GENEVA: Delegates attending the international interfaith conference in Geneva on Thursday emphasized the need to nurture a culture of dialogue among the younger generation to make the historic initiative launched by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah a success. They also pointed out that misunderstanding about other faiths and cultures and absence of mutual trust were the main reason for conflicts.
The two-day conference, organized by the Makkah-based Muslim World League, called for joint efforts by people of all faiths to eliminate poverty, protect the environment and prevent weapons manufacturers from exploiting conflicts and wars. It also called for the establishment of a satellite channel to promote dialogue. “Let’s work hand-in-hand and heart-to-heart in this long journey,” said Rabbi Steven Jacobs, Rabbi Emeritus Temple Kol Tikvah in the US, while presiding over a session titled “The Initiative and the Scope of Coexistence among Civilizations.” The Rabbi asked the participants to join him in prayer for the success of the initiative.
Swami Agnivesh, president of the World Council of Arya Samaj, snatched the limelight at the conference. He expressed his delight over the progress achieved by the king’s initiative through the meetings held in Madrid, Vienna and Geneva.
He narrated a story from the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to explain how kind and compassionate the Prophet was to a Jewish woman who used to throw rubbish at him while passing by her house. When the Prophet knew she was sick he visited her at home and gave her a basket of fruits. “This is the example we should follow.”
Agnivesh ridiculed Samuel Huntington’s theory of the clash of civilizations.
“That theory belonged to him alone and not subscribed by his religion or country,” he said.
However, he pointed out that Huntington’s theory instigated King Abdullah to think about this new initiative to promote coexistence between different cultures and faiths.
The Hindu leader urged the followers of different faiths to abide by the teachings of their faiths.
“How can we treat our sick society if we, the doctors, are sick,” he asked religious leaders.
He said he was ready to accept the good teachings of all religions. “We have gone far away from the teachings of God and our religions have become too ritualistic.”
Agnivesh said the fight was not between religions but between the forces of spirituality and materialism.
“We have become too materialistic in our lifestyle that we starve our soul,” he said. “The only way to relate with the Creator is through serving His creations and for that we have to confront the lovers of power with the power of love.”
Senator Adil Akhmetov of Kazakhstan said he was impressed by Agnivesh’s speech and thoughts. He emphasized the need to develop the culture of dialogue in families and children.
“There is a Kazakh proverb ‘what you have tasted in your nest you will catch when you fly.’ It means what our children learn from family will remain with them for ever.”
Akhmetov, who has longstanding experience in education and diplomacy, urged parents to treat their children with respect as if they are grown up people.
“If we teach our children the importance of dialogue and coexistence and about the unity of religions it will make them world citizens and ambassadors of peace,” he added.
He also underlined the need to focus on common values shared by all religions.
“If we look for differences between us we can see many, but it will not serve any purpose, rather we should look at the factors that unite us. This is the main message of this conference. We have so many things in common. We all believe in one God, we are all His creation, we are all equal before God irrespective of our color, creed and race.”
Father Econos Nabeel Haddad, executive director of the Jordanian Center for Religious Coexistence Research, spoke about the good experience of the Christian community in Jordan, saying Muslims treat them with respect.
“Dialogue is an essential choice for societies to make progress and achieve peace,” he said.
He also urged the media to play an important role to spread the spirit of dialogue and coexistence all over the world.
There were also voices of criticism. William Baker, president of Christians and Muslims for Peace, said the organizers should have given more time to speakers and have selected new topics related to current developments. He also wanted the participants to discuss major issues, such as Palestine and Kashmir, in order to end the suffering of people there.
“I am happy that this dialogue is being initiated by Saudis. It will help remove the misconceptions about Saudi Arabia and its people in this part of the world,” Baker said. “We need to move forward now by taking the dialogue initiative to the public and discuss issues such as poverty, occupation of homeland and human rights violation.”
