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Inter-faith dialogue set for November

The Vatican and Muslim leaders agreed on Wednesday to establish a regular official dialogue to improve often difficult relations between Islam and Christianity.

  • Reuters
  • Published: 00:53 March 6, 2008
  • Gulf News

Vatican City: The Vatican and Muslim leaders agreed on Wednesday to establish a regular official dialogue to improve often difficult relations between Islam and Christianity.

A joint statement said the first meeting of the "The Catholic-Muslim Forum" will take place on November 4-6 in Rome with 24 religious leaders and scholars from each side.

It said the themes of the first session would be "Love of God, Love of Neighbour", "Theological and Spiritual Foundation," and "Human Dignity and Mutual Respect". Pope Benedict will address the group, the statement said.

The announcement was made at the end of a two-day meeting at the Vatican with five representatives of a group of more than 200 Muslims who had signed an unprecedented appeal to the pope to begin a dialogue. The Muslims were led by Shaikh Addal Hakim Murad, also known as Timothy J. Winter, president of Britain's Muslim Academic Trust and included Yahya Sergio Yahe Pallavicini, vice-president of the Italian Islamic Religious Community.

Pallavicini said the meeting later this year would undoubtedly talk about terrorism. Catholic-Muslim relations nosedived in 2006 after Benedict delivered a lecture in Germany, which implied that Islam was "violent" and "irrational." Muslims worldwide protested and the pope sought to make amends when he visited Turkey's Blue Mosque and prayed towards Makkah with its Imam.

The letter also came amidst anger in the Muslim world over the publication of offensive cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in several newspapers in Denmark and other Western countries.

The move came at the end of a meeting at the Vatican with five representatives of a group of more than 200 Muslims who had signed an unprecedented appeal to the pope to begin a dialogue.

Have your say
Do you think a dialogue of this nature will have far-reaching impact? Can religious leaders help stem communal violence in society with their messages? Share your views at letter2editor@gulfnews.com

Your comments


Dialogue such as that which is proposed will be helpful at this top, official level but what would be more effective and produce greater long term value would be to encourage many conversations at the local level--in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Fujairah, Masafi, Dibba... Then talk would better lead to ongoing friendship, to conversation about things in common and practical outcomes on the many things that people of different beliefs can agree on and commit to like peacemaking, justice and care for the environment.
Geoff
Fujairah,UAE
Posted: March 06, 2008, 10:33

Thanks for the effort of this type of debate. This is the only way of to reduce the clash of Muslims versus Christianity. I would love the officials worked behid this programme. Also wish you a great future as well continue this debate everywhere in the world.
Mohamed
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 06, 2008, 09:08

Muslim representatives should strongly present the views of Islam on terrorism, tolerance, respecting other beliefs etc. They should explain to the world christians that muslims are not terrorists, few muslim name holders like in all religions do some mal practices, it has nothing to do with the great religion to mankind-ISLAM.Also, Islam spreads itself fastly in this world due to its glory and not by force. Let the true NOOR of ISLAM be spread to the remaining world too.
Mohamed
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 06, 2008, 07:42

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