“The opening of the center would lead to the conducting of a number of interfaith and cultural dialogue programs to promote world peace and peaceful coexistence of the followers of different faiths,” he said.
Bin Muammar made this statement following a meeting with leaders of different religions. “The meeting discussed a number of issues related to the Vienna center and members of its board of directors and its consultative council,” he said.
Bin Muammar briefed the meeting about the outcome of his talks with Austrian Foreign Ministry officials regarding the final draft of the agreement to establish the center in Vienna. He praised the Austrian government’s support to establish the center.
The international interfaith dialogue center in Vienna is established on the basis of a recommendation made by the first dialogue conference in Madrid.
Abdullah Omar Naseef, vice president of the King Abdulaziz National Dialogue Center, has highlighted the importance of the center in Vienna, saying it is essential to carry on the message of King Abdullah by conducting research and organizing seminars and conferences on the topic.
He said the King Abdullah Interfaith Dialogue Center would cooperate with other centers and institutions that work to foster greater understanding between followers of various religions and cultures.
He also emphasized the importance of dialogue, saying it would remove misunderstanding between people of different faiths, help them know one another, encourage them to work together for the welfare of humanity and fight social evils.
Naseef welcomed the plan to organize an interfaith dialogue forum in the south Indian state of Kerala under the auspices of the Muslim World League (MWL). “This is a good idea. India being a multicultural and a multireligious country and the world’s largest democracy is the right place for such a dialogue forum,” he said, adding that it would contribute to reducing communal tension in the country.
