Interfaith became the buzzword of 2008 thanks to three historic initiatives by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. It all began on June 4, 2008, when 500 Muslims from around the world gathered at the king’s invitation in the holy city of Makkah. The aim was to set an agenda for the building of better relations between Muslims and peoples of other faiths. In his opening address, the king stressed the need for better communication and understanding between Islam, Judaism and Christianity — the three monotheistic religions all with their roots in the Middle East. To drive his point home, he urged Muslims to live according to the tolerance recommended in Chapter 16, Verse 125 of the Holy Qur’an: “Invite to the Way of the Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching.”
King Abdullah also emphasized the importance of the task at hand. “From the vicinity of the Holy Mosque of Makkah, we begin, with the will of Allah, and from here we will move in our dialogue with the others in confidence derived from our faith in Allah, and then from knowledge sought from our tolerant religion,” the king said. “We will argue in ways that are best; what we agree upon we accept in our hearts, and what we disagree about we refer to the sublime, saying ‘Lakum Deenakum Waliya Deen’ (To you, be your way and to me, mine).”
A month later, on July 16, Saudi Arabia invited nearly 300 religious, political and cultural leaders from 50 different countries to the Spanish capital of Madrid to carry forward the king’s message. Somebody rightly pointed out that more than 500 years after Spain’s golden age of tolerance among Jews, Christians and Muslims came to a definitive end, leaders of those faiths — as well as of Buddhism, Taoism and Hinduism — met in Madrid to boost inter-religious understanding. “If we want this historic encounter to succeed, we must look to the things that unite us: Our profound faith in God, the noble principles and elevated ethics that represent the foundation of religions,” said King Abdullah.
The diversity of clerics and other delegates in Madrid was nothing short of remarkable. In addition to those from every corner of the Muslim world, there were a number of bishops, priests, theologians and lay people from all Christian denominations in all parts of the world plus a veritable phalanx of rabbis — European, American and Israeli — not to mention Hindu priests and Buddhist monks.
The icing on the cake came on Nov. 12 when the United Nations endorsed the king’s views at a special session of the General Assembly. Nearly 70 heads of state and senior officials attended the plenary meeting.
Long after 2008 is over, King Abdullah’s words will echo in the world’s palaces and parliaments as well as in the remotest of corners and humblest of buildings: “The time has come for us to learn lessons from the ruthless past and unite together on moral values and lofty examples that we all believe in ... We can leave our differences for God to make His judgment on the Day of Judgment.”