JEDDAH: Stronger ties between Russia and Muslim nations augur well for a world that has seen problems associated with US hegemony, according to religious, cultural and political leaders who attended the Russian-Islamic World Strategic Vision Group’s three-day forum at the Jeddah Conference Palace.
“The first eight years of the 21st century have shown us how a world dominated by one superpower can be dangerous. These eight years have demonstrated that problems cannot be solved by a brute show of force,” said Veniamin Popove, director of the Russian Center for Partnership of Civilizations.
“The balance of power is changing. The world is changing. It is no longer a unipolar world. New centers of power are emerging. Russia is one pole. The Islamic world, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is another pole. If we join these two poles then we would have a better leverage on the world stage,” Popove said.
He noted that Saudi Arabia is among the 20 nations that will discuss the fallout of the global economic crisis in the United States on Nov. 15. “Saudi Arabia has been specially invited for this crucial summit. Here is proof of the fact that the Islamic world has arrived on the world stage,” Popove said. He added that the Jeddah forum discussed issues that kept Russia and the Islamic world at bay in the past.
“We have opened a new chapter in our relationship with the Islamic world. There is political and cultural will to come together in the larger interest of humanity. Everybody now accepts that the world cannot have followers of just one religion. We all have to learn to coexist and this is basically the message of the forum,” Popove said.
Participants discussed in depth Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s initiative on interfaith and intercultural dialogue. They stressed the need for people of different faiths and cultures to peacefully coexist side by side, and to shun violence, intolerance and terrorism. They commended the constructive efforts made by King Abdullah for peaceful coexistence between civilizations and for rejecting the notion of a clash between them.
Speaking at the concluding session, Prince Turki ibn Muhammad ibn Saud Al-Kabeer, deputy minister for multilateral relations, felt the voice of reason is bound to prevail in this critical era. “Dialogue among us has become a vital necessity in view of human development. We need to cooperate in a constructive manner to build our common edifice and achieve our mutual goals and objectives.”
Prince Turki expressed hope that the ideas discussed during the forum would be translated into practical programs and projects that promote peaceful coexistence among different peoples and civilizations.
He called for the promotion of an Islamic-Russian dialogue in view of the great potential of these two civilizations and their contribution to help mankind prosper.
A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting called for the need to support cultural centers on both sides “to create significant space for cultural exchange and cooperation, and to increase rapprochement and mutual understanding.” It called for supporting Russia’s proposal to establish a consultative council on religions at the United Nations.
The forum appealed to the world media to project the importance of dialogue and disseminate a culture of respect for religions.
As a framework for international relations, the communiqué urged educational and research institutions in the Russian Federation and the Islamic world to attract more researchers, and carry out studies that promote human values and disseminate the culture of tolerance and understanding through dialogue.
Delegates said prizes should be instituted to honor personalities and bodies that make outstanding contributions in promoting relations between Russia and the Islamic world.
The meetings have been boosted by the resurgence of the Russian Orthodox Church since the end of the Soviet Union, which had long made Muslim leaders wary due to its attempts to subversively promote communism in the Muslim world and its war in Afghanistan.
Western nations, particularly the European Union, are likely to view a Russian-Muslim alliance with a certain degree of skepticism, as the Russian Federation’s recent invasion of Georgia along with its questionable actions with other former Soviet republics, such as Ukraine, on energy issues may suggest the creation of a new super alliance that could impact the West’s access to energy.
Such issues were not discussed at the forum, but in the lead-up to the next forum to be held in Kuwait, Muslim leaders certainly will be watching global events with interest and optimism in hopes of a more advantageous shuffling of global power in the future.
