King Abdullah’s interfaith dialogue initiative 2009

Interfaith dialogue to strengthen the world peace and stability, Al-Turki

Malegaon: Highlighting the significance of the interfaith dialogue initiated by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, Abdullah Al-Turki, secretary-general of the Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL) said the conference would contribute to strengthening world peace and stability, reports Arab News, Saudi Arabia's leading English daily.

In a statement on the occasion of the fourth interfaith conference Al-Turki said the Geneva meet is a continuation of efforts that began in Makkah to promote interfaith dialogue.

As many as 166 religious leaders, academics and other prominent personalities from around the world, including the US, the UK, China, Italy, India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Japan and the Philippines, will take part in the event, which is scheduled to be opened by the president of Switzerland.

...In addition to the MWL secretary-general, Bandar Al-Aiban, president of the Saudi Human Rights Commission, Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, and Abdul Rahman Al-Zaid, MWL’s assistant secretary-general, will address the opening session.

...The participants of the Geneva summit include William Baker, president of Christians and Muslims for Peace in the US; David Rosen, director of inter-religious affairs at the American Jewish Committee; John Esposito, head of Muslim-Christian Understanding; Terje Roed-Larsen, director of the Institute of Peace; and Larry Shaw, chairman of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Mohammad Hamid Ansari, vice president of India; Pramjeet Singh Sarna, president of Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib; Kuniaki Kuni, president of the Association of Shinto Temples in Japan; Xue Cheng, vice chairman of the Buddhist Association of China, writes Arab News.