caused by extremism, which has been adopted by some of the followers of all religions and all political systems."

"Man, who can be a cause for the destruction of this planet, has the ability of making it an oasis of peace and tranquillity where followers of different religions could coexist, respect one another and deal with problems through dialogue and without violence.

"This human being is also capable, with the help of God, in defeating hatred with love, intolerance with tolerance and make all of humanity enjoy the benefits of mutual respect.

"Our dialogue will be a success of faith against atheism, of virtue against vice, of justice against injustice, of peace against conflicts and wars, and of human brotherhood against racism," King Abdullah said.

King Juan Carlos also addressed the opening session at the ceremonial EI Pardo Palace on the outskirts of Madrid, saying he hoped the conference would be successful. "We have always been interested in strengthening peace, dialogue and cooperation on the international stage," he said. King Abdullah began his keynote speech reciting a verse from the Holy Qur'an: "0 Mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you in the Sight of Allah is the one who is most pious and righteous" (Surah Al-Hujurat 49:13). He thanked participants, who had come from different parts of the world in response to his call, and commended their efforts to serve humanity. He also praised King Carlos for hosting the event.

The former speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives, Jose de Venecia Jr., called for an interfaith dialogue council to be set up as a formal UN body.

He presented a draft resolution calling on the conference to petition King Abdullah, King Juan Carlos and Spanish Premier Zapatero to organise a joint Saudi-Spanish request to the UN for an Interfaith Council to promote and oversee "all global, regional and local interfaith dialogues among the great religions, civilisations, cultures, governments t to help resolve politicoreligious, sectarian and ethnic conflicts and tensions in various parts of the world."

On the conclusion of the conference on July 19, the participants hoped that the dialogue would help defeat instigators of wars and conflicts as well as proponents of a clash of civilisations.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the World Conference on Dialogue as a symbol of unity among different faith communities, adding that he hopes it would contribute to healing divisions and building a more secure and stable world.

In a message, the UN chief thanked King Abdullah "for this welcome and timely initiative." He also expressed his gratitude to the Spanish government for hosting the event.

"There have been few periods in history when the need for dialogue among world religions has been great. At a time of increasing divisions along cultural and confessional lines, faith communities have a crucial role to play in fostering mutual understanding and in promoting a consensus on common values and aspirations," Ban said in his message. "This event is itself a potent symbol of unity among different traditions. Our challenge is to see this expression of solidarity turned into a genuine force for good."

Dr Hussain Hamid Hassan, legal adviser at Dubai Islamic Bank, said Islamic teachings encouraged Muslims to coexist peacefully with others.

Dr Najeeb Gabriel, head of Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, said "The essence of religions is love, good manners and rejection of injustice."

Another speaker Rabbi Arthur Schneier, founder and chairman of the Conscience Foundation Call, USA, said texts of the Jewish scripture call people to have dialogue with others and deal with them kindly. He also rejected the idea of a clash of civilisations.

M.M. Verma, director of Interfaith Foundation in India, hoped the dialogue would contribute to preventing hatred among faiths.

Saleh Ben-Humaid, Chairman of the Saudi Shoura Council, chaired the second session which focused on "Dialogue and its Significance in Human Society."

In his paper, Rev. Nichiko Niwano, President of the Japan Committee of the World Parliament for Religion and Peace, said dialogue should be based on respecting the characteristics of others.

The conference was welcomed by diplomats in Saudi Arabia, saying the event would lead to greater understanding among followers of different religions.

Eugenio d'Auria, the Italian ambassador to the Kingdom, said Italy is a country with a longstanding tradition favouring contact and dialogue between nations, not confrontation. He added that his country appreciates the initiative.

"We are rightly in favour of any progress towards sharing experience and making joint initiatives in order to improve human conditions in the world," said d'Auria,

Hiroshi Aka, deputy chief of mission of Japan, said Japan welcomes King Abdullah's initiative, adding that his country has made a unique contribution to the initiative. Jan Thesleff, ambassador of Sweden, said his country considers the initiative to be very important, as an Islamic nation is leading it.

On the sidelines of the conference, Sheikh Hassan Al-Saffar, a prominent Saudi Islamic scholar, said the move to impose one's ideology over others was the main factor that threatens peaceful coexistence of people of different faiths.

"Those who want to propagate their ideas should present them in a decent manner and give the public the choice to accept or reject them. This will encourage free thinking and generate respect for the views of others," Al-Saffar said.

"The participants called for exerting collective efforts for the enhancement of international relations, the creation of an exemplary human community and the promotion of dialogue as a civilised way for cooperation," the final declaration issued by the conference said.

The participants reminded all people of the Declaration of UN General Assembly in 1994, which called for tolerance and the spread of the culture of peace. They also recalled the declarations of 1995 as the Year of Tolerance and 2001 as the Year of Dialogue Among Civilisations.

The conference rejected the notion of the so-called "clash of civilisations" and warned against the danger of campaigns seeking to deepen conflicts and destabilise peace and security. The conference also called for an international agreement to combat terrorism. "The conference has thoroughly reviewed the process of dialogue and its obstacles as well as the catastrophes that afflict humanity and noted that terrorism is one of the most serious obstacles confronting dialogue and coexistence," the declaration said.

