Saudi king set to lead rare interfaith talks
Saudi king set to lead rare interfaith talks in Spain
The three-day conference of religious leaders will start July 16 in Madrid.
By Caryle Murphy | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor from the July 8, 2008 edition
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - In a first for a Saudi Arabian leader, King Abdullah will convene a conference in Madrid as part of a Saudi outreach to defuse interfaith tensions, improve Islam's image, and restore respect for religious values.
King Abdullah's initiative – a three-day meeting starting July 16 that will include Muslim, Christian, and Jewish clerics, as well as representatives of Eastern religions – stands out among interfaith gatherings that have become commonplace in the post-9/11 world.
Not only is Saudi Arabia the birthplace of Islam, but it also is the wellspring of an austere, exclusivist version of Sunni Islam. Sometimes called Wahhabism, it bans the open practice of other faiths in the kingdom and tends to reject inter-religious dialogue with non-Muslim "infidels."
Salax: what do u mean?
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
Lets hope it's kept this way :)
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
MANAMA:
Bahrain yesterday vowed to continue promoting inter-faith tolerance and peaceful co-existence. "Bahrain is proud of its 1,000 Bahraini Christian citizens, who are well integrated in public life," His Majesty King Hamad said yesterday. "Many of them are even holding high positions, including in the Shura Council."
He was speaking following his meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, at the Pope's summer residence outside Rome.
"We stressed the importance of promoting bilateral co-operation and building bridges of tolerance, moderation and peace," said His Majesty, who is on an official visit to Rome, Italy.
He also described his visit as a continuation of the dialogue initiated a few years ago with the late John Paul II.
Bahrain's efforts to promote peaceful co-existence through hosting inter-faith conferences and forums and launching peace-driven initiatives, were also highlighted.
"Bahrain hosts the Sacred Heart Church, the oldest Catholic church in the Gulf, as it dates back to 1940," said His Majesty.
There are also more than 30 other Protestant, Orthodox and Coptic churches serving their communities, he said.
His Majesty underlined importance of building bridges of understanding, stressing universal human values, which form the common core of religions and civilisations.
He advocated a peaceful world based on values of tolerance and moderation.
Meanwhile, His Majesty stressed Bahrain's keenness to promote bilateral relations with the Vatican.
He was speaking as he met Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States Archbishop Dominique Mamberti.
His Majesty also highlighted the crucial role of the Vatican in advocating peace, openness between religions and civilisation.
"Such lofty values would only preserve international security and stability and enable all nations to live in a peace-loving world," he said.
The Vatican praised Bahrain's religious tolerance.
The Pope and His Majesty had what the nation described as "cordial" discussions in Castelgandolfo.
"The authorities thanked His Majesty for the welcome given to numerous Christian immigrants" to his country, it said in a statement. The two men "reiterated their common commitment to intercultural and inter-religious dialogue."
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NIL ILLEGITIMI CARBORUNDUM
Britexpat: Lets all be positive as you about this matter, i remember a meeting he had in Rome with the pope.
In Portugal, according to Sheik David Munir, the muslim community feals integrated in the portuguese society and because of that, radicals failed their attempt of recruiting new members.
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
Its a thawing of the ice.. I am sure that only good can come of it.
The Saudi King has to tread a very fine line..Keep the orthodox Muslims happy, whilst moving the country forwardand opning up slowly..
Dmighty, yes, that's the way to go, God/Allah will be pleased when it comes the day when every all His sons/daughters can freely visit His places.
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
"dgoodrebel will always be the rebellious good one"
Can't disagree with that.
I truelly wanna belive on his honest efforts, but it's due to traditions that all countries that don't split religion from politics have serious social life issues.
The world heads one way and unless it gets destructed, no one can make it move backward, even if those are priests or Imans or any other cleric.
In Portugal a christian can visit a mosque just like a muslim can get in a Church, there's no infidel or any other kind of descrimination on God's/Allah's place.
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
I agree on the surface. But again I point to my first post. The king may truly wish for something different but even he is tied by the traditions that bind him to his subjects. History is replete with stories of kingdoms fallen due to kings killed. The point is he is doing something. It is always easier to do nothing. Certainly, we are each a critic and this may be a hollow gesture but it is a good gesture nonetheless.
Yes, i must agree Adey on this, it's the old trick, Do what i say and not what i do
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
You are right about the long time thing and some things never do change. It is interesting the phrase "Wrong place, right time" or the derivative thereof. Plenty of people have been killed in history for not 'being' at the right place at the right time and I am sure the majority of them have been forgotten by history. There is a 'universality' out there that Platao36 mentions but until then, the next closest things seems that affluence breeds tolerance. Of course, the trick is getting people to share that affluence.
adey - agree
Lets have faith that 1 day, Humankind will no longer fight because of someone saying "I know everything and all others must obey me"
My wish is that Gos/Allah's enlights all clerics from all religions at meeting.
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
absurd that the king of Saudi has to convene an inter-faith meeting in Spain? Under his own countries rules it would not be allowed in Saudi!!!!
"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365
not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the
many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers
were given. Satan - 10."
for nearly 10 yrs now, and they are still no closer to a descision.
So to allow Other faiths to practise in Saudi is gonna take a loooooooooonnnngggg time !!
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NIL ILLEGITIMI CARBORUNDUM
Does anything ever change? Why bother?
Nothing will change.
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NIL ILLEGITIMI CARBORUNDUM