JEDDAH: The United Nations General Assembly will hold a session in the middle of next month to discuss Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s initiative to promote interfaith dialogue. This was announced by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon while attending a ceremony marking Saudi Arabia’s National Day at the UN headquarters in New York.
“I have tremendous respect for King Abdullah and appreciate his leadership role in many initiatives,” the UN chief said, referring to the International Interfaith Conference organized by the Saudi leader in Madrid last July.
“I have been working with King Abdullah and Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal on the interfaith dialogue,” Al-Riyadh Arabic daily quoted Ban as saying. “I personally believe that the dialogue between followers of various faiths would contribute to solving many international conflicts,” he added.
Ban had described the Madrid conference as a symbol of unity among different faiths, adding that he hoped it would contribute to healing divisions and building a more secure and stable world. “This event is itself a potent symbol of unity among different traditions. Our challenge is to see this expression of solidarity turned into a genuine force for good,” Ban said in a message to the conference.
He added that the origin of many conflicts lies beyond the confines of faith. “This unique gathering of religious leaders can help debunk the dangerous myth that religion, even when properly understood, inspires violence,” he said, adding that political rivalries, territorial ambitions or competition for natural resources play a major role in triggering violence.
King Abdullah, who opened the three-day conference in the Spanish capital, exhorted followers of the world’s leading faiths to embrace a spirit of reconciliation, saying that history’s great conflicts were not caused by religion but by their misinterpretation.
More than 300 delegates attended the global gathering.
