http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=126869&d=30&m=9&y=2009
Wednesday 30 September 2009 (11 Shawwal 1430)
'Interfaith dialogue now needs clear direction'
P.K. Abdul Ghafour I Arab News
GENEVA: Baba Jain, secretary-general of the World Council of Religious
Leaders, has described the interfaith dialogue initiative of Custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah as historic and bold, adding that it would have
tremendous impact on world peace and stability if effective measures were taken
to implement it.
"His Majesty King Abdullah has done his part in paving the foundation for
this historic initiative by visiting the Vatican, meeting the Pope, organizing
the Madrid conference and bringing together world leaders at the UN General
Assembly to discuss the initiative. Now it is our duty to build upon this
initiative to make it a big success," he told Arab News.
Speaking on the eve of the two-day international interfaith conference in
Geneva, which is to focus on the impact of King Abdullah's initiative in the
dissemination of human values, Jain said the Geneva meet should give a clear
vision on implementation of the initiative and set a five-year time frame for
the purpose. "King Abdullah deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for taking this
extremely bold initiative to establish peace in the world," Jain said. He hoped
that the Nobel Foundation would consider him for the prize, adding that it
would have great impact on the initiative, drawing popular support from Muslims
as well as non-Muslims. He said King Abdullah's initiative has every potential
for success as he is a great Muslim leader of international reputation and is
held in high esteem by Muslims all over the world being the custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques.
Jain also spoke about the challenges ahead for the Makkah-based Muslim
World League (MWL), the main organizer of the interfaith dialogue conferences.
"King Abdullah selected MWL and its Secretary-General Abdullah Al-Turki for
this task as the MWL represents several Muslim organizations around the world."
Jain, who has been in contact with Al-Turki for more than 10 years, said he was
impressed by the MWL chief's efforts in convincing hard-liners on the
importance of dialogue with leaders of other faiths. "We are now in a critical
stage of the initiative. We should have a clear vision and plan for the
future," he said.
Jain said the MWL should play a leadership role in harnessing the skills
and efforts of all those who support the initiative to implement it on the
ground. "People don't have any clue now as to where it is going," he said and
asked the Geneva conference to give a clear direction for future interfaith
dialogues.
He also underlined the significance of religious diplomacy, adding that
religious pundits could play a big role along with political leaders in
resolving world issues. He called for the establishment of an international
training and research institute to educate young religious leaders on the
importance of dialogue among people of different faiths.
Delegates from 35 countries are taking part in the conference, which
opens Wednesday. They include William Baker, president of Christians and
Muslims for Peace in the US; David Rosen, director of inter-religious affairs
at the American Jewish Committee; Pramjeet Singh Sarna, president of Delhi Sikh
Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib; Kuniaki Kuni, president of the Association of
Shinto Temples in Japan; and Xue Cheng, vice chairman of the Buddhist
Association of China.
Professor M.D. Nalapat, UNESCO peace chair at Manipal University in
India, commended King Abdullah for taking this noble initiative. "Islam is a
peaceful religion but the extremists have tarnished its image." He said making
judgment on the actions of people comes under the authority of God. "When we
attack or condemn others on the basis of their actions we are infringing on the
authority of God."
Nalapat, a Jain who has learned a lot about Islam from his mother Kamala
Suraiya, the famous Indian novelist and poetess, urged Muslims to show to the
world that Islam is a religion of mercy and compassion through their actions.
He criticized world media for projecting the mischievous actions of a handful
of extremist Muslims, ignoring good works of the majority.
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