day World Conference on Dialogue concluded here Friday by calling for forming a working team to study the problems hindering dialogue and proposing an international agreement to combat terrorism. The Islamic, Christian and Jewish leaders appealed for a special UN session to promote dialogue among the followers of religions, civilizations and cultures. The Madrid Declaration, read by Abdul Rahman Al-Zaid, the deputy secretary general of the Muslim World League (MWL), which organized the conference on an initiative by King Abdullah, demanded an international agreement on defining terrorism, addressing its root causes and achieving justice and stability in the world. “Terrorism is a universal phenomenon that requires unified international efforts to combat it in a serious, responsible and just way,” it said. The conference noted that terrorism was one of the most serious obstacles confronting dialogue and coexistence. It rejected the call for the clash of civilizations and cultures and warned of the danger of campaigns seeking to deepen conflicts and destabilize peace and security. The conference, attended by about 300 delegates representing various faiths and doctrines, recommended disseminating the culture of tolerance and understanding through dialogue by holding conferences and symposia, as well as developing relevant cultural, educational and media programs. It decided to work on urging governmental and non-governmental organizations to issue a document that stipulates respect for religions and their symbols, the prohibition of their denigration and the repudiation of those who commit such acts. Delegates said legal and political negotiation must proceed the establishment of a center for dialogue named after King Abdullah in view of his role as a promoter of peace and constructive dialogue. “No statesman realizes the need for peace more acutely than King Abdullah whose Kingdom lies in the vortex of an imagined clash of civilizations,” said Jose' de Venecia, a Filipino who is vice president of Christian Democratic International and Chairman of CDI-Asia Pacific International Conference of Asian Political Party. The participants commend the Makkah Declaration issued by the World Islamic Conference. __
