COLOMBO, 7 July 2006 — An international symposium on “Justice, World Peace and Peaceful Coexistence in a Pluralistic Society” sponsored by the Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL) will be inaugurated by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse at the Colombo Hilton Hotel, today.
The symposium locally organized by the Islamic Center in the Sri Lankan capital is expected to draw more than 50 foreign delegates and 150 local participants. Besides Rajapakse, W. Lokubandara, speaker of the Parliament, and leader of the House, Nimal Siripala de Silva, minister of Health Care, Nutrition and Uva Wellassa Development, will also address the delegates at the opening ceremony, while Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera will grace the closing session of the conference on Sunday. Islamic Center President M.H. Mohamed will deliver the welcome address.
“This is the first ever symposium to be held in Sri Lanka on this subject. The whole idea is to inculcate in the minds of the people as to how they should coexist with others who belong to different faiths,” MWL Secretary-General Abdul Mohsin Al Turki told Arab News. “We want to tell our brothers of the human values, human rights and Islam’s view on Muslims’ interaction with members of different communities, he added.
International participants from the Gulf countries, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Singapore, Malaysia, Sudan and other South Asian and other Arab countries have arrived here for today’s meeting. A total of 20 scientific papers are to be submitted during the three-day symposium. Speakers from the Kingdom include, Dr. Abdullah Basfar, secretary-general, International Organization for Memorization of the Holy Qur’an in Jeddah, Dr. Saleh Ibn Hussain Al-A’ed, secretary-general of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Dr. Abdullah Al-Muslih, secretary-general of the Commission of Scientific Signs in the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah. Prominent local speakers include Dr. M.A.M. Shukri, director of the Jamiyah Naleemiyah, and Dr. Mohamed Mubarak Mufthi, principal of the Ghafooriyah Arabic College.
