Daniel Akill-Attieh's Blog | 338: INTER-FAITH CONFERENCE IN MADRID I – AT LAST! THE FIRST GIANT STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Dear Readers and Fellow-Apes; 2008 was a Murky and Hapless Year! Let us hope that 2009 does not turn out to be even More Murky and Hapless!

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I expose and reveal the lies, deceits, pretensions, hypocrisy, treachery, betrayal, and blind, deaf, and stoic compliance, and Human-Apes who follow-the-herd-or-pack; I tell or write the truth; and I say what I mean and mean what I say

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338: INTER-FAITH CONFERENCE IN MADRID I – AT LAST! THE FIRST GIANT STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

01 August, 2008

INTER-FAITH CONFERENCE IN MADRID I – AT LAST! THE FIRST GIANT STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION – Saudi King Abdullah Makes The First Move In The Highly Complicated Game Of World-Religion Chess

Gleaned and condensed from JTA via Yahoo! Alerts Wednesday 30^th July 30, 2008

Dear readers and fellow-Apes; before I present the report, let me state here – unequivocally – that none of you out there should listen to any madman zealot who says that the Inter-Faith Conference was an attempt to defile, or pollute, or dilute, or diminish any religion – whether Islamic or Christian, or whatever. It was an attempt or an effort at getting to meet each other and getting to know each other, AND! Most importantly and especially, getting to find out what each of their Religions was all about. Also – and this is even more important and special – getting to find out whether any of their Religions taught or preached what mad zealots like Osama Bin Ladin and all the others like him claim. That – dear readers and fellow-Apes – was, and is, what Osama Bin Ladin and all the others like him were, and are, afraid of: If they ever get together and talk and/or discuss each other’s Religions, they will find out that all that we have said and all that we have done all along – whether directly or through the poor, blind, illiterate, ignorant and brain-washed dregs of humanity are all NOT to be found anywhere in either the Qur’an or the Bible or in any other Religion’s Holy Books; and that we have misinterpreted and mutilated the laws and rules of Islam, and misled them, and thrown away their lives – and the lives of all that they killed with them – and caused the destruction of properties and the maiming of thousands, not in the name of Allah and for the glory of Islam, but IN THE MAIM OF ALLAH AND FOR THE GORY OF ISLAM! And that was, and is, why they called, and still call, for the death of King Abdullah, because they know that once a get-together like that is begun, nothing on earth or in Heaven or Hell can stop it!

King Abdullah of Saudi-Arabia took the initiative and invited representatives of World Religions – religious, political, and cultural leaders from 50 different countries – to an Inter-Faith Conference in Spain, and King Juan Carlos of Spain hosted the opening session on Wednesday 16^th July at the Spanish Royal El-Prado Palace in Madrid.

King Abdullah first announced his intention some three months before to reach out to the leaders of the main religions of the world to convene an Inter-faith dialogue and to work together to address major global challenges.

Saudi Arabia is the heart of Islam and the most conservative – old-fashioned – of Moslem countries. Freedom of worship is not granted to other religions in Saudi Arabia, where the dominant brand of Islam is Wahhabism or Salafism, and which has a far more insular – narrow-minded – approach than other forms.

There were concrete reasons why the king would want to take such an initiative. Aside from the need to improve the image of Islam in the West and that of his country in particular, at stake were the regional strategic factors, including the increased power and influence of Iran that contributed to Saudi Arabia’s sense that the country needed to assert what it saw as its leadership role in the Moslem world.

King Abdullah first cautiously convened a pan-Islamic conference to discuss the venture, and while there were Moslem criticisms, he received widespread backing in much of the Islamic world. However, some who did not attend the conference expressed strong opposition to the whole idea of an Inter-faith dialogue and especially to inviting members of other faiths to Saudi Arabia, so he decided to hold the shindig in Spain; indicating that it was the first such conference and hinted at future gatherings in Saudi Arabia itself.

There were obvious and important arguments against co-operating with the initiative: Why be a party to an effort or project aimed at advancing the world’s public relations of a regime that was hardly an example of religious tolerance? Why co-operate with religious entities that promote a brand of Islam that does not by any means serve the interests of Moslems or Moslem integration into Western and other democracies and pluralism?

Israeli and Palestinian representatives were not invited directly; the secretary-general of the Saudi-based World Moslem League, who was implicated in supporting organisations that had served nefarious elements abroad, and a representative of the group of anti-Zionist Chasidim that vehemently opposes the existence of the Jewish state, were invited.

A Jewish rejection of the invitation would not have served the interests of Jewry, Israel, or the free world. On the contrary, it was an opportunity to break through barriers of hostility and bigotry, and perhaps the move, whether for self-interest reasons or whatever, would herald an opening in the Moslem world to a greater understanding of, and even cooperation, with others.

Those were uncharted waters. The preparations, list of invitees, invitations and even the programme itself all betrayed the lack of familiarity with the Inter-faith territory at large and with specific religious communities in particular.

In his opening speech King Abdullah welcomed the attendees and stressed his conviction that authentic religion is expressed in a spirit of moderation and tolerance, and requires that concord must replace conflict. Instead of confrontation, he called for co-operation and collaboration between religions to address the global challenges of our time.

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