HAVING heard about Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz's call for an International Interfaith Dialogue under his patronage was like a dream come true. The dialogue, scheduled to start in Madrid today, is indeed a thrill. It is the dream come true for me. For someone who has witnessed or participated in many interfaith dialogues held on local and regional levels in my hometown of Kerala, India, conducting and coordinating such a dialogue on an international level was a farfetched prospect at best. Henceforth, King Abdullah's interest and efforts to conduct such a worldwide, all-encompassing endeavor cannot be understated. I hope that the conference will discuss cooperation among communities from different religions and cultures over common human values. This will certainly be a groundbreaking event. The selection of venue was not less imaginative: Spain is a country where Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in peace for centuries. The current world is truly moving towards a collision course. Historically it is a proven fact that religious, cultural, and ethnic differences have led to misunderstanding, hostility and conflict. The root of conflict is ignorance and ignorance is the source of prejudice. By attacking innocents, the so-called Jihadis are proving that they are in no way better than the imperialists. If we would allow this trend to continue longer, innocent blood will be shed and the world will be in turmoil. The general impression is that power and hegemony over the so-called enemy should be our aim. This concept is definitely against the basic tenets of the religion of peace. The day and age we live in, which is characterized by conflict, civilizational divides, intolerance, bigotry, prejudice and war, makes such a great attempt to regain peace and harmony on the part of the King of Saudi Arabia that much more momentous. It is an effort for which he should be congratulated and supported by all people who love peace and justice. For that, King Abdullah really deserves a Nobel Prize for peace. Every Muslim agrees that Judaism, Christianity and Islam all trace their roots back to Prophet Abraham. But beyond this concept, the Qur'an is very clear that all divine religions were one and the same in their original form. This is a basic theme that is easily derivable from the Qur'an. The Qur'an (17:70) proclaims that the children of Adam deserve esteem, irrespective of their beliefs. As such, even a non-believer deserves respect. Islam also presents a practical solution for the establishment of peace and harmony in the world through mutual understanding and interaction between different schools of thought in contemporary societies. The Covenant of Madina could be a source for providing answers to questions about how to live harmoniously and how to solve and prevent conflicts between groups based on differences in culture and belief. It can be a superior model of ways to create and sustain dialogue in a pluralistic society, and of ways to build and conduct political and social relationships among different groups. A Muslim should deal with all of humanity by understanding these meanings and these principles, treating both those who disagree and those who agree with them affectionately. This is why Muslims should continue to maintain a dialogue with the People of the Book. God instructs Muslims: “And argue not with the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), unless it be in (a way) that is better (with good words and in good manner, inviting them to Islamic Monotheism with His Verses), except with such of them as do wrong; and say (to them): “We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you; our Ilah (God) and your Ilah (God) is One (i.e. Allah), and to Him we have submitted (as Muslims).'” (Qur'an, 29:46) In two explicit verses, the Qur'an outlines the basic principles for the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims. These verses are plain and lucid: “Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion nor drove you out of your homes. Verily, Allah loves those who deal with equity. It is only as regards those who fought against you on account of religion, and have driven you out of your homes, and helped to drive you out, that Allah forbids you to befriend them. And whosoever will befriend them, then such are the Zalimun (wrong doers – those who disobey Allah).” (Qur'an, 60:8-9) God has not prohibited Muslims from treating non-Muslims, who are at peace with them and do not fight them on account of faith and do not drive them from their homes, with kindness and justice, for God loves those who are just. The Arabic word which is used in the verse is ‘qist,' which means justice - that is, to give to each according to their rights. As for kindness (birr), this exceeds justice, for it is the act of doing good (ihsan), meaning that you give somebody his right or more than his right. It is very clear that God has instructed us to be kind to non-Muslims. A part of kindness is to be able to co-exist with them amicably. However, it is a proud prestige to the Indian community that half a dozen Hindu religious scholars including Dr. Karan Singh, Swami Agnivesh, Sankaracharya Omkar Anand have been invited to the forthcoming Madrid Inter-faith Dialogue conference. We have to specifically note that King Abdullah has considered scholars and religious leaders who have been trying to establish harmony between religions through positive approaches! To get to know each other through dialogue is essential for the establishment of world peace. Through dialogue, we can promote better understanding and creative cooperation among cultures and religions, while acknowledging and accepting their differences. Through dialogue, we get to know one another as individuals. To be frank, King Abdullah truly deserves the Nobel Prize for Peace and I wish the world community would recoganize him as Peacemaker for the world in a comprehensive sense. Wishing King Abdullah a good accomplishment, success in his brave and bold steps where world superpowers are keeping quiet on the real world peace process. __
