United Nations, NU Online
Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz opened on Wednesday, November 12, an international conference on promoting interfaith dialogue with the participation of several world leaders, including the Israeli president.
"We state with a unified voice that religions through which Almighty God sought to bring happiness to mankind should not be turned into instruments to cause misery," King Abdullah told world leaders.<>
He asserted that terrorism poses an immense threat to all people irrespective of their religions.
"Terrorism and criminality are the enemies of every religion and every civilization," the monarch told world dignitaries.
"They would not have emerged except for the absence of the principle of tolerance."
The two-day conference, to be attended by 17 heads of state and government including Israel, the US, Britain and several Arab countries, is a personal initiative of King Abdullah to promote interfaith dialogue among the world's major religions.
"Human beings were created as equals and partners on this planet," said Abdullah.
"Either they live together in peace and harmony or they will inevitably be consumed by the flames of misunderstanding, malice and hatred."
Earlier this year, King Abdullah presided over a Spain-hosted gathering of Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Buddhists, which concluded with a call for greater cooperation among religions.
Unprecedented dinner
United Nations Chief Ban Ki-moon called for sincere global efforts to combat a rising tide of communal strife and religious extremism.
"Extremist ideologies are on the rise. Societies are more polarized," he told the world dignitaries.
"Anti-Semitism remains a scourge. Islamophobia has emerged as a new term for an old and terrible form of prejudice."
The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the world's biggest Islamic body, has warned against the rise of insults and attacks on Islam and its symbols in western societies.
"One of the great challenges of our time must now surely be to ensure that our rich cultural diversity makes us more secure -- not less," said Ban, adding that the meeting will prove successful only if it brings concrete results.
"We cannot be satisfied with declarations of intent and commonality, important as those are. What we need is dialogue that delivers."
The UN chief praised Saudi Arabia for "a truly inspiring initiative for global harmony and mutual understanding."
Before the conference, King Abdullah dinned, for the first time ever, in the same room with Israeli President Shimon Peres.
"Normally, in the past, they have not been sitting in the same place like this," noted Ban.
"That is very important and encouraging." (iol/dar)
Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz opened on Wednesday, November 12, an international conference on promoting interfaith dialogue with the participation of several world leaders, including the Israeli president.
"We state with a unified voice that religions through which Almighty God sought to bring happiness to mankind should not be turned into instruments to cause misery," King Abdullah told world leaders.<>
He asserted that terrorism poses an immense threat to all people irrespective of their religions.
"Terrorism and criminality are the enemies of every religion and every civilization," the monarch told world dignitaries.
"They would not have emerged except for the absence of the principle of tolerance."
The two-day conference, to be attended by 17 heads of state and government including Israel, the US, Britain and several Arab countries, is a personal initiative of King Abdullah to promote interfaith dialogue among the world's major religions.
"Human beings were created as equals and partners on this planet," said Abdullah.
"Either they live together in peace and harmony or they will inevitably be consumed by the flames of misunderstanding, malice and hatred."
Earlier this year, King Abdullah presided over a Spain-hosted gathering of Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Buddhists, which concluded with a call for greater cooperation among religions.
Unprecedented dinner
United Nations Chief Ban Ki-moon called for sincere global efforts to combat a rising tide of communal strife and religious extremism.
"Extremist ideologies are on the rise. Societies are more polarized," he told the world dignitaries.
"Anti-Semitism remains a scourge. Islamophobia has emerged as a new term for an old and terrible form of prejudice."
The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the world's biggest Islamic body, has warned against the rise of insults and attacks on Islam and its symbols in western societies.
"One of the great challenges of our time must now surely be to ensure that our rich cultural diversity makes us more secure -- not less," said Ban, adding that the meeting will prove successful only if it brings concrete results.
"We cannot be satisfied with declarations of intent and commonality, important as those are. What we need is dialogue that delivers."
The UN chief praised Saudi Arabia for "a truly inspiring initiative for global harmony and mutual understanding."
Before the conference, King Abdullah dinned, for the first time ever, in the same room with Israeli President Shimon Peres.
"Normally, in the past, they have not been sitting in the same place like this," noted Ban.
"That is very important and encouraging." (iol/dar)
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