King’s dialogue initiative focus of international seminar in Malaysia

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s interfaith and cultural dialogue initiative is the focus of an international seminar organized by Madinah Islamic University (MIU) at the International Islamic University Malaysia, beginning today.

“The seminar will discuss a main working paper and nine research papers on the topic,” said Muhammad Al-Oqla, president of MIU.

The seminar aims at promoting King Abdullah’s interfaith initiative and highlighting the role of Saudi Arabia and Malaysia in spreading a culture of peace, he added.

Al-Oqla emphasized the need to restructure human relations based on justice, tolerance and peaceful coexistence. “We have to remove the negative perceptions regarding the relation between Islam and other cultures and rebuild confidence between them,” he said.

The seminar will focus on two main topics. The first is Saudi Arabia’s cultural and interfaith dialogue initiative, King Abdullah’s speech at the UN General Assembly and the Kingdom’s leading role in the last five decades in promoting dialogue between the followers of different cultures and religious faiths.

The second topic focuses on Islam and other faiths and cultures and the need to promote dialogue among them to reinforce world peace and stability.

Speakers will discuss how to remove the obstacles facing the initiatives to build mutual confidence.

Speaking about the seminar, Saudi Ambassador to Malaysia Fahd bin Abdullah Al-Rasheed emphasized the importance of peaceful coexistence between the followers of various religions and cultures. “Nobody can live in this world in isolation from his or her local and international community,” he said.

Al-Rasheed commended King Abdullah for his interfaith dialogue initiative, saying it reflects his wisdom and farsightedness. “Our dialogue represents support for faith in God against atheism, for goodness against evil, for justice against injustice, for peace against conflicts and wars and for human fraternity and against racism,” he quoted the king as saying.

Jamil Khir Bahroom, minister in the Malaysian prime minister’s department, called for building bridges of cooperation and dialogue between the various religions and cultures.

“Any initiative aimed at bringing together people of different cultures on a common platform is a great thing that should be encouraged and supported.” Bahroom congratulated the two universities for organizing the seminar. “We have to strengthen a culture of dialogue, peace and security and a culture of mutual respect and understanding.”

Zaleha Kamaruddin, rector of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), was all praise for the king’s dialogue initiative, saying it is the right solution for the many geopolitical and cultural challenges. “King Abdullah’s initiative is a befitting answer to the clash of civilization theory,” she said, adding it would contribute to strengthening balanced international relations. She referred to a Qur’anic verse that urges Muslims to cooperate with other communities.

Abdul Aziz Berghout, IIUM deputy rector for international relations, stressed the seminar’s importance. “It comes at a time when the world is badly in need of dialogue in order to strengthen human unity and promote global peace and stability,” he said. The followers of different faiths should work together to resolve the various pressing problems facing humanity, he added.