MAKKAH: The Muslim World League (MWL) will organize a global interfaith dialogue in Madrid on July 16, it was announced here yesterday.
Leading personalities representing various monotheistic religions would participate in the three-day conference, which would discuss various topics, including social amity, international cooperation, human rights and peaceful co-existence, said Abdullah Al-Turki, secretary-general of the MWL.
"The call for dialogue between various religions, cultures, civilizations and ideologies by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah at a conference organized by the MWL early this month was, in fact, a call from Makkah, which is the venue of divine inspiration, the source of the Islamic message and the qibla (the direction of prayer) of Muslims," Al-Turki said.
The MWL cheif said King Abdullah's initiative has been hailed unanimously by the Muslim world, which was represented at the conference by prominent scholars and thinkers.
"The MWL received numerous calls from Muslim and international organizations, research centers, individuals and scholars, emphasizing the need for holding an international conference in which scholars of all faiths and ideologies and promoters of justice and peace in the world can participate so that the deliberations of the Makkah conference could be discussed," he said.
An action program for interfaith dialogues with the aim of guaranteeing a safe future for mankind was drawn up at the Makkah conference. The conference also stressed the need to build a bridge of mutual understanding and co-existence between various people so that the world would be free from the evils of war, injustice, violence, terrorism, drugs and depravity, Al-Turki said.
He added that the Madrid conference would discuss major topics, such as the religious and cultural roots of dialogue, moral values of contemporary man, and the role of religion in combating crimes, drugs and corruption.
The last international conference on interfaith dialogue that took place at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah called on all people, irrespective of their race, religion, culture or country, to come together to promote a culture of peace and tolerance. "The conference has been held at a time when the world faces countless challenges that threaten the very existence of mankind. The conference affirms that Islam has a solution to these crises and it is calling upon all Muslims, jointly with other people, to find solutions to all issues," a communiqué issued at the end of the Makkah conference said.
The call to have Muslims and non-Muslims work together to solve problems afflicting the world came with a recommendation to set up a center for dialogue to be named King Abdullah International Center for Cultural Relations and the establishment of King Abdullah Prize for Cultural Dialogue.
The communiqué also stressed the need for people to unite in their efforts against the waste of natural resources and the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction.
