RIYADH, 22 March — The Symposium on Islam and the Dialogue of Civilizations called for setting up an international forum here to promote dialogue between Islam and other nations, chiefly in the West. Former Turkish Islamist Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan Wednesday proposed setting up a center in Saudi Arabia that would promote dialogue between Muslims and the West in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.
Former US assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs and former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Richard Murphy, told a packed auditorium that the American people have begun to ask why they are hated by others, particularly Muslims.
He said both sides share the blame for the existing mistrust between Muslims and the West, particularly the United States, stressing that rational dialogue is the only way to clear misconceptions, which are the product of major historical events.
Murphy conceded that the United States applies a double standard policy in the Middle East, but added that the “Palestinians made a bad mistake by taking up arms in September 2000,” when they began the second intifada, or uprising.
The symposium concluded yesterday by adopting as an official document the inaugural speech of Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard. It also adopted King Abdul Aziz Public Library’s proposal to establish a World Forum for the Dialogue of Civilizations for promoting better understanding in this regard.
The concluding session was chaired by Dr. Abdullah ibn Saleh Al-Obaid, while Dr. Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), read out the recommendations. Dr. Patrick Seale, British writer and historian, Dr. William Vendley, American scholar, and former Iranian Minister for Culture Dr. Ataullah Mahajrani, were among those present.
More than 90 scholars representing over 25 countries participated in the symposium’s 17 sessions. The first session was devoted to the efforts of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd in promoting dialogue between civilizations through the establishment of cultural and Islamic centers in different countries around the world.
Crown Prince Abdullah had declared in his speech the Kingdom’s firm rejection of any form of racism or discrimination and explained how oppressive nations disintegrate when they seek to subdue others through fanaticism and adventurism. He said Israel would know neither peace nor security except through justice for Palestinian people and other Arab countries fighting for their legitimate historical rights.
Among other recommendations, the concluding session stressed the need for a long-term strategy for holding dialogue between civilizations by making use of the new technology and encouraging inter-cultural translation projects. It decided to organize more meetings between representatives of the Islamic and non-Islamic cultures and discuss issues of mutual concern.
It said peaceful efforts should be exerted to resolve the world’s major crises, which are the main cause of spiraling violence. In another recommendation, it stressed the importance of religious and spiritual values for preserving the dignity of the human being, establishing justice, attaining peaceful co-existence between different societies, and avoiding catastrophes, poverty and moral degeneration. The symposium recommended that promoting inter-faith dialogue through education was the best means of communication between societies. To this end, it said researchers, scholars, academicians and research centers should be encouraged to carry forward the process of dialogue and international understanding.
