The conference on dialogue between Muslims, Christians and Jews taking place in Makkah, called by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and which began yesterday, is about assessing the need and value of dialogue from the Muslim perspective and trying to formulate a consensus which can be used as the basis for dialogue.

Already there are various institutions and other bodies working to create greater understanding between Muslims and Christians, Muslims and Jews, Muslims and the West, to reduce tensions and work together for peace and justice. But dialogue between the three faiths is set to move up several gears on the political front in the very near future. In March, a meeting of Catholic officials and representatives of the 138 Muslim scholars who wrote to Pope Benedict following his controversial comments about Islam in 2006 proposed the establishment of a Muslim-Catholic Forum. The Pope agreed and its first meeting will take place in Rome in November. By then, however, it may have evolved into a Muslim-Christian Forum. The Anglican Church, which has pursued its own dialogue with Islam for some years (headed on the Muslim side by Al Azhar University in Cairo), has been drawn into the wider process following talks last month between the pope and the archbishop of Canterbury and there are reports that the Orthodox Church may follow suit. Planned around the Rome conference are a number of major Muslim-Christian meetings in the US and UK.

It is inconceivable that the Muslim world should not prepare for what has the potential to develop into a major driving force in world politics. Imagine the moral force if Muslim, Christian and Jewish leaders speak with one voice on the political stage; what politician would dare to disagree? There is no doubt that there can be an interfaith dialogue between individual or groups of Christians, Muslims and Jews without Muslim consensus on the issue — and that does not necessarily mean consensus between Sunnis and Shiites or between different schools of Islam. Even in the same school of Islam there will inevitably be different views on the subject. Moreover, Christians are far from united but that has not stopped Catholics or Anglicans until just this year pursuing separate dialogue with Muslims.

But can dialogue be effective or successful if it is not seen to represent the entire Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities? Or if it is seen to be a purely academic affair? Ironic though it may seem, 9/11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have in fact brought Muslim and Christian scholars and leaders closer together than ever before, but not the ordinary believers. Dialogue, if it is to have any effect has to touch ordinary Muslims, Christians and Jews. If it does not, the lack of respect and care, which is the cause of so much ignorance, fear, hatred and bloodshed will continue. The Makkah conference is the means to ensure that, from the Muslim side, the entire community is drawn into an understanding of dialogue. That is why it is so important and so timely.