"Terrorism is a universal phenomenon that requires unified international efforts to combat it in a serious, responsible and just way t. This demands an international agreement on defining terrorism, addressing its root causes and achieving justice and stability in the world."

The declaration was read by Abdul Rahman AI-Zaid, deputy secretary general of MWL.

"King Abdullah has a universal vision t and believes that the followers of different faiths and cultures, who uphold common values, can play a big role in solving human problems," said Abdullah AI-Turki, secretary-general of the MWL, while addressing a press conference. He said the conference had no political agenda. "It was organised with a humanitarian perspective and the invitees were religious leaders and other dignitaries who are concerned with dialogue and human relations." He said there was no problem among the various religions.

"The problem is created by the behaviour and practices of their followers," he said. Delegates were optimistic that the conference would open a new era in inter-faith relations.

"It's a major step," agrees the Rev. Jesse Jackson, an American civil rights leader and Baptist minister. "For the King to use his moral authority to convene this session, to work for common ground - that's a very big step."

Tony Blair, special envoy of the Quartet for the Middle East, was equally encouraged.

"This king has made a lot of reforms," said the former British prime minister, referring to King Abdullah. "The fact that this conference is happening with the King, and with religious leaders of all different faiths, is significant."

For Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, of the National Jewish Centre for Learning and Leadership in New York, the conference was like a baby taking its first steps.

"On the one hand, it's the most ordinary moment in the world," he says. "And on the other, it's the most important. But what matters is what the baby does next."

"This will not be a one-off conference. I'm sure the commitment of the King to engage in dialogue will continue," said Anthony Ball, secretary for International and Inter-Religious Relations for Archbishop of Canterbury.

Rabbi Marc Schneier, North American chairman of the World Jewish Congress, said King Abdullah was reaching out to other faiths to counter extremists and fanatics.

"What I heard from him is that 'I represent Islam, and I am the voice of moderation'," he added.

The conference called for enhancing common human values and for their dissemination within societies. It emphasised the need to promote a culture of tolerance and understanding through dialogue by holding conferences and developing relevant cultural, educational and media programmes. The participants agreed "on international guidelines for dialogue among the followers of religions and cultures." They said the deepening of moral values and ethical principles, which are common denominators among such followers, would help strengthen stability and achieve prosperity for all humans.

Governmental and non-governmental organisations have been urged to issue a document stipulating respect for religions and their symbols, prohibition of their denigration and repudiation of those who commit such acts. In order to fulfil the above-mentioned objectives, the participants agreed to form a working team to study the problems hindering dialogue.

"The team will prepare a study that provides visions for the solution of these problems and coordinate with bodies that promote world dialogue," the conference declaration said.

The five-point methodology for the realisation of the conference's objectives included cooperation among religious, cultural, educational, and media organisations to consolidate ethical values, encourage noble social practices and confront sexual promiscuity, family disintegration and other vices. It also decided to organise interreligious and inter-cultural meetings, conduct research, executing media programmes and use the Internet and other media for the dissemination of a culture of peace, understanding and coexistence.

The conference stressed the need to promote dialogue among the followers of religions, civilisations and cultures within youth, cultural, educational, and media activities. It urged the UN General Assembly to support its recommendations and called for a special UN session on dialogue.

"The participants expressed hope that King Abdullah would use his good office with the concerned bodies in convening this session as soon as possible," the declaration said and the conferees voiced their readiness to take part in the UN session.

"In abiding with the agreed-upon principles and concepts, the participants do emphasise that it is essential for this world dialogue to be open and that its sessions be held periodically," the declaration said.

"They have applauded the continued efforts made by the league in the fields of dialogue and cooperation among nations and peoples, hoping that the common objectives, for which humankind aspires, are accomplished." Among the principles adopted by the conference are:

1. Unity of humankind in the original creation and the equality among human beings irrespective of their colours, ethnic backgrounds and cultures;

2. Purity of the nature of humans as they were created liking good and disliking evil, inclining to justice and avoiding injustice;

3. Diversity of cultures and civilisations among people is a sign of God and a cause for human advancement and prosperity;

4. The heavenly messages aim at realising the obedience of people to their Creator and achieving happiness, justice, security and peace for humankind. These messages seek to enhance ways of understanding and cooperation and call for spreading virtue through wisdom and politeness.

5. Respecting heavenly religions, preserving their high status, condemning any insult to their symbols, and combating the exploitation of religion in the instigation of racial discrimination;

6. Observing peace, honouring agreements and respecting unique traditions of peoples and their right to security, freedom and self-determination are the basis for building good relations among all people. Achieving this is a major objective of all religions and prominent cultures.

"The family is the basic unit of society and its nucleus. Protecting it from disintegration is a cornerstone for any secure and stable society," the conference said.

Dialogue is one of the essentials of life, it said. "It is also one of the most important means for knowing each other," it added. "The preservation of the environment and its protection from pollution and other dangers are considered a major objective of all religions and cultures."