Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger and Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez signed an agreement for the establishment of the King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue here Thursday. The international center for interfaith and cultural dialogue is to open next year in the Austrian capital. “Saudi Arabia is willing to financially participate in this project, and to place all its moral and political resources behind such a center, without infringing ... on its autonomy or independence from any political interference,” Prince Saud Al-Faisal told officials and reporters. He warned against “extremist minorities within every religious and cultural community ... seeking ... to propagate notions of intolerance, exclusion, racism and hatred.” “These tiny minorities,” he said, “are trying to hijack and disrupt the legitimate identities and aspirations of people of all cultures and faiths.” The Center's founding document cites principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “in particular, the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.” It emphasizes “human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.” Its board will consist of three Christians, three Muslims, a Jew, a Buddhist and a Hindu. The signing ceremony in Vienna was attended by representatives from international organizations and corporations and organizations of religious and cultural dialogues. The Center is an international legal entity, empowered to conclude agreements and take whatever decisions it sees important for carrying out its tasks and message. The agreement defines the goals of the Center, which are to support dialogue between the followers of religions and cultures, to enhance dialogue, respect and cooperation between nations, to encourage peace, justice and reconciliation, and to counter justification for violence and conflicts under religious cover. The agreement defines the financing mechanism needed for running the Center's activities. Austria's European and International Affairs Ministry has sponsored the agreement. Any country or international organization can serve as an observer member, but it should lodge an official request. The agreement is written in Arabic, English, Russian, French, Spanish and Chinese.